‘Betsy, me Betsy. I love ye, me lassie.’

When they walked back down to Portpatrick, they held hands. To Betsy, it felt as if she’d known Angus all her life.

‘Och, me wee lassie, I’m not wanting to leave ye. Betsy, will ye do me the honour of becoming me wife? Aye, I know it is soon, but we’re not youngsters, and I’ve waited long enough for the reet one to come to tek me heart, and ye did the moment I set eyes on ye, four years back. But I knew the time wasn’t reet. You having a babby inside thee, and being a stranger here. Well, I’ve bided me time, but of late I saw ye were attracted to me, and now I don’t want to wait a moment longer.’

‘Eeh, me Angus, I will. I will. I was coping with a lot when we came here, and then got caught up in building the business, but on the night of the fire – that terrible destructive and heartbreaking fire – a fire of a different kind lit inside me, and I’ve been trying to convey that to you ever since. Eeh, the lassies are sick of fish!’

Angus laughed out loud. It was a beautiful sound that filled her with joy. ‘Me lassie. Me own lassie. Let’s wed soon. I can put the banns up tomorrow, if that’s canny with thee.’

‘It is, but we have a lot to talk over – where we’ll live, though I knaw as Mags will be happy if you move in. She is moving on soon.’ She told Angus of Mags’s plans.

‘That’s one canny woman. We all admire her. Well, that seems a good arrangement, but what about other lassie?’

‘Susan? We won’t be a bother to her. She’s lovely, and easy to live with, and besides, we only have to share the kitchen. I’ll ask Mags if we can have her sitting room as ours; there’s another one we all use and that can be Susan’s, so that we all have our own place to go to. And, Angus, I have a double bed!’

Angus slapped her bottom in a way that said, ‘You’re my woman now.’ His smile held desire. ‘Well, ye tek yeself to that bed now, bonny lassie, or I’ll want me wicked way with thee again.’

When he held her and kissed her, Betsy knew the desire he felt for her. She had an answering feeling in her own groin, but there was nowhere for them to go and she’d been out long enough. Mags and Susan would have had to put all her brood to bed, as well as their own young ’uns. ‘Good night, me love.’

‘’Neet, bonny lassie. I’ll call tomorrow to tek you over the hill agin.’

Betsy giggled. The gate squeaked as she opened it, and she saw the twitch of the curtain being put back into place. Eeh, they’ve been spying on me. Well, me plans’ll come as naw surprise, then.