“I had heard that ye werenae in the market for a wife, Hamish,” he said sourly, no doubt echoing everyone’s thoughts at the table.
“It wouldnae be a smart move to let all of my competitors know that I was also competing, now would it?” Hamish said easily. It was all Grace could do not to glare at him.
“In any case, the decision is mine to make,” she said coldly as she glared at Brodie.
“Aye, of course, my lady.” His sour face instantly brightened as he smiled sweetly at her. “And I hear that ye are wanting a long betrothal period. ‘Tis an intelligent and insightful decision to make.”
“That doesnae mean that she plans on changing her mind,” Hamish said. He’d been so quiet that Grace wasn’t even certain he was paying attention. A mistake on her part. If she’d learned anything about Hamish, it was that he was always paying attention.
Brodie grinned. “Worried about that, Laird Hamilton?”
“Even if he were, I doubt he’d be worried that ye would be the contender,” Theo snorted, surprisingly coming to her aid. “Anyone with eyes can see that Grace is far too intelligent for the likes of ye.”
“Are ye still holding out hope, MacDougal?” Brodie said easily. “Hoping than an heir will mean yer father cannae reclaim his title? He is still alive, is he not?”
“Had we not just signed a peace treaty, I would think that was a charge that I murdered my own father to be laird,” Theo growled.
“I would never suggest such a thing,” Brodie said with a grin, and his brother frowned and elbowed him in the stomach.
The air around the table grew even more fraught with tension.
“If ye wanted to come see us before bed, Lady Grace, I’m certain my wife could give ye some pointers about being a new wife,” MacSeaver suggested as he hiccuped. Next to him, Beth widened her eyes and turned a little green. She had spent most of the trip hiding in her chambers, and Grace didn’t blame her.
Her husband was a lecher.
“My betrothed willnae be going anywhere near yer chambers,” Hamish growled and started to stand. Before a fight could commence right there at the table, Grace put her hand on his arm to stop him. There was no reason for him to be so possessive and take things too far. He glanced at her with a frown and retook his seat. Before she could move her hand, he reached for it and brought it to his lips for a kiss.
Immediately, she narrowed her eyes and contemplated slapping him, but her body’s response was beyond her control. It almost liquified at the touch of his lips on her skin, and she squirmed in her chair wondering if anyone else could see how this was affecting her.
Hamish knew. His eyes darkened a little, and he skimmed his fingers over her knuckles all while giving her a little smirk. Furious, she pulled her hand away and faced the table. Everyone was giving them their rapt attention.
Clearing her throat, she folded her hands back into her lap and hoped her cheeks weren’t as inflamed as they felt. “Just so everyone is clear, my decision to marry Hamish is based on the heart and not for a political alliance.” She almost couldn’t get the words out. The very idea of her being in love was absurd. “But as I have much to learn about the Hamilton clan and wish to win their affections before the wedding, I am asking for a long engagement.”
She wanted to use Maggie’s death as an excuse to delay the wedding, and she was mourning, but Hamish shut that idea down. He didn’t want it even known that the two of them were friends.
When her brothers didn’t say anything to support her, Grace glared at them. Cora dug her elbow in Alec’s side, who nearly choked on the ale he was ingesting. “What? Oh, aye. Connor and I are pleased that our sister has found happiness with a good man, and we will be happy to welcome him into the family.”
There was a resounding cheer, and several Hamiltons even quickly tried to explain that there was no reason for a long engagement because they already loved her, but Grace just shushed them. The last thing she wanted was her brothers pushing for a fast wedding.
“Let’s see a kiss!” MacSeaver roared, and the rest quickly followed suit until there was a resounding chant for a kiss. Grace quickly realized her mistake in pretending that she and Hamish were a love match.
Before she could politely come up with a reason for not kissing him, she saw the suspicious gleam in Alec’s eye. Pasting a bright smile on her face, she looked up at Hamish in what she hoped was an inviting manner.
A cloud of anger briefly mingled in his eyes before he leaned down and gently pressed his lips to hers. It was a quick kiss, purely for show, but it made her stomach flutter nonetheless. When he pulled back, there was that knowing look in his eyes, like he understood just how he affected her.
It was enough to remind her of what she was dealing with.
After dinner, she excused herself early. Alec immediately jumped up from the table and offered to escort her to her chambers. Unhappy that she would have to double down on her pretense, she nodded curtly and offered her arm.
Her brother started the moment they were away from prying eyes as they ascended the stairs. “Do ye really expect me to believe that ye have fallen in love so quickly?” he demanded.
“How long did it take ye to fall in love with Cora?” she asked pointedly.
“That isnae the point. Ye and I are two vera different people.”
“Sure, because ye absolutely set off to MacKay lands looking to fall in love and take a wife,” she snorted.
“Nay, that isnae what I meant.” Reaching out, he gently took her arm and forced her to stop. “Grace, ye have a history of executing plans that put yerself in dangerous positions. I understand that ye have the soul of a warrior and are a strong lass, but ye are also my sister, and I love ye. I would never forgive myself if I left here and something happened to ye.”
Although he’d been gone for almost two years, had become a laird and married, and started a new life, he was still her brother, and she loved him dearly.
“Alec, I have lived as Connor and Alec’s sister, as the Sinclair Hellion, for too long. ‘Tis time that I start my own life, aye?”
“I just want ye to be happy, Grace. Connor and I didnae necessarily bring ye here to find a husband. We simply wanted ye to know that there is more out there than the Sinclair keep, but we wouldnae do anything to make ye unhappy. Doonae think that ye have to marry to have our affections.” Leaning down, he kissed her forehead. “We will leave tomorrow if ye wish, but we can also stay. And know that if ye change yer mind at any point, ye are always welcome home.”
“Yer home?” she teased.
A ghost of a smile crossed his face. “Aye, perhaps ye can be the MacKay Hellion.”
Impulsively, she reached out and hugged him. “I have never doubted yer love for me, Alec. Doonae leave here tomorrow thinking that ye have failed me. I make this decision on my own, and I will own up to the consequences.”
“Hamish will make ye a good husband, but if he doesnae, ye just let me know, and we will remedy the situation.” He paused. “Not that I doonae think ye cannae take care of yerself.”
“Damn straight I can take care of myself!” she declared. He laughed, linked arms with her, and escorted her the rest of the way to her chambers.
“We will see ye in the morn, Sister. ‘Twill be hard to leave ye. One of the reasons that I agreed with Connor that ye should come was because I wanted to spend some more time with ye, and I hope ye realize that we never intended to force ye to wed. We simply wanted ye to meet new people and be open to an idea of a family of yer own.”
“I know that, though I amnae happy about how ye went about it. Did ye know that these men ye wanted me to meet were wagering on who I would choose?”
Alec frowned. “I didnae. Give me their names, and I will take care of them.”
Chuckling, she patted him on the cheek. “Ye cannae do that, Alec. We are to be peaceful now. I will come visit soon,” she promised. Especially when she cried off her wedding. Connor would allow her to come back, of that she had no d
oubt, but it would be nice to have a change of scenery.
Shutting the door, she leaned against it and closed her eyes. It seemed, at least for now, that she was pulling off the ruse.
Now, all she needed to worry about was finding Maggie’s killer.
That night, exhausted from the events, Moira smiled softly as her husband climbed into bed next to her. She could see the worry lines on his face and feel the tension in his body as she ran her hands over his arms. He immediately pulled her close and held her tightly.
“She will be alright,” Moira assured him while allowing him to take whatever he needed from her. “Hamish is a good man.”
“Ye know that isnae my worry,” Connor said in the dark.
Aye, she did know that it wasn’t his worry. “That isnae what I mean, Connor. Whatever Grace is up to, Hamish will protect her. He willnae let anything happen to her.”
“So ye do know that this betrothal is a farce.”
“Aye, but I doonae think ‘tis going to end the way she thinks it will.” It was obvious to both her and Cora that there was something happening between Hamish and Grace, and while she was absolutely certain that both of them would deny it, she had a feeling that everything would turn out all right in the end.
“Did the ghosts of the keep tell ye that?” he teased. Only he and a few others knew that she somehow had a connection to his parents, who had died years ago. Since their marriage, the connection has waned, but she smiled at the startling reminder of how fate had brought them back together.
“I felt no ghosts while I was living here, and I feel no ghosts now, as ye rightly know,” she reprimanded lightly and smacked him playfully in the arm before she snuggled deeper into his embrace. “But I have a sense that Grace is exactly where she needs to be.”
“I am worried about her,” he said in a low voice. “I fear that whoever killed Maggie will learn of Grace’s identity and come after her. Do ye think Hamish will protect her?”
With his life, but she didn’t voice that part out loud. She knew it still bothered him that she nearly lost her own life a year ago. He didn’t need to think about Grace being in mortal danger, again, as well. “Aye, I think Hamish will protect her.”
Just as Connor protected Moira. Turning in his arms, she smiled invitingly and traced her finger over his cheek. The amount of love she had for this man still astonished her. “Love me,” she whispered.
“Always,” he murmured before his head descended, and they surrendered to the passions of the night.
13
The next morning came with a flurry of activity as four of the five clans prepared to leave. Hamish was glad to see them go. Diplomacy was not his strong suit, and all he wanted to do was look for whoever had killed Maggie and hurt Grace. He’d lost sleep wondering if he was making the right choice by letting so many suspects go free, but without proof, he could throw the Hamilton clan back into a detrimental series of feuds, and that was not something he was willing to do.
Yet.
Everything was going mostly smoothly. They’d all broken their fast earlier than usual so the clans could travel with as much daylight as possible. One clan in particular was having a harder time than others.
Hamish watched in amusement as Connor and Moira gaped at an older woman who was throwing her hands up in the air angrily. Finally, the woman climbed up onto her horse and stared stubbornly in front of her.
Next to him, Grace picked up the skirts of her dress and examined the threads, apparently finding the stitchwork suddenly fascinating. Connor marched over with a frustrated look on his face. He glared pointedly at his sister. “Lizbet willnae stay.”
Hamish gathered that Lizbet was Grace’s maid, although strangely enough, he hadn’t seen much of the woman since her stay here. Maybe because he was too busy chasing Grace around.
Maybe it was because the woman had been hiding in fear for being forced to contend with the likes of Grace.
“Oh, really? How odd,” Grace murmured as she blinked innocently. “I hope everything is all right with her. I have noticed that she has an unpredictable temperament.”
“Aye,” Connor said. “Unpredictable as in that she cannae keep an eye on a woman who refuses to do what she is told, constantly wears inappropriate clothes, and puts herself in dangerous situations.”
“I also believe she has problems with overexciting herself over the littlest thing. Just the other day she was certain that I was going to be the death of her simply because I wanted to lean out the window and get some fresh air. I am certain she’ll calm down once she’s at home.”
Hamish had to hold back a snort. No doubt Grace was contemplating making yet another escape. Before Connor could really unleash his temper, Hamish beckoned Lorna over, who was milling about in the crowd ready to say goodbye to the clans that were leaving. “Lorna, I have heard that ye are wanting a position to keep yer grandmother occupied?”
“Aye.” The healer nodded. “She used to look after Helena’s twins, but they’re grown now, and she has nothing to do.”
“Until we are wed, Lady Grace will require a chaperone.”
Grace looked like she wanted to protest, but Connor shot her a quelling look. “Aye, because if she doesnae have a chaperone, then she will have to wed immediately,” he pointed out.
Narrowing her eyes, she dropped her skirts and folded her arms but wisely kept quiet. Lorna tried unsuccessfully to hide a smile. “I’m sure me grandmother will be happy to help. Her name is Edina, and Grace, I think ye two will get along well.”
Connor whipped his head around, and Hamish could see the panic in the man’s eyes. “She is a tough old bird,” he assured Connor. “All will be well.” He didn’t know Edina all that well, but he’d heard from others that she was a formidable woman. That sounded like exactly what Grace needed.
Just then, Creighton Armstrong stepped forward. “We know about the death of yer woman, and we also know what ye must be thinking. To thank ye for not extending our stay, and so there will be no mistakes made after we have taken our leave, I would like to leave two men to help look into matters.”
There was a spark of annoyance as Armstrong’s voice rose at the end. It was clear there were rumors going around that he’d had an affair with Maggie, and the Armstrong and MacSeaver clans were heavily spreading those rumors. Hamish was irritated but not worried. His people would never believe it.
“Malcolm! Cameron!” Creighton bellowed, and the two largest men of their group stepped forward. “Ye will stay and help.”
Hamish raised an eyebrow. “Do ye have experience with this sort of thing?” he asked them.
They simply stared at him, their stoic expressions hard, but when Creighton cleared his throat, they nodded.
Trying not to sigh, he reached out to shake their hands. “I will appreciate their assistance, not that I believe we will need it. In a week, I will send them back to ye. I wouldnae want to leave ye two men down for long.”
MacSeaver followed suit, leaving two equally burly men named Kendrew and Braden. Hamish knew they were nothing but spies, but he also knew that he could not ignore the assistance without making it clear that he suspected both of them. It didn’t escape Hamish’s notice that MacSeaver was openly staring at Grace with lust in his eyes. Next to him, his new wife was trying to make herself as small as possible on her horse and looked impatient to get on the road. She and Lady Jillian had been so quiet this trip that he’d almost forgotten they were there.
Fletcher might not be faithful to his new wife, but he was keeping her in style. She was adorned from head to toe in sapphire jewels matching the MacSeaver plaid she wore.
Alec stepped forward and offered some assistance as well although Hamish knew he was actually lending support of which Hamish readily accepted.
Standing a few men down was Hamish’s other suspect, although there was no need for Theo to leave a man since he himself was staying to supposedly discuss Loch Moran. To his surprise, Theo was studying him as well.
And Grace.
Feeling an unusual stab of jealousy, Hamish turned to her as they stood in front of the keep. There were tearful goodbyes between Moira and Cora and Tyree. Grace was even getting a little emotional as she said her goodbyes.
Any other woman might be afraid of repercussions of the plan she’d set into motion, but as he watched Grace carefully, she didn’t seem to have any second thoughts or regrets, and when the Sinclairs, MacKays, Armstrongs, and MacSeavers finally began their journey home, she turned to him with a bright look in her eyes. “Time to begin.”
Before she could go jaunting off and getting herself into even more trouble, Hamish cleared his throat. “If ye will excuse me a moment, I am going to see that my betrothed is introduced to her new chaperone. Reed will see our extended guests to their chambers. Afterward, the training field is yers. We will meet this evening to discuss yer roles while on my land. Lorna, will ye fetch yer grandmother for us?”
“Aye. This should certainly make things interesting,” she said with a mischievous glint in her eyes before she picked up her skirts and hurried away.
Thankfully, Grace didn’t dare say anything until they were alone. “Ye know vera well that I doonae need an escort,” she grumbled. “I appreciate ye coming to my rescue when it looked like Connor wasnae going to let me stay, but they are gone now. There is no need to keep up the pretense.”
“On the contrary, there is every need.” Knowing full well that she intended to march right back outside and start investigating Maggie’s murder, he gently steered her up the stairs to her chambers. He didn’t like the way she was holding her side. If her pain got worse, then someone would start to wonder just where she’d gotten her injuries. “I willnae have people saying that ye were staying here without a chaperone or family present when ye cry off the wedding.”
Highlander's Hellion Bride: A Scottish Medieval Historical Romance (Highlander's Deceptive Lovers Book 3) Page 9
