Page 154 of Bond of a Bewitched Highlander

"Since he cannot be, I want to give you this." Will held up an old, worn sgian dubh. "He carried this every day for twenty years, at least."

Elsea's throat tightened. "Nay, Will. 'Tis yours," she whispered.

"I have all his other blades, dozens, if you include the swords and dirks. He would want you to have this. And I'm nay resentful you were his favorite. He loved all of us."

She nodded and hugged him. "Wait until I put it on. I want to wear it during the ceremony." She returned to her bedchamber, closing the door, then strapped on her calf sheath with the sgian dubh inside. It took less than a minute and she returned to the corridor.

"One more thing, lass. No more running away," Will said, his voice gruff. "Promise me."

"I promise." She chuckled. "Brodie's stuck with me."

Kieran and Corran waited in the corridor, and she embraced them as well.

"I wish Quinn could be here," she said.

"He would've come if he'd known you were getting married," Will said. "But you ken I always leave him in charge when I travel."

"Aye."

"Your groom kept all of this a secret."

She smiled, hardly able to wait to see her mischievous groom.

They descended the narrow turnpike stairs, Will in front and her two younger brothers behind her.

They waited for a moment just outside the great hall, her heart fluttering with nerves.

The bagpipes outside went silent, as did everyone in the great hall, though she figured it was packed.

One of the musicians played a lone flute. Goodness, it was so beautiful her eyes misted. It was the song she and Brodie had danced to that first time. The Hebridean fairy's love lilt. "Tha Mi Sgith."

She gasped. "Oh, heavens," she breathed. How had he remembered that detail?

Tilly stood nearby and motioned them forward.

Will escorted Elsea fully into the great hall. She'd been right. People filled the room, and they all stood watching her. Finnian grinned and winked at her as she passed by him.

All the people's heads blocked Brodie, but Cat and Dani came into view, smiling, standing before the huge hearth beside stoic Father Helms.

Finally, her gaze met Brodie's. Love shone in his midnight eyes, and his smile was infectious.

She was close to laughing and crying at the same time.

He wore a fine plaid and black doublet. Her gaze dropped to the dirk on his belt. It was the one she'd given him as a betrothal gift. He hadn't sold it or thrown it away. He said he'd never stopped loving her, and she was thankful for that grand miracle.

She handed off the bouquet to Cat and took both Brodie's warm, sword-roughened hands. Facing him, she wanted to cry her eyes out when she looked into his. But she could not do that now. He winked at her, his playful, teasing side showing. As Father Helms recited the ceremony in Latin, she forgot the painful past and focused on Brodie and their bright future. After they said their vows, Brodie leaned down and kissed her lips once. With a wicked gleam in his dark eyes, he framed her face in his hands and came back for a much longer kiss.

The men erupted in whoops and whistles, and everyone laughed.

Father Helms cleared his throat loudly.

Elsea's face burned as Brodie pulled back. He tucked her to his side and drew her down the aisle between their clansmen. He urged her into the stairwell.

The male guests protested.

"What are you doing?" she whispered, twisting around to look at him. They couldn't leave their guests now.

"Go to my chamber," he said, his voice low. "Hurry."