Cait did not look at her, but she squeezed Emily's hand as if to tell her she was glad she was there. Then she clasped her own hands in front of her, her mouth set in a firm line. Drustan took his place on the other side of Cait and Lachlan moved to stand beside him. Angus and the older woman who had spoken outside stood nearby. Everyone in the hall grew silent.
The priest began the marriage sacrament with the right words, but Emily could not help feeling it was sacrilegious to speak them in the evening rather than the morning. Was the marriage valid if the procedure dictated by Rome was not followed to the letter?
She prayed for the sake of her friend's soul that it was.
Drustan spoke his vows in a firm voice, but when it came time to speak her vows, Cait remained mute. The priest repeated his question, but Cait acted as if she had not heard.
Emily did not blame her. In fact, it was a clever plan. According to the laws of the Church, a marriage could be annulled if both parties did not enter into it willingly.
Frowning, Drustan took Cait by the shoulders and turned her to face him. "You will be mine regardless of what you do here."
Face averted, Cait shrugged, but Emily could see the tension in her friend's body.
The priest looked to Lachlan for instruction.
Lachlan looked at Drustan. Drustan crossed his arms, his intent clear. He would not budge on his stand.
Emily was proud of Cait's strength of purpose, but it worried her. Better to be wedded before being bedded, or so Sybil had always said. Emily didn't make it a habit to agree with her stepmother, but in this case… she did. And after the kiss she'd witnessed on the boat between Cait and Drustan, she had no doubt just where Cait was going to end up sleeping this night.
Lachlan crossed his arms over his broad chest, his expression bored. "The priest will speak the blessing over you on my say so."
The holy man winced, but nodded.
Cait did nothing… said nothing.
"I prefer her to speak her vows. I am content to keep her without the benefit of marriage until she does so."
"No," Emily gasped, but no one paid her any heed.
Lachlan considered Cait for several long minutes of silence. "Very well, until you speak your vows to my soldier and bind yourself to him willingly and forever, the English woman will warm my bed."
Blackness washed over Emily and it was all she could do to remain standing. "You lied again," she whispered.
But he heard her. So did everyone else from the reaction she received, but she didn't care. The soldiers could glare all they liked and the priest might as well stop looking like she'd spoken a blasphemy. Lachlan of the Balmoral was no god to be blasphemed, no matter what the arrogant man might think.
"My patience with your insults grows thin."
"And I have no patience at all with your lies," she said, her voice stronger now, though her knees still felt wobbly.
"Tell me when I lied."
"You said you would not allow anyone to keep me."
He had the audacity to shake his head at her.
She scowled and nodded right back. "Yes, you did."
"I said I would not let any of my soldiers keep you."
"But—"
"I made no promise not to keep you myself."
"You can't," Cait said, her voice laced with shock. "If you do, Talorc will consider her mated to you and he will refuse to marry her."
"He has already refused."
"But he will come around."
Lachlan didn't even bother to shrug, but the dismissal of that paltry consideration was written into his very stance. He did not care about her future… only about getting his own way. He wanted his vengeance and he would not be denied.
"Emily, I…" Cait looked like she was ready to cry again.
Emily soothed her as best she could. "Do not worry about me. I will be all right," she lied with what was left of her courage.
But Cait shook her head. "No. You will be ruined… you'll be mated to him. They don't see it that way here… Susannah told us, but the Sinclairs will. I'm sure your English father will."
"You mean if Drustan takes you to his bed, he will not see himself committed to you?" Emily asked.
"Of course he is committed to her. What do you think the priest is for?" Lachlan asked with obvious exasperation.
Emily turned on him with fury. "He said he would take her to his bed regardless."
"He wants her promise."
"And you… all you want is your own way."
His dark brow rose.
Emily opened her mouth, but did not know what to say. She did not want to be the lever used to force Cait into marriage, but she was also worried for her friend's virtue. Regardless, she would not lend her voice to the others in putting pressure on her friend.
She snapped her mouth shut and turned away.
"I will speak my vows."
"Not on my account," Emily said fiercely, grabbing her friend's arm.
Cait shook her head. "It is an empty gesture to refuse." She sighed, her shoulders slumped. "As I said, my clan sees the physical act of joining as a lifelong commitment. My brother will consider me mated regardless of what words I speak here."
"But you do not want to promise your loyalty to Drustan, do you?"
She finally understood why Cait wanted to avoid saying her vows regardless of Drustan's threat.
"No, but even if I do not say the words… I will belong to the Balmoral clan come sunrise. According to the laws of my people, I will belong to Drustan."
It wasn't right, but it was the way of the world. It only shocked Emily that Cait claimed the Balmoral clan did not see it as such. Well, without the wedding… an Englishman could walk away from a woman he had compromised as well. Was Cait saying that a Sinclair could not?
It was all very confusing, but one thing was clear. Cait was not happy about speaking her vows.
Drustan did not look too happy either. In fact, he looked downright mean. He grasped Cait's shoulders and turned her to face him again. "Becoming my wife is not a punishment."
"I know," Cait whispered, shocking Emily and making Lachlan grunt with approval.
Drustan's green gaze softened. "I will care for you and watch over you and your bairn."
At mention of the babe, Cait shook her head.
Drustan sighed and pulled her closer. "Yes. You will learn to trust me, lass."
Then, before Cait could argue again, he kissed her. This time Emily did not watch. She turned her head away, but could not help noticing the tiny sounds of pleasure her friend made.
After what seemed like a very long time, Drustan spoke, "Repeat the vows for my mate, Father."
The priest repeated them and Cait spoke her responses in a dreamy voice that gave Emily her first true smile in a long while. Cait did not like having her decision made for her, but she was not averse to marrying Drustan. Not really. And truly, it was no worse than when Talorc had informed Cait on the day of her first wedding that she was to be given to one of his soldiers. That had been no great love match from what Emily could tell.
A woman's lot was not an easy one, but Cait could do worse than to marry a strong man who had not resorted to violence to get his way.
They celebrated the wedding with a toast before Lachlan instructed his brother to escort Emily to the east tower.
"Can she not stay with us?" Cait begged Drustan, then turned to Lachlan. "You cannot truly mean to lock her in a tower?"
"Do not question your laird," Drustan said before Lachlan got a chance to answer.
"He's not my laird."
"As of fifteen minutes ago, he is."
"But—"
"There is only one bed in our quarters."
"Emily can sleep in it with me."
"I will be in it with you and we will not be sleeping," Drustan said in a voice that made Emily embarrassed to hear it.
Cait looked at Emily with an apology in her eyes.