“I thought you might like this back,” he said in amusement.
She reached for the knife and attached it to her belt. “Thank you, Caelen. ’Twas very thoughtful of you.”
He smiled and squeezed her arm reassuringly. “Chin up. A fierce lass such as you bows to no one.”
They traveled down the stairs and turned the corner into the hall. Across the room, Ewan and the king rose from their seats in acknowledgment of her presence.
Mairin’s knees knocked together in abject terror. Not terror in that she was afraid the king might harm her. Nay, Ewan was standing right beside the king, and he’d never allow such a thing to happen.
This was her family, though. Her flesh and blood. Her uncle. And he was the king of Scotland.
Caelen came to a stop just before the king and loosened his hold on Mairin’s arm, stepping back to allow her the moment with her uncle.
Remembering that she should show respect for the king, no matter Caelen’s thought that she should bow before no one, she hastily dipped into a sweeping curtsy and prayed she wouldn’t fall at his feet.
She waited for his permission to rise, but to her surprise, he knelt down in front of her and took her hands in his. He pulled her to her feet, and she was further shocked to see a bright sheen of moisture in his eyes. Eyes that reminded her of her own.
He looked haggard. Pale and exhausted as if he’d fought a long battle with sickness and had only just begun his recovery. Lines etched deeply into his forehead, and wrinkles marred the corners of his eyes.
He kept a firm grip on her hands as he held them in the space between his own. “If I ever had any doubt, I don’t now,” he said in a gruff voice. “You have the look of my mother, may God rest her soul.”
“I do?” Mairin whispered.
“Aye, she was a beautiful woman, kind in spirit and devoted to those in need.”
Mairin swallowed, overwhelmed by the enormity of this moment. After so long in hiding, of living in fear, she was openly acknowledged by her father’s blood.
Ewan stepped to her side and wrapped his arm around her waist. The king reluctantly let go of her hands and directed his gaze at Ewan.
“You did a good thing, Ewan. The thought of the lass in Duncan Cameron’s hands …” He cleared his throat. “I will work to correct the wrongs done to you and your wife. I’ll give public blessing to your marriage and I’ll have her dowry transported immediately under heavy guard from Neamhirit anC1;lainn.”
Mairin gasped. “I thought my dowry lost to Duncan Cameron.”
The king shook his head. “Archibald awarded the dowry to Duncan, but he knew not where it was held. Only I have that knowledge as only I was entrusted with Alexander’s legacy bequeathed to the firstborn of his daughter. It has been under lock and key at Neamh Álainn since Alexander made the bequest so many years ago.”
“Oh, this is wonderful, Ewan!” she exclaimed as she nearly danced in Ewan’s arms.
She turned back to her uncle, concerned by his pallor and apparent weakness. “You would do us great honor if you remained here until your health is restored.”
The king’s eyes widened in surprise and he looked up to Ewan for confirmation. Ewan shrugged. “I have long determined the foolhardiness in denying my wife anything. Besides, she has the right of it. Until you are at full strength, the threat is still strong to you. You need time to ferret out those who worked with Archibald. We would be honored if you spent the time with us.”
David smiled broadly. “Then I would be glad to accept your hospitality.”
In the end, David stayed on for a fortnight, until Mairin’s dowry was delivered. Her husband and the king, after a wary start, actually got along quite famously. They hunted many of the evenings, going out with Ewan’s brothers and returning to drink ale in the hall and argue over who brought in the biggest kill.
David’s health rapidly improved with Gertie’s cooking and Mairin’s nagging for him to rest. When he rode out with the contingent of soldiers who delivered her dowry, Mairin was actually quite sad to see him go.
That night, in the privacy of their chamber, Ewan made sweet love to her, and afterward she giggled at the memory of telling her laird he was unskilled at loving.
“What amuses you, wife? ’Tis a sin to laugh right after a man has indulged in loving.”
She smiled and snuggled into his arms. As he always did, he cradled her to him, protectively surrounding her burgeoning belly.
“I was remembering certain inaccurate assessments I made about your prowess.”
“Damn right you were wrong,” he growled.
She laughed again and then sighed in contentment. “ ’Tis a wonderful day, Ewan. Our clan is saved. We can feed our clan, clothe our children, and supply our men with the weapons and armor they so desperately need.”
“Aye, sweeting, ’tis a wonderful day.” Then he turned and kissed her until she couldn’t draw breath. He gazed down at her with such tenderness in his eyes that her heart fluttered in her chest. “Almost as wonderful as the day you first stepped onto McCabe land.”