The Bride Chooses a Highlander Page 11

  Katherine flushed with embarrassment at the gentle rebuke. “I’ve only been outside fer a short time and the sun is warm.”

  “Ye can see yer breath in the air,” Lachlan admonished, wrapping his own cloak around her shoulders. “’Tis foolish to tempt fate. If ye catch a chill, yer sickness will return.”

  Katherine drew the garment closer, enjoying its warmth. The masculine smell of wood and soap rose to tickle her nose and seize her senses—Lachlan’s scent. With effort, she resisted the temptation to smother her entire face into the wool, knowing Lachlan would think she had lost her wits.

  “I was surprised to see ye in the bailey,” she said. “I thought ye’d be out hunting with yer men.”

  “We’ve already gone and returned with but a small result.” Lachlan kicked a stone out of his path. “One of the men saw boar droppings. ’Tis best to hunt those beasts at dusk, so we shall try again later this afternoon. We could eat well fer days if we kill one.”

  “’Twould be a good reason to celebrate.” She studied him from under her lashes. “Once the hunt is completed, will ye make plans to bring me home?”

  “Ye appear fit enough fer the journey.”

  “I believe that I am, but do ye have men to spare?” She shifted and kicked the same stone, reminding herself of the game she played as a child with her brothers. “I’ve learned the errors of my ways. I’ll not travel again without a goodly number of swords surrounding me.”

  “I’ll be taking my best, most experienced warriors as yer escort,” Lachlan assured her. “To avoid trouble, we’ll need to slip away before Archibald Fraser becomes a threat.”

  “Aye. I shall never again take my safety fer granted,” Katherine admitted with a shudder. Falling into MacTavish hands had been trying. Being captured by the Fraser laird was unthinkable. “’Twas purely my fault that Aiden was able to kidnap me.”

  Lachlan lowered the corners of his mouth into a puzzled frown. “Aiden insists that when he saw ye, ye weren’t on McKenna land. I’m surprised that yer father allowed ye to travel so far with so few men protecting ye.”

  “He dinnae know.” Katherine blushed. “I was running away.”

  “From yer father?”

  “From my betrothal celebration to Hamish Drummond, eldest son of Laird Drummond. ’Twas being held at their castle. I was trying to get home when Aiden and his men saw us.”

  Lachlan tilted his head. “Fie, I knew that it had to be an exaggerated rumor that ye were going to choose the man ye would wed.”

  Katherine clenched her teeth. Why did nearly every man she encountered think this was such a daft notion? Did they truly regard all females as such pea-brained creatures?

  “’Tis true,” she said. “My mother fought hard to ensure that I would have the right to refuse any man I dinnae wish to wed.”

  “Then why did ye have to flee from Drummond? Did yer father go back on his word and force the match upon ye?”

  “The McKenna never breaks his word!” Katherine replied hotly. “’Twas one of the reasons I had to get away, to give myself time to consider how I could dissolve the marriage contract without compromising my father’s—and our clan’s—honor.”

  A puzzled look crossed Lachlan’s face. “If ye had the right to refuse the marriage before the contracts were signed, then why did ye agree to it?”

  Katherine bit her lower lip. “I realized too late that I had made a mistake. A dreadful mistake.”

  Lachlan’s puzzled expression deepened. “What could possibly have happened to make ye change yer mind about wedding Drummond?”

  Katherine hesitated. She had struggled to push the incident from her mind and was hardly eager to remember the details. Yet she took responsibility for her actions and saw no reason to withhold the truth from Lachlan.

  “I discovered that Hamish was in love with another woman. ’Twas obvious he had no intention of abandoning that relationship after we were wed, so I told him that I wouldn’t be his wife. He refused to accept it, so I fled.” Katherine lowered her chin. The unsettling feelings of disappointment and her own female inadequacy returned to plague her.

  “That’s it? That’s why ye ran from him?”

  Katherine’s head shot up. “Dinnae I have the right to escape a marriage of misery?”

  Lachlan lifted his brow. “Misery? ’Tis a rather dramatic statement. Women—and men—of yer rank marry fer many reasons. Love is seldom one of them.”

  “I know that—I even accept it. Yet I could not allow myself to become an obligation to be endured by my husband, to vie with another woman fer his attention and regard, to always be wondering and hoping that someday he might feel true affection fer me. Surely ye must understand—”

  Katherine heard herself babbling and abruptly stopped. This was humiliating.

  A kind smile touched Lachlan’s lips. “Many men have a lusty appetite and an eye fer beauty. That doesn’t disappear once they are wed.”

  Katherine rubbed her fingers against her temples. “Ye may believe that faithful husbands are a rarity, but I know of several. I will accept no less from the man that I marry. I want a man who is capable of love, who has the capacity fer kindness and affection.”

  “Dinnae Drummond possess any of those qualities?”

  “I believed that he did when I agreed to the match, but had no inkling that he had already bestowed his love upon another.”

  Lachlan crossed his arms over his chest. “Are ye saying that a man can only love one woman in his lifetime?”

  “One woman at a time,” she clarified. “Preferably the one that is his wife. I had no wish to walk a long and tortuous road tied to a man who could never truly love me. I firmly believe that over time that disappointment would eventually turn to heartbreak.”

  He shot her a reproachful look. “How do ye know? Did ye give him a chance?”

  Inwardly, Katherine cringed. Had she been too hasty in her decision to reject Hamish? She understood how her reasoning might seem trite and foolish to others, yet she had trusted the intensity of the emotions she had felt at the time to propel her actions. Was she wrong?

  Nay! With a heavy sigh, Katherine shoved the lingering doubts away. Marrying Hamish Drummond would have been wrong. Though all had not turned out the way she could have ever anticipated, Katherine refused to abandon that decision.

  “Have ye ever been in love?” she inquired, her heart suddenly pounding as she awaited his answer.

  “Love? Nay.” He paused, then smiled. “Though I’ll confess to being infatuated a time or two when I was younger.”

  “I am speaking of something beyond a young man’s curious fascination.” Her heart lurched. “Love involves sacrifice and selflessness. Hamish claimed that he loved this other woman, yet he would not fight to have her, to keep their love whole and pure.

  “A man must be the greatest protector and defender of the woman he loves. Hamish most definitely was not. Instead, he was being deceitful to her and to me and that I could not tolerate.”

  Katherine sucked in a sharp breath. “Tell me, Lachlan, would ye not have seized the chance to avoid such a costly mistake and done the same as I did, no matter the consequences?”

  * * *

  Lachlan felt her gaze burn into him and he struggled to formulate a reply. For the life of him, he didn’t understand why he was pressing her so hard to defend her reasons for refusing to marry Hamish Drummond. Was he trying to test her resolve or prove her sincerity? Or was it something else entirely?

  Some might think her spoiled, but Lachlan recognized that Katherine was a spirited woman with strong opinions, independent opinions, that she had been encouraged to express all her life. He could understand how no woman would appreciate being humiliated by her betrothed and he was fascinated by the fact that Katherine saw no reason to hide her displeasure at the prospect.

  Many females would have unraveled under the strain of that discovery, fallen to their knees and prayed for deliverance, perhaps begun weeping at the unfairness of th
e situation. Instead, Katherine had exhibited an impressive display of strength and action and had taken steps to remove herself from what she felt was an intolerable circumstance.

  Leaving with such a small escort had been most unwise—a critical lapse in judgment that had brought them all to this current predicament. Still, Lachlan felt he had no right to fault her decision.

  “I dinnae know what I would have done had I been in yer position,” he answered. “I only know that ye dinnae always get what ye wish fer in this life. Few are granted the luxury of choosing their own path and that holds true more fer women than men. They seldom have a say in their fate.”

  “Then it would have been foolish of me, indeed, to squander my chance to steer my life off of a rocky course,” she concluded, her eyes sparkling with delight at proving her point.

  Lachlan grinned. Aye, Katherine McKenna would make the most of her life, defying any who would dare to stand in her way. And from all accounts, Drummond did not sound like a man who was deserving of a woman like Katherine, nor one who valued her unique qualities.

  “Perhaps ye did make the right decision,” Lachlan mused. “Many men dinnae appreciate a woman with spirit. They want a wife who will be obedient and silent, who will never express an opinion or an original thought and do exactly as they are commanded.”

  “That sounds more like a well-trained horse.” She notched her chin upward. “Is that the type of woman ye want to marry?”

  Lachlan’s mind churned. Nay. A weak, timid wife was not an ideal matrimonial situation for him. He preferred a woman with a ready wit and smile, whose eyes would light up with pleasure when she saw him, who had courage and convictions and could set his passion ablaze with a single sultry look.

  Sadly, none of that was relevant in his current circumstances.

  “I cannae afford a wife,” he answered truthfully.

  “Ye’re a laird. Ye’ll have to marry to produce an heir,” she muttered.

  “Aye, then any woman would do, as long as she is young and healthy,” he said, hoping that would get a rise out of her. He liked it when Katherine’s eyes flashed with defiance, her chin raised in challenge, and an edge of belligerence crept into her voice.

  “Ye are teasing me, Lachlan MacTavish,” she said with a saucy toss of her head, not taking the bait. “I dinnae believe a word ye said.”

  Katherine lifted her skirt and stepped over a pile of mud and dung. Lachlan found himself staring at her slender ankles. Her lavender scent surrounded him and he had difficulty concentrating. Long-dormant desire sparked within him, followed swiftly by guilt.

  It felt wrong to hunger so strongly for a woman like Katherine unless he could offer her the honor of being his wife.

  Shit! All this talk of marriage and husbands has put the most ridiculous thoughts into my head.

  “I hope that one day ye find what ye so desperately seek, Katherine,” he said quietly.

  “Thank ye, Lachlan.”

  He looked deep into her eyes and felt something pass between them. A connection of grave significance that he couldn’t define, much less understand. It sent his heart thumping louder than ever in his chest.

  Bloody hell! Temptation rose to a poignant ache. He wanted—nay, needed—to kiss her. To once again taste her sweet lips, feel her lush body pressed against his.

  Here. Now. In front of everyone gathered in the courtyard, especially those who were trying so hard not to appear that they were staring at their laird and the McKenna lass.

  Yet he held back. For one simple reason. He had no right.

  Few men would be able to resist her unaffected allure. Yet, Lachlan knew that he must. He could not let this attraction interfere with what he needed to do—save his clan and return her to her kin as quickly as possible.

  Chapter Ten

  Katherine stood on the ramparts and inhaled deeply, appreciating the fresh air. The afternoon clouds had drifted away, taking the misty rain with them. The moment the weather had cleared, Katherine had seized the opportunity to be outside.

  She had intended to stay in the bailey, but Aiden had been training a group of men in the courtyard. She had given the handsome warrior a wide berth in the few days she had resided at MacTavish Keep, avoiding him whenever possible, suffering through his company only at the evening meal. His overt animosity toward her appeared to have softened, yet she was not foolish enough to take any chances.

  Sword training was a normal part of a soldier’s day and Aiden was not only supervising the men, he was also sparring with them. The riotous sounds of clattering swords drew the eyes of several females, including Katherine’s, but alas Lachlan was not among the men practicing.

  ’Twas Aiden who was in command. Katherine could not help but notice how he held his heavy claymore with great ease. He faced a broader, more muscular warrior, but his superior skill was quickly evident. In just a few swift moves, Aiden was able to block a strong blow with his shield, sidestep another, and disarm his opponent with a single sword hit, sending the man’s weapon skittering across the dirt.

  Some of the men broke into cheers, while others grumbled. Katherine had taken advantage of the distraction to slip unseen past the group and find a peaceful spot on the ramparts.

  Much to everyone’s disappointment, the boar hunt had been unsuccessful yesterday and the day before. She had heard that Lachlan and his men were preparing to try again today. Like everyone else, Katherine would be pleased to enjoy a hearty meal, but a consequence of a fruitful hunt would mean the warriors needed for her escort home would be available.

  Katherine felt a stab of reluctance each time she envisioned leaving. The strong emotion surprised her, yet she knew the cause. The time she had been spending with Lachlan had created an intimacy between them that she did not wish to lose.

  Each evening when the meal had ended, they had fallen into easy conversation, sharing stories of their youth, discussing the politics of the day, even telling a joke or two. Beneath the strong, rough exterior, Katherine had been delighted to glimpse a playful lad, with a fine sense of humor and an honest interest in the welfare of others.

  They had played numerous games of chess with an equally matched competitive fervor, trading good-natured barbs in the hopes of creating a distraction that would gain them an advantage. Katherine smiled at the memory of Lachlan’s astonished expression the first time she had beaten him at the game, remembering with delight her sense of accomplishment.

  With a wry laugh, he had congratulated her profusely, then proceeded to annihilate her in the next match. She had accepted her defeat as graciously as he had, determined to be victorious the following night. And when she succeeded, Katherine was unable to resist displaying just a hint of smug satisfaction, bringing them both to laughter.

  Aye, there was no mistake that her heart beat faster whenever she was in Lachlan’s company. An attraction to a handsome man, she told herself. Nothing more.

  But she knew that was not entirely true. No man affected her quite the way Lachlan did. There was something very different about him, something unique about the way he made her feel.

  Katherine sighed. It didn’t matter. Once she returned home, she would never see him again.

  MacTavish Keep was old, drafty, and lacking in many basic comforts; there wasn’t enough good food for all, including the laird’s family and his soldiers. Yet Katherine felt comfortable here. Every man and woman and many of the children worked hard and complained little. They were good, honest, hardworking folk and she admired their dedication to each other and the clan.

  “I think I see a boar in the forest, Lady Katherine! Come and look!”

  Katherine smiled at the gap-toothed lad who stood beside her. She had met young Cameron yesterday and he had quickly become her shadow. His widowed mother was the household cook, too busy with her daily chores to pay much attention to a curious and energetic boy. The six-year-old followed her around like an eager puppy and in truth Katherine was glad of the company.

  Things we
re never dull when Cameron was by her side.

  “I fear ’tis the wind that causes that movement in the trees, not an animal,” Katherine replied as she playfully ruffled his hair, hoping to erase his disappointment.

  “Are ye certain?”

  “Fairly. Look, there, on the opposite side. Can ye see the dots of white among the brown grass?” she asked, pointing to the distant horizon.

  “Aye. But Lady Morag said ’twas getting too warm fer snow,” Cameron replied, scrunching his nose in puzzlement.

  “If I’m not mistaken, the white ye see isn’t snow, but the first snowdrop flowers getting ready to bloom.”

  Cameron’s eyes lit with excitement. “We have to pick them fer Lady Morag. She loves flowers.”

  “’Tis a fine idea, but the guards willnae allow me to leave the keep,” Katherine said, touched by the child’s considerate gesture. No doubt Lady Morag—and others—would appreciate having something pretty to decorate the hall.

  “Ye cannae leave? Are ye a prisoner?” Cameron asked, his eyes wide.

  Katherine suppressed the urge to laugh at the disapproving expression on the lad’s face. “Not exactly. But the moment they see me, they will stop me from venturing beyond the wall.”

  A mysterious grin pulled at Cameron’s lips. “I know a way out that will hide ye from their eyes.”

  He took her hand and led her off the ramparts and through the bailey to a small door that was built into the outer curtain wall. Standing on the tips of his toes, Cameron struggled to reach the latch. His third try was met with success, and with a cry of delight the lad lifted the metal bar and slowly, cautiously opened the door.

  “I can see that ye’ve done this before, Master Cameron,” Katherine said, trying—and failing—to use a scolding tone. Cameron answered her with a giggle and an enthusiastic nod, then before she could stop him, the lad disappeared through the opening. Katherine cried out and reached to stop him, but he slipped beyond her grasp.

  Anxiously, she looked about for a guard who might challenge her if she left, but there were no soldiers anywhere in the vicinity. Seized with the desire for a few minutes of freedom, Katherine hurried after the lad. For a child of his size, Cameron managed to cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time.