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“You meanwiththe queen,” Lucy said.
“No,” Elizabeth said, and touched a reddish curl falling upon Cordelia’s shoulder. “You will be going for me, Cordelia Cranfield, as the Virgin Queen Elizabeth.”
*
The gown wasexquisite, a gift from the queen herself. Lucy walked slowly down the aisle between the rows of people in the chapel at Whitehall, the train of blue and lace following. The blue silk was shot through with white silk thread sewn into patterns of roses and leafy vines along the petticoat, and pearls were knotted into the centers of the flowers. Lucy’s French hood matched with a blue velvet drape in back, and pearls and silk adorned the front. The one item that she decided to forgo was the pair of white gloves that had come with the ensemble. Instead, she clutched the small bouquet of holy and mistletoe with her bare hands.
Catherine, Alyce, and Nick stood near the front, smiles across all their faces. They wore new clothes of soft wool for warmth. Simmons also stood up front, along with the queen and councilors. Cordelia and William stood by as official witnesses.
Lucy inhaled a jagged breath, her nervousness at so much attention making her knees feel weak. But then Greer took a step out from the side, turning to face her as she walked slowly forward while a flute played a sweet melody.
Greer Buchanan was tall and broad and beautiful in a rugged way. His hair was clipped to just below his ears, and his short beard was trimmed. But it was his eyes, their intensity as he watched her, that pulled Lucy’s breath from her chest. She glided slowly, step by step. He wore his plaid and pristine white tunic, looking very much the handsome, honorable, talented man who had loved every inch of her.
Just the sight of him made her heart beat hard with courage at the same time she felt dizzy with joy, and she had to check herself so she wouldn’t run down the aisle to him. Drawing closer, she could see the slight rise at the corners of his mouth. ’Twas his way of smiling, and she met it with her own.
“Och, but lass, ye are bòidheach,” he murmured in his thick accent. “I love ye, Lucy Cranfield.”
“I haven’t started yet,” the pastor said.
“Pardon, milord,” Lucy said. “We tend to break the rules.” She smiled back at Greer. “I love you, too, Greer Buchanan, my Highlander.” She took his hand, and the two of them turned to recite their vows, vows that etched a new belief across her heart. A belief that would snub out the scars that Lucy had always carried inside. A belief that she too could be loved for who she was.
*
Return to the Queen’s Highlanders to journey with Cordelia Cranfield on her dangerous mission. To protect Queen Elizabeth and find her own freedom, Cordelia must partner with the most lethal man she’s ever met.
