The priest paused to mop the sweat from his brow, for the task of getting the couple married had already proven to be a most strenuous undertaking. He then tried to figure out how he could bless them with the bride standing a foot behind him and the groom a good distance ahead of him. He finally gave up on the dilemma, waved his hand about in a wide arc, and ended up blessing everyone.
'You are now man and wife,' he announced.
He waited for the resounding cheer to end before suggesting to the laird that he might wish to kiss his bride. He then wondered which one would go to the other. It was the bride's responsibility to go back to her husband's side, of course, but she was still looking quite dazed by it all, and Sinclair doubted she was capable of realizing her duty.
She surprised him, however. She seemed to come to her senses and hurried back to Connor.
The priest was so blissfully relieved the ordeal was finally over and the laird hadn't gotten angry enough to injure the sweet lass's feelings, he added a second blessing just for the two of them.
Connor leaned down to give her a proper kiss and put his hands on her waist to keep her from pulling away from him.
She didn't resist him. In fact, she put her arms around his neck and met him halfway. The look on her face made him think the angels must be smiling, for it was filled with such joy. Was she happy, then? Connor stared into her eyes while he tried to figure out this dramatic turnabout.
She was about to remind him of his duty when he kissed her. She felt the warmth of his mouth on top of hers for the barest of seconds before he lifted his head and told his men they could eat their supper.
The kiss was nice enough for her to want another, and since Connor was still holding on to her, she thought he might feel the same way.
She was mistaken, however. He gave her his full attention for an altogether different reason. 'Now it's going to get simple. Isn't that so, Brenna?'
Though she wasn't at all certain what he was asking her, she agreed just to make him happy. 'Yes, it will. I'm going to be a good wife, Connor.'
He didn't look as if he believed her, but she wasn't offended by his attitude. In time he would realize how fortunate he was to have married her.
'There aren't going to be any more complications, are there?'
'No more complications,' she agreed. 'Will you try to be a good husband?'
He shrugged an answer. She decided he meant he would and deliberately thanked him so he would know he had just agreed.
'What happens now?' she asked.
'Are you hungry?'
'Yes.'
'Then we eat.'
He finally let go of her. She thanked the priest and invited him to dine with them. Sinclair declined the offer, explaining that because the moon was bright enough, he felt it was his duty to ride to his father's home and spend the night there.
She tried not to feel as though she'd just been abandoned by an old friend. She held her smile, thanked him again, and then stood where she was until he'd taken his leave.
Connor never left her side. She turned to him and, only then, realized she'd taken hold of his hand. She let go immediately and followed him across the clearing.
His men hadn't waited for them. So much for a proper wedding feast, she thought to herself. The Highlanders weren't even sitting down while they ate. They stood in a circle around a jagged boulder, laughing and talking while they enjoyed their food. One of them had placed the supper on a coarse cloth draped over the top of the stone.
It was a dismal affair at best. The second she joined them, a thick silence fell over the group. None of the men would look directly at her either, which only increased her awkwardness.
She felt like a leper. How she wished she could go back home for supper. She pictured her family seated at the great long table, smiling and jesting with one another while they shared their meal. There would be pigeon and fish and perhaps some leftover mutton stew too, and there were always fruit tarts.
Brenna knew she'd soon be wallowing in self-pity if she didn't stop thinking about people she loved and cherished and begin to concentrate on the present. She was hungry, she reminded herself, and if she didn't eat something now, she probably wouldn't get another chance until tomorrow.
Unfortunately, there wasn't much of a variety for her to choose from. There was yellowed cheese, brown bread, and oat cakes. The Highlanders hadn't left any room for her, so she squeezed in between Connor and Quinlan. Her husband hadn't bothered to introduce the rest of the men to her yet. Because she didn't know if it would be considered proper for her to ask their names, she followed their example and didn't speak to any of them. She kept her attention centered on the food and tried not to think about how miserable she felt.
The oat cakes tasted bitter. She wrinkled her nose and took a large drink of water to rid the taste from her mouth, and then, because it would have been unladylike for her to put the remainder back or throw it away, she made herself finish it.
She was so nervous, she took another one before she realized what she was doing. She had to eat the thing, of course, and odd, but the taste did improve considerably, especially when she added a piece of sweetened bread to it.
Brenna didn't notice when the others finished. She ate four large helpings before her hunger was appeased. When she looked up to find out what was going to happen next, she found she had an audience intently watching her.
She was taken aback by their attention… and their smiles. 'Is something wrong?'
Quinlan answered with a quick shake of his head. 'Would you like the rest of the bread? There's one last oat cake as well. You're welcome to it, mi'lady.'
Brenna nodded. 'If no one else wants it,' she agreed. She took the remaining bread and cake, broke both in half and offered some to Connor first, and after he refused, she offered it to the other soldiers.
Everyone declined. They continued to stare intently at her while she ate the food, and she found she didn't like being the center of attention any more than she appreciated being completely ignored.
'Whom should I thank for this food?' she asked when she'd finished.
No one answered her, but several of the men shrugged indifference. Their grins were beginning to bother her. She felt as though she were the only one not included in some jest.
She thought about telling the men it was damned rude to gawk, but quickly changed her mind. She shouldn't be using words like damn anyway, she reminded herself, or she'd end up with a day's fast as penance. She couldn't think of anything more atrocious.
'Please tell me why you're smiling,' she requested.
'You've impressed the men,' Connor answered.
'How have I impressed them?' she asked, pleased that Connor had finally spoken to her.
She straightened her shoulders and waited for the compliment. They'd probably noticed how she'd joined right in, and had been impressed with her because she'd tried to become one of them. Perhaps, too, they'd finally realized how polite she was being. Yes, they'd surely noticed her proper behavior.
'You ate more than Quinlan. In fact, you ate more than all the men.'
It wasn't the answer she'd expected. Telling a lady she'd eaten more than a soldier wasn't a compliment; it was an insult. Didn't he understand that? 'Quinlan and the others must not have been very hungry,' she argued in her defense. 'Besides, how much I ate shouldn't be impressive… or noticed by anyone.'
He smiled. Lord, he was really quite attractive when he wasn't glaring at her. 'We think it is.'
She could feel herself blushing. She considered lying so they wouldn't think she was a glutton or a pig, then decided to be honest instead. She was going to have to eat with the rude barbarians again and again, after all, and they'd surely notice if she lied now and then ate until she was full at the next meal.
'I didn't eat as much as usual,' she finally admitted.
'You sometimes eat more, mi'lady?' a soldier asked.
He looked incredulous. She gave him a reproving look to let him know what she thought of his behavior. ' 'Tis the truth I do.'
