Highland Solution by Ceci Giltenan

nothing more than to make love to her again as he had last night, but he knew he should give her a little time. He pulled away, saying, “Ah, temptress, we will have to pick this up later, or nothing will ever be accomplished at Duncurra again.”
    “Well, then, get off me, ye brute,” she said, laughing. As he rolled to his side, she hopped out of bed, washed quickly, and dressed. After watching her for a bit, he, too, rose to dress and as he did, she asked, “Niall, have you given any more thought to Tomas?”
    He really didn’t want to start the morning out with this, but he knew he had to address the issue. Resigned to it he answered, “Some. Tell me, why was Tomas living in the stable at Cotharach?”
    “Because I was fond of him and my uncle is cruel.”
    He frowned and said, “I was looking for a bit more information than that.”
    She sighed, “It isn’t just that Uncle Ambrose is cruel, it is almost as if he enjoys causing pain. He takes pleasure in his victim’s reaction to it.” The anger Niall felt earlier, when looking at her scarred back, rose again.
    Katherine paced as she explained, “I learned if I controlled my emotions and didn’t let him see he was hurting me, he soon lost interest in trying. Then he discovered he could hurt me through other people. If he saw me show someone a kindness, causing that person pain became another way to punish me. When Tomas’ grandfather died a few months ago, Uncle Ambrose found a new target in Tomas. He said he was being very generous to let Tomas live in the stable and if anyone interfered, they would be punished. I interfered a bit.”
    Niall arched an eyebrow saying, “The scars on your back suggest ye interfered more than a bit.”
    “All right, I interfered a lot, but no one else dared.”
    Niall thought about this for a moment before saying, “So you feel responsible for him?”
    “Partially, I guess,” she answered. Her brow furrowed as she appeared to consider her feelings about the little boy.
    “I have clansmen with families who would take him in.”
    She looked stricken. “Do you think that is best? I was hoping—I was just hoping...” she stammered. “Niall, please, can he not just stay with us?”
    Niall reached for her to stop her pacing. With his hands on her shoulders, he said, “As what Katherine, a stable boy? He needs parents.”
    “Can we not be his parents?”
    “Ye are asking me to claim a Lowland peasant child as my foster son?”
    “It doesn’t matter to me that he was a peasant. I—I’m sorry, I didn’t think it would matter to you. I love him,” she finished somewhat helplessly.
    She had finally said the words he wanted to hear. “It doesn’t matter to me. I want him to have parents who love him.” He paused again, considering the decision he was about to make. “I think he will. He is ours.”
    She rewarded him with a heart-stopping smile and, to his surprise, threw her arms around him and kissed him soundly.
    ~ * ~
    When they arrived in the great hall they found a number of people there breaking their fast. Fingal, Diarmad, and Tomas sat at the laird’s table. Before Niall and Katherine joined them, Edna, Bridie, and several other women approached. Edna said, “Laird, there is something the women of the clan would like to give Lady Katherine.” He nodded to her and she turned to Katherine.
    “My lady, it is a Highland tradition that when a woman is married, she covers her hair with a kertch.” She indicated the covering on her own head. “It is a triangle of pure white linen and represents the Holy Trinity, under whose guidance the bride will walk. By custom, the bride’s mother or another clanswoman ties it on her head the morning after her wedding, asking for God’s blessing on the new bride.”
    Bridie stepped forward and said, “We became your clanswomen when ye married our laird and, although a few mornings have passed since your wedding, we would like to give ye a kertch now.” She tied the