sniffed, a guilty flush darkening his complexion. “Well now, Daughter,
ye do know me well. The times have been few, and only yer brothers were present.”
“How would ye know?” Ailis questioned. “If yer wits were dulled, how would ye recall
the number of times?”
Her father puffed up. “Because of Highlander honor!”
“Aye, honor.” The word left a sour taste in her mouth. She would be upholding the
family honor in a far different way.
Her father sighed. “Are ye sure ye want to do this, lass? It’s true I planned to decide
the matter of yer future soon, but I would nae see ye frightened of yer groom.”
“I am nae frightened of Bhaic.”
At least not completely scared of the man.
That would have to do.
Her father raised one of his gray brows. “Bhaic, is it?” He frowned. “I’m nae so sure
I like the way that name crosses yer lips so easily.”
She felt her own face darkening, and lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “We are wed.”
“No, ye aren’t,” her father stated firmly. “Words uttered by a servant of God do nae
make ye wed. Nae in the Highland tradition. Ye be married, I agree with that, but
to be wed, the union must be consummated.”
There was a question in her father’s tone, which the answer to might set her free,
but it would also start the fighting again.
“Ye would have chosen a groom for me based on alliances.”
“Aye,” her father agreed.
Ailis looked past her father at the men who were still enjoying the newly forged peace.
“MacPherson and Robertson retainers at ease in one another’s company, it’s a fine
alliance.”
But it also reminded her of just how little she factored into the arrangement. Bhaic
didn’t value her, only what she brought to his clan.
As if that’s anything new when it comes to marriages…
It wasn’t, and she needed to stop thinking like a child. A laird’s daughter kept her
mind on what she might do for her clan.
Ailis nodded.
“Ye look as though ye are trying to convince yerself, Daughter.”
She resisted the urge to shrug and stood steady. “It is the first time I’ve had to
face such an arrangement, and it is a bit…sudden. I will do just fine.”
It was also intense, the way Bhaic affected her.
“Aye, it is sudden,” her father agreed and hugged her tight.
His embrace was a familiar one, and it almost broke her control. But she managed a
smile when he released her and turned around to face her future.
The sight of two MacPherson retainers behind her made her pause.
“You’ll be watched…”
Of course she would be. The peace was too new, too fragile to chance her being scooped
up by a rival clan.
Highlanders.
She was one of them, proud of who she was, but for the moment, she was sick unto death
of their feuding ways.
But her feelings were irrelevant. She was the vessel used to secure peace.
So she would have to play her part.
She was a Robertson, and she was no coward.
* * *
MacPherson Castle.
Ailis stared at the dark stone structure, absorbing the reality of seeing something
no one else in her clan ever had. It had towers that rose four stories, and at least
four of them, from what she could see. It was perched on the edge of a peninsula that
jutted out into a huge loch. The dark water surrounded the structure on three sides,
making it rather ominous.
They rode through the village in front of the entrance to the castle. People came
out of their homes to see the laird returning, but they glared. The dress she’d been
so excited to wear to the festival this morning felt revealing, her unbound hair some
sort of sin.
A few of the clansmen leaned over and spit when she passed, the scowls on their faces
making their position clear.
She bit her lower lip and forced her chin level.
Her mare felt her discontentment, pulling on her reins and trying to refuse to follow
the line of MacPherson retainers. Ailis reached down and patted her neck gently, wishing
it
ye do know me well. The times have been few, and only yer brothers were present.”
“How would ye know?” Ailis questioned. “If yer wits were dulled, how would ye recall
the number of times?”
Her father puffed up. “Because of Highlander honor!”
“Aye, honor.” The word left a sour taste in her mouth. She would be upholding the
family honor in a far different way.
Her father sighed. “Are ye sure ye want to do this, lass? It’s true I planned to decide
the matter of yer future soon, but I would nae see ye frightened of yer groom.”
“I am nae frightened of Bhaic.”
At least not completely scared of the man.
That would have to do.
Her father raised one of his gray brows. “Bhaic, is it?” He frowned. “I’m nae so sure
I like the way that name crosses yer lips so easily.”
She felt her own face darkening, and lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “We are wed.”
“No, ye aren’t,” her father stated firmly. “Words uttered by a servant of God do nae
make ye wed. Nae in the Highland tradition. Ye be married, I agree with that, but
to be wed, the union must be consummated.”
There was a question in her father’s tone, which the answer to might set her free,
but it would also start the fighting again.
“Ye would have chosen a groom for me based on alliances.”
“Aye,” her father agreed.
Ailis looked past her father at the men who were still enjoying the newly forged peace.
“MacPherson and Robertson retainers at ease in one another’s company, it’s a fine
alliance.”
But it also reminded her of just how little she factored into the arrangement. Bhaic
didn’t value her, only what she brought to his clan.
As if that’s anything new when it comes to marriages…
It wasn’t, and she needed to stop thinking like a child. A laird’s daughter kept her
mind on what she might do for her clan.
Ailis nodded.
“Ye look as though ye are trying to convince yerself, Daughter.”
She resisted the urge to shrug and stood steady. “It is the first time I’ve had to
face such an arrangement, and it is a bit…sudden. I will do just fine.”
It was also intense, the way Bhaic affected her.
“Aye, it is sudden,” her father agreed and hugged her tight.
His embrace was a familiar one, and it almost broke her control. But she managed a
smile when he released her and turned around to face her future.
The sight of two MacPherson retainers behind her made her pause.
“You’ll be watched…”
Of course she would be. The peace was too new, too fragile to chance her being scooped
up by a rival clan.
Highlanders.
She was one of them, proud of who she was, but for the moment, she was sick unto death
of their feuding ways.
But her feelings were irrelevant. She was the vessel used to secure peace.
So she would have to play her part.
She was a Robertson, and she was no coward.
* * *
MacPherson Castle.
Ailis stared at the dark stone structure, absorbing the reality of seeing something
no one else in her clan ever had. It had towers that rose four stories, and at least
four of them, from what she could see. It was perched on the edge of a peninsula that
jutted out into a huge loch. The dark water surrounded the structure on three sides,
making it rather ominous.
They rode through the village in front of the entrance to the castle. People came
out of their homes to see the laird returning, but they glared. The dress she’d been
so excited to wear to the festival this morning felt revealing, her unbound hair some
sort of sin.
A few of the clansmen leaned over and spit when she passed, the scowls on their faces
making their position clear.
She bit her lower lip and forced her chin level.
Her mare felt her discontentment, pulling on her reins and trying to refuse to follow
the line of MacPherson retainers. Ailis reached down and patted her neck gently, wishing
it
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