Je Suis Prest || Outlander

Chapter 14

My letter had found Fergus at Lallybroch, but he said he had already made up his mind to collect me before he read it. "I would not leave Scotland without you," he had said. He explained to me that Young Ian had been taken aboard a ship, and that he, Jamie, and Claire would be setting sail the following day to find him. Where are we going? He had no answer, only that we will follow Jamie wherever he went. On our way to port, Fergus explained the plan he had formulated. I would board the ship first while some men from Ardsmuir distracted Jamie and Claire. Once the ship was far enough out to sea, he would come and collect me from below deck, and we would announce our plan to marry.

"There is just one more thing. Jamie cannot oppose our marriage if we are handfast." Everything was moving so quickly. The cart rolled into the port town just before sunrise. "Are you ready? Are you absolutely sure you want to do this?" I nodded and watched as he took a knife from his pocket and dragged it against the palm of his hand. I gladly did the same. Then I removed my kerchief and tied it around our hands. Fergus's wooden hand rested gently on top of both of mine. And then I began to speak the words I had not realized I had been rehearsing for the past several weeks.

"I, Marsali MacKimmie, take thee, Fergus, for my lawful wedded husband..."

"... man and wife," Fergus whispered at the end of our makeshift ceremony. "You are blood of my blood, bone of my bone. I give you my body, that we two might be one, and I give you my spirit, 'til our life shall be done." We kissed deeply, for a long time. The months of waiting were over and our lives together had just begun.

We laid in the back of the cart until the sun began to rise. "I cannot wait until we are married truly. Your father would kill me if you and I were to do what I have been thinking about since I last saw you," Fergus bit his lip and flashed a mischievous look at me. He clicked his tongue and muttered, "Marsali MacKimmie, married to a man thirteen years her senior. The scandal!"

"Be patient, old man. Besides, there were no witnesses to this."

"Old man? Who are you calling an old man?" He sat up and began to tickle me until I cried out for him to stop. "I am in the prime of my youth. I think I see a few white hairs on your head already though. Ah yes, the stress of being away from me for so long. We will not tell your father there were no witnesses, he'll never know."

"You bastard!" I shoved him, causing the cart to rock on its wheels. Birds began to chirp, reminding me of something terrible. "My birds, I left behind the birds you made for me," I began to weep.

"Hush, ma cherie, I can make more. I mean, it is difficult you can imagine, for a man with only one hand to carve wood, but I can make them again. The hours I spent on those," he clicked his tongue again, "but whatever my wife desires, she will have. We had better get you to the boat. Your chariot awaits, madame," he said, bending into a deep bow before helping me out of the cart.

We both boarded the ship and Fergus helped me settle into a hiding spot belowdeck. "I will come get you soon. I love you." He stooped down for one final kiss then was off to rejoin Jamie. Once he was gone, I began to grow afraid. The hold was dark, and I was totally alone. I screamed when a rat scurried across my skirts and was nearly compelled to give up the whole endeavor, but then I thought of Fergus. I thought of marrying Fergus in a proper wedding, and raising dark haired bairns that spoke French with their father. I dozed off thinking of a sweet little boy with eyes bright blue like his father's. Germain would be a nice name for our boy.

"Marsali, Marsali, wake up. Are you okay, my love?"

"Hm? Oh, are we sailing already?"