Page 36 of Moon Craving

"You have no need to worry."

"Was the wedding over? The priest did not say the final blessing."

"We spoke the blessing ourselves as befits my people."

"I did not think the Scottish were so different from the English."

"I am from the north. We have not taken on your civilized ways."

"A priest's blessing is civilized?"

"It is unnecessary. He spoke the words that made us man and wife and we said our

vows."

"All right."

He should have been glad she gave up so easily, but again he worried about her

spirit when faced with the people of his clan. They were not cruel usually, but they

respected strength and abhorred weakness.

Sir Reuben shouted something behind them, but Talorc ignored the baron just as

he had the man's wife.

His warriors had followed him out of the chapel and were already mounting their

horses, clearly as eager as he to get out of the Lowlands. He went straight to his horse,

but when he went to toss Abigail on its back, she squirmed from his arms faster than he

would have thought possible for a human.

He grabbed her arm before she could dart to the cottage.

She frowned up at him. "I need my things."

"No."

She shook her head and twisted from his grasp with shocking agility.

He went to grab her again, but she backed up. "Please. I have gifts for Emily."

"She needs nothing from England."

"Thank you for your opinion on the matter, but I must disagree." She spun and

headed toward the cottage.

She had disobeyed him. The shock kept him from going after her at first.

"What is she doing?" Niall asked.

"Getting her gifts for her sister."

"The Balmoral will not like his wife receiving tokens from our enemy's land."