Wee William's Woman, Book Three of the Clan MacDougall Series (34 page)

Isobel looked much relieved. “So all we need is a gown?”

Mary nodded her head. “Aye. There be some dried flowers in the herb room, the lass can carry those. Ye go get her dressed and let us get the room ready for the feast!”

Wee William stood dumbfounded. How had the rest of the world known his heart better than he had? And where was his bride to be?

It took only a moment to find her. Aishlinn, Bree and a handful of other women, who had apparently decided to let him live another day, now that they knew a proper wedding could be held, surrounded her.

Nora.
His
Nora. Very soon, he’d be referring to her as his wife.

She was beaming at him from across the room. Her smile warmed him clear to his toes. He wanted to give her the world, or at least as much of it as he was able. If a proper wedding meant the other women wouldn’t hang him by his short hairs, it was worth waiting a few extra minutes.

Someone thrust a cup of whiskey into his hand and wished him luck. A moment later, his soon to be wife was whisked away in a sea of chattering women. His eyes followed her all the way up the stairs, happier than he could ever remember being. It would not be long now, and Nora would be his for all the rest of his days.

A moment later, John was standing in front of Wee William. The boy looked quite serious with his furrowed brow and tightly set jaw.
 

“Wee William,” John said with his shoulders thrown back and his hands fisted at his sides. “Can I have a word with you?”

Wee William nodded his head and led John away from the crowd and into the war room. John stood with his arms across his chest, legs spread apart just as he’d seen the Highlanders do a hundred times in the past months. His deep blue eyes had turned to slits as he studied the giant before him.

“John,” Wee William said as he mirrored John’s stance.

“Wee William, I know that I am only two and ten and I am no where near as big or as strong as you.” He was scowling at Wee William as he spoke in the sternest of voices. “But as God is my witness, if you ever do anything to hurt my sister, I will kill you with my bare hands.”

Wee William took his threat very seriously. He had given similar speeches to each of the men who had married three of his six sisters. Wee William had meant every word he had said to those men and he knew that John meant the words he just spoke. He knew that he was not the only man to love Nora and hold her in such regard. John loved her, as a brother, and that was something that could never be undone.

“As God is me witness, John, I will die before I let any harm come to your sister. I swear to ye, that I will never do anything to hurt her in any fashion, either by word, deed or action.”

“You will treat her with nothing but respect then?” John asked.

“Aye. And I’ll kill any son of a whore that would even think to cause her harm.”

John nodded his head as his lips twitched ever so slightly. He believed Wee William. “I’ll be watching you, William, and will hold you to your word.”

“I love yer sister, John. I swear to ye this day that the marriage she and I will have will be nothing like the one she had with that bastard, Horace Crawford. I’ll never send ye or yer sister away. I’ll never raise a hand to any of ye.” As an after thought, he added, “But don’t take that to mean that I’ll no’ hold you to high standards and will no’ expect ye to act as a good lad and a kind young man. Ye’ll remember yer manners at all times. And keep in mind, there are worse punishments than a beatin’!” Wee William winked at him.

Wee William could tell by the expression on the boy’s face, that his curiosity was piqued, but Wee William chose not to expound upon his playful warning. He winked at John, placed a large hand on his shoulder and led him back to the celebration.

“John,” Wee William said as they made their way through the crowd. “I’d like ye to stand with me this day, as my best man.”

John’s brow furrowed as he looked up at his soon to be brother-in-law. He wasn’t sure what a best man was, but it sounded important. “What does a best man do?”

“Well, ye stand as me witness to marryin’ yer sister. And ye swear an oath that if anything happens to me, ye make sure she is cared for.” He patted John on the back when John cast him a look that said he planned on doing that anyway. “And, ye hold the ring.”

’Twas then that Wee William’s face went ashen. He began mumbling in Gaelic, crossed himself, and mumbled further.

“What is it Wee William?” John asked, growing very concerned for his future brother-in-law.

Rowan and Black Richard had taken note of Wee William’s pale skin, wide eyes, and all around terrified expression. They stepped forward and asked the same question.

“I do no’ have a ring!” Wee William finally blurted out in Gaelic.

Rowan and Black Richard crossed themselves before Black Richard handed a cup of whiskey to Wee William.

“This is no’ good, Wee William!”

“What isn’t good?” John asked, growing more concerned by the moment.

Rowan looked down at the boy. “Wee William does no’ have a ring to give yer sister.”

John didn’t understand why that was so important. “Is that bad?”

All three men turned their eyes toward John and looked at him as though he’d just grown a tail and wings.

“Of course it be bad!” Rowan answered. “Ye have to have a ring to give yer bride. And it must be made of gold. And it must fit her finger perfectly, or ’tis bad luck!”

“Bad luck?” John thought the men were being ridiculous. “Horace never gave her a ring.”

“Ye see? And how did that marriage turn out?” Black Richard asked rhetorically. He also looked rather repulsed.

“Ye willna find a Scottish woman in all the world who will marry without a proper fittin’ ring!” Rowan explained.

John thought on it for a moment before a chuckle escaped his lips. “But remember, she isn’t Scottish! She’s English.”

The three men looked aghast. “She be no’ English anymore, John. No’ since she stepped on to Scottish land and William claimed her.” Rowan informed him.

“Aye,” Black Richard said. “I never thought she acted like a Sassenach to begin with. None of ye do.”

John wasn’t sure what they meant by
that.
Weeks ago, he’d come to the conclusion that Scots weren’t right in their own heads. While he found them all kind and generous, they had such odd ways about them. They took superstition to new heights. The men he’d grown up around did not hold much value to the superstitions like the women folk did. But here, things were very different.

John sighed. “Is there time to make her a ring?”

All three eyes were upon him once again.

“They’ll be down any moment, John! Nay, there be no time.” Rowan said. The boy was daft.

Wee William’s mind had been racing, only paying half attention to the conversation going on around him. His mother would kill him if she found out he married without a proper ring. His grandmother would come back from the grave to haunt him. Knowing his grandmother, she’d bring all her family with her. He’d never find a moments rest.

Angus stepped forward to offer his congratulations and immediately he knew something was wrong. Rowan quickly explained the situation to him. Angus crossed himself, said a prayer, and then thumped Wee William along the side of his head.

“How could ye say ye wanted to marry this day and no’ have a ring to give her?”

Wee William already felt miserable and did not appreciate being chastised like a child. “I was no’ in me right head, Angus! I be just as surprised as the rest of ye!”

“They say there isn’t time to make a proper ring,” John told Angus. “The women will be back any moment.”

Angus threw his head back and laughed until tears formed in his eyes. “Lads,” he said as his laughter began to subside. “Ye’ve got a bride above stairs in a room filled with me wife, me two daughters, and God only kens who else. I’ve learned over the years, that a woman will take as much time as she damn well chooses.”

Angus had lost five groats on his bet with Thomas Gainer that Wee William would at the very least, beat someone senseless this day. “I’ll wager each of ye here, that the women will no’ have the bride ready fer two hours.”

Wee William decided Angus had been married a very long time and had experience on his side. He refused to take the wager. Two hours? Certainly the smithy could work some magic in that time.

Runners were quickly dispatched to go above stairs with a bit of string to have Nora’s finger measured. Rowan found the smithy, who, thankfully, was not too far into his cups to fashion a wedding ring on such short notice.

Even on this most special day, Wee William had to barter with the smithy on the price for the ring. When all was said and done, the ring was going to not only cost Wee William a small fortune, but he was forced to promise he would not kill the smithy when he danced with Nora at the wedding feast.

Engaged less than a half an hour and he’d had one young boy threaten to take his life if he hurt his sister, been thumped in the head by Angus, and had to bargain with the devil to get his bride a ring. Wee William slammed back a tankard of ale and prayed that the marriage itself would be far simpler than anything he experienced thus far this day.

Nora took his breath away.

Beautiful. Stunning. Brilliant.

It was three hours before she walked down the aisle of the small kirk, her hand resting on Angus’ arm. Wee William could not take his eyes away from her.

She looked regal in the silver gossamer gown that twinkled in the waning afternoon light. The dress trailed behind her a good three feet as twinkling bits of silver thread glistened from the ends of the long, draping sleeves, the neckline and the hem.

Shimmering pearls and silver beads were threaded through her long dark hair as it cascaded down her back in waves. A whisper thin veil was attached to her hair and fell away as she walked along the aisle. An icy blue and silver belt hung around her tiny waist. Draped across her chest was the blue, yellow and green MacDougall plaid, held together with a beautiful brooch.

Wee William suddenly wished he had not agreed to a wedding feast. He wanted nothing more at this moment than to say his ‘I do’s’ and take her back to their cottage and get Nora out of her dress as quickly as possible. He did not think he could survive the next few hours.

Angus and Nora finally made their way to the front of the kirk. Aishlinn and Elise stood beside her, while John and Rowan stood beside Wee William.

If anyone were to ask him later, exactly what vows he spoke that day, Wee William would have been hard pressed to tell them. He was too enraptured by how beautiful Nora looked to pay much attention to anything else.

When it was finally time to place the tiny gold band on her finger, his hands were shaking so much that he nearly dropped the ring on the floor.

As he slipped the tiny gold band first onto her thumb, then her index finger, then her middle finger, he murmured the words, “
In ainm an althair, mac, agus an taibhse noafa
,” In the name of the father, the son, the holy ghost
.
On his amen, he placed the ring on the third finger of her left hand.
 

Father Michael placed a hand on each of their heads and blessed them.

“You may now kiss yer bride, William of Dunshire,” Father Michael said with a smile.

Wee William placed a hand on Nora’s waist and drew her into his chest. He kissed her, a bit more passionately than was probably proper for a church, but he cared not. She was now, finally his.

The crowd inside and outside the church erupted into a loud cheer as they followed Wee William and Nora back to the grand gathering room for the wedding feast.