They had interesting traditions here, though she wasn’t sure how they differed from an English wedding, having never attended one herself. She asked Peggy about the beautiful brooch the bride wore, and Peggy told her it was called a Luckenbooth, bestowed to the bride as a betrothal gift from her groom. She said it was most likely passed down through the family, and represented two hearts coming together. The red stone on top was for Mary, Queen of Scots.
When the ceremony was over, the entire party began the journey back to Galbury, and Rachel was pleased when Peggy linked arms with her, keeping her from feeling alone and rather silly with the stick she still needed to help her walk. She appreciated the friendliness of the girl, who she got along so well with. It was a beautiful day, perfect for a wedding, and Rachel sighed in contentment. If only someday she could have this for herself, she thought, with a man she truly loved, who loved her in return.
12
Adam watched as Rachel bobbed her head in time to the music of the Traditional Grand March, a look of rapture on her face as she took in the swirling plaid of the dancers in front of her. Her fingers tapped on her knee as she sat, and Adam could well imagine her in the midst of a pretentious dance at an English country home, her pretty skirts swirling about her as she threw her head back in laughter at something her equally debonair partner whispered in her ear. He felt a tightening in his stomach as he thought of it and tried to deny the shot of jealousy that coursed through him.
He wondered what she thought of this celebration. The dance was held not in a building of any sort, but rather the yard of his family’s home. The day was fair and the keep would become crowded with the mass of people, and so they had cleaned the yard instead.
Adam saw his sister go over and sit with Rachel, her dark head contrasting with Rachel’s auburn hair. He saw Peggy glance back at him, meeting his eye with a smirk, and he looked away quickly, irritated that he had been caught staring.
“It looks to me like the English lass might fancy a dance,” he heard Roderick say in his ear, and he turned to see his brother’s customary grin upon him.
“You should dance with her then, if that’s what ye think,” he responded, turning his face stonily back to the dance floor.
“Sadly, I dinna think the lass wants me,” he said with a dramatic sigh. “Any attention I’ve paid to her has gone rather unnoticed while she continues to moon over you. Why, Lord knows. Must be that pretty face of yours, though it’s been short a smile as of late.”
Adam turned to look at him.
“What are ye on about?”
“Ah, we’ve all noticed the two of you staring at each other when ye think no one’s looking. It’s rather sweet, it is,” Roderick said laughing, and ducked as Adam reached out to give him a shove.
“Come off it,” Adam said, crossing his hands over his chest.
“Adam!” Peggy joined them, apparently deeming Rachel able to sit alone. “I think Rachel wants to dance. Can you ask her?”
“What is it with the two of you?” he asked. “The lass was shot barely three days ago and ye want me to take her for a turn on the dance floor? Have your brains been addled?”
Peggy shrugged. “She’s a small enough thing, Adam. I think ye could manage to keep her weight off the leg, could ye not?”
At the sight of his mother approaching them, Adam determined that there was no way he was winning this battle against the whole of them.
“Fine,” he said. “I’ll ask her.”
“Oh, and Adam?” said Peggy as he turned to leave. “Do take that frown off your face. You’re beginning to look like Finlay the way you’ve been growling about.”
He shook his head at her, though he couldn’t resist a small grin at his older brother’s expense before moving toward Rachel. He stood next to her, and she looked up at him with wide, expectant eyes.
“Adam, you look very handsome this evening,” she said, and he felt his cheeks warm in response. Usually when he received a compliment on his looks from a young woman around here, it was given in a much more forward manner.
“Ah, thank you,” he said in response. “You look rather well yourself.”
He heard rather than saw Peggy behind him as she let out a snort of laughter, and he could have kicked her. He was usually much more eloquent with his words, yet somehow Rachel seemed to have reduced him to drivel.
She was much kinder than his sister, however. “Thank you,” she said with a pretty smile. “When my father visited, he brought me a couple changes of clothes, at the very least. At first I was rather put out he had brought one of my less practical dresses. However, it all worked out well as I could wear it to the wedding.”
The dress was a pretty pink, the color of a rose.... Adam was never one to typically notice a woman’s clothing, but somehow he couldn’t take his eyes off of her.
“Would you like to dance?” he asked, holding a hand out to her and he saw her eyes light up.
“Oh, I would so love to!” she said. “However I really should stay off my leg. It is healing rather nicely, ’tis true, but I shouldn’t like to slow the process.”
He nodded, agreeing with her, but then his mother was beside him.
“Adam will help you keep weight off the leg, will ye not, Adam?” she said, looking at him with a smile. For the love of all that was holy,
