The comparison made her stomach churn, but she couldn’t shake it. Both men, in their own ways, believed they knew what was best for her. Both were willing to override her wishes to achieve their goals. The only difference was that one wanted to keep her safe, and the other wanted to own her.
But was that really a difference that mattered when the result was the same?
By the time they reached the castle, Leona’s anger had crystallized into something hard and sharp. She dismounted before anyone could help her and headed straight for the keep, her strides purposeful.
“Where are ye going?” Rufus called after her.
“To finish this conversation.”
She found Murdock in his study, exactly where she’d expected. He stood by the window, still in his outdoor clothes, staring out at the courtyard below. Hamish was with him, both men speaking in low voices that stopped abruptly when she entered.
The man-at-arms looked at Murdock, who gave a slight nod. Hamish left, but not before shooting Leona a look that might have been sympathetic. Or pitying. She couldn’t tell and didn’t care.
The door closed behind him with a soft click.
“Leona,” Murdock began, turning to face her.
“Daenae.” She held up a hand. “Daenae try to justify what ye just did. Daenae try to tell me that it was for me own good or that ye had nay choice or any of the other excuses ye’ve been preparing.”
“They’re nae excuses. They’re facts.” He crossed his arms, his posture defensive. “Ragnall has escalated. He’s threatenin' everyone here, includin' yer brother… and ye. I’ll nae stand by and let that happen when I can prevent it.”
“By forcin' me to marry ye.”
“By protectin' ye the only way I can.” His jaw clenched. “I’ve been far too lenient, caterin' to yer silly notions about love. But that ends now. We daenae have the luxury of waitin' for ye to develop feelin's or whatever it is ye think should happen before marriage.”
“Silly notions?” Leona’s voice rose. “Ye think wantin' to marry someone I love is silly?”
“I think it’s impractical, given our situation.” He moved away from the window, closer to her. “I can easily solve all our problems with a simple weddin'. Two days, a ceremony, and ye’re legally mine. Ragnall loses his claim, the council is satisfied, and everyone stays alive. It’s the sensible solution.”
“The sensible solution,” she repeated, her voice shaking with fury. “And what about what I want? What about me feelin's, me wishes, me?—”
“If ye go back to him,” Murdock interrupted, his voice hard, “and he doesnae kill ye outright, he’ll marry ye anyway. So ye tell me, lass. Between the two evils, which would ye pick? The man who at least respects ye, or the one who sees ye as his property?”
“Ye daenae respect me either!” The words burst out of her, raw and furious. “Nae when ye dismiss me wishes so easily. Nae when ye make decisions about me life without even askin' what I think. Nae when ye treat me like a problem to be solved rather than a person!”
“I dismiss them because I havenae seen them.”
The words made no sense.
Leona stared at him, her anger momentarily derailed by confusion. “What?”
But Murdock’s face had shuttered again. “It doesnae matter. What matters is that in two days, we’re getting married. I suggest ye find a suitable gown.”
“I’m nae marryin' ye like this.”
“Aye, ye are.”
“Ye cannae force me to speak vows I daenae mean.”
“I cannae?” He stepped closer, and there was something dangerous in his eyes now. Something that made her pulse quicken despite her anger. “Ye think I havenae noticed how ye look at me, lass? How ye respond when I touch ye? Ye want me as much as I want ye. The only difference is that I’m willin' to be practical about it.”
“Practical.” The word tasted bitter. “Is that what this is to ye? Practicality?”
“What else should it be?” But there was something in his voice that didn’t match the coldness of his words. Something that sounded almost like pain.
Leona wanted to reach for it, to push past his walls and find whatever vulnerability he was hiding. But she was too angry, too hurt, too overwhelmed by everything that had happened.
“I need to think,” she said finally.
