Alyce remained stunned when he took her hand in his.
“Alyce Bunnock. It sometimes frightens me how very much I love you, and how my world would crumble without you, but I give you a choice here and now. Marry me, Alyce. I love you and always will. If you choose not to accept my proposal, as hard as it would be for me, I will set you free.”
Alyce struggled to get up and Lachlan quickly helped her stand. Tears glistened in her blue eyes and she shook her head.
“You don’t wish to marry me?”
Loud gasps echoed in the great hall.
“No, you fool,” she said aloud. “I just can’t believe you offer me a choice. I can’t believe you would free me from our vows.”
“It is what I should have offered you from the beginning. And it is the only way we can ever truly be free to love one another.”
“Good lord, I love you so much!”
“Does that mean you’ll wed me?” he asked with an eager grin.
“Yes, yes, a thousand times yes! I will wed you,” she cried and let her tears of joy flow.
Cavan stood and offered the first toast and told everyone to prepare for a wedding celebration to remember. Artair’s toast followed and more after his.
“You truly mean to wed me all over again?” she whispered to her husband, surprised.
“Of course,” he said. “I want it done right this time. We will be wed by a cleric, you will sign the document, and there will be a feast.”
Alyce brushed her tears away. “You have given me what I always wanted. You have made my dreams come true.”
He leaned close and whispered in her ear, “I will always make your dreams come true.”
She pressed her cheek to his. “That you do whenever you kiss me, touch me, love me.”
Addie’s joyous voice broke them apart as they watched her raise her tankard. “I toast my daughters.”
The three Sinclare brothers raised their goblets to their wives.
“To three strong, courageous, beautiful women I am proud to call my daughters and that my three sons were wise enough to love.”
Alyce’s loud gasp startled everyone.
“What’s wrong?” Lachlan asked, dropping his tankard to the table when he saw his wife’s hand grab her stomach.
“I remember,” she said excited. “I remember what it is that was so important to tell you.”
“What?” Lachlan asked anxiously.
Alyce smiled. “Ronan is on his way home.”
Chapter 37
Alyce was exhausted and the wedding festivities had just begun. Even though snow fell heavily outside, the whole village was warm and joyous as they helped celebrate the wedding of Lachlan and Alyce Sinclare.
It had taken a couple of months from Lachlan’s proposal to arrange the exchange of vows and obtain new documents with the help of Bishop Aleatus, a close friend of the Sinclares, who had insisted on performing the ceremony. And all had hoped that Ronan would return before it and share in the grand day, but he still hadn’t appeared.
Addie had seen to a feast fit for a king and queen while Honora and Zia had transformed the great hall into a magical woodland with winter greenery, pinecones, and berries everywhere; and numerous white candles flickered like dozens of bright stars throughout the room.
Her father even attended and gave his blessings and told her how proud he was that she did her duty like a true leader. It was enough to let Alyce know that in his own way he loved her.
She sighed, resting in a high-back chair that Zia had made certain to provide for her, insisting it would be much more comfortable than the usual bench. And she was glad she hadn’t protested, since the chair helped ease the pain that had started in her back this morning.
Lachlan was busy talking with everyone, though he glanced her way often enough. He knew she was tired and he had wanted her to rest for an hour or so and then join the celebration, but she didn’t want to miss a minute. It was all too exciting.
She watched with pleasure the younger children laughing while running after each other, and caressed her stomach thinking how in no time she and Lachlan’s babe would be one of them. The twins certainly wanted to join in the revelry, one bouncing to get free from his mother’s arms and the other trying to walk with his father’s help, while Blythe sat contented in her father’s arms.
She shook her head as she watched her father try desperately to gain Addie’s favor, but surprisingly she spent much time with Hagen, who had yet to rejoin Septimus. There was a sparkle in both their eyes when they looked at each other, which was often. Whatever would her sons think?
A stabbing pain caused her to double over with a moan and Lachlan was at her side in a second, as was Zia. She could barely breathe let alone speak.