“They’ll think me a tart,” Anna groaned as Grif helped her down from her horse. “Will you look at me? It’s as if you dragged me behind all the way from London,” she moaned as Grif helped her adjust her clothing.
“They’ll think ye a bonny lass and they will love ye as I do,” he said, and tried to give her a reassuring smile, but his stomach was in knots. He could recall all too easily his own feelings of anger when Ellie had arrived on their doorstep in place of the beastie, but he put his arms around her and hugged her. “It will be quite all right, m’annsachd. Ye’ll see.”
“I wish I were as confident,” she muttered as he turned her around and gave her a bit of a push out of the way so that he could tether the horses.
Anna moved, walking into the middle of the green, looking up at the huge monolith of an estate. “My God,” she said quietly, peering up at it, and Grif laughed.
“Talla Dileas is no’ a fancy English estate, but she has part of every wee bit of Scottish history, both the good and the bad. Aye, she’s no’ bonny, is she? But she’s as strong as the mountain on which she sits!”
“It’s the most… fantastically bizarre thing I’ve ever seen in my life,” Anna said, almost reverently.
Grif tethered the last horse, walked to where Anna was standing, and slipped his hand around hers. “Ye donna have even a ring,” he said.
“I have no need for a ring, darling,” she said with a smile. “I have you.”
If his family didn’t love her instantly, he would be forced to seriously consider severing all ties, for who could not love this woman?
Together, chins up, squeezing one another’s hand for strength, they walked forward. When the door of the main entry swung open, Grif heard Anna catch her breath… and then release it in a huge whoosh. “Mr. Dudley!” she cried, and let go Grif’s hand to run to the old butler. At least, Grif thought, himself quite relieved, Dudley had made it home all right. He was happy to see him well.
Dudley, however, looked rather shocked. He gaped at Anna, then at Grif, then at Anna again as she threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. “You did arrive safely!” she cried. “And your gout. How does it fare?”
“Quite well, miss,” he said. “Me wife, Fiona, she has the special herbs.”
“Dudley, lad! How grand of ye to make it home alive,” Grif said, reaching for his hand.
“Thank ye, sir. Oh dear, sir,” he said, shaking his head. “Oh dear.”
“Aye,” Grif said sheepishly.
“I hate to be a bother, Dudley,” Anna said, “but…” She stepped closer, whispered conspiratorially, “Do you think you might find us a bit of food? We used our last coin somewhere near… actually, I’m hardly sure where, but it has been quite a long while, and we are rather famished.”
Dudley never got a chance to answer, because Liam came striding out the door behind him with a look that would have frightened a troll. Grif reared back, half expecting Liam to punch him, but he grabbed Grif, squeezed him tightly in a bear hug, then let him go. “Ye’re alive,” he said. “I always believed they’d kill ye, I did.”
“Aye, they’d certainly like to see me dead,” Grif said. Liam grinned proudly, then turned to Anna— and his jaw dropped. “No!” he bellowed.
“What a pleasure to make your acquaintance again, sir,” Anna said, curtseying deep in her riding trousers.
Liam looked at Grif. Grif shrugged helplessly. “Mi Diah,” Liam cried, slapping his hand to his forehead. “Did ye no’ get me letter, then, Grif? I told ye to stay far away from this one!”
“No, I didna receive any letter—”
“No! Miss Addison?” Ellie cried behind Liam.
“Miss Farnsworth?” Anna shouted, and the two women shrieked simultaneously, running to one another’s arms, whirling around with pleasure as Liam groaned helplessly and the rest of Grif’s family spilled out onto the grassy lawn.
“What is it, what is it?” Carson cried, looking from Grif to Anna and back again.
“I think Grif brought his wife here, too,” Natalie offered helpfully.
“Ach, for the love of God!” Aila cried, looking as if she might faint.
“But where is MacAlister?” Carson demanded. “What have ye done with him?”
“Perhaps we should all go inside and sit down,” Grif suggested.
“Oh no,” his father said, and closing his eyes, he leaned his head back. “God in heaven.”
No one would sit, of course. Grif and Anna stood, hand in hand, at one end of the old great room. Grif’s family stood on the other end of the room, all eyeing him like the devil, with the exception of Ellie, who beamed like sunshine and continued to assure Anna that their bark was far worse than their bite.
“Ye may as well begin with yer…friend,” Aila said, looking at Anna. And her trousers.
“Actually, Mother… she’s me wife,” Grif said, and instantly threw up his hands at the cries of glee and despair. “Mother, Mother!” he shouted, gaining her attention. “I love her, more than me very life. We married in Gretna Green.”
“Oh no, oh no…”