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Morna stood up quickly before Giselle could answer. ‘I think I may have made a terrible mistake, Lyall.’
Lyall rolled his eyes. ‘God’s teeth, what have you gone and done this time?’
‘It is too hard to explain, but I mean to put it right. What time does the tide go out?’
‘In around an hour, maybe.’
‘In that case, I will need a very fast horse.’
***
The horse galloped along the curve of the sheltered, little beach. No ship in sight, but a sea fog was creeping in over the water. Perhaps it was anchored just beyond it, out of sight.
‘Will, Will,’ she called out, but there was silence, save for her voice echoing back to her off the cliffs.
‘No, no, please be here, please,’ she sobbed. There was no one to hear her, she was all alone. The mists parted in a sudden gust of wind, and she caught sight of a sail.
Morna got down from the horse and ran into the sea, waving her arms around. ‘Come back. Will come back, please. I am here.’ A futile gesture, as her words were swallowed by the wind and the ship was pulling away fast, on the outgoing tide, well out to sea already. No one would hear her.
It was all too late, Will was gone, and all she was left with was her own folly and the soft rush of the surf breaking at her feet, sloshing against her legs and wetting her skirts. She stood like a statue, as her legs got colder and colder, and the ship pulled further away.
There was a crunch of shingle behind her. ‘What the hell are you doing, woman?’ came a rough voice.
Morna turned to see Will, smirking at her. ‘Left it a bit late didn’t you? I am flattered that you came after me all the same.’
‘Don’t let it swell your head,’ Morna said in a gasp of relief. ‘Oh God, Will, I thought you had gone, I thought I had lost my chance. Am I forgiven?’
He walked right up to her, sweeping her into a perfect kiss, deep and hard and full of longing. Morna’s heart seemed to stop for a moment.
‘Aye,’ he said, ‘you are forgiven.’
‘Will, why did you not go as you said you would?’
‘Same reason you came after me, we cannot be parted, you and I.’
‘But the ship?’
‘My men are eager to be home, so I sent them on ahead. I was coming back to Corryvreckan to convince you to come with me, to kidnap you if I had to, and lock you up until you promised to stay with me. Either that or play the gentle lover and woo you with my considerable charms. I hadn’t quite decided which. I was sitting behind those rocks over there, trying to devise a plan, when you ruined my concentration and came shouting down the beach.’
‘Will, you are such a fool.’
‘So are you, for we belong together, and Morna, we always have.’ He coiled his fingers in hers.
‘Giselle and Lyall will be surprised when we turn up to supper,’ she said.
‘Then let us not. Let us sneak inside and find your chamber and not come out until morning. Is that not a fine plan, Morna Bain?’
She took his face in her hands and pulled it down to hers. ‘Aye husband, it is a fine plan.’
Epilogue
Morna walked along the beach with Braya, bending to prise mussels off the rocks.
‘Drostan is back,’ said Braya.
‘When?’
‘Late last eve, crawled back with his tail between his legs. No contrition just marches in like he owns the place and as if nothing had ever happened. I’ll give him one thing, the lad has his father’s cheek.’
