"I hope 'twill be your last time at being in love."
"Mr. Hannish…"
"Just Hannish."
"Mr. Hannish, you forget, you are married."
He turned her toward him and wrapped his other arm around her. "I have just learned I am not married. Olivia tricked me and we were never married."
"She tricked you?"
He pulled her closer. "Aye, and three others before me."
"I dinna know a woman could do that?"
"No honest woman would."
Behind Sassy, all the servants quietly came out on the terrace to watch. Inside, Abigail and Claymore, along with most of the other guests began to crowd near the ballroom windows.
Hannish pulled her closer still, put his hand on the back of her head and urged her to lay it against his chest. "Leesil, I have so longed to hold you." He kissed the top of her head and held her just a little bit tighter. "Will you be my wife?"
For a moment, little Sassy with no last name, thought her heart was never going to start beating again. "I…I..."
When she leaned back to look at him again, he kissed her cheek. "What, sweetheart, what troubles you?"
"I am just now learning how to be an adult. I dinna know how to be a wife."
"I hardly know how to be a husband, but we can learn together. Say you will, Leesil. Just say you will."
She drew in a forgotten breath, finally put her arms around him and looked into his eyes. At last, she said, "I will."
The love was evident in his eyes when he leaned down and kissed her. McKenna brought a hand to her chest, Cameron took off his hat, Sarah kissed Alistair, Millie put her head on Prescot's shoulder and the rest of them cheered - all except Keith who went back inside.