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“I am getting married tomorrow. Will you be the best man?” Ronin asked and turned to look at his friend; a bewildered expression on his face. He knew his friend considered him mad.
“Please tell me ye are joking!” Lachlan boomed; getting up from the bed and coming to stand before him. Ronin took a few steps back, clearly not in the mood for a fight. He'd made a decision, and he wanted Lachlan's support or nothing at all.
"I am not. I am to marrytomorrow and would appreciate it if you would support me in this decision because there is no one else I can tell. However, if you have any reservations,I won't force you," Ronin said calmly, aware that his words were likely falling on deaf ears.
“Any reservations? Have ye lost yer mind, Ronin? Who is the lass? Have ye compromised her in some way and are now trying to do the noble thing by getting married to her? Is that the case?” Lachlan asked; pacing from left to right.
“No, that is not the case. I respect the girl very much and would never do such a thing. I am marrying her because I love her and she loves me, and I know I won’t be able to find a better partner for myself,” Ronin said truthfully; hoping with all his might for his friend to believe him and side with him.
“Who is it?”
“Edna.”
Ronin observed Lachlan's eyes widening and then narrowing in recognition. He could see the gears in his head turning, and he was certain hewould refuse to support him. The man despised Bryce, and the hatred between the two families ran deep.
“I should have known. Ye lost yer mind over her at the pub when ye didn’t even ken her. Now ye are ready to marry her, despite knowing she is the daughter of our enemy. Ye truly amaze me, Ronin. Ye are to be the future laird, but the decisions ye are making are beyond me,” Lachlan roared at him; clearly agitated.
"When I saw her at the pub, I was just drawn to her because she was beautiful. Now,after spending time with her — I got to know herkind heart. She loves me. You wouldn't understand our feelings, and I wish I could make you understand them, but it seems impossible. I came to you because you are my brother, Lachlan, and I expected you to be willing to stand beside me."
Ronin was well aware that his words sounded like blackmail, but he truly meant them. Lachlan's support would mean the world to him, and he wanted his friend to understand his role in hislife. He stood there watching as hesighed deeply and returned to his seat on the bed.
“I don’t fully support this decision of yers, but I will be yer best man just ‘cause ye are like a brother tae me. I don’t ken how this will turn out for ye, Ronin, but I am here for ye and with ye,” Lachlan finally said.
Hestood up and approached him as Ronin embraced him. He knew that while this may have been just agreeing to help a friend, it meant so much more.
“Thank you,” Ronin said earnestly as the two separated and Lachlan patted him on the back affectionately.
“Unnecessary,” Lachlan replied. Ronin knew that even though this problem was solved, going forth with the wedding was not going to be easy but he was ready to tackle it all.
CHAPTERSIXTEEN
Edna opened her eyes a short while later and noticed that the sky was slowly turning pink. She sighed deeply as she remembered how she had slept in Ronin’s arms last night. He must have placed her head on the pillow and left her sleeping in the middle of the night. Edna had been restless all night as everything that was happening around them was weighing heavily upon her conscience.
She remembered how troubled Ronin had been when he had arrived. His heart and mind were burdened after finding out about the second murder, and Edna felt the same way. She knew she had agreed to marry him and planned the wedding for tomorrow, but now that she thought about it, it all seemed like a dream. Edna wasn't sure if she'd made the right decision, but she knew she loved Ronin.
Though what she felt for him was far more than love. In more ways than one, he was just like her. He too needed love in his life. Edna respected him and understood his troubled history. She knew how that incident had not only ruined her family, but it had ruined his too. On top of all that, he had been away from home for so long. No matter how well France had treated him, it was a foreign land with foreign people. She wished she could hold him again and run her fingers through his hair. She could have spent all night talking to him.
“What should I dae?” she whispered to herself as the dawn of a new day slowly overcame the darkness. She knew she needed to talk to someone about this, but her mother would not understand. Bryce was out of the question as well. Edna knew she needed to talk to her friends because those three were the only people in her life who truly understood her. They had been together since childhood and loved one another like sisters.
As soon as the sun began to ascend through the sky, Edna got out of bed and changed into fresh clothes. She tiptoed downstairs and out of her house as silently as she possibly could. They all lived close by but Laura was the nearest. Edna made her way towards her friend’s house and knocked on her window just as she had done countless times in the past.
“Edna?” a sleepy Laura opened the window and stepped back so that Edna could hop inside.
“I am not coming inside. Get dressed. We need to get Kathy and Jana as well. I have tae tell ye all something very important,” Edna whispered; Laura’s eyes widening at the urgency of her tone.
The good thing about their friendship was that they did everything for one another without any objections or questions. It was as if they understood what needed to be done for each other, and their unsaid pact dictated for them to go through any plans without debate. Laura quickly changed and the two of them collected Jana and Kathy and quietly made their way back towards Edna’s house.
They all remained silent until they were safely cocooned inside her bedroom. Edna went to sit back on top of her covers, concealing herself behind pillows as three concerned faces stared at her. She knew they wouldn’t force her to speak until she was ready. They all loved and respected one another immensely.
“Are ye okay, Edna?” Laura finally asked as she came to sit down beside her and pushed her hair away from her shoulder; staring at her with affection.
“I am in love,” Edna finally whispered and watched as the concerned expressions turned to smiles.
“Then why do ye look so worried about it? Being in love is wonderful,” Jana said excitedly as she plopped herself down on the bed and supported her chin on her knees. Kathy too sat down and she suddenly felt stronger. She knew she could tell them anything and they would never judge her.
“I am getting married tae him today,” Edna announced and waited for them to react. They all stared at her for a couple seconds before staring at one another in evident confusion.
“How long have ye kent this lad?” Kathy questioned.
