Part 44 (1/2)

Nora felt heat rush to her cheeks.

How did she tell the man that she had no idea?

”He's in the back of the crowd, bleeding,” came a deep, rumbling English voice.

Nora couldn't breathe as she recognized the voice.

It belonged to Sin MacAllister!

Shaking now, she searched the crowd to find him. There at the very rear of those gathered was one man who towered over all the others.

It was Ewan, and he was flanked by his three brothers.

She smiled so widely that she had a good idea she looked foolish.

She didn't care.

Ewan elbowed Sin in the stomach for his announcement, then moved forward through the crowd that now parted before him like the Red Sea before Moses.

Ewan moved slowly, carefully.

Deliberately.

Nora wept at his approach. His face was pale, and he had a fine sheen of perspiration on his brow.

It was obvious that he was in pain, but why?

Surely his injury had healed.

”What are you doing here?” she asked as he climbed the stairs to stand by her side.

His eyes danced with love as he took her hands into his and kissed each one in turn. ”I've come to claim my wife, if she'll agree to have a fool for her husband.”

Joy exploded through her. He had come!

Catarina had been right.

Ewan had come for her...

But why had he waited so long?

Why had he put her through such torment?

'Twas cruel what he'd done, and had he waited another few minutes, she might have found herself Lady MacAren.

That didn't sit well with her.

In fact, it made her want to torment the man who had tortured her.

”Why did you wait so long to come?” she asked.

He brushed his finger down her cheek, raising chills all over her body. ”The infection from my wound returned and I couldn't.”

”He shouldn't be here now,” Lochlan said as he stood at the foot of the stairs. ”He's still too weak to travel, but when he learned you were to marry Ryan, he refused to stay abed. No doubt you'll be paying for this bout of stupidity as well.”

Ignoring his brother's words, Ewan tipped her chin up so that she had no choice but to look up at him and see the fire in his blue eyes that devoured her.

”Run away with me, Nora,” he breathed. ”I'll take you anyplace you want to go. England. France.

Rome. Outremer. You name it, and I'll gladly take you there.”

Tears fell down her cheeks at his loving words. It was more than she could have asked for. ”Anyplace?”

”Aye.”

”Then I wish to take you to bed...”

Shocked gasps filled the crowd.

”To heal!” she said irritably as she glared at them as a whole. She shook her head at them. ”What good would he be if dies of his wounds? Then I still end up married to Ryan. What good would that be?”

”I should be offended by that,” Ryan said as the crowd laughed. ”But she's said much worse to me than that over the years.”

He clapped Ewan on the back. ” 'Tis just as well, I would have more than likely killed her within a year anyway, or run off with another. Peace be with the two of you, Ewan and Nora, and may the saints in their mercy bring early hearing loss to all the MacAllisters.”

Nora gaped at Ryan's words.

”Nay,” Ewan said. ”I want no deafness in my life to deprive me of the beauty of her voice.”

She smiled up at him, then threw herself into his arms.

Ewan staggered back, and only Lochlan's quick actions kept him from falling with her.

”I'm sorry, Ewan,” she breathed. ”I forgot.”

”I don't mind.” By the happy look of his face, she could tell he meant that.

”So, do I need to retire from this?” the priest asked.

Ewan shook his head. ”Nay, Father. You've a wedding to be about. I want no one to ever question my right to this lady again.”

”Ewan,” Lochlan growled. ”You'll pa.s.s out before it's through.”

”Then toss some water on my face, prop me up and make sure I say 'I do' when I need to.”

Nora squeezed his hand as the priest began the ceremony.