Page 101 of Bargaining with the Devil

“Ah, a rúnsearc, ’tisn’t that you’ve been humbled.”

“No?” She lifted an eyebrow. “I’d sworn not to marry. Not to allow any man dominion over me.”

“’Tisn’t dominion you’ll get from me.”

“I know that. And I think I knew that before you left. I just . . . I wasn’t . . . I needed to . . .” How to say what she meant? “To sort out what was most important to me.”

“And have you?” His face was soft.

“Yes. And it turns out the answer is right in front of me. And I realized that for certain only when it wasn’t.”

“Aye?”

“I want a life with . . . balance. Happiness and joy, yes, but sometimes grief and pain too because those are inseparable from living. But always with love. And you. A life with you in it.”

“’Tis a grand speech, a rúnsearc.” And now the devil’s smile was meshed with his tender smile. “Save some of it for later when we make our covenants, aye?”

And then she was in his arms again.

Where she belonged.

Chapter 30

Lucy’s light laughter was joyful. How much he loved hearing how easily it came from her now. “What do we even do?” she asked. “To begin a trial marriage. Is there a . . . ceremony, of some sort?”

“I can’t say what they did centuries ago seeing as I’m not much past a quarter century myself, but as far as I understand it, ’twas as simple as stating the intention to live as man and wife for a year and a day.”

“And will we truly be living as man and wife?”

“You don’t think I’m going to publicly plight my troth to you and then keep my hands off you for a full year, do you, a stór?” He offered her a bit of a leer. “Besides which, in case you missed the part about what we’d do if a babe came along, well, ’tis a certain act needed for that to even be a possibility.”

She smiled. “I am well aware of that,” she said drily.

“Just so you don’t mistake my intentions.” This time he gave her the look, had her biting her lip again.

“Two people needn’t live together to sometimes get up to that,” she said.

“We’ll be living together. Unless you say otherwise,” he added quickly. He’d just assured her she wasn’t getting dominion from him, and he’d meant it. “But ’tis my preference we live as married people do.”

“I suppose it’s similar to handfasting in Scotland,” she mused. “It’s still legal there, just to state the intention to be married in front of witnesses. Then you’re legally married. Like Eva and Mr. Pereira.”

“Well, seeing as I don’t wish to take the time ’twould require for travel back to Scotland, ’tis the best I can offer, stating our intentions in front of my family tonight.”

“It’s quite enough,” she said softly, eyes shining.

“Then come, a mhuirnín, and let’s try rounding up my sisters all together long enough to do it.”

It took some doing, gathering in Mam and the five girls, but with a bit of help from Gráinne’s husband ’twas accomplished, with some interested neighbors coming along besides.

Seemed likely everyone suspected something of what was to come, judging by Aoife’s sly looks, Eithne’s grin, and Mam’s smile.

There seemed no reason to beat around the bush. He looked at Lucy, gauging . . . not her resolve, for he knew she meant every word she’d said earlier, but if she was ready in front of so many people she’d only just met. ’Twas pure truth that his family all assembled were rather lively.

But there was no trepidation there on Lucy’s face. Nothing frozen either. Just joy.

She reached her hands towards him, and he grasped them in his before looking to where the small army of family and friends were gathered.

He cleared his throat. Mayhap ’twas himself that actually felt the slightest bit of nerves. “We’ll be getting married,” he announced. “Although ’twill be the old way at first. A year and a day to be sure Lucy doesn’t sicken of me, but after that we’ll wed in church.”