The Clan MacDougall Series (119 page)

“So ye want me to grant her an annulment without her knowledge?” Father Michael asked his voice laced with disbelief.

“Aye!” William smiled. Finally. “Ye’ve got the right of it. So, will ye do this fer me?”

Father Michael shook his head again and stepped down from the dais of the kirk. He began pacing in front of Wee William, thinking about what the man was asking. He stopped and looked up at the tall Highlander who was looking far more hopeful than Father Michael would have liked.

“William, I would no’ be able to just
grant
an annulment. The lass would have to
ask
fer it. And I dunna ken how ye’d get her to ask fer such a thing when she thinks she’s a widow.”

Wee William ran his hand across his beard. He’d done nothing for the past days but think of a way around his predicament without Nora learning of the very small possibility that her husband might still be alive. He had given her a chance at a better life. Who knew what she’d do if she found out that Horace might still be alive. He’d come to the priest and made his confession, to which Father Michael did nothing to hide his shock.

“I ken the lass has talked with ye, Father Michael. Certainly she’s told ye of her life with that whoreson she was married to.”

Father Michael cringed at the words Wee William had chosen to describe Horace Crawford. Aye, he agreed with his colorful description, but to use such words in the house of the Lord was unacceptable. “William, remember
where
ye be.”

Wee William crossed himself and apologized. “Ye’ve talked with her, father?”

Father Michael held up his hands to halt Wee William. “Ye ken I canna tell ye what the lass and I spoke of.”

Wee William nodded his head and pressed his tongue to his cheek. “Aye, I ken it. Ye canna tell me
what
she said, but certainly ye can tell me if ye discussed her marriage to Horace.”

Father Michael stared blankly at Wee William. He knew where the man was headed and wasn’t about to be led there.

“I understand ye wantin’ to keep her confessions secret. But tell me this, if she
were
to ask for an annulment, do ye think ye could grant it?”

The priest had no idea how Wee William proposed to get Nora to ask that question. “Aye, I would,” he answered before quickly adding, “but how on earth do ye plan on getting’ her to ask the question when she thinks she be a widow?”

A plan began to form in Wee William’s mind. The more he thought on it, the bigger his smile grew. After a few moments, he was positively beaming. His smile sent a chill up and down Father Michael’s spine. A beaming Wee William was more frightening than an angry one.

“If I can get her to ask it, will ye grant it?” Wee William asked.

Father Michael was too unnerved by his smile to deny the request. “Aye, I would.”

“Good!” Wee William said as he slapped a large hand on the priest’s back, nearly knocking him off balance. “I’ll return within the hour with the lass. Ye be prepared to grant it.”

Father Michael did not doubt the Highlander’s tenacity. However, he did have doubts as to how Wee William would go about it. “I’ll need time to draw up the annulment documents. Give me two hours.”

Wee William slapped his back again, happier than he’d been in weeks. He started to leave, when Father Michael called after him.

“William, am I to assume by yer request that ye have a desire to marry this lass?”

Wee William came to an abrupt halt. He refused to turn around to look at the priest. “Nay, ye needn’t assume such a thing. I’m merely doin’ it to assuage me guilt. Nothin’ else to it.”

It was Father Michael’s turn to smile. He thought of telling Wee William that God frowned upon liars, but wasn’t ready to die this day. Besides, there was the possibility that Wee William wasn’t quite ready to admit that he did in fact want to marry the lass. His long beard however, told an entirely different story. He continued to smile as he watched Wee William leave the kirk. Moments later, Father Michael left in a hurry.

He needed to see Fergus Dunbottom about placing a little bet.

“Are you certain that I shouldn’t be better dressed for such an occasion?” Nora asked Wee William as they headed toward the kirk.

Wee William thought she looked beautiful in anything she wore and today was no exception. The pretty dark blue dress with the arisaid made of MacDougall plaid made her look all the more like a good Scottish woman. With her hair in a simple braid that tumbled over her ample bosom, it was all he could do not to scoop her up and have his way with her. He was thankful that she could not read minds, for he knew she’d slap him silly for all the lustful thoughts bouncing through his.

“Nay, lass, ye look quite bonny this day,” he told her as he hurried along the path to the kirk, pulling her along behind him. He was unable to see the way her face blushed or the smile she held at his compliment.

She’d been on her way to speak with Angus when Wee William stopped her. He was rather excited about something and more than once she had to ask him to slow down and to speak in the English. Finally she was able to make out that there was a little ceremony that he and his men wanted to perform, one that would make her an official member of the MacDougall clan.

He went on to further explain that the entire ceremony must be performed in Gaelic or Latin. He’d act as translator between her and the priest. Daniel and David would act as witnesses.

Nora’s heart swelled with pride. They wanted her here.
As a member of their clan
. She’d never felt quite so honored in her life. All thoughts of talking with Angus rapidly fell to the wayside.

Happily, she followed along behind Wee William. Her heart was pounding wildly and she wasn’t sure if it was because of the excitement she felt at becoming an official member or the way his skin felt as he held her hand.

“’Tis a simple ceremony, but an important one,” Wee William explained as he pushed through the door to the kirk.

Father Michael stood at the head of the kirk with Daniel and David waiting on either side of him. They greeted her with warm smiles as Wee William led her to the front of the kirk.

It was a beautiful spring day and sunlight streamed in through the leaded glass windows. Little bits of dust danced in the air. The sound of the birds singing filtered in, along with the distant bleating of newly born lambs. Nora thought it would have been a most perfect day for any ceremony, including the one she was about to participate in.

She smiled happily at all the men and gave each of them a small curtsy. “I am speechless, I truly am,” she gushed first at Daniel, then to David. “I feel so very honored to be…”

Wee William stopped her from finishing her sentence. “Lass,” he said in a hushed and reverent tone. “We’re glad to have ye here as well. But let us begin now, shall we?”

Deciding it was perhaps a far more serious ceremony than she had first imagined, she took on the same reverent expression as Wee William.

Wee William had sent Daniel and David ahead earlier to explain his plan to Father Michael. It was more of a curiosity than anything else that drove the priest to agree. He could barely wait to see how Wee William would get her to utter the words.

“Father,” Wee William said as he stood next to Nora and faced the priest. “Ye may begin with the ceremony.”

Father Michael wasn’t quite sure
what
he was supposed to say or do at this particular time. All that he knew was that he was to speak in Latin and Wee William would act as translator. He cleared his throat and began with a prayer.

“
Hic sponte venis?”
He directed his question to Nora.

“Do ye come here of yer own free will?” Wee William translated.

“Aye, I do,” Nora whispered.

“Te delectat hic apud nos?”

“Do ye like it here, among our people?”

“Aye, I do.”

“Usquequo sunt tibi nupta Horace?”

Wee William was not sure he wanted to ask any questions regarding Horace, at least not yet. “How long were ye married to Horace?”

Nora looked confused. “Why does that matter?”

“We’ll be asking all manner of questions this day lass. We be askin’ questions to make certain ye do in fact want to be a member of the clan. We’ll be askin’ of yer past, yer present and yer future.”

It sounded plausible enough. Not knowing anything to the contrary, she answered the priest’s question. “A year and a week.”

“Erant beatum te in vestri matrimonium?”

“Were ye happy in yer marriage?”

Nora wasn’t sure what that had to do with anything, but supposed it had something to do with making sure she had no regrets with her decision to come to Scotland and start her life anew.

“Nay, I was not happy in my marriage to Horace. He was a cruel man, William.”

Wee William smiled sympathetically at her before looking to Father Michael.

“Sunt beatum te hic?”

“Are ye happy here, lass?”

Her face lit up with a warm smile. “Aye, William, I most assuredly am.” She noticed that Daniel and David gleamed proudly at her answer.

“Do ye have any regrets in comin’ here?” He didn’t wait for the priest to ask the next question. He was lost in Nora’s pale blue eyes.

“No, William, I have no regrets.”

“Do ye wish to stay here, among us for all the rest of yer days?” His voice was low and soothing.

“Aye, I do.”

Father Michael interjected. “Illa non interrogavit quaestio de adnullacione, William.”

Wee William blinked before turning back to the priest. In Gaelic he said, “I ken she hasn’t asked the question yet.”

The two men looked at each other for a moment before Wee William turned back to Nora. “Lass, we need to ken more of yer life back in England. Do ye miss it?”

“I miss some things, William. I miss the friends that I had there. But nothing else.”

“Do ye miss yer cottage?”

Nora’s brow knitted into a knot of disgust. “Nay! I do not miss anything about my life with Horace, not even that hovel he called a home! Had I known then, what I know now, I would have done things quite differently. But as it is, I can’t change the fact that he is dead.”

Wee William looked confused by her statement. “What would ye have done differently?” His stomach tightened into a hard knot, unsure if he wanted to know the answer.

“Well, I would never have married him to begin with!”

Wee William waited for her to expand upon that. When he saw nothing forthcoming, he dared ask another question. “And?”

“And what?”

He rolled his eyes. “Ye said,
to begin with…
”

“Oh!” She’d gotten lost in the soft timbre of his voice for a moment. What was it about this man’s voice that was so calming? Giving her head a slight shake, she continued. “Well, I would not have married him had I known he was so cruel. And afterward, when I met the real Horace Crawford, the one with the harsh hands, the cruel mouth, I would have gone to the priest straight away.”

Wee William raised an eyebrow. “And done what?”

Nora stood a bit taller, glad that he was holding her hands. “I would have gone to the priest and said, ‘Father, I want an annulment. Horace broke all the promises he made before we married. He’s cruel, mean, spiteful and I wish to no longer be married to him.’”

Father Michael would never have believed it if he hadn’t heard it with his own ears. “
Tute quidam tu forsitan petisses pro an adnullacione?”

Wee William smiled at the priest before looking back to Nora. “Ye would now, would ye?”

“Aye, I would! You have no idea, William, just how cruel Horace Crawford could be. I am glad he is…”

William stopped her short. “Lass, ye needn’t say anything else on that matter.”

Nora smiled up at him.

“
Non crediderim fecistis
!” Father Michael exclaimed. He truly could not believe Wee William was able to entice her to utter the words. Daniel and David nudged one another with their shoulders and smiled up at the priest. They had no doubt that, one way or another Wee William would realize his goal.

Nora could not figure out why the priest looked so surprised. “What did he say?” she asked Wee William.

“He says, ‘welcome to the clan!’”

Spring was in full force across the Highlands. Bluebells, daffodils, and buttercups were scattered across the bright spring grass. Newly born lambs walked on unsteady legs alongside their mothers. Countless birds flew about the blue sky. Normally, Aishlinn would have loved how beautiful Scotland looked on this warm and brilliant spring morning. This day however, she was unable to enjoy the splendor.

As Nora and Aishlinn walked along the path toward the castle, Aishlinn nodded toward the lambs in the fields. “It seems every mum can give birth but me!”

Nora smiled as she walked at a snail’s pace so that Aishlinn wouldn’t feel as though she were holding her back. She knew Aishlinn was growing more frustrated as each day passed without her pains starting.

“I have no doubt, now, Nora,” Aishlinn said with labored breaths, “’tis a boy I carry.”

Nora looped her arm through Aishlinn’s to help her along the path toward the castle. “You will find out soon enough,” Nora told her.

Aishlinn grunted. “I should have had this babe a sennight ago!” She paused to catch her breath. Her back ached from all the extra weight she carried and her feet were so swollen it hurt to walk. But Isobel had encouraged her to walk in hopes it would help bring on her labor pains. She was beginning to think the babe would never come.

“Aye,” Nora agreed, trying her best to lighten her friend’s spirits. “It must be Duncan’s
son
you carry, acting just like a true Highlander, taking his own good time.”

Aishlinn rubbed her back, let out a long breath and tried to smile. “The day Duncan proposed, he was so nervous, he said ‘
I want to have yer bairns—
I wish now that he could!”

Nora could not help but laugh at the image that brought to her mind. “Can you imagine Duncan or Wee William heavy with child?” Nora puffed out her cheeks and stood on her tiptoes, and spoke in a thick Scottish brogue. “Och! I be a Highlander. I can do anythin’! Bravery and honor will ge’ me through me pains. And a wee dram of the chief’s best will no’ hurt!”