Blood of the Clans Ch. 26

"I forgive you, Bella. Let your heart be at peace and know we will always be like sisters. I will not allow this to separate us. You are not to blame, for what your heart felt was right. Garreth is not to blame either. He did not tell of us, as you say, because he was still confused by his fever. As much as there is a terrible hurt, it will pass. I still love him and I still love you, those things will never change. Dans toute me vie, j'ai souhaite avoir un ami comme vous. Je ne vous laisse jamais partir."

Therese's words were like a weight lifted from Arabella's shoulders. She raised her head and looked into the eyes of true love between friends. In her deepest expression of her love for her, Arabella held Therese's face in her hands and kissed her softly on the lips. When she felt it being returned, she knew in her heart, that all would be well between them. Their lips parted and Therese looked at the tears streaking down Arabella's cheeks. She gently kissed each one and smiled at her. Arabella found it in herself to smile once again and hugged Therese to her. They hugged until all was settled within their hearts once again.

"Arabella, we must see to Garreth, as well. When I left him, I knew his heart was heavy with the same burden you carried. We must go to him and relieve him of the guilt he has in his heart." Therese told her, knowing it would take both of them, to assure him all was well.

"Soeur de mon couer, je t'aime tellement. Comment est'ce que je peux jamais te moutrer combien vous voulez dire a moi?" Arabella told her, expressing what her heart was feeling for her.

"Je suis ainsi heureux te se sont rappeles comment parler francais." Therese replied, smiling even more that her friend had remembered how to respond in the French they were taught.

The two friends left Arabella's chambers and walked down the stairs together, the surety of their love brightening both their faces once again. They entered the hall to find Garreth sitting in a chair, his face buried in his hands, clearly weeping, unknown to them that what his mind was conjuring up was the end of his love with Therese and a stake through the heart of Arabella, a woman he dearly loved.

"Garreth." Therese softly called to him.

Garreth raised his head and turned to the voice. He looked at the two women and waited for the inevitable heartbreak to be said to him.

"Mon coeur, ne sont pas triste pour un autre instant. Tout est bon et je serai votre epouse, maintenant et pour toujours." Therese said softly and lovingly, that even though he didn't understand it at first, he knew in his heart that a peace had been made between her and Arabella.

His face went from pure grief to one of instant joy. He rose weakly from the chair and looked at them both, standing hand in hand together, the remains of their own tears drying on their cheeks. They both came to him and hugged him, relieving the burden of guilt and replacing it with the love he greatly cherished from both of them. They both used their fingers and wiped away his tears, smiling at him with happiness in their eyes. Garreth was beside himself with the affection they showed him and his tears continued to flow. The two diminutive women pulled his head down to them and both kissed his cheeks at the same time. His arms went around them and hugged them close to him. He kissed both their cheeks and then looked at Therese, showing her the face of ecstatic joy in choosing to remain his bride to be.

With no thoughts of how his display of affection would be taken, he pulled Therese to his trembling body and kissed her with all the loving passion his heart was feeling. Arabella looked at them for a moment, now enjoying the open display of their love and silently turned to leave. She walked out of the keep, into the early evening air and breathed a sigh of relief. She smiled to herself, but in her heart, it was still a bitter-sweet smile. She still had Therese and Garreth in her life, but her heart felt the emptiness of a love she couldn't share with Garreth.

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Stuart looked at his guests and saw the tears of sadness on most of the faces. Even the men had been touched deeply, with what he had said.

"I'll stop there and gi' ye's a chance to compose yerselves again. I know, that was a touching moment between them, wasn't it? I ha'e a wee something else tae show ye's, as well." Stuart told them and opened the wooden box once more.

He carefully took out the amulet with the top part of the inner box. Inside, carefully laid on dark, purple velvet, was a gold cross. The tiny diamonds that ran down and across, sparkled in the chandelier's lights. A solitary ruby lay in the centre and gleamed its brilliance to everyone. A thin gold chain was attached to it and Stuart moved it slightly to display the shine still held by it.

"This is the necklace that Therese ga'e tae Garreth, all those hundreds of years past. It was their wish that they remained t'gether, e'en long after they were gone. The Luck of Dunvegan has ne'er left its place but once, but that's another story alt'gether, so I won't get intae it."

Everyone came as close as they could and admired the delicate piece of historic jewelry. Several women wept openly at seeing it, knowing it was a show of love that has remained to this day. Tom and Debra took their turn at looking at it, marvelling at the beauty of both pieces. Once they moved away, Debra turned to Tom and looked at him with her deepest affections.

"I would love to have something like that, instead of rings, for our wedding, Tom. I want our love to have as much depth and meaning as Garreth's and Therese's and survive the ages, like theirs has."

Tom could see it wasn't just a fanciful wish, but something that had truly touched her heart to want for them.

"You know, Babe, I'd really like something like that too. As much as I want to have a wedding and share my love with you, I want it to be something special and have a greater meaning than a ring and a piece of paper, that says we're man and wife."

"What would ye's like tae do, then? Any ideas?" Stuart asked them. "Sorry, I could'ne help but overhear ye's." he apologized to them, but still wanting to know.

"That's okay, Uncle Stuart. I'm not sure what we'd like to do really, right, Deb." Tom said to him and looked to Deb for confirmation.

"I can't help but want to have something as beautiful as their love, Uncle Stuart. I don't think anyone could, after hearing about them." Deb told him, with great admiration for the love they were just told about and the continuous connection that they made through the centuries.

"Ha'e ye made plans as tae where ye'll hold the ceremony?" Stuart asked them.

"No, not yet. We haven't decided if we want a church wedding or just a civil ceremony." Deb replied.

"I've got something in mind, if ye's are willing?" Stuart told them, a knowing smile coming across his face.

"What's that, Uncle Stuart?" Tom asked, intrigued by what he was thinking of.

"How would ye's like tae be married here, at Dunvegan. The same way Therese and Garreth were joined?"

Stuart's offer stunned them at first, then a look of sheer joy crossed their faces at the same time. They looked at each other and knew it would be perfect for them. Their thank you's were simultaneous and both hugged him with the deepest of affection. The other guests hadn't heard the conversation, but knew something of great importance had passed between Stuart and his nephew and future niece.

"What's all the palaver aboot, Stuart?" Tavish was first to ask.

Tom cleared his throat of a lump of joy that had formed there. He took a deep breath and held Deb close to him, as he spoke out loudly.

"Everyone, Debra and I are going to be married here at Dunvegan and do it just as Garreth and Therese did. We want you all to attend and be witnesses and share in our day. Oh, how did they get married back then, Uncle Stuart?" Tom asked him, realizing he had no idea of what they did.

Stuart had a chuckle and then made his own announcement.

"I'm going tae keep these two in suspense a wee bit longer. I ha'e tae tell ye's aboot the wedding and it was'ne just a wedding, it was a double wedding. And fer that matter, ye'll know what they did then, when I do tell ye's."

Tom and Deb looked a bit disappointed in not knowing, but knew the story yet to be told, held an answer that would make them happy. A great cheer went up from the guests and everyone came and congratulated them on their choice. Some gave Stuart a look of chastisement, for keeping the suspense going, but knew he would make everyone happy soon enough.

Once again, the guests took time to stretch and walk about, talking amongst themselves, about all that had happened so far. Tom and Deb made their way to the great hall and stood in front of the portraits of Garreth and Therese.

"You know Tom, you kind of look like Garreth. You have the same hair and eyes, even your lips are the same. Hmmmm." Deb said, looking him over with a seductive eye.

"Well, I guess I have some of him in me. That might be a good reason that I do." Tom said joking with her, emoting silent movie expressions of good looks.

She laughed and held her hands to his face and caressed it softly, as her eyes filled with the look of love in them. In a soft, whispered breath, she spoke the words her heart was feeling.

"Graim thu go siorai."

Tom felt his heart explode with joy at hearing her say that to him.

"Graim thu go siorai." he replied with loving joy and happiness in his eyes.

Oblivious to everyone around them, they embraced and kissed with abandon, their love deepening more, as they knew in their hearts they had created a memorable love between them.