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Chapter Twenty-Nine
Donald’s eyes widened in anger and surprise, and Amelia noticed, since she was so close to him, that there was fear in them as well.
He let go of Amelia’s hands, for which she was grateful, and he began the journey back down the long aisle, pointing his finger at the trio. “How dare ye invade my private wedding ceremony, in which I marry my beautiful, blushing bride? He smirked at Jamie briefly.
Jamie rushed down the remaining distance that lay between him and Donald, and he swung his fist hard until it landed squarely on Donald’s weak jaw, spinning his face to the right and forcing him to the ground.
“Ye weak, bloody foking bastard!” Jamie yelled, as he stared at the crumpled form of Donald on the church floor. “Ye have always hated us, threatening tae hurt anyone and everything, and now ye’ve stolen the lairdship, and the love of my life! Yer da wouldnae be proud of ye, lad, if he saw what ye’ve done. And who knows what other atrocities ye have committed from the confines of yer stone fort!”
Breathless from hitting Donald, and yelling at him, Jamie looked up to see a shocked Amelia. Her mouth was open, and she stared from Donald to Jamie, speechless. She looked beautiful and elegant in her white dress, and Jamie kept his eyes on her as he stepped around the groaning Donald, still laying on the floor, clutching his jaw. At the end of the aisle, William held back a worried Marianne, with his hand on her elbow, once he noticed Jamie’s intentions. Marianne looked back at him angrily, until he motioned with his head at the pair of lovers. Marianne turned back and sighed.
Jamie had arrived at Amelia’s side, and her eyes turned up to him slowly, almost as if they didn’t believe he was really there. “It’s you,” she breathed. “Am I dreaming?”
Jamie smiled and held her shoulders with his hands to move her to face him. “Nay, lass, ‘tis real life.”
“So, it wasn’t a dream when you told Donald you loved me?”
Jamie laughed, his joy filling him with a fervor, to finally find himself in Amelia’s warm presence once again. “Nay, Sassenach. ’Tis only partly true. Ye could say that I loved ye, although ‘tis much more than that. I adore ye, and I want ye tae be my wife.” He pulled out the ring from his pocket, having kept it with him since he’d taken it from his workroom days ago.
He held it in front of her. The surprise still evident on her face, Amelia looked back at Donald and then uttered quietly, “But, Donald, the money, the contract.”
Jamie pulled her closer, and her gaze was drawn once again to his bright green eyes, which spoke to her of his love, their past, and their potential future.
“There is naught we cannot fight. Together.” He said. “Ye have not yet been married.” He glanced back at the surprised minister, who, once realizing he had been noticed, scurried away to the side door and escaped from view.
“It appears we may need a new minister. One who does not marry such people in such a state, or hurries away from where he may be needed.” Jamie turned back to Amelia, whose eyes were filled with tears. “Yes,” she said. “Yes, until the end of time.” She held out her left hand, and Jamie smiled, placing the ring on her finger. Once he did so, he placed her hands around his neck, and he moved closer to her face, his eyes on her lips.
“Ye know, ‘tis customary to tell someone who’s told ye they love ye tae say the same in return...if ye feel it that is.” Jamie swallowed slightly, a tiny pinprick of doubt entering his mind. Amelia smiled drawing even nearer. “Aye. I love ye, my Scottish hero,” imitating his Scottish brogue.
“My Scottish Sassenach.” Jamie replied, and with abandon, crushed his lips to hers, her arms around his neck and his hands gripping her waist, pulling her as close as he could. Amelia went on her tiptoes to deepen the kiss, putting her hands on his face as she moved her head to the side to take him in even further.
Seeing the lovers make their amends, Marianne and William smiled, and then looked at each other to share in the moment. But seeing a devilish smirk on William’s face, Marianne turned away in a huff. “We should give the two lovers their privacy, Mr. Fraser.” She said with her teeth nearly clenched and turned to exit out the church door.
William chuckled. “Of course,...me lady,” and he followed her out. “Feeling discomfort at the sight of a man and woman kissing are ye?”
They were outside the church now, the door closed behind them. “No! I...I have seen it before.”
“Aye? With that blush growing on yer bonny face, I doubt that. I doubt ye’ve seen anything even close tae such a wanton act.”
In her mind, Marianne warmed at being called bonny. No one had said so with such a brazen attempt to make her uncomfortable. But, her mouth said, “I am happy for my friend. ‘Tis…’tis not wanton between two people who love each other.”
“Really? Well, well, well, ye are changing yer tune. According tae Amelia, yer quite the moral and virtuous lass, who wouldnae have agreed tae such a statement...and who wouldnae welcome the advances of a rough, Scottish gentleman.” Marianne stood against the stone doorframe of the church and William leaned on the other side. At his words, he moved towards her, but seeing the heat in his eyes, she squealed and ran from the doorframe. She turned back to him, breathless, “And Amelia was quite right! I have virtue, and I would not be so weak as to fall for such a man.”
William burst into a fit of laughter which had him bending over in the church doorway. His joy was complete. His old friend and new friend had finally found each other. And he had upset the composure of the new, enticing lass that had entered his orbit. All goals achieved.
Marianne crossed her arms at such a display of frivolity. This caused William to continue laughing at her expense with Marianne’s anger boiling to such a degree that she turned around and walked to stand by the horses. She couldn’t bear to look at him.
Inside the church, the passion of the kiss had slowed to soft and gentle, the two of them still gripped in each other’s embrace. Donald began to stand up, and at the movement to her left, Amelia pulled away from the kiss, but Jamie kept his arm around her, eyeing Donald with anger.
Donald still rubbed his jaw, his clothes rumpled, and his mind flashed to the knife in his jacket. But, he knew that Jamie could overpower him. Instead he said, “Ye will regret this, Jamie. Ye and William and anyone who is connected with ye.” His voice was a growl, and spittle flew from his mouth in his rage. He kept his distance from Jamie, as to avoid another punch, but his fury could bridge that gap. “Am I not the laird of Kinnaird clan? I will use what power I have tae break ye. Beware of the darkness of the shadows, for in them, ye will find me!”
Jamie stood tall and confident, his happiness not lessened one bit by the fierceness of the creature before him. “Aye, ye are laird for now, but do not worry. We will sort that problem as well.” He moved closer to Donald, towering over his small frame, and Donald almost imperceptibly took a step back. “And if ye so much as touch a hair on me bride’s head, cousin, I shall cut ye myself with yer own blade!”
The last threat was bellowed at such a degree, that even Amelia jumped a little with surprise. Donald scowled and huffed but ran off, out the door of the church, nearly toppling over William in the process. He hissed at William and Marianne, and then fled deeply into the darkness of the night, finding his horse to gallop away. William peered into the doorway from which Donald had dashed in such a rage and saw that Jamie and Amelia had found each other’s lips again. He smirked and shut the large church door. He called out to Marianne, “Lass, ye may want tae ride back with me now, as I think these two will be a long while yet.”
* * *
Both Marianne and Amelia had requested their riders to take them to the Parker cottage from the church, so that they may check on Henrietta. Henrietta slept soundly, a feverless sleep, and Amelia’s heart was full.
