Highland Hero (41 page)
Authors: Hannah Howell
After yanking on her shoes, Tatha went to the small chest that held her things. She pulled out a small, finely wrought silver wedding cup. “We will share a drink of the water.”
“Dinnae look so wary, lass. Aye, I may ne’er believe there is anything special about the well, but it was important to all the women in my family and ’tis important to you.” He held out his hand. “Come, let us go and do homage to it then. It will be, in a small way, as if I speak to my mother. ’Twould be verra fine if she could see how happy her son is.”
They crept out of the tower house and, careful to avoid being seen by any of the guests or the servants, made their way to the well. David watched as Tatha smoothed her hands over the cool white stone, then filled the wedding cup with water from the well. He frowned slightly when she bent to touch the letters carved into the side of the well.
“The promise?” he murmured as he took the cup when she held it out to him.
“Aye. It promises protection, strength, and happiness.” She smiled when he drank from the cup, and then she did the same. “In you, David Ruthven, I have found all three.”
He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. “And I in you, my love.” He smiled crookedly and glanced at the well, its white stone gleaming silver in the moonlight. “Mayhap the women of my family werenae so mad after all. There may indeed be magic in that well.”
“I have no doubt about it. It gave me you.”
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Compilation copyright © 2011 by Hannah Howell
“Edina and the Baby” copyright © 1996 by Hannah Howell
“The Magic Garden” copyright © 2002 by Hannah Howell
“Isbel” copyright © 1997 by Hannah Howell
“Tatha” copyright © 1999 by Hannah Howell
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ISBN: 978-1-4201-3138-3