Before Luthais could say anything, she walked away with the young guard. Not only was Luthais unhappy with the intrusion of the young Gunn guard, but now he also was angry with his friend. Curses fell from Luthais’s mouth as he untied his mount from the tree and made his way over to Doughall. The bastard shifted his weight in the saddle, couldn’t look him in the eye, and didn’t utter a single word about his purpose for being there.
Luthais swung his leg over his mount and refused to wipe the scowl from his face. “Now ye’re following me?”
“I think it best if we have this conversation on MacKay lands.”
They rode side by side, neither one of them taking the time to look at the other. Luthais clenched his mouth tighter so he wouldn’t say anything he’d regret. All he’d wanted was some time alone with Mistress Gunn, and his purpose had quickly gone awry. He’d seen the look on her face. How could he miss it? She’d had the same expression as most lasses. Doughall frightened men on the battlefield with his fierce looks alone.
As soon as they reached MacKay lands, Luthais blurted out, “I want to know why in the hell ye were following me.”
“Since ye wouldnae tell me what ye’ve been up to, ye left me nay choice. I wanted to be certain ye werenae doing anything foolish like with rope, sheep, and lovers. But I see that I’m too late. Ye took the innocence of the laird’s daughter.”
Luthais glowered at his friend and raised his voice so that Doughall wouldn’t miss a single word. “I didnae take her innocence, ye damn fool!”
“I’ve seen the blood, remember?”
When Doughall gave him an impatient look, Luthais continued. He hadn’t noticed the strained tone in his voice. “I met her acquaintance at na tursachan and saw her again at the loch where Mac na Diobhail pecked her arm. I wanted to see if she was all right. That was the blood ye saw.”
“Wait a moment. Let me get this right in my head. Ye showed the lass your birds?” Doughall stared at him and then burst out laughing. “So ye let her pet your hawks and nae your cock?”
Luthais reined in his mount and gave Doughall a swift punch in the arm. The man didn’t even flinch. “Bastard.”
“Ye should have had me come along, Luthais. I could have showed ye the proper way to woo a lass.”
“Ye know damn well that the lasses run at the sight of ye. And I’ll have ye know that I was doing just fine until ye and the whelp came alone and interrupted us. Now that ye know the truth, I nay longer want ye following me. I donna need your assistance. Do ye understand?”
“I wasnae following ye—well, I was, but I was coming to warn ye as your friend.”
“Warn me? About what?”
“Your father. A bheil fhios agad?” Do you know? “He’s found ye a bride.”
Luthais stopped his mount, and suddenly everything around him became very still. He could hear his own blood pumping in his ears. “Chan eil mi a ’tuigsinn.” I don’t understand.
“I wouldnae be too upset if I were ye, especially since it seems ye already favor the lass.”
Luthais rubbed his hand over his brow. “What the hell did he do?”
“Your father sent a messenger to Laird Gunn this morn. He offered your hand in marriage to the Gunn’s daughter and an alliance with the clan.”
CHAPTER SIX
As soon as the stable hand took their mounts, Ceana pulled Samuel through the bustling courtyard. Having him open his mouth to her uncle, her aunt, her cousin, or even her sister would not bode well for her, especially after lecturing Anna about Samuel and their secret trysts. Frankly, she’d never hear the end of it.
“Nae a single word. Do ye understand?”
“What were ye doing with that MacKay man? And what was he doing on our lands?”
She stopped before the entrance to the great hall. “That is nay concern of yours, but if ye must know, I was the one who trespassed on his lands.” Welcoming Samuel’s confusion, Ceana took a moment to catch her breath.
“But why?”
That was indeed the question. “I needed a respite from my cousin and my aunt.”
He chuckled. “Ye donna need to tell me twice. I’m nae sure how ye and Anna manage to put up with the lot of them. They’d drive me mad. But that doesnae explain why ye entered MacKay territory without an escort. That could’ve been verra dangerous, a lass alone.”
“I traveled to the standing stones.”
Samuel’s eyes lit up as if he held a secret. “Ah, I understand now what ye were doing. Ye were seeking a husband. Anna and I have talked about na tursachan many times. Ye know the tales. Your sister has asked me to take her before, but I’m nae foolish enough to travel onto the MacKay’s lands.”
Ceana squeezed her fingers over the bridge of her nose. “I was hoping to hear ye say that ye arenae foolish enough to believe the tales, but the fact that ye and my sister are even thinking about marriage frightens me. I’m letting ye court my sister. Give me your word that ye will nae tell anyone what ye saw, especially Anna.” Ceana shifted from foot to foot. “What did ye see anyway?”
His eyes grew amused. “I didnae witness ye lock lips with the MacKay man, if that’s what ye’re asking.” When he winked at her, she slapped him playfully on the arm.
“Samuel...”
“Ye can trust me.”
She hoped that was true. Needing to change the subject, she displayed an ease that she didn’t necessarily feel. After all, she wasn’t overjoyed to be speaking about such a private matter with Samuel. “Do ye know what my uncle wanted?”
“He asked to see ye and Anna after a messenger arrived this morn.”
A deep voice spoke from behind her. “Is my brother troubling ye?”
She whipped her head around to find Raonull standing there with observant eyes and his hands placed on his lean hips. This was just what she needed—the loosest tongue and the biggest rogue of the castle involved in her private matters.
He was tall, rawboned, and beardless, with an ingenuously appealing face. His hair was the color of field oats, and his skin was pulled taut over the elegant ridge of his cheekbones. She could almost see why women flaunted themselves at him in a discomfiting way. Almost. The way he stood there told everyone that he knew he was handsome, and that irked her even more. No one should be that beautiful. Thankfully, she and Anna were not among the many foolish women who had shared Raonull’s bed. Although the rogue was indeed a rougher version of Samuel, he lacked Samuel’s kindness and compassion.
“Your brother hasnae been troubling me at all.”
“Mmm...I’ll take certain precautions and make sure that he doesnae.” Raonull slapped his hand on Samuel’s shoulder. “Come along, Brother.”
When the men walked away, Ceana released the breath that she didn’t know she held. If she could start the day over, she would, especially its beginning with Luthais at the loch. She brought her fingers to her lips, smiling because she knew she’d always remember her first kiss. A part of her was glad the moment was with Luthais, even though he was a MacKay. He’d made her feel special, something she didn’t experience often enough. She turned as Anna was coming out of the great hall.
“Anna!”
“Where have ye been? Uncle John has been looking for ye because he wants to meet with us. I donna think my nerves can handle whatever ‘tis he wants to speak with us about. He ne’er wants to talk with us privately behind the closed doors of his study. Do ye think this has something to do with our mother and father? Mayhap they finally found the vagrants who left them for dead on the—”
“Anna, it’s been two years. Uncle John couldnae find the men responsible then, and I doubt he’s found them now.”
They walked into the great hall and stopped dead in their tracks. Three wooden basins were placed in a line on the hearth as Aunt Marta blindfolded Sorcha.
“What are they doing now?” asked Ceana.
“I’ve seen Aunt Marta do this before,” whispered Anna. “One of the bowls is filled with clean water from the well, another
with muddy water from the stream, and the last one is empty.” Aunt Marta handed Sorcha a stick, and Sorcha pointed to one of the basins. “After each time Sorcha chooses, Aunt Marta will change the position of the bowls. Sorcha has to choose the same one twice before she can stop.”
“And what is that supposed to do or tell, or should I even ask?”
“Aunt Marta told me that if Sorcha chooses the basin with the pure water, she’ll have an honorable marriage. The choice with the muddy water means marriage in dishonor. And if she chooses the one with no water, she’ll ne’er be wed. Should we stay and find out Sorcha’s fate?”
Ceana grabbed her sister by the arm. “Come. If Sorcha thinks basins will tell her the future, so be it. But neither ye nor I should be witness to this madness any longer. Let’s find out what Uncle John wanted to speak with us about.”
“What the hell have ye done?” Luthais ran his fingers through his hair as he paced in front of his father, who sat behind the wooden desk in his study. “I told ye that I met Laird Gunn’s daughter. I told ye that I wanted more time. God’s teeth! I wanted to see if she’d be suitable as my wife. I wanted to woo her, and ye didnae even give me the chance.”
His father chuckled. “Woo her? There’s plenty of time for that later...after ye’re wed.”
“Lest ye forget, that choice was to be my own!”
“Luthais, I told ye that I was proud to see ye considering this matter with the importance ye should, but ye know making an alliance with the Gunns would be in the best interest of the clan, and sooner rather than later. The more I thought about your words, the clearer they became. Your marriage would bring with it powerful allies. The MacKays and Gunns would be a force to be reckoned with. I couldnae let ye foul up our...er, your future.” He sat down and rested his arm on the desk.
“And there lies the truth to it all, Father.”
“I understand ye may be cross at me for—”
“Cross doesnae even begin to describe how I feel. Ye want me to make decisions for the clan, but how can I do that when ye make them for me at every turn?”
His father stiffened in the chair. “Ye are my son. Ye will learn there are things in life that ye must do even when ye donna want to do them. I must travel to Edinburgh every year, and ye know that isnae something I favor.”
“Ye go to Edinburgh because the king orders all the Highland lairds to attend court. I take my vows seriously, Father. Once I say them, there will be nay turning back. The choice was to be mine. The last I needed was my sire forcing me to the altar and choosing my bride. I am a man. Ye need to stop interfering in my life and worry about your own.”
His father’s mouth twitched with amusement. “And the last time I didnae interfere I believe there was a sheep and rope involved.”
Luthais rose to his feet in exasperation. “Is that all ye see? I will nae apologize for thinking that other issues have greater importance than sheep stealing and tupping. I want to know what ye said in the missive.”
“I merely told Laird Gunn that if his daughter hasnae chosen a suitor, my son wishes to be among them for consideration. And of course I mentioned that if ye took her to wife, the MacKays and Gunns would become powerful allies.”
Luthais couldn’t help himself when a growl escaped him. “So ye sealed my fate by a missive. Did ye ever think this would’ve been better had I approached Laird Gunn himself when I was ready and asked for his daughter’s hand in marriage?” When his father didn’t respond, Luthais spoke for him. “Of course nae.”
“While we wait for Laird Gunn’s response, why donna ye spend your time wooing the lass? That is what ye wanted, eh?”
“Donna make light of what ye did. I disagree with everything about this.”
His father rose and walked around the desk. “Aye, but ye will do what is expected of ye. Ye are a MacKay. I’d be proud for ye to take my place one day as laird.”
“And one day I promise ye that I will. But when will ye realize that we are two different men? We will nae see things the same way, and to think that we could is foolish. Ye are my father, but if ye do anything like that again, I swear that ye may nae live to see the morrow.”
Luthais walked to the stables, placing as much distance between himself and his sire as he possibly could. He loved his father, he truly did, but sometimes he felt like throttling the man. He supposed the feeling was mutual between any father and son. He opened the wooden door to the stables, and the smell of hay engulfed his senses.
“Would ye like me to saddle your mount?” asked one of the stable hands.
“I’m only going to brush him. Thank ye.”
Luthais picked up a brush from the bucket on the ground and opened the door to his mount’s stall. He swept the brush down the horse’s flank while pondering over Mistress Gunn. The kiss with her had stirred something within him that he hadn’t felt for a very long time. He wasn’t sure what, but he liked talking with her, and he certainly enjoyed touching her. He couldn’t help but wonder what she’d say when she found out she might be his wife.
Laird John Gunn gazed at his two nieces sitting across from him in his study. The younger one moved restlessly in her chair with her fingers tensed on her lap, and the older one was studying him intently. The two lasses were barely women and nothing but a necessary thorn in his side. Sorcha had never cared for the girls, and Marta only tolerated them out of respect for his brother.
He realized now that he should’ve given much more thought to his nieces’ existence before he’d taken care of the other pain-in-his-arse and his busybody wife two years ago. But his brother had rarely traveled with the girls. Any scheme would’ve been difficult to execute on Gunn lands. But now he had to deal with the scraps that remained of his brother’s legacy.
“I wanted to meet with ye both to discuss your future. As ye know, Sorcha has had many suitors, and I am trying to arrange a marriage for her. After my daughter is settled with her new husband, I will be making marriages for the both of ye as well.”
Anna paled, and Ceana sat forward, placing her hand on the desk. “Uncle John, Anna is but fifteen years old. I donna think we need to rush into—”
His eyes narrowed. “Who do ye think ye are to question my decisions? I am your uncle and your laird. Ye will show me respect.” Responding to the tone of his voice, his niece wisely removed her hand from the desk and sat back in the chair. He remembered his brother’s wife acting much the same... And then he thought back on how he’d ended her life.
When Ceana saw Anna’s pained expression, she had to speak her mind. She knew her sister as well as she knew herself. Anna loved Samuel. The thought of being forced to wed someone else would be her sister’s undoing. Ceana needed to make her uncle understand. She had to get him to see reason.
“Uncle John, I recognize how important ‘tis for ye to find Sorcha a husband, but Anna isnae yet ready to wed.”
His eyes grew amused. “She will wed when I say she’s ready to wed.”
Her sister’s eyes welled with tears. There had to be a way to get their uncle to change his mind, but the only option she could think of was telling the truth. “But Anna loves another.”
“Ceana!” Anna’s voice was laced with panic.
“What man does she love?” asked Uncle John.
Ceana gave her sister a look of encouragement. “Samuel,” whispered Anna. A heaviness centered in Ceana’s chest when Uncle John threw back his head and let out a great peal of laughter. Her sister was sobbing beside her.
“Samuel? I just told Sorcha the lad may be fair of face, but nay niece of mine will be marrying him.”
Although Ceana was disappointed by her uncle’s answer, she felt for the first time as if he cared about his nieces as much as he did his own daughter. “But what if Anna wanted to wed—”
“Sorcha will wed the MacKay’s son, and my nieces will nae be wed to men who will remain under my roof. I will find ye husbands, and ye will both be living far away from here. Edinburgh mayhap.” He stood. “I hav
e more pressing concerns.”
He was about to walk out the door when Ceana murmured, “My father’s.”
Uncle John stopped mid-stride and turned around. “Pardon?”
“Ye said we will nae remain under your roof. ‘Tis my father’s roof.” Her uncle closed the distance that was left between them and roughly pulled Ceana to her feet. Anna gasped, and Ceana’s breath caught in her lungs as her uncle painfully squeezed her arms.
His eyes darkened dangerously. “Ye overstep.”
“Uncle, please let go of my sister. I’ll wed—”
He released his grip and shoved Ceana away from him. “I’ve become a greater man than your father was or could ever be.” And with that, Uncle John stormed out the door.
Ceana turned, embracing Anna who was weeping aloud. Anna’s heart was breaking before Ceana’s eyes. Everything suddenly became clear. Her feelings had been right all along. She and Anna meant nothing to anyone since the death of their parents. Sorcha was all that was important in the world. For a moment, Ceana felt pity for Laird MacKay’s son. She’d have to ask Luthais what he thought of the man. But since the MacKay’s son stood among a long line of Sorcha’s waiting suitors, Ceana wouldn’t dwell on it any longer.
The man deserved to be left to his own demise for marrying her despicable cousin.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Luthais didn’t even bother to ask the stable hand to saddle his mount. He often found that doing tasks himself distracted him from his ever-mounting frustration. All he did was toss and turn throughout the night because the future looked vague and shadowy. He prayed Mistress Gunn wasn’t angry with him and hoped she might meet him at the loch this morn. He wanted to explain his father’s eagerness in sending the missive to her father.
When the sound of pounding hoofbeats came through the gates, Luthais glanced over his shoulder and hesitated. The man wore a Gunn kilt, and his face was clouded with uneasiness. Luthais supposed he’d feel just as uncomfortable riding into the Gunn bailey alone. As Luthais approached the man, he found that his own palms were starting to sweat, especially since the contents of the message were unknown. But he knew what the subject was and that unsettled him.
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