The Highlander’s Rescued Maiden by Anna Campbell

Epilogue

Achnasheen, Western Highlands of Scotland, September 1733

“There’s never been a more beautiful bairn since the world began,” Will said with soft emphasis, as he stared down at his newborn son, who slept in his arms after a squalling entrance into the world.

Ellen’s smile was weary, as she rested against a pile of pillows. She turned toward the armchair beside the bed. It contained the new arrival and her handsome husband of a year. “Och, beloved, you’re biased.”

Jean, Achnasheen’s healer and midwife, gave an indulgent snicker from where she stood beside the sideboard, sorting through a mysterious array of vials and bottles and packets. “My lady, he is a beautiful bairn. The image of Master William when he was born.”

It was late. After a labor that had extended through most of the day, Ellen was exhausted. Exhausted, but happy.

“Thank ye, my darling.” Will raised his head from admiring the baby. “He’s perfect.”

She loved the glow in his eyes. He’d turned out to be a loving husband. Now it seemed that he’d be a loving father. Not that she’d ever doubted it.

“I willnae argue.” Ellen held out her hand and Will caught it, bringing it to his lips for a fervent kiss.

He smiled as if she made the sun rise every day. "And you’re perfect."

“I willnae argue with that either.” Although once she might have looked for a sneer hidden in the extravagant compliment. No longer. Marriage to Will had shown her that perfection came in many different guises, including in the form of a woman with one leg shorter than the other.

Even that wasn’t as bad as it used to be. Jean’s skill and care over the last year had made an enormous difference to Ellen’s ease of movement. She was never likely to win a sprint race or climb Ben Nevis, but she had no trouble managing the stairs here at Achnasheen or at Glen Aric, the pretty estate about twenty miles away, where she and Will had settled after their marriage. She even made a fair job of dancing at family celebrations. With Will’s help.

Jean’s expertise had brought Ellen to Achnasheen to have her first child. That, and Will’s wish to see the next generation born at the clan chieftain’s seat. Ellen studied the baby cuddled in her husband’s powerful arms and tried to imagine that one day he would be lord of the mighty Mackinnons.

Right now, that required more imagination than she possessed. A thought which amused her. When her book had been published in July, the critics had tumbled over themselves praising the rich prose and vivid imagination she’d used to retell the old legends.

A soft knock announced the arrival of the current mighty chieftain of the clan. And his equally powerful lady.

That was another reason Ellen was at Achnasheen for the birth. Over the last year, she’d come to love Will’s parents. They’d welcomed her with a wholehearted generosity that provided a cruel contrast with her own father’s callous treatment. They also offered an example of enduring love that she hoped and prayed she and Will would emulate. Seeing Callum and Mhairi together, it was hard to believe that their union had begun in violent warfare between feuding families. It was clear that in this clan, dramatic beginnings to good marriages were the rule.

Ellen spared a fleeting thought for her father, sulking on Inchgallen. She’d written to tell him of her marriage, but had received no reply. He’d once rejected her for her lameness. Now it seemed he rejected her because she’d defied him and run off to wed. Likely he also resented the ignominious role he played in the ballads that spread across the Highlands, telling of how gallant William Mackinnon had eloped with Fair Ellen of the Isles.

“We ken it’s late, but we’d love to see the wean,” Mhairi said from the doorway. As a girl, she’d been a famous beauty, and now contentment lent her a radiance that belied her more than fifty years. “Do ye mind if we come in?”

“No’ at all. I was about to ask Will to send for ye,” Ellen said, smiling with genuine pleasure.

Mhairi and Callum stepped forward, hand in hand. Callum was still tall and strong, although the mane of black hair that inspired the nickname Black Callum was now streaked with silver. He smiled at Ellen. “How are ye feeling?”

She glanced across at Mhairi who had assisted Jean at the birth. A silent shared moment, as both recalled the day’s difficulties. It hadn’t been an easy delivery, but worth it in the end. “Like a proud mother.”

As Jean slipped out of the room, Will stood and carried the baby across to his parents. “Mamma and Da, may I present my son, Callum Cameron Mackinnon?”

Ellen’s smile broadened, as surprised delight flooded her father-in-law’s hawkish face. Will’s coloring came from his mother, but the sculpted bone structure and aristocratic manner were all his sire’s. “Och, ye called him Callum?”

As Will passed the boy into his grandmother’s arms, Will looked rather emotional himself. “Aye. Ellen and I decided to name him after the finest man we know. That’s ye, Da.”

“Well, I’m…I’m speechless, that’s what I am.” He peered over Mhairi’s shoulder at the stirring infant. “I must say he’s much more beautiful than his namesake.”

Mhairi bestowed a fond smile on her husband. “Ye have your moments, mo chridhe.”

Will laughed and returned to sit beside Ellen on the bed. For the moment, his parents’ attention was all on the younger Callum, so he took the opportunity to kiss her. “Thank you, my darling. I love ye more than I can say. I bless the day my boat bumped into Bortha and I discovered my destiny.”

“I love ye, too, Will,” she murmured, kissing him back with all the joy that filled her heart.

***

I hope you’ve enjoyed the latest installment in The Lairds Most Likely. If you’ve missed out on any of them, the first eight books in the series are The Laird’s Willful Lass,The Laird’s Christmas Kiss,The Highlander’s Lost Lady,The Highlander’s Defiant Captive,The Highlander’s Christmas Quest,The Highlander’s English Bride,The Highlander's Forbidden Mistress, and The Highlander's Christmas Countess. Like all my books, each story can be read as a stand-alone. Continue reading for an introduction to all eight stories.