Page 35 of Highlander’s Devious Ally

“Of course it is,” Lyall replied, feeling ashamed all of a sudden. “Thank you, sir.”

Matthew smiled. “In half an hour you can call me ‘Father,’ or ‘Paw,’ or whatever you like. Just go in there and get married!”

So Laird Lyall Stevenson walked into the church to wait for his bride, and it was the longest five minutes of his life.

However, he was not the only one who was scared to death. A moment later it was her turn to stand with her father, holding onto his arm for support. Ailith was trembling inside. Her heart was hammering as if she had been running uphill, but outwardly she looked serene and unruffled, like the embodiment of summer.

Her satin velvet dress was a deep buttercream color, laced at the front with a gold cord. It flared out from her slender waist into a bell-shaped skirt with a short train at the back. Its full-length lace undersleeves ended in a point on her dainty wrists, and the oversleeves dropped from the elbow to end just below her waist. The neckline was a deep V that hinted at the swell of her full breasts.

There was a crown of mountain aven, daisies, and white heather in her hair, and she carried a posy of the same summer blooms.

As she walked into the church she saw Lyall standing beside the priest, tall and imposing in his clan plaid, his glossy dark hair reflecting in the myriad of rainbow colors of the stained glass windows.

As Ailith entered, the guests began to turn and smile at her, and Lyall, seeing their reaction, turned around too. His expression was one that Ailith would remember and treasure for the rest of her life. His eyes widened in wonder, then his lips parted and finally he gave her the most joyful, loving smile she had ever seen. As she put her hand trustingly into his, she knew that she would not be afraid of anything ever again.

Lyall kissed her cheek, still smiling. His heart was brimming over with love for this little, beautiful, spirited woman who had changed his life completely. Her eyes were shining as she gazed into his, and for a moment it seemed that they were the only two people in the church, as if no one else existed.

“You look...so beautiful, Ailie," he whispered, but she had no time to reply before Father O’Dowd began the nuptial service with a blessing, and everyone fell silent. These next few moments were to be the most important in the rest of Ailith and Lyall’s lives, when they gave themselves to each other, heart and soul, for all eternity.

“Are you ready to pledge your love for one another in the eyes of God?” Father O’Dowd asked, looking from one to the other. He was a kindly, pleasant-looking Irishman, much in demand for weddings, because he always made the ceremony a warm and friendly occasion, unlike some other priests who merely regarded it as a duty.

“We are,” they said in unison, then Lyall turned to hold Ailith’s hands.

“Ailith, I have waited for you for such a long time. When we met I was grieving and you helped me to mourn. When I am angry you calm me down, and when I am happy you rejoice with me. I want us to be together, because you help me to be the best man I can be, and if we are blessed with children I promise that they will never have a more loving and protective father. I adore you, my Ailith. Please be my wife.”

Ailith nodded solemnly, her eyes full of tears of joy. “Lyall, I cannot put into words how much I love you. You are my rescuer, my guardian angel, and the only man who has ever truly made me feel free to be who I am inside. I hope you know how much that means to me. If we are given the gift of wee ones, I know that you will cherish them with all of your generous heart." She put a hand on his chest. “Yes, sweetheart, I will be your wife. Will you be my husband?”

“Yes, I will," he promised, “for you are the love of my life, and always will be.”

Then he placed the gold ring on her wedding finger, lifted both her hands to his lips, and kissed them. At the same time he let out a huge sigh of relief and she laughed softly. “Thank God," he whispered fervently. “Thank God you are mine at last!”

“And you are mine," she murmured, planting a soft kiss on his lips.

Father O’Dowd coughed delicately to remind them that the service had not finished, and they concluded the Mass with Communion and a final blessing. They rushed joyously out of the church under a fragrant shower of petals, then Lyall grabbed Ailith by the waist and swung her around in the air for a moment. He kissed her passionately, to the cheers of all the guests.

After that he carried her into the Great Hall where three great tables were laid, groaning with every type of food imaginable. There were roast meats, pheasant, partridge, rabbit and venison, and different varieties of vegetables, such as turnips, carrots, cabbages, and beets. Many types of local cheeses and locally-grown fruits such as apples and berries were available, as well as chestnuts and hazelnuts.

There was honey and cream, pastries, tarts, and oatcakes. As well as all that, a great variety of excellent continental wine had been provided, along with the ubiquitous whisky, without which no Highland celebration would be complete.

The bride and groom had to partake first, as was tradition, but Lyall would not eat a mouthful until he had helped Ailith to put some food on her plate, then he fed her morsels of it with his fingertips as if she were a little bird. After a few minutes she stopped him.

“Eat," she commanded. “You are famished, you know you are.”

“How did you know?" He frowned but he was laughing too.

“Because you are ALWAYS famished!" She giggled and he kissed her forehead, then beckoned the other guests to the table to start eating. At once there was a hungry crowd of people milling around the table, and Lyall took the opportunity to seize Ailith’s hand and run out of the hall, not stopping until they were safely under the cover of a hidden alcove, where he kissed her fiercely.

Ailith tilted her head back and moaned in sheer delight at the insistent pressure of his lips. She felt his arousal against her and knew that in the next few minutes her body and her life would change forever, because Lyall did not want to wait for the end of the feast to make her his.

“Do you not want to finish your food?" she asked, although she already knew the answer as she looked at the longing expression in his eyes.

“No," he replied huskily. “Suddenly I find that I am not hungry, Lady Stevenson. Not for food, anyway.”

“What are you hungry for, M'Laird?" She smiled at him mischievously.

“You," he replied, beginning another assault on her lips. “I want to taste you, devour you, make you part of me.” His deep voice was a growl. “I want to be inside you, and I can wait no longer, my love.”

“Neither can I," she whispered. He picked her up and sprinted lightly upstairs with her bouncing around in his arms. She watched his passionate, determined face and a shiver of anticipation and arousal passed through her. At last he was hers, and he would show her how to be his wife and his lover. She wanted to tell him to run faster, to give them both what they so desperately wanted as soon as he could.