‘Leave her be. From what you said, I doubt the lass is craving your company, and it’s been a while since we talked.’ Seamus smiled. ‘It’s good to see you, Cullen, and even more so now that it seems we are in the same boat with our unwanted brides.’
‘So, she is still unwanted?’
‘What’s done is done,’ said Seamus. ‘I lay with Maeve once to consummate the union. I wanted to make sure it would stand. It was an awkward experience for us both.’
Guilt squirmed in Cullen’s gut, and Seamus noticed, for he was ever the canny one.
‘And your union, Cullen. Does it stand before the law?’
‘Aye, it does.’
‘And she wasn’t too happy about it, eh?’ smirked Seamus.
Cullen was keen to change the subject. ‘Do the Glendennings come and visit?’
‘Aye, Jasper comes, but not Maeve’s mother or sister. I only met them once, at the wedding. Cold-faced bitches whom I’ve no wish to meet again. They have disowned Maeve for her disgrace. Glendenning’s wife, Rowenna, I did like. She had a soft-heartedness about her, and is quite the bonnie lass. How she survives him, I do not know, for he is a miserable cur. Glendenning only comes rarely, long enough to assure himself that I do not mistreat his sister.’
‘And Maeve. Has she settled more?’
He shrugged. ‘She has no choice in the matter, so I suppose she has. And I have allied myself to a powerful family with very little inconvenience save the bastard in her belly.’ He pointed at Cullen with his glass. ‘But you, well, as you tell it, you fools have kidnapped Strachan’s sister. That is not to your advantage at all.’
‘No, it is not. And my father’s schemes have a way of blowing up in his face. This one surely will.’ Cullen took a glug of whisky, burning his throat. ‘You are better off than I, so why such bitterness? At least with Maeve, you have a bonnie lass to share your bed.’
‘We do not share a bed. I cannot bring myself to touch her while she is swollen with another man’s bairn.’ Seamus’ expression was flinty.
‘And when the bairn comes?’
‘I will treat it as my own. I have pledged to do this. And as to Maeve, well, she needs to have my bairns too, and so I will expect her to do her duty by me, and for that, I must bed her.’ He leant in. ‘I got wealth and land out of an unwanted bride, but what did you get, cousin? If looks could kill, that Strachan lass would have you dead ten times over. Why the devil did you agree to it?’
‘I could not see the lass sent to the colonies or hanged for reiving.’
‘Well, you’ll rue the day with that one. She’ll never come to heel.’
Cullen laughed. ‘Maybe she’ll succumb to my charms.’
Seamus leaned in and patted him on the back. ‘And what might they be? Cullen, women always like you, but it’s not through any effort on your part. This Lowri is no captain’s daughter or tavern wench. This is a Strachan, and from what you say, she was brought up wild. And our clans have a long history of hating each other.’
‘Save for that misguided alliance to overthrow Caolan Bannerman a while back.’
‘Aye, we lost some good men, and that fight weakened us. If that taught us anything, it’s that we are more suited to being enemies with the Strachans than friends. And you have been far more than friends with Lowri Strachan. You know, you could always have lied about consummating your union.’ Seamus smirked. ‘I’d wager, you are not as reluctant a ravisher as you like to think.’
‘It would have made no difference whether I wanted the lass or not. I acted out of loyalty to my clan to avoid a war with Peyton Strachan.’
‘Aye. Keep telling yourself that, and you might come to believe it.’ Seamus shook his head. ‘These are hard times. What little honour we might lay claim to, we left behind us long ago, cousin. And she has beauty, your bride. Makes the poison easier to swallow, does it not?’ He raised his glass and then downed the whisky in one gulp. ‘Though I am sure that did not sway you.’
Seamus was always the same – honourable up to a point, and then came the knife-sharp ruthlessness. At eighteen, almost before he knew how to be a man, he had been married off for the sake of his clan. It could not have been easy. Cullen was five years older, and life had hardened his character, adding layer upon layer of bitterness, anger, and resentment, like rings forming inside a tree. But he had fought to keep a conscience and some claim to kindness. Yet his cousin already had the world-weary bitterness of a much older man. Had his new wealth made him bolder, more arrogant, or had the sacrifice of his future, for the sake of Maeve Glendenning, turned his heart to stone?
‘Tell me, Cullen. Why did you really bring that lass here?’
‘I cannot take Lowri along when I go about my trade. So I was hoping…’
‘To leave her with us? The answer is no, cousin.’
Cullen narrowed his eyes. ‘I’ve got you out of many a hole in the past. You owe me.’
‘I do, but not this much. Glendenning will find out when he visits. He is allied to Peyton Strachan for now, and when the news reaches his ears that his sister bides here, he will come to take her back. I’ll not make an enemy of that hard bastard.’
‘I cannot drag a woman into my life. It is too dangerous.’
