“I spoke with Rory earlier today.”
She looked up at him, surprise on her face, with a touch of worry. “Oh?”
He nodded. “Dinnae fash. ’Twas a good conversation. I can see why ye two get on so weel. It seems that out of yer brothers he is the most levelheaded,” he said with a chuckle. “He is far more observant than I believed on first meeting him. And he loves ye verra much.”
She smiled and cuddled into his chest. “There is a reason why he is my favorite sibling.” Her voice grew serious. “I love all of my siblings, doonae misunderstand me. But ye have brothers. Ye ken how some ye get on better with than others? That is how I feel with Rory. He sees things on a deeper level instead of only seeing things as they are presented to him.”
“That is the impression I got as weel.”
Eilidh shivered, and Torquil sat up straight. “The night grows cool. Let us retire inside so ye dinnae fall ill. I willnae have that happen on my watch. Especially here and give yer family fodder for saying why I doonae deserve ye.”
“We for certs doonae want that to happen,” she said, her eyes bright and cheerful.
And finally, Torquil felt that the darkness that had been hovering over them was beginning to lift.
Chapter Nineteen
With the hopesof ridding the household of all the tension that had taken over Hartsmoor since Eilidh and Torquil’s arrival, Eilidh decided to call a family meeting. No in-laws. Only immediate family so they could finally air all their grievances, and in doing so, she hoped they could find a path to move forward in accepting her husband. She smiled.
Her husband. It was an odd phrase to her, but it felt so right.
After the conversations she and Torquil had shared the night afore, she was for certs she made the right decision in agreeing to marry him. Now she only had to convince her family of that.
They gathered in her father’s study. A warm fire glowed in the hearth, but her father’s look was aught but. She was for certs if he stood too close to the flame, it would freeze over.
She had first approached Moira with the idea. Eilidh wanted to be heard, truly heard. Not just tolerated. Something that she felt her family had been doing with her for quite some time. Moira was hesitant, but finally agreed, telling Eilidh that she could see that she was being sincere.
The word was sent and now they waited for Alpin to arrive so they could begin.
He entered with a scowl on his face that told Eilidh he would rather be anywhere but here.
“Can we hasten this? I have duties to attend that I cannae put off because ye want to gather and speak of yer feelings.”
“Alpin,” Lillias scolded. “Eilidh has called us here to explain her side of things. I believe we all owe her our time so she can do so. Ye may no’ like it, or e’en agree with it. But what is done, is done, and naught can change the past.” She nodded to Eilidh, giving her a reassuring smile.
She took a deep breath, her nerves climbing into her throat, and began to speak openly. “I first saw Torquil at the gathering at the village. We shared a common spark afore we e’en met or said a word to each other. We met ofttimes. First at the market,” she slid a guilty look toward her father. “But usually at the glen near his cottage.”
Arthur fisted his hands, his face turning a brilliant red. Lillias rubbed his shoulders as she whispered words in his ear that Eilidh could not hear. Whatever she had said had some impact on her father as he relaxed just a wee bit.
“He didnae seek me out. ’Twas I that found him. Aye, he was glad I had done so, but he also warned me of my reckless actions. Our feelings grew. From our music, to friendship, and,” she paused, gazing into the fire, smiling at the memories of she and Torquil, “and then to love. I ken that my actions were shameful for no’ waiting afore acting upon them. We moved swiftly. But I doonae regret aught. And if given the chance to do it all o’er again, I wouldnae change a thing.” She took a steadying breath, refusing to wilt under the stares of her family. “The night I didnae come home, I was on my way back when the storm hit, fast and furious. I kenned I wouldnae make it home and needed to seek shelter. Torquil’s cottage was the closest. When Fergus found me the next morn, he demanded Torquil make things right, forcing marriage upon him in the name of my and my family’s reputation.”
Her mother sucked in a breath.
Eilidh shook her head. “Ultimately the choice was mine andTorquil’s. If we didnae wed, my reputation would be ruined, but to be honest, it already was for nay reason. But I didnae marry him because I was forced. I married him because I wanted to. We had already professed our love.”
“Christ!” Arthur swore.
But Eilidh would not be deterred. “I chose this. Me.” She jabbed her finger into her chest to drive the point home.
Alpin retorted sharply, “Love doesnae erase blood feuds.”
Eilidh rolled her eyes at Alpin’s exaggeration. She had had enough of her brother and his doom and gloom. She fired back. “How can ye say such things? Look at the Harts and MacLeods. We had been battling for years. Generations. So long that no one could remember exactly why. The love betwixt Moira and Errol fixed that rift. One, that mind ye, was way deeper than whate’er ye have with the MacGregors that ye cannae prove. Ye dinnae battle with them. Other than with words.
“Love is foolish and should ne’er override one’s duty to their clan. ’Tis why I am no longer courting Effie. Duty above all else,” Alpin grumbled.
Eilidh scoffed. “And look how miserable ye are now?”
Morven, quiet until now, stood up, and addressed the room. “Mayhap we are all just scared to want what she has. She didnae conform to duty. To expectations. Just like with her music and the freedom that she had with it, she found the freedom to love on her own terms.”
