Chapter 18
Sunrise spilled through the window as morning arrived.
The candles were stubby and short, surrounded by puddles of wax as their flames died out.
Islay roused herself and sat up, pulling her hair in a ponytail.
Callum remained sleeping beside her. He looked so handsome and peaceful, resting without a troubled soul.
She brushed her lips across his forehead.
He mumbled something but did not stir. She thought she would let him sleep considering how much energy he exerted, both in battle and in the bed.
A sly smile appeared on her face as she ran her hands down her body and felt the echoes of the previous night.
A little bit of the pleasure still lingered, and the flame that burned had not been extinguished.
She walked around the room and picked up the flowers she had worn in her hair the previous day.
Each one had been plucked by Callum’s hand before they had made love.
She gathered them up and wanted to display them while they were still in full bloom as a way to commemorate the occasion.
She slipped on some simple clothes and left the chamber, giving Callum a quick kiss.
She wore a smile as she left, thinking about how she had just left her husband!
The world and her outlook upon it seemed different now than it had before.
All the time and energy she had spent on trying to escape her fate seemed like a waste now.
She went down to the kitchen to have a little breakfast and find a vase in which to place the flowers. Maids and servants were scurrying about. Each of them had a kind smile, and they greeted her as “Lady Connall.” It was going to take a little getting used to.
“Well, there she is, the new lady in all her glory,” Kirsten said with a wide smile. The young women embraced each other.
“How are ye feeling?” Islay asked, inspecting Kirsten’s wound. There was a red, swollen lump on the right side of her forehead. Kirsten brushed her away with a shake of her head.
“I’m fine. Ye dinnae need tae fuss over me. There are more important things tae talk about, like how ye feel about being married now the wedding night is over?” She hooked her arm around Islay’s and pulled her away to a place where they could speak in secret.
“Well…I certainly dinnae want tae run anymore,” Islay said, and the girls descended into giggles.
“What was it like?” Kirsten asked with wide eyes.
Islay felt her stomach tighten with nerves.
She blushed and averted her gaze, not wishing to speak about it in too much detail.
This wasn’t entirely because she was shy about such matters, but also because she believed that some things should remain private between a husband and wife.
But that didn’t mean she wasn’t going to share anything at all.
“It was like nothing I hae ever experienced. It was wonderful, truly wonderful. I felt…I felt lighter than I hae ever been before, as though I was floating, and when I opened my eyes, he was there, looking right back at me. It made me feel sae safe, and knowing that I was in his arms…it just felt like it was where I belonged,” she said.
Kirsten smiled widely and wrung her hands together with glee. “Oh, I’m sae happy for ye! I bet ye feel foolish for ever trying tae run away now,” she said with a teasing smile.
Islay nodded and sucked in her breath. “Aye, well, it seemed like a good idea at the time. But I should hae given Callum the benefit of the doubt.”
“At least things worked out for the best,” Kirsten said. “What does the future hold in store for ye now that ye are married?” With all the commotion that happened at the wedding, Islay hadn’t given much thought to that.
“I suppose we’ll just begin our lives. I’m sure Callum and Da will want tae hunt down the bandits and punish them for what they did, but I dinnae want any part of that.”
“Perhaps ye will be tae busy preparing for a new arrival,” Kirsten replied with twinkling eyes.
Islay pressed her lips together. “Perhaps,” she replied simply. Then a terrible thought struck her. “I suppose this means that we wilnae be able tae see each other as often as we hae.”
Kirsten squeezed Islay’s hand tightly. “It doesnae mean we are nae kin, or friends. We will still be able tae visit each other, and, of course, one day ye will be at my wedding. Although, and I hope ye dinnae take any offense at this, but I hope my wedding day is nae as eventful as yesterday.”
Islay chuckled. “I doubt many weddings would be!”
“I cannae believe that bandits actually came tae yer wedding!”
“Aye,” Islay replied darkly, thinking about the words the bandit spoke to her. “The man that held a knife tae my throat told me that he had been sent there by someone, but who would dae such a thing? Did ye notice that anything was amiss?”
Kirsten thought about it for a moment, and then shook her head. “I wouldnae gae around listening to the things bandits say.”
“Callum said the same thing.”
“Well, then ye must see that it is right!”
Islay offered a smile. “The only thing I noticed that was strange was that Cinaed wasnae there.”
“That’s right, she wasn’t,” Islay said.
It hadn’t occurred to her before because at the ceremony, she had been so fixated on Callum that she hadn’t thought of anyone else, and when the bandits attacked, she had been focused on Iona’s safety. But it did seem strange as Cinaed had been at every other event.
“I heard people talking, saying that she was ill. I suppose she was fortunate tae miss out on that. I bet she wilnae believe her luck when she learns what happened here!”
“Aye, perhaps I should tell her myself. She was always kind tae me.” Islay smiled.
“Ye know, before I went tae visit Callum, when the storm hit, Cinaed waited tae meet me and offered me her mother’s locket tae fund my escape.
She said she knew how much I wanted tae leave and she was willing tae help me make it a reality. ”
“If she had made that offer a wee while ago, ye might have seen her as yer savior,” Kirsten said.
“Aye, I would hae. I shouldnae leave her alone. I’m sure she would appreciate me taking her some food,” Islay said.
“I’ll come with ye. I could use the fresh air. It’ll likely be good for my head. And I’d like tae spend as much time with ye as possible before ye fully entrench yerself in married life.”
With that settled, they prepared a basket of food and made their way to Cinaed’s house.
Islay tried to push the paranoid thoughts out of her mind, but she couldn’t prevent herself from thinking that it was convenient for Cinaed to be absent from the wedding when tragedy struck.
No…she shook her head to shake the thought from her mind.
Cinaed had tried to help her; it was just unfortunate that she had not been able to attend.
It was more likely that Kirsten and Callum were correct, and that she should stop trying to figure out the mystery to the bandit’s words because there was none.