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Sarah sighed. “I know, but… people would have… wondered.”
“I suppose they would have,” Keir agreed, yet the tone in his voice suggested that he did not deem that reason enough to alter one’s behavior.
“Your life was never like mine,” Sarah replied, suddenly feeling the need to defend herself. “Nothing I did was ever quite right, quite good enough, and to betray everything I was raised to be so openly…” The air rushed from her lungs when a sudden wave of finality washed over her. Indeed, no matter what she did now, her old life was gone. There was no going back, and although Sarah had no desire to do so, the thought still sent a chill through her body.
Keir’s hands settled upon her shoulders and then turned her to face him. “’Tis yer life, Sarah, yer choice. It always should have been.” He paused, his gaze daring her to contradict him. “All I’m saying is that… I missed yer braids.” A soft smile came to his lips as his gaze darted to her right temple.
“Why?” Sarah dared him, suddenly feeling bold.
“Because they remind me ofourcabin as well,” Keir replied with a grin. Then his expression suddenly sobered, and he reached for her, gathering her close. “They remind me of ye, little wisp, of our time together.”
“I know you wear the braids to remember your sister,” Sarah heard herself say. “I always knew that. Still, a part of me wonders if—”
“Aye.”
Sarah frowned. “Aye?”
Grinning, Keir dipped his head and gently leaned his forehead against hers. “Aye, they always reminded me of Yvaine, but now, they also make me think of ye, lass.”
Sarah felt her heart skip a beat. “Truly?”
“Aye, truly.”
About to sink into Keir’s arms, Sarah stopped herself. “What if…?” She broke off, worrying her lower lip.
“Aye, lass?”
Sarah closed her eyes. “When we reach your home, will you want me to take them down?”
Keir lifted his head and looked down at her. “Why would ye think so?”
“Because… your family, they will think that… that we…” Unable to finish that sentence, Sarah bit her lower lip, doing her utmost to ignore that nervous tingling coursing through her veins.
“Aye, they will.” Keir’s hands upon the small of her back tightened, his gaze penetrating in a way that Sarah felt her head spin.
“And… And you don’t… mind?”
Keir shook his head. “Why would I, lass? After all, they wouldna be wrong.” His right brow quirked upward. “Would they?”
Sarah exhaled a shuddering breath as that earlier sense of exhilaration broke free, threatening to buckle her knees. “No,” she breathed. “They would not.”
“Good.” Keir smiled, then dropped an achingly sweet kiss upon her lips. “Dunna worry, lass. Before ye know it, ye shall be one of us. Yer sister and her lassies as well.” He chuckled. “Soon, ye won’t even remember what it felt like being English.”
Sarah laughed. “And what does it mean to be a Scot?”
A rather intense expression came to Keir’s face. “Freedom.” He all but exhaled the word as though it were deeply ingrained within his bones. “The freedom to choose yer own destiny, to be who ye are.” He gently grasped her chin, and for a second, his gaze strayed to Sarah’s lips. “I canna remember a time when ’twas different. I know from the legends that it was, that it was the old ways that gave rise to our new path. Still, my grandmother has always been devoted to that cause. She was granted freedom long ago, and she has never forgotten it. She’s a Scot through and through.”
Laughter bubbled up in Sarah’s throat. “And yet she was born English.”
“That doesna matter, lass. We choose who we want to be. ’Tis the only way to be at peace with yerself.”
Sarah nodded, Keir’s words reminding her of Grandma Edie. “I think I’ll like your grandmother, and I have to admit, I’m curious to meet your family.”And also, a bit afraid!
Keir chuckled. “Dunna worry; they willna bite, but I might as well warn ye, lass. My family is a nosy lot. Nothing is private, for they know no boundaries when it comes to sticking their noses into other people’s affairs.”
Sarah chuckled. “Something they have in common with the Whickertons.”
“Aye, they certainly do.” Smiling, he shook his head. “I suppose there had to be a reason why my grandmother and Grandma Edie remained friends all those years.”
