outside. Lord Duffus appeared almost immediately.
“Does that dog sit around the doorway all day, waiting for ye to step oot?”
“Mostly,” she said, smiling beautifully up at him.“Ye are not worrit that I will leave ye and marry some Italian with Bourbon blood, are ye?”
“No, I ken ye canna find a better man than the one ye have.”
They walked along the track that took them down to the white pebbled shoreline, so they could walk along the loch. The water was smooth, the top glassy from the reflection. Overhead, birds cried out and made an occasional dive into the water.
They walked quite some time, without either of them saying anything. Once they reached an outcropping of rock, they sat down on a boulder.
“Have ye thought about what ye want to do?” he asked.
“I dinna ken what choices I have. I will tell Lord Walter and Isobel that I dinna wish to leave here, nor marry into a royal family. I am sure they will understand.”
“I doubt it, but for yer sake, I hope they do as well.”
“Why are ye so negative when it comes to them?”
“It is a feeling I have…one I have always had aboot them. I didna trust them afore they came here and I dinna trust them now.”
“They have been more than kind to us.”
“Aye, and it was for a reason, ye ken, although I dinna ken what that reason is, just now. But give them time and they will reveal themselves. ‘Truth will come to light,’ as Shakespeare said.”
“I would rather ye not use that quote.”
“Why?”
“Because the full quote is, ‘Truth will come to light, murder cannot be hid long.’”
“Aye, it was not a good choice.”
“So, tell me, Fraser, what is the way oot of this fray?”
“We marry right away.”
She was speechless. He could tell she wanted to say something, but the words were not there. “This is a shock to ye, I ken, but it is the only way to prevent further meddling. As easily and as quickly as they got the right to yer ward, I think they could just as easily come up with a decree from the king ordering ye to appear at court. Once that happens, yer fate is sealed. Of course, I am not trying to force myself on ye, either. Ye are free to make up yer own mind. I have made ye the offer of marriage, born o’ the love I bear ye, but I respect yer right to make yer own decisions. I willna ask ye again, so if ye are leaning toward a lifetime as my wife, ye best be saying so, Claire Lennox.”
She put her arms around him and kissed him softly, and again, this time with more passion, before she whispered the words against his mouth, peppered with kisses. “I will marry ye, Fraser Graham, today” kiss “tomorrow” kiss “next week” kiss “whenever ye say.”
“Ye ken, ye canna mention anything aboot this to anyone. I need to work this all oot and make the arrangements. I will send word to Jamie, and once he arrives we will pay a visit to our friend, the Earl of Argyll, since he seems to hold the reins to everything that goes on in this area, especially since yer father’s death. With my brother and the Earl of Argyll standing for us, I dinna think we would have any problems with yer guardians, but to be cautious, I ken it would be best for us to keep our intent to marry a secret. Ye canna mention it, even to yer sisters. Agreed?”
“Aye, Captain—Fraser, the man I love with all my heart—Graham, I agree.”
“My bonnie Claire, ye are a delight to my soul and a joy to my heart.”
“Aye,” she said, “that I am.”
In the hours long before dawn, Dermot MacFarlane rowed silently across the loch to the western shore. Jamie and Fraser stepped out of the dark shadows and greeted him.
“All is arranged?” Dermot asked.
“Aye,” Fraser replied. “And my lass?”
“She awaits ye. I have her things in the boat.” He scanned the area along the shore, up to the line of trees. “Ye have come alone?”
“The Earl of Argyll has sent thirty men. They await us just beyond the trees, along with twenty
“Does that dog sit around the doorway all day, waiting for ye to step oot?”
“Mostly,” she said, smiling beautifully up at him.“Ye are not worrit that I will leave ye and marry some Italian with Bourbon blood, are ye?”
“No, I ken ye canna find a better man than the one ye have.”
They walked along the track that took them down to the white pebbled shoreline, so they could walk along the loch. The water was smooth, the top glassy from the reflection. Overhead, birds cried out and made an occasional dive into the water.
They walked quite some time, without either of them saying anything. Once they reached an outcropping of rock, they sat down on a boulder.
“Have ye thought about what ye want to do?” he asked.
“I dinna ken what choices I have. I will tell Lord Walter and Isobel that I dinna wish to leave here, nor marry into a royal family. I am sure they will understand.”
“I doubt it, but for yer sake, I hope they do as well.”
“Why are ye so negative when it comes to them?”
“It is a feeling I have…one I have always had aboot them. I didna trust them afore they came here and I dinna trust them now.”
“They have been more than kind to us.”
“Aye, and it was for a reason, ye ken, although I dinna ken what that reason is, just now. But give them time and they will reveal themselves. ‘Truth will come to light,’ as Shakespeare said.”
“I would rather ye not use that quote.”
“Why?”
“Because the full quote is, ‘Truth will come to light, murder cannot be hid long.’”
“Aye, it was not a good choice.”
“So, tell me, Fraser, what is the way oot of this fray?”
“We marry right away.”
She was speechless. He could tell she wanted to say something, but the words were not there. “This is a shock to ye, I ken, but it is the only way to prevent further meddling. As easily and as quickly as they got the right to yer ward, I think they could just as easily come up with a decree from the king ordering ye to appear at court. Once that happens, yer fate is sealed. Of course, I am not trying to force myself on ye, either. Ye are free to make up yer own mind. I have made ye the offer of marriage, born o’ the love I bear ye, but I respect yer right to make yer own decisions. I willna ask ye again, so if ye are leaning toward a lifetime as my wife, ye best be saying so, Claire Lennox.”
She put her arms around him and kissed him softly, and again, this time with more passion, before she whispered the words against his mouth, peppered with kisses. “I will marry ye, Fraser Graham, today” kiss “tomorrow” kiss “next week” kiss “whenever ye say.”
“Ye ken, ye canna mention anything aboot this to anyone. I need to work this all oot and make the arrangements. I will send word to Jamie, and once he arrives we will pay a visit to our friend, the Earl of Argyll, since he seems to hold the reins to everything that goes on in this area, especially since yer father’s death. With my brother and the Earl of Argyll standing for us, I dinna think we would have any problems with yer guardians, but to be cautious, I ken it would be best for us to keep our intent to marry a secret. Ye canna mention it, even to yer sisters. Agreed?”
“Aye, Captain—Fraser, the man I love with all my heart—Graham, I agree.”
“My bonnie Claire, ye are a delight to my soul and a joy to my heart.”
“Aye,” she said, “that I am.”
In the hours long before dawn, Dermot MacFarlane rowed silently across the loch to the western shore. Jamie and Fraser stepped out of the dark shadows and greeted him.
“All is arranged?” Dermot asked.
“Aye,” Fraser replied. “And my lass?”
“She awaits ye. I have her things in the boat.” He scanned the area along the shore, up to the line of trees. “Ye have come alone?”
“The Earl of Argyll has sent thirty men. They await us just beyond the trees, along with twenty
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