Now, Mary was the one aghast, “Leith!”
He reached over and held her hand. “Are ye worried about yer dress? Love, ye could wear rags and I’d still marry ye.”
A muffled snort had her looking at Tarrant and then to Theodor, both of the older men had bemused looks on their faces and even Leith’s father, Aaron, was shaking his head in dismay.
“Wonderful thing to say on yer wife’s wedding day,” Tarrant snorted. “Ye really are young.”
“And a fool,” Theodor added lightheartedly.
“All right, all right,” Leith said. “It’ll be the first day of Spring. Enough time to get all the particulars and transform this white barren land into somethin’ more fitting to a warm happy marriage. Agreed?”
Mary took his hand and traced her thumb of his knuckles, “Agreed.”
* * *
Spring had come quickly. The third day in the second week of April when the heather was blooming, the mild weather was balmy, and the countryside was a patchwork of blossoming wildflowers had come. The verdant fields were clothed with vivid reds, oranges, and golden yellows, all colors were as bright as Mary was…it was her wedding day.
Mary had sent the letter off to her parents the very next day after that dinner with Leith’s friends and that had been in late November. Five months later she had not heard from them. It pained her dearly, but she had to accept that they had deemed her as dead to them.
Lady Robasdan had volunteered to have the dress made and a month ago, she had sent up a beautiful green and ivory dress with silk slippers and a silken headdress. At first, Mary had been hesitant to even touch it as it felt too luxurious for her. Now, however, on the day of her nuptials, Rinalda was helping her in the dress when someone knocked at her door.
While she was tugging at her sleeves Rinalda went to answer it. Mary was fixing the neckline of her tight bodice and asked, “Rinalda, who is there?”
“An old friend,” the missing voice of her old maid Tina had Mary spinning, nearly tripping over the hem of her dress in her rush to her old friend.
Hugging Tina with all her might, Mary nearly let the tears that sprang to her eyes, flow. Tina was hugging her back just as dearly. When Mary did pull away, she pressed her right hand to her stinging eyes, and choked out. “You’re here!”
“I am,” Tina said as they went over to a set of chairs. “You’re looking well, Miss.”
Mary sensed a note in Tina’s voice and frowned. “What’s wrong, Tina?”
Tina sighed and took something from her coat, a letter that she handed over to Mary, “Miss, please understand that your parents were not happy to receive the news of your pending marriage. I, on the other hand, was very happy for you. I asked them to dismiss me from their service so I could be with you.”
She opened the letter only to see it was a single line, ‘Do what seems best for you but know that you have shamed us.’
The words cut her deeply, but a part of her, deep inside, had known that. She stared at the note and breathed in deeply. Slowly, she folded the note and set it aside.
She then reached out for Tina and hugged her. “Thank you for coming to me, I’m so glad to have you. I want you to meet my husband-to-be and the rest of his family.” She then gestured for Rinalda, “Meet Rinalda, she is as close to me as you are. So…help me get ready?”
* * *
Aaron Balloch held her hand as she mounted the steps toward the chapel. The wide wooden doors were opened, and the chapel’s windows were as wide as the doors. There were bunches of bouquets of purple heather placed around the room. At the dais where the clergyman waited, was Leith, Tarrant, and Theodor, all of them dressed in their formal plaids.
Leith came forward and took her hand from his father. He leaned in and whispered, “Ye are the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen, ye’ve held me mesmerized since the day we met.” He kissed the back of her hands.
Mary held his hand, “A while ago someone asked me who my husband would be. Is he is sturdy, dark-haired? Green-eyed? Short and blond? Lanky and redheaded? A man of education? A poet with many verses? A warrior with shield and sword?”
Leith did not hide his grin. “And ye said, ye need loyalty from him, for him to be educated, and for him to care for those around him, but what really matters to ye was his heart.”
“I said to myself I would not care, if only he loved me,” Mary added. “I suppose I got what I wished for.”
“Believe me, love,” Leith said replied, “I’m here, and I willnae leave ye.”
The priest cut in by clearing his throat. “Shall we continue?”
“Aye,” Leith said while his eyes were on Mary. The priest instructed them about the vows and Leith began his. “I, Leith Balloch, take ye, Mary Thompson, to be my wife. I will honor ye with my heart and protect ye with me life, until death sees fit to part us.”
She smiled, “I, Mary Thompson, take you Leith Balloch, to be my husband. I will honor you and love you, with my whole heart, until death sees fit to part us.”
Her hand was taken and a ring, topped with a brilliant blue jewel was put on her finger and a matching brooch pinned just over her heart.
Leith held her close and pressed a kiss to her forehead, then kissed the ring, “Mary, ye hold me heart in yer hand. Whatever ye ask, I will give, whatever ye ask of me, I will have it done. Ye will want for nothing and neither will our bairns.”
“Ye may kiss yer bride, Young Lenichton,” the priest finished while closing his book.
Cheers, and cries of joy filled the air as he
