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Keir chuckled. “I think I know what he means, Magnus.” Still holding Sarah’s hand within his own, he turned to look into her eyes, and for a moment, Kate felt her own heart paused… waiting for… something. “I first saw her standing in the shadows as I was waiting, seated upon the box of the carriage, uncertain who that young lady was I was supposed tokidnap.” He wiggled his brows, and Sarah blushed even more. “Yet the first time I truly saw her was when she fainted in the woods.”
Roaring laughter filled the parlor, and as Sarah blushed to the very tips of her hair, Keir continued his story. “Apparently, Grandma Edie failed to inform Sarah that part of our journey would be completed upon horseback.” He looked at his family. “Ye see, Sarah was… terrified of horses at the time, and when she realized we would be leaving the carriage behind and continuing on without it,” he looked at Sarah, and Kate could see the memory of that moment pass between them, “she simply fainted.”
“Was she hurt?” Magnus inquired, concern upon his face.
Eoghan laughed, and Kate’s gaze shifted to him, her mind briefly distracted by the dazzling green of his eyes. “Nah, I bet he caught her.” He grinned at Keir, then winked; and Kate shook her head to clear her thoughts. “Was it not so?”
“Aye,” was all Keir said for a long moment, his gaze fixed upon Sarah.
Kate saw smiles on everyone’s faces. This was the kind of joy that parents, that family felt when one of their own found profound happiness, and it showed in their eyes, in the way they seemed to glow.
Even the girls were mesmerized. Augusta and Bonnie sat side by side, their little arms slung around one another and their eyes looked almost hypnotized. No doubt, they, too, were caught up in the fairytale of love found in the most unlikely of places and moments. They might not yet know what it was all about, but they could sense the meaningfulness of what was spoken of. Dorothea snuggled into Kate’s side, and she shifted Frederica more firmly into her other arm to pull her middle daughter close. Loki and the new puppy Faerie had settled themselves in front of the fire, curled up side by side, despite Loki’s attempts to maintain a certain distance. It seemed Faerie’s insistence had served him well.
Only Kenna sat a bit farther away, her arms crossed over her chest, and that same scowl still upon her face. Yet beneath the young woman’s anger, Kate thought to see a broken heart. Kate was rather surprised that Kenna remained and did not excuse herself as Keir continued his story; after all, it had to be painful for her to listen.
“Sarah wore a cloak that night,” Keir recounted in his storyteller voice, “with the hood pulled deep into her face. I only ever caught a faint glimpse of her features as she entered the carriage and later alighted from it once we had reached the woods. She kept her distance,” he grinned at her teasingly, “clearly wary of the stranger Grandma Edie had sent to spirit her away.”
“Ye didna know who it was she had sent?” Marcus inquired, his brows rising as he looked at Sarah and then back at Keir. “How could ye then know that ye could trust him?”
Sarah shrugged; her face still aflame as she found herself facing Keir’s family. “I didn’t know,” she said a bit helplessly. “However, I did not have a choice. I did not wish to marry Lord Blackmore, and I knew if I did not leave that night, I would have to.”
Eoghan nodded approvingly, respect in his gaze. “That was some choice.”
“And then?” Duncan prompted with a wide grin.
Sarah once more dipped her head as Keir returned his brother’s questioning grin. “As ye so rightly presumed,” he said, glancing at Eoghan. “I caught her when she fainted and gently settled her down upon the ground.” He looked at Sarah then, and her eyes lingered upon him as well. “Her hood fell back, finally revealing her face, now bathed in the moonlight. She looked almost serene, yet terribly frightened and alone. I felt this overwhelming need to protect her, to see her safe and earn her trust.” He sighed deeply, then he reached out and his fingers touched the small braids upon Sarah’s temple. “Her hair curled around her face,” he murmured, tugging gently upon a loose strand.
“’Tis why ye call herlittle wisp,” Magnus concluded, clearly enjoying when things made sense.
Entranced by the way Keir gazed at Sarah, Kate exhaled a deep breath. She had never known love, and now she could not help but think she might be falling in love with her sister’s future husband. Why? It was the one question Kate wanted to see answered. After everything she had been through, why did this have to happen now and with him? Everything could be perfect if not…
“When did ye first kiss her?” Duncan inquired; clearly not shy to ask whatever it was he wished to know.
Looking utterly embarrassed, Sarah buried her face in her hands. Yet Kate thought to see laughter shake her delicate frame before she dared to peek up at their small gathering once more.
Keir, though, laughed openly, something wicked in his gaze. “Ah, that I willna tell ye,” he said, much to everyone’s displeasure. Sarah, though, looked relieved. “That moment shall forever remain ours.”
Thus, the evening continued with questions asked and sometimes answered. Everything Keir spoke of sounded like a fairytale, though, the kind Kate and Sarah used to imagine when they had been children. Fairytales of gallant heroes and daring princesses. Fairytales of undying love and magical moments. Those days had been wonderful, and yet as Kate had grown up, she remembered thinking that these fairytales would never exist in real life. No one could find such happiness.
Not ever.
Now, Sarah had.
Chapter Thirty-Four
BETROTHED YET AGAIN
Arm in arm, Keir and Sarah walked down the corridor toward her chamber. He felt pleasantly exhausted after the long evening spent in his family’s company. Yet he had enjoyed their teasing as much as the retelling of his time with Sarah. Indeed, he had wanted to share it all with his family, needing them to know how deeply he cared for her, how special she was to him, and how lucky he felt to have found her.
Perhaps the evening had also served in making Kenna realize that Keir’s heart belonged to Sarah. He had seen the crestfallen look upon Kenna’s face, and it had pained him. He had never meant to hurt her and hoped that she would soon find happiness elsewhere. Still, before they had left his grandmother’s parlor, Eoghan had urged him to speak to Kenna and set things right. Keir knew his friend was right, and so he had assured Eoghan that he would do so on the morrow.
As they walked, Sarah’s face still shone crimson in the faint light from the torches lining the corridor. It was why Keir had held back from sharing every little detail of their time together with his family, for he knew Sarah would feel deeply embarrassed. Perhaps she was right, though. Perhaps there were some moments that they simply ought to keep to themselves.
“Do ye regret the first time we kissed?” Keir asked lightly, elaborating when he saw her eyes grow around. “Notthatwe kissed. Simply the way it happened.”
Understanding came to Sarah’s gaze. “No, I do not. I don’t regret the kiss or how it happened.” She bit her lip shyly. “What I regret is that I lied to you and that you revealed my lie through a kiss. I’m still sorry I ate both tarts.”
Keir chuckled. “I am not. As I told ye before, it gave me an excuse to kiss ye.” He stopped and tugged her closer, one hand grasping her chin, ensuring that her eyes would not stray from his. “I knew ye had eaten the tarts the moment I stepped back into the parlor. I didna need the kiss to tell me that.”
