“The wedding feast is ready,” Ilysa said, after coming up quietly behind them. “Everyone is waiting for ye to take your seats.”
Duncan was starving.
“Ilysa intends to go to Trotternish and set up Connor’s household there,” Moira whispered to Duncan as they made their way to the high table.
“I won’t permit it!” When Moira dug her fingers into his arm, Duncan lowered his voice. “If she’s running the chieftain’s household without her own family there, everyone will think she’s his mistress.”
“Finding her a husband will solve the problem,” Moira said in a low voice.
“Hmmph. I’ll leave that to you,” Duncan said. “I must help Connor choose a reliable man to be the new captain of his guard. Tait is loyal and a good fighter, but he’s no leader.”
Duncan did not like the idea of Connor sitting up there at Trotternish Castle surrounded by MacLeods. And then there was Hugh, who was as intent as ever on murdering him. Alex had brought word that Hugh was already gathering more men in the outer isles with promises of plunder—and there was even a rumor that Rhona was with him.
Tomorrow, the four of them would discuss Hugh and how to force the MacLeods off the lands they had stolen. But today was Duncan’s wedding day, and it was a glorious day.
“Let’s sit down and enjoy our wedding feast,” Moira said, smiling up at him.
It was a grand meal, with a good deal of toasting and laughter.
“I’m lucky to have a husband with a voracious appetite,” Moira said and gave him a wink as he speared another slab of roasted pork.
He squeezed her thigh under the table and wished it was time for the bedding part of the wedding. But after the food was cleared away, there was music and dancing.
Before Caitlin MacCrimmon would agree to dance with Niall, she insisted on lifting his tunic to make certain his wound had healed well enough. As the wound was quite high on Niall’s thigh, this caused a bit of a stir.
“All three of the MacNeil lasses look disappointed,” Moira said in Duncan’s ear after the girls’ mother scolded them for staring and dragged them away.
Duncan waited impatiently through a few tunes before he caught Uilleam MacCrimmon’s eye. Uilleam nodded and then stepped into the center of the hall playing his pipes. When he had everyone’s attention, he stopped playing and announced, “The groom has a song to sing to his bride.”
Duncan stood where he was and sang unaccompanied.
Black is the color of my true love’s hair
Her lips are like some roses fair
He took Moira’s hand and helped her to her feet. Then he lifted her in his arms and continued singing as he carried her around the hall. Moira’s cheeks turned pink, but she was laughing and enjoying herself.
She has got the sweetest smile and the gentlest hands
And I love the ground whereon she stands
When the people in the hall realized Duncan was carrying her to the bedchamber, they clapped and cheered.
I love my love and well she knows
I love the ground whereon she goes
Duncan kicked the door shut behind him. The bedchamber was hardly recognizable from when it was Connor’s. Moira and Ilysa had decorated the entire room with holly and other greenery, and the grand chieftain’s furniture and tapestries had been returned to it.
Duncan’s bride looked up at him with violet eyes that were full of love. He had waited until he and Moira were alone to sing the final lines of his song to her.
Now the day has finally come
When you and I will live as one
Duncan felt as if he had waited his whole life to become one with Moira. After loving her for so long, she was his at last and forever.
Epilogue