Page 36 of To Charm a Highlander

Once again he claimed her thoughts.“I have no idea why yer mind keeps wandering, lass, but I suggest ye eat some of this wonderful food.”

She and Callum shared a trencher, and he’d filled theirs with the best selections.“Aye, ye have the right of it.Jonet has outdone herself this time.”

Once the food had been consumed, the tables were cleared off and pushed back against the wall.She and Callum were expected to hold hands and circle the room, with her family following, and then other clan folk to introduce the dancing.

The hours that followed seemed to fly by.She and Callum spent a great deal of time dancing.Even though she wasna sure of most of the steps, he guided her, always smiling at her attempts to follow him.

She flew from partner to partner.Both of her brothers and her cousin Malcolm took her to the floor and tried to pretend she kenned what she was doing.

But it was only in Callum’s arms where she felt comfortable.Safe even.Just when she felt as though she was about to collapse, he leaned down and spoke into her ear.“’Tis time to leave,mo ghraidh.”

“Already?”She kenned she sounded like a bairn no’ wanting to leave the party.

“Aye.I see the men eyeing me and I have a feeling they’re planning the bedding ceremony.”

With no memory of other weddings, she frowned.“What is that?”

“If ye let me lead ye out of the room now and upstairs to yer bedchamber, I will explain it, but trust me when I say ye doona want to get involved in one.”

Since she dinna remember her two brothers’ weddings, she had no idea what a bedding ceremony was, but she trusted her husband enough to ken he would do what was best.

Before she could give it more thought, he took her hand and hurried her from the room.

“Wait, Gunn, we’re getting ready to do the bedding ceremony.”One of the warriors, drunk from the whisky that they served at the wedding called out to Callum.

Without forewarning, Callum picked her up and raced to the stairs, taking them two at a time with the pounding of feet and shouts behind them.He hurried to her bedchamber, kicked the door open and slammed it shut with his foot.

He put her down and laughing, placed the bar across the door so no one could come in.He leaned against the door trying to catch his breath.Pulling her against his body, he said, “We made it,mo chridhe.”

She had no idea why she was laughing, but the entire incident was quite strange.“Will ye tell me now what the bedding ceremony is?”

Callum moved them toward the bed where they sat.He put his arm around her shoulders, trying to speak over the pounding at the door by drunken guests.

“’Tis a custom for women at a wedding to bring the bride upstairs, strip her of all her clothing and place her in bed.”

Her eyes grew wide.“All her clothes?Everything?”

He nodded.

“And then what?”

“Then the men come in and strip the groom, whip back the coverlet and shove him into the bed.”

She felt the blood leave her face.“If they’re whipping the coverlet back then ‘tis possible for the men to see the naked bride.”

He grinned.“Aye.Which is why I dinna want a bedding ceremony.”

She flushed at his words.“That is terrible.”

“Yer lucky we are no’ members of the royal family.If that were the case, some of the men and women, and even the priest, would remain in the bedchamber to acknowledge that the marriage had been consummated.”

She grew pale.“Ye mean…”

He fingered one of her curls.“Aye.”

“Ach.That’s even worse.”

“From what I heard from yer brothers they both managed to dodge the bedding ceremony because neither of their wives wanted it either.”