Lady Eilean

Chapter 58

The handful of short days before The Standing passed in a blur. With my intention to keep the Delegation a secret until the last possible moment, my time seemed split down to the last second. Management of the hundred of visitors, the day-to-day function of the castle, and debates with the Delegation that stretched ever further into the early morning. I was exhausted. One upside of all the distraction meant I scarcely thought about The Standing at all. This also meant I could not spare a thought on how best to make sure Alex ended up as my betrothed.

An hour before the damned event was to begin, I stomped across my rooms, mind spinning. There had to be a way around Mother's rule against Mainlander bids. My one comfort was knowing Alex was more than prepared. Crates and trunks full of money, wine, fine silks, and exquisite jewelry sat stockpiled in his room — booty sourced from The Fist to embolden his claim. The sheer cost of all the goods alone was more than enough to buy the entire island out from under my family's control. Whether that would mean anything to my Mother remained to be seen. She was a haughty woman, and she was vain; bribes could be effective.

I heard the door open and close behind me as I let out an anguished groan. My thoughts led me to no successful outcomes. Halting my pacing, I stopped in front of the mirror and saw Alex behind me. Relief made my legs wobble.

"Morning," I whispered.

He grimaced, his face pale. Alex wore a pair of copper breeches that glowed in the low, autumn light. His rich coat of deep green velvet added a sharp form to his strong, tall frame. His curls were waxed, shining, and cut to a uniform length. A clean shave had left his skin pink. Looking down at my gown, lustrous emerald silk with bronze detailing, I smiled. We were a matching pair. I saw Calum's hand in that. He had been unwavering in his demand that I wear this dress, and this one only.

"In all our toiling, I always forget you are quite the impressive gentleman," I said, enjoying the view of him.

He looked down at his outfit and offered me a playful bow. "But am I also handsome?"

Despite my nerves, I laughed. "The most handsome."

"It's the least I could do to honor my most beloved and beautiful lady," he said, as his eyes raked over me.

My skin prickled and an undercurrent of want sparked lively and urgent in my blood. Need burned in his eyes, the blue depths piercing. As our eyes met, the world stilled. The moment was eternal. Looking at each other. The silence was deafening. I drank in his image like a restorative tonic, memorized the lines and planes of his face, the gilded twist of his hair. He had always been my noon sun, the promise of joy and happiness; a radiant light. It was torture not to touch him, to feel the warmth of his skin under my fingertips. Taking a few steps toward him, I reached up, caressing his cheek. His jaw was firm under my palm. Smooth, too.

"It's a pity about the beard. I rather liked it," I breathed. My voice was strained, from nerves or lust. I couldn't tell.

"I love you too, Eilean," he teased, kissing my palm.

The tenderness of my name slipped from his lips with all the delicacy of an enchantment. An invocation meant only for us. I allowed myself to believe we would come to rights.

Alex pressed his forehead against mine. Both of his hands encircled my neck with a gentle command. A familiar touch, born of years of shared intimacy. I shook, moved by my erratic emotions that were high one second, low the next.

"We can do this," I promised.

"I will not lose you."

At the sound of our oaths, my heart skipped a beat. A world opened up before me, the vision crystal-clear and full of promise. Alex and I married, settled at Stormway. More breakfasts, more dreaming. Business and harvests and plans for the future. Serving the people we loved, working the land that had taken in our hearts. Doing the one-hundred things we had always done but now with a sense of security and finality. The two of us, walking down the path we had stepped onto so long ago.