“Your mother has a battle wound that proves how brave she is,” Alex said, as he helped Glynis to her feet again. He rested his hand on Sorcha’s head. “Wait til ye see it—it’s a beauty.”
Glynis laughed because she knew he meant it.
“We’ll bid ye farewell now and join our men on the other ship,” Connor said.
“Ye can’t stay?” Glynis asked, looking from Connor to Ian and Duncan.
“We must deliver Angus and Torquil to the new Clanranald chieftain for their punishment,” Connor said. “The Clanranalds, at least, will have justice.”
“I know ye feel badly about Hugh escaping again.” Alex clasped Connor’s shoulder. “But I appreciate what ye did.”
When Alex had carried her to the shore from the burning ship, they had met Connor running hell-bent toward the loch. They learned later that Connor had been fighting one-on-one with Hugh, when Hugh told him that Glynis was on the flaming ship.
“Ach, ye didn’t need my help,” Connor said.
“But ye thought I did,” Alex said. “Ye left Hugh to help me save my wife.”
“You’d do the same for me.” Connor paused and then gave him a crooked smile. “If I had a wife.”
“It’s time ye did,” Alex said. “Shall I make ye a list?”
The other men laughed so hard that Glynis suspected she was missing part of the joke.
“No need for that yet,” Ian said, and elbowed Duncan hard in the ribs. “We have it all planned out, and Duncan’s next.”
“Don’t believe it,” Duncan said in Glynis’s ear when he leaned down to kiss her cheek good-bye.
“All the same,” she whispered back, “I’d advise ye not to wager that galley ye stole from Shaggy.”
* * *
Alex was relieved to have his wife home. He hoped she would stay.
Although Glynis had told him she would never leave him, she’d been a breath away from being burned alive the moment before. As a warrior, he’d often heard men make pledges when they looked death in the eye that were soon forgotten once the danger was passed.
He wanted to hear Glynis say it again.
On the ship, they’d had no opportunity to speak alone. As soon as Connor and the others set sail, Alex turned, intending to lift Glynis in his arms and carry her to the castle. But he froze in place when he saw Una running straight toward him down the beach. Ach, Glynis was sure to think the worst. But when Una reached them, she took Glynis’s hands.
Alex’s heart started to beat once more. Apparently, the two had met and talked in his absence.
“I’m so glad you’re safe,” Una said to Glynis.
“Do ye see Peiter there?” Glynis said, nodding in the direction of the young fisherman, who, as usual, was looking at Una with calf eyes.
“Aye,” Una said, her cheeks going pink.
“I know you’re not ready. But when ye are, Peiter is a good man ye can trust.” Glynis put her arm through Alex’s and leaned into him. “Like my husband.”
Alex’s chest swelled, even as he was amused that his wife was setting the household to rights before they had even left the beach.
“She needs her rest,” Alex said, waving off the other well-wishers.
“I’m well,” Glynis said, as carried her to the castle.
“I want ye alone,” Alex said, giving her a wink. “I have something to give ye.”
“Is this the sort of gift that usually involves taking our clothes off?” she asked, waggling her eyebrows at him.
He laughed. “I do believe ye are feeling better, wife.”
Once he had her upstairs in their chamber, he set her on the bed and tucked pillows behind her back and another under her injured leg.
“I spoke with your father when we stopped on Barra looking for Hugh and the others,” Alex said, as he sat on the edge of the bed to have a look at her leg. The burn was healing well, praise God. “I believe I’ve convinced him to make his peace with Colin Campbell and submit to the Crown.”
“Oh, that is a good present,” Glynis said, leaning forward to touch her fingers to his cheek.
“That’s not your present,” he said, as he reached into his leather pouch. “We wed so quickly that I didn’t have time to find a ring, so I asked Ilysa to help me. She found someone to make what I wanted, and Duncan brought it with him.”
Alex took her hand and slipped the silver ring on her finger.
“Oh, Alex, it’s lovely!” she said. “Are those two herons carved on it?”
“Aye,” he said. “Herons mate for life, and that’s what I want.”
She looked up at him with wet eyes. “I’m sorry I didn’t trust ye. I’ll never make that mistake again.”
