“Kirk speaks wisely,” Bryan chimed in. “Ye ought to heed him.”
“Yer point is well-taken,” Alex said stonily. “However, I can make nae such promises. I see things as I see them, and that is all there is tae it. I intend tae be gracious, certainly, but I will nae go through with a marriage tae someone whose character does nae meet with my approval.”
Kirk and Bryan exchanged a worried glance.
“All know ye well enough,” Bryan sighed, “tae know that ye cannae be persuaded to do anything ye’re nae inclined tae do, and so neither of us shall engage in the folly of the attempt. Will we, Kirk?”
Kirk nodded, though he didn’t look certain at all. “We’ll leave ye to it, then. But I pray ye, cousin, give the matter some serious thought, aye? That’s all we ask, for the sake of the clan and its future. We are strong now, but we could surely be stronger… enough tae dissuade all others from challenging us for decades tae come.”
“I heard ye,” Alex snapped irritably. “Leave me now, for I would like to consider your words more closely in private.”
Both men withdrew at once, for they knew better than to overstay their welcome when their laird was in one of his gruff moods.
Alex exhaled slowly, his mind going back to his first meeting with Isla McDonell. The memory had remained with him, notbecause his actions had provoked his father’s ire—for that was a commonplace enough occurrence in his younger years—but because of the girl’s strange behavior, pretending to be animals and such. She had encouraged his own neglected playfulness, but of course, he’d never had a real chance to delve into that since, given his father’s strictness.
Was she still the same whimsical sort she’d been before, he wondered? Or had the years eroded such fancies in favor of seriousness and maturity?
Well, he supposed he’d be finding out soon enough, for better or worse.
3
Isla heard the key turn in the lock the next morning and jumped out of bed furiously. Hamish entered, and she crossed her arms, scowling at him.
“I ken ye’re angry with me,” he began, holding up a hand, “and that’s tae be expected. However, before ye release yer venom, I’d have ye see somethin’ first. Come with me.”
Isla let out a frustrated growl and followed him, wishing she could have breakfast first, for her stomach was rumbling mightily.
Hamish led his daughter out of the manor and down a hill, to the valley where the MacDonells buried their dead. It was a sight she’d seen countless times before, and so she wondered why he felt the need to show it to her now.
As a wee lass, she had often purposefully scared herself by strolling among the headstones, especially as dusk settled over the McDonell lands. It was another of her favorite pretend games to imagine that the slain soldiers would pull themselves up out of their own graves, their burial armor rusted and rattling against their exposed bones, insects crawling in their hanging jaws and empty eye sockets. Would they chase her, she’dwondered, and try to grab her and pull her down into the grave with them? Or would they sit and talk to her about the legendary battles they’d fought?
It all seemed more than a little silly to her now.
“Many of the men who were laid tae rest here lost their lives defendin’ the MacDonells from our enemies,” he intoned solemnly. “They sacrificed themselves for the good of the clan. Their families mourned and wept for them, their children were raised with nae fathers… all so we could endure.”
“I know all of that,” Isla replied, “and I have always held these fallen warriors in the utmost esteem. What of it?”
He turned to her, his expression stoic. “Ye shall never have tae go into battle for the sake of this clan. Ye never need risk yer neck, ye’ll never be called upon tae make such a sacrifice. The way ye are expected tae serve yer clan is tae marry, an’ thus help us form a valuable alliance. That way, we can grow stronger and prosper for generations tae come. Can ye look upon these graves, lass, and tell me that such a thing is too much tae ask of ye? That yer stubbornness is more important than doing what yer people need of ye?”
Isla did not answer. She knew that his reasonable tone belied the truth: That in his desperation to get her to do as he wished, he would say anything, take any tone, to persuade her. She loathed his manipulative nature, but she had no choice other than to stand and listen to him.
“We have nae foes tae concern ourselves with at the present moment,” he went on, “butthat could change, lass. Peace is a blessing, aye, but ‘tis never a guarantee. Ours is nae a large clan, an’ our warriors are known for their discipline, nae their numbers. Some other clan could see us as vulnerable an’ get it into their heads tae try an’ take what’s ours. How many more men will have tae give their lives then, eh? When it could havebeen prevented by an alliance with the Oliphants, whose forces are feared by all?”
She blinked, surprised. “TheOliphants?!Surely ye do nae mean tae marry me off tae one of them?”
“Aye, I do. Kirk Oliphant, the cousin of Laird Alex, came tae visit me yesterday. The laird requires a bride, and his advisors believe ye would be a worthy one for him.”
“Ye cannae be serious!” she exclaimed. “When I was a child, ye told me that I ought nae associate myself with him, or any of his brothers! Ye said I ought tae show them the deference that is due tae such an influential clan, but that I should keep my distance as well whenever possible!”
“That was quite a long time ago,” he reminded her. “Circumstances have changed. Now come over here, there’s somethin’ else I want tae show ye.”
He guided her over to her grandfather’s grave. The tall stone used to tower over her when she was a child, and she could feel his presence there, as though she was standing in his shadow.
“Ye didnae come tae know yer grandfather all that well before he was killed, did ye? He was a great leader, and in his day,heled men into battle in order tae protect our clan. Though our soldiers were outnumbered, he prevailed with the brilliance of his tactics and the strength of his will. He risked his life a hundred times over, and came home tae my mother and me every time.” His voice was hoarse, as though he had a lump in his throat. “And every time he did, he’d embrace me an’ tell me I was growin’ tae look more like him with each passin’ day. He was a good father, and a good man. The saddest day of my life was the day he was struck down by old Oliphant at that damned wedding, and I became laird in his stead. I carried a hatred of that family for so many years after, wishing I had the men an’ resources tae make war upon their clan and butcher them down tae the last man.”
“And now ye would have me marry one of them?” Isla cut in impatiently. She had no interest in his rehearsed speech, his false sympathy. If he was determined to marry her off no matter how she felt about it, then as far as she was concerned, he may as well get to the point.
He nodded. “Aye, I would. That’s how much this clan and its welfare mean tae me, lass. I cannae force ye tae wed Laird Alex… I can only tell ye that if ye do, our people will benefit greatly from it. The Oliphants will share their resources with us, and defend us if the need should ever arise.”
