Page 73 of Highland Protector

“ ‘Tis a place near a loch, a lake. Ye will see. ‘Tis beautiful. And ye will meet my lass Marion.”

“Ye have a daughter?”

“I do. A wee lass a few years older than ye, Reid. She waits for us and a pony at Lochancorrie. I will send a messenger there on the morrow so that they will have the news of our arrival and be all ready for us.”

“So we will be a true family?” Reid asked so softly that Simon had to lean very close to the boy’s mouth to hear.

“Aye, we will, and to make it even more special, Ilsabeth is already carrying my child, so we will soon be a family of six.”

Reid grinned and Elen, seeing that her brother was no longer nervous, hopped down and started to climb up Simon’s leg. She kissed him on the cheek, then demanded to get back down so she could run and get some food. Reid sat quietly beside them eating his oatcake and Ilsabeth could almost feel the peace that had come over him. The boy knew he had a home for him and his sister now.

“Weel, what did ye talk the priest into?”

“Tomorrow afternoon. I offered him a new window.”

“Simon! A new window is too much money.”

“Nay, I ken a mon who can make beautiful ones for nowhere near what others make ye pay. And it doesnae matter for it is worth it to marry ye as quickly as possible and get our family back to Lochancorrie.” Simon saw Reid grin and reached over to tousle the boy’s hair. “And ye should go and meet your new uncles. See them o’er there?”

Reid nodded and Simon gave him a little nudge in the direction of his brothers. Simon watched the meeting carefully but within moments, Reid was laughing and acting silly as only a child can do. My family, Simon thought, and the word filled him with contentment. He put his arm around Ilsabeth when she leaned up against him.

“Ye are looking verra pleased with yourself,” she said.

“I am. I have a beautiful woman and will soon claim her as mine. She loves me and makes my eyes roll back in my head when we make love. I have my home, the fields and livestock are better than they were so we willnae starve this winter, and I am about to marry into a verra large family who stays together. Oh, and I have a fine new son.” He nodded toward Reid, who was obviously in a face-making contest with Ruari, and then touched her stomach. “And a child on the way. Brothers returned to the lands made for us, and a wee daughter and”–he glanced toward where Elen was looking for him–“I ken I have forgotten something but I wonder what it is.”

“Si–mon!”

Ilsabeth laughed as Simon grinned at her and then caught Elen up in his arms.