Epilogue
Cameron’s hand lingered on Margo’s forehead, brushing her sleep-mused hair from her face. It was late morning, nearly time for lunch. He did not have it in his heart to wake her, not when her cheek was still red, a bruise that would take more than a few days to fade.
“Daenae wake her,” Cameron said to Miss Crusoe as she approached with Friday in her shadow. “She needs all the rest she can get.”
The kitten tilted her head to the side, blinking slowly as if to say that she understood what he was asking of her.
Then, when she stretched her body out, her little paw tapping against a wrinkle on the comforter, she told him that, without a doubt, she would not be listening.
When Friday hunkered down, his little rump shaking back and forth, Cameron scooped him up and put him on the ground.
“Wait until she gets up on her own for yer antics,” he chastised, knowing that there was nothing he could do to stop the animals.
Leaving the room, he stopped for a long moment, letting his gaze linger on Margo’s sleeping form. Though they had shared the bed the last several nights since returning from the ceilidh and her father’s lands, it still felt hard to believe that she was really here. That she was choosing to be here.
As he finally slipped away, quietly latching the door, he braced himself for the meeting with his Council.
It felt as if he had done nothing but collaborate with them since returning.
Much of it was Margo’s insistence, wanting to assist in planning the use of her inheritance.
When she had told him she wanted to give back to Clan MacLeod, she had meant it.
I’m surprised she dinnae wake up and demand I bring her with me to this.
When he got to the council room, the contract he and Margo had signed on her first night in the castle was spread on a table.
A few of the elders had sour looks on their faces, but overall, they seemed to be in good spirits.
Cameron supposed that having the funds to settle critical issues the clan was facing was quite satisfying.
“I’d like to keep this discussion short,” Cameron said, commanding everyone’s attention with a single sentence.
The quiet discussions taking place stopped. All but two of the eldest clan members took their seats. His shoulders held back, Cameron crossed the room and stopped in front of the contract.
“As we are all well aware,” he began, fixing his gaze on the loudest voices of dissent against him, “nearly every single contract that Lord Abbott executed has been dissolved due to his fraudulent representation. I ken all of ye have been arguin’ over whether or nae this one will still stand.”
“We are the ones that drew it up,” one of the men in the back said.
“Aye, but Lord Abbott agreed to it,” Cameron said, unsure of why any of them felt that they needed to have any control over his marriage.
They had gotten what they had wanted without the need for any stipulations.
“And it was drafted under fraudulent information. Had it nae been for his schemes, there would have never been a reason for an heir to be demanded so quickly.”
“But we would like to ensure that there will be an heir,” one of the men standing in the back said. “This contract would ensure that ye are makin’ efforts to provide the clan with one.”
“Everythin’ within the current contract has already been released to Margo,” Cameron pointed out. “And neither of us will be signin’ anythin’ else that puts any sort of restraint on our relationship.”
There was a moment of silence. The younger men, the ones that Cameron had appointed himself, nodded in agreement. One of them cleared his throat when the silence became untenable.
“I believe that we are just concerned with ensurin’ all the work we’re doin’ now will have an heir to carry on the legacy,” the man in the back said by way of explanation. He did not sound as though he were trying to argue; his values were simply traditional.
“I can assure ye that there is nae delay in tryin’ to give ye yer heir,” Cameron said, stopping short of telling them that he could not seem to keep his hands off his wife now that he had accepted that he could protect her without controlling her.
“But I amnae signin’ anything to promise ye that we will give ye one.
This contract is void, and it should have been the first that we tore apart. ”
Then, before any of his dissenters could prolong the discussion, Cameron picked it up and ripped it to pieces. Without looking at any of them, he walked over to the hearth and dropped it in. Turning around, he crossed his arms over his chest in a challenge to them all.
“Is there anythin’ else that ye’d like to discuss?” Cameron asked, though his tone made it clear he would not be entertaining anything else.
“Nay, I believe that covers everythin’,” the elder said, understanding that this was a battle he was never going to win. “I suppose that we will be seein’ ye and Margo tomorrow afternoon to discuss plans for the property closest to the MacLeod lands.”
“Aye, we have been discussin’ whether or nae we will have the funds to support an orphanage,” Cameron confirmed.
Two nights ago, Margo had gotten to asking after the children on his lands and if each of them would be adequately cared for.
“I believe we do, and I am expectin’ ye to confirm it with the new budgets ye have been given. ”
“We will get to work,” one of the younger members said, sensing that the meeting was stretching out much longer than Cameron had the patience for.
“Excellent,” Cameron replied as he gave them all one final glance.
Without offering any parting words, he marched out of the room and made his way to the kitchens. Margo would be waking up soon, and he had told her he would be taking her on a trip if the weather permitted. The day looked as if it would be beautiful until nightfall.
Just before he turned the last corner on his way to his destination, Treasure came darting forward. A second later, Spirit and Blossom tumbled after him. He paused, taking a step back as he waited for Eleanor’s inevitable arrival.
“Could you please give everyone a break for an hour at least?” she asked the wee creatures, not noticing Cameron immediately. “You are tiny terrors and I’m exhausted.”
“They will only get more bothersome before they mellow out,” he said, unable to hide his smile.
He was growing quite fond of the girl, particularly in the way her gestures were so clearly learned from her older sister.
“At least that is what Mrs. Campbell told me when I was scoldin’ them for knockin’ me ink well to the floor. ”
“I am not sure the castle will survive,” Eleanor said, sounding truly distressed. “They’ve begun climbing the curtains.”
“The curtains have needed replacin’ for years,” he said easily. “We will wait until they realize it is much more fun to scale the trees to do so.”
Eleanor looked away from where the kittens were wrestling in the corner. She seemed to be assessing Cameron. Or, perhaps, she was reassessing him. On the journey to the MacLeod lands, she had been quiet, staring at him as she had tried to understand him.
“I have never wanted a brother before,” she said finally, her eyes narrowing. There was something playful in her gaze, though. It was a look he had seen her fix on Margo when they were antagonizing one another. “But I suppose that you are not so bad, if I must have one.”
He snorted, resisting the urge to ruffle her hair as if she were a much younger child.
Schooling his features back into seriousness, he said, “I am glad to hear that I have yer approval, Eleanor.” At that moment, Spirit jumped at the laces of Cameron’s boot.
He bent down, picking up the quickly-growing black kitten.
Offering the creature to Eleanor, he said, “I will let ye get back to yer duties. It seems ye have yer hands full.”
“My hands are overflowing,” she sighed as Spirit wriggled free. Glancing back at Cameron, she said, “I will see you at dinner?”
“Aye,” he confirmed, stepping around her. “If ye’ll excuse me, I must retrieve yer sister’s lunch.”
“Where are we going?” Margo asked as Cameron’s arms tightened around her. “The village?”
“Nay,” he said, his voice dangerously close to her ear. An involuntary shudder of excitement ran up her spine at the sound. “Five more minutes.”
“We’re going toward the woods,” she said, squinting ahead. “No… the cliffs?”
He was quiet behind her, but she could practically hear him smile. For the rest of the ride, he did not say another word. It was not until he was helping her to the ground that he spoke again.
“I thought ye may like to enjoy a meal here while the weather was cooperatin’.” He got into the horse’s saddlebag, pulling out a blanket and a wrapped bundle that he must have gotten from the kitchens.
“She seems happy,” Margo said, looking out over the trees and hills. Far off in the distance, she heard the cry of a seabird. “She has since we returned from the ceilidh.”
“She?” he asked as he spread the blanket on the ground, raising an eyebrow in her direction.
“Yes, the Land,” she replied, not offering any further information. “And you were correct. I am… excited to share a meal with you here.”
He grunted, taking her by the elbow and helping her sit. As he settled next to her, he said, “I’ve already instructed the council to check the budget for yer orphanage.”
“Really?” she asked, cocking her head to the side. “When did you meet with them?”
“Before ye woke,” he said with a wave of his hand, as if to tell her he did not want to hear that she would have liked to attend. “We are nae longer under the obligation to produce an heir within thirty days.”
“Our thirty days have already expired,” she said, the corner of her mouth twitching. “Though, I am quite looking forward to the confirmation.”
“Ye wish for a bairn?” he asked, sounding almost surprised. “Soon?”
“I think I do,” she said, pulling her knees to her chest as he untied the ribbon holding their food together. “Perhaps, now that I have nothing to protect Eleanor from, I’m realizing just how much I enjoy caring for others.”
“I could have guessed it was somethin’ ye loved,” he said easily, passing her a bannock before he unpacked several serving dishes that were wrapped in parchment. “Ye raised the kittens well.”
“I had no clue what I was doing,” she admitted, taking a bite off the pastry. She chewed thoughtfully before swallowing. “I am glad that everything worked out.”
“Ye have good instincts for it,” Cameron said, the warm praise wrapping around her and draping itself over her shoulders. “I think ye’d make an excellent mother.”
Margo was the one given pause, then. She had never given serious thought to her parenting skills.
Part of her was afraid that she would be no good as a mother, that she would not protect her children nor give them the tools they needed simply because she was inadequate.
Hearing Cameron’s assessment made her more sure of herself; as if she could have a large family and be a successful matriarch.
“I am eager to find out,” she admitted quietly.
“We’ll have as many as ye like,” he said, meeting her eyes. The wind blew his hair away from his face. “A whole litter of them.”
“Do not compare our future children to kittens!” Margo squealed with a delighted laugh. “And do not compare me to a cat.”
“Ach, I thought it was apt,” he said with a grin. “Or do ye only wish to have one or two?”
“I’ve never given it all that much thought,” she admitted softly as a birdsong started up from the tree nearest to them. “But I do believe that I’d like to have a large family.”
“So, I was correct,” he said, leaning over to kiss her. When they parted, he rested his forehead against hers, saying, “A litter of wee MacLeod’s.”
“You enjoy riling me up,” she observed, stopping herself before she fell for his bait.
“Aye,” he said, unrepentant. He leaned away, beginning to peel the parchment from a bowl of potatoes. “It is easy to do. Ye are quite passionate.” He placed the dish in front of her. “Now eat. Ye’ll need yer strength. I plan on testin’ ye even further when we finish.”
Margo grinned, her heart flipping in her chest. “I’m looking forward to it.”
More than anything.
The End?