“Oh my God,” Daphne let out with a shaky breath. “It’s all my fault.”
“What do ye mean?” Darragh asked.
“It was I who found the young gentleman lingering by the ale,” she confessed. “I took him to Melissa and insisted that they speak.” All the blood drained from her face as she looked at her youngest daughter. “I am so sorry, Melissa, I never meant for any of this to happen. I only ever wanted you to marry and be happy like your sister is now.”
“It’s not your fault, Mama,” Avery quickly tried to reassure her mother as she guided her over to another chair, helping her to take a seat.
“She’s right, Mama,” Melissa said gently. “Nobody is at fault for the actions of another.”
“That’s nae true,” Darragh snapped again, making everyone look at him in surprise. “This is all that bastard’s fault!” He rounded on his friend again, but with no anger directed toward him this time. “Do ye ken the name, Ethan McGregor?”
“I cannae say that I do,” Daniel replied. “I didnae recognize the scoundrel, I thought that perhaps he was someone that ye had invited.”
Darragh turned toward his wife with a raised eyebrow.
“I don’t think he was on any of the guest lists.” Avery shook her head with a wide-eyed expression. “I don’t recall any McGregor.”
“The bastard could have wandered in under a false name,” Daniel suggested.
Swearing under his breath, Darragh turned toward Melissa. “Dinnae fuss, lass, Daniel an’ I will set out at once in search of the coward.” He balled his fists. “We’ll have his head ‘afore the sun comes up in the morning. I promise ye that,” he added more darkly.
“No!” Melissa began to panic again. “I don’t want to make any more fuss about this than what has already been seen.”
“Melissa is right,” Daphne said after taking a shaky breath. “There is no use in going after the man now. The damage has already been done. Killing him won’t solve anything, not now that everyone had seen Melissa and Daniel in a state of undress.”
“Darragh,” Avery said as she came to her husband’s side, gently placing her hand on his arm. “We need to focus on what we will say to all of the guests now. An announcement will have to be made.” She turned her head and gave her sister an apologetic look before looking at Daniel. “We have to clear Daniel’s name. Otherwise, everyone will think that he compromised my sister.”
Melissa felt a nauseating pang in the pit of her stomach as she realized what her sister was saying. The truth would have to be told if Daniel’s reputation was to be spared.
“That would be the lesser of two evils,” Daphne said when she finally regained her composure. “Either way, we have a scandal on our hands. If we say nothing, Daniel will be shamed, and Melissa will be ruined for any future suitors.” Turning her head to look at her youngest daughter, she said the words Melissa had been dreading all along. “Or Melissa will have to take the fall and be ruined for the sake of Daniel’s reputation.”
Melissa bent her head and struggled not to cry as her mother laid out a carefully thought-out plan of how they would tell the truth about the assault. Saving Daniel’s reputation while giving her daughter over to the wolves, where in time she would make an unsuitable marriage at best.
Daniel stood by with his arms folded across his chest as he listened to the old woman talk. There was something in the way Melissa was breathing harshly, evident that she was trying not to cry, that made him want to come to her aid once again.
Ye dinnae even like the lass!
His thoughts warred inside him as he began to develop a plan of his own.
“I will have to arrange a marriage of convenience instead of one that is based on love,” Daphne continued with a sigh that seemed to take up all of the oxygen in the room. “But at least we will have saved one person.”
“Mama, there has to be another way.” Avery came to her sister’s side, kneeling down and taking her hands in her own. “Surely we can think of something that will be favorable to both of them?” She looked around the room with hope in her eyes.
“I cannae think of anything meself,” Darragh said in a pained voice, shrugging his shoulders in defeat.
Avery hung her head as her sister looked up with tears in her eyes. Her cheeks were blotchy and pink from crying.
Daniel gritted his teeth as he looked at Melissa’s face, fighting the battle that was slowly raging inside his mind. He had always seen Melissa as this unstoppable young woman with a fierce hunger for breaking the rules. A character trait that he’d come to admire and loathe in equal amounts. Yet, her watery eyes bothered him far more than he was willing to admit.
“I guess I will have to face the music, then,” Melissa mumbled as she stood, pulling Daniel’s coat over her shoulders. “If you don’t mind, Mama, I will retire to my room while the rest of you make the announcement of what happened to the guests.” She walked over to the door and placed her hand on the handle.
Daniel’s jaw clenched.
Dinnae do it, ye fool!
“You can begin the arrangements for looking for my future husband in the morning,” she added in a dejected tone.
“Wait,” Daniel said as her hand turned the knob.
