Maisie appeared from the kitchen with a tray of cups and declared that no one was going anywhere until they had drunk a proper toast, which no one argued with.
Boyd raised his cup."To Cormac and Una Stewart.May she be the making of him.Lord knows he needs it."
Laughter spread around the room.Cormac shook his head but he was grinning.
Una stilled at the name.Stewart.Her name now was Stewart.She thought of the arisaidh he had given her on the first evening, the colors she had recognized immediately.His family colors.She had been wearing his name before she even knew it.
Something about that warmed her heart.
She looked at the faces around her, rough and road-worn and every one of them grinning at her, and felt something warm and unfamiliar settle in her chest that she had no name for yet.
She raised her cup but did not drink.She had imbibed quite enough the previous night and had no desire to repeat the experience.
Across the room Cormac caught her eye and winked.
Una smiled and felt, somehow, that she had made the right decision.
***
SOMETIME INTO THE CELEBRATIONS, after Boyd and his men had left, Una found a quiet moment with Cormac and asked what the plan was now.
"We leave for Edinburgh on the morrow," he said."I have dealings there."He had not told her yet that he worked for the king and that they were headed to his rooms at the castle.She had enough to deal with for one day, and he would broach the subject soon.
Una nodded.For the first time she understood how little she actually knew about Cormac's life.All her money and worldly possessions were back in the cottage.She did not know where Cormac lived, or anything about his family, or what any of it was going to look like.A frown settled on her forehead before she could stop it.
"Dinnae fash, love," Cormac said from beside her."Ye have me now.Whatever ye need, I'll provide."
"I have coins and my belongings at home.My needles and threads.'Tis unsettling to be starting a new life without the things I would have packed if I'd knew I was leaving for good."
Cormac kissed her on the tip of her nose."I spoke to Boyd before he left.His men and Bella will see to packing yer belongings and sending them to my family home.Once we reach Edinburgh I'll provide everything ye need for our stay."
Una was relieved.Bella would know exactly what to pack.Bella was also the only person who knew where Una kept the coins from her sewing work, and she could trust her to forward them on and smooth things over with her patrons.Still, she would miss the little school and her cottage.She would have liked to say goodbye properly.
"As soon as we're able," Cormac said, as though he had read her mind, "I'll take ye back to Kyleakin so ye can see yer friends and say goodbye as ye should."
She leaned across and kissed him.It came out of her before she had quite decided to do it."Thank ye, husband," she replied quietly."I would like that.I have some coins with me as well, if they're needed for provisions."
"Then ye keep them," he said."I have coin enough for both of us and as yer husband I'll insist on it."
They gazed at one another and grinned, and he kept her hand in his as the celebrations continued around them.
***
THE AFTERNOON WOREon and the revelry continued.Cormac remained a steady presence at Una’s side, seeing to her every need, his thigh warm against hers, his thumb moving in idle strokes across the back of her hand.
Every now and then she felt his eyes on her and looked up to find him gazing at her with intensity.Each time she looked away first.
"How is yer head?"he asked.
"Much better.The shock of having to wed appears to have sobered and healed me."
Cormac laughed, a real one, surprised out of him."Aye, my poor wife.A shock in more ways than one."He tilted his head, studying her."Is that why ye're not drinking now?"
"No," she said."Ale makes me sleepy."
"Is that so."He said it lightly, but his voice had changed.He leaned toward her, his shoulder pressing against hers, his mouth near her ear."And ye see, that's important.Because tonight is our wedding night, Una."
"Aye," she rasped with a slight shiver.
