Page 70 of The Highland Heir

“You’ve been quiet since we returned from thecastle.”

“Aye. I have much to think about.”

“I noticed you and Arran went up to thebattlements. Did he steal a kiss?”

“Auntie! Ye shouldn’t ask such a thing. Youshould be struck horrified by the thought of a man kissing me.”

“Oh, posh. I want ye to be happy. Not much tobe happy about if a handsome man doesn’t steal a kiss once in awhile.”

“Well, he didn’t steal a kiss. I gave it tohim.”

“Even better. What else did you givehim?”

Ella knew her aunt wished for some juicyscandal. Instead, Ella shocked her by telling her the truth.

“I gave him my hand in marriage.”

“What?” The next few moments were filled withsounds of Jenny getting out of her bed across the cottage andscrambling to light a candle. “Get out of your bed and tell me therest while I pour us a bit of wine. Ye weren’t sleepinganyway.”

Ella agreed she wouldn’t find any sleepstaring up at the roof thatch and thinking about all the ways herlife was changing.

“Are you happy he asked so quickly?”

“Aye. I’m happy.”

Jenny held the candle closer and frowned.

“Ye don’t look happy.”

“I will be happy. It’s just at the moment, Ifeel like I’ve been caught in a wave and no matter how much I tryto stand, I get knocked down at the same time the sand beneath myfeet shifts so I canna get my footing.”

“Do you mean it in a good way or a badway?”

“When is such a thing ever good? Do you evenknow what it’s like to have sand wedged in all your delicateplaces, auntie?”

Jenny chuckled and held out a cup of wine toher. Ella took it, hoping it would help her sleep. She drank itdown in a few gulps. Jenny poured her some more.

“I am certain you did not expect him to askso soon. But it is a good thing to know he could not wait anotherminute. Yes?”

“Yes.”

Jenny drank her wine in silence, which wasunlike her.

Unable to take another moment of quiet, Ellaopened her mouth and all sorts of things came out.

She told her aunt everything. Even how she’dgiven herself to Kieran. How wonderful it was. The pain in sayinggoodbye when she knew she loved him.

After all the ranting, Ella was surprised byJenny’s simple response.

“Damn you, Rolfe Sinclair.”

Ella didn’t argue, for Rolfe Sinclair was thesource of all her problems, but it was strange that Jenny held suchdisregard for someone she didn’t know.

“I told ye about my problems with Roger andmy sisters, but I haven’t told you of my one true love. The man Iwas to marry who fell in love with another and left me.”

Ella gasped and shook her head. “Who?”

“Who is no matter, the reason I am bringingit up is that life is like that wave you mentioned. Sometimes itcasts you up on jagged rocks strife with pain, while other timesyou land safely on soft sand with the sun warming your face. Butregardless of what comes at you, you must always stand back up,child.”