Page 57 of Never Fall for a Highlander

Just then Ainslee and Haydon entered the room.“We’ve given ye enough time to get this settled,” Ainslee said.“Are we planning a wedding?”

Robin wrapped his arm around Helena, pulling her close to his side.“The lass said aye and we’re just now speaking of how quick we can get the wedding done.”

Haydon burst out laughing.“I ken why ye’re in a hurry, mon, but this must be done right.”

Robin slumped.“I ken.”

“I’m going to send a messenger to Dun Ugadale and have my sister obtain help from the cook and other lasses in the brooch who can plan for the wedding.”

Ainslee looked up at Haydon.“Will ye be able to get away for the wedding?”

“I assume ye wish to attend?’He looked at her with a warmth that most people never saw in the fierce-looking laird.

“Aye.The bairns will be fine with Claray supervising the other nursemaids.”

Haydon pushed back a strand of hair from Ainslee’s face.“Ye deserve some time away from all of this.Aye, I will get my brother, Conall to watch o’er things while we’re gone.Times are peaceful right now.”

Ainslee turned to Helena.“Let us look for an appropriate gown for yer wedding.Since yer betrothed seems to be in a hurry, we can probably find something from yer wardrobe and fix it up with ribbons and other touches.”

Sutherland waved at his desk.“’Tis a good time to get the marriage contract done, Mackay.”

Being an orphan, Helena came to the marriage with nothing, but it would still be necessary for the men to discuss a few things to make sure Helena would be provided for.

The men poured themselves a whisky and sat down.Ainslee and Helena left the room, arm-in-arm, discussing women’s favorite subjects.Celebrations and weddings.

* * * *

“I am so happy for ye,” Jena said, wiping her eyes.“I canno’ believe my little sister is getting married.”

“God’s toes, Jena, I am the same age ye were when ye married Blair.”Helena sat on a stool in front of the looking glass trying to think how she could do her hair differently for her wedding.

Which was the very next day.

“But I was older when I was yer age,” Jena said while she rocked her bairn.

Helena sighed.“Twenty years is twenty years, so doona try to make me out as a lass too young to marry.”

“Nay, I wasna trying to do that.”She paused and said, “Oh, please excuse me, Helena, having so recently given birth and now my baby sister getting married is just too much.”Jena wiped her tears and Helena left her seat in front of the looking glass to hug her sister.

“We’ll be living in the same brooch,” Helena said.“When ye think how lucky that is, it should help dry yer tears.”She went back to the mirror and picked up her brush.

“’Tis just that it happened so fast,” Jena said as she lay wee Arthur down in his bed.

Helena smiled at her image in the looking glass as she remembered how Robin had her packed and ready to go, along with Haydon, Ainslee, and Blair the day after she agreed to marry him.Jena and wee Arthur rode in a wagon along with Helena’s belongings.The Dornoch cook, Margie also traveled in the wagon to help with cooking for the celebration.

Before they’d left, Helena had spent time with Haydon going over what the two men had agreed upon.Having marriage contracts was not something she had ever expected to see.

The Sutherland explained that since she was marrying a laird, certain expectations for his wife had to decided upon.Things that dealt with their sons and daughters, in the event of his death, and other legal matters.Since Helena had no male relatives, Haydon had acted on her behalf.

She was just happy to be marrying the man she loved and who loved her.

Departing Dornoch had been difficult because Aunt Dorathia hadn’t felt up to traveling to Dun Ugadale and back again for the wedding.Her age had been catching up with her and her aches and pains kept her from doing a great deal of what she had been able to do while raising Helena and Jena.

Amid tears and hugs she promised her aunt that she would travel back to Dornoch to see her as often as she could.

Since their return over a week ago, Robin had managed to find times and places for them to be together privately.Based on what she’d experienced so far, she was just as anxious for this wedding as Robin was.

A slight knock on the door drew their attention.Jena answered it to see one of the kitchen maids.“Miss Ross, Maude would like yer opinion on something, if ye could come to the kitchen.”