2
Seamus went on his morning ride, and by the time he returned to the MacLeod keep, his mind was indeed far less troubled than it had been when he awoke.
They were memories, that was all. They belonged in the past. Malcolm had endured tragedy indeed, but he had persevered. They all had. And happier times were ahead.
Seamus was about to see to that over that morning’s breakfast, and as he returned his horse to the stables, the thought of what lay ahead for him and his clan made him beam a smile as great as the sun.
The smile persisted an hour later as he looked across the dining table at his lovely daughters: Isla, Leslie, and Bonnie. They laughed and chattered among each other, and Seamus watched and listened to them, proud that he had been able to give them a life of comfort and happiness.
Now, he was about to give Isla, his oldest, the greatest gift of all: A grand and glorious future.
As the girls finished their repast, Seamus cleared his throat. “Leslie, Bonnie, go and wait in the next room, please. Yer sister and I have something we must discuss.”
Isla blanched, surprised, and glanced at the other two as though imploring them to stay. But of course, they both knew better than to defy their father, so they bowed their heads politely and withdrew, sending looks of hope and support back toward their big sister.
When the others were gone, Isla stood and clasped her hands behind her back. She stuck her chin out stubbornly, awaiting Seamus’s pronouncement.
“I have a pleasant surprise for ye, Daughter,” Seamus began.
“It’s hardly much of a ‘surprise,’ though, is it?” Isla retorted smartly. “You are about to order me to wed Brodie MacKenzie, whether I wish to or not.”
Seamus blustered and sputtered for several seconds, caught entirely off-guard. He had imagined this scene in his head many times over, but none of the versions he had so gleefully envisioned had been disrupted so.
“Er…that is…I don’t mean to bloody ‘order’ ye to do anything, girl!” he stammered. “How in blazes did ye know, anyhow?”
“You have sent riders back and forth to the MacKenzie castle ever since I came of marrying age recently, Father,” Isla told him. “And now, having received the most recent response from them yesternight, you ask my sisters to leave the room with that…daft peacock look on your face, as though you cannot wait to break the news to me? What sort of fool would I be if I were unable to read the signs for myself?”
Inwardly, Seamus had to admit that he was impressed with her. He had raised Isla to be a bright and resourceful young woman, and it appeared as though he had succeeded, even though there were times when her willful nature infuriated him.
He sensed that this was about to be one of those times.
“Very well, ye have sense far beyond yer years,” Seamus conceded. “But why would yenotwish to wed Brodie MacKenzie? He’s to be laird of the MacKenzies soon!”
“Because I do not love him, Father!” Isla protested. “What of Andrew Hunter?”
Seamus furrowed his brow, confused. “What of him? He has been a friend to ye since ye were both wee children.”
“We wish to bemorethan friends,” Isla pleaded. “We wish to be husband and wife, and why not? He comes from a good family, and he loves me!”
Seamus scowled. “He has not compromised yer innocence, has he? Spoiled ye for yer future husband?”
“No!” his daughter replied hotly. “He has e’er been a gentleman, but hehasprofessed his feelings for me, and I am enamored of him as well! Have you not marked how frequently I have invited him into our home in recent days? I had hoped that you might note our fondness for each other and reconsider betrothing me to Brodie MacKenzie.”
Her father rubbed his temples, frustrated. “Andrew Hunter is a good lad, to be sure. He shall always be a friend to this house. But although he comes from a respected family, his situation is vastly inferior to that of Brodie MacKenzie. Such a union would bind our clan to theirs, which would be a tremendous boon in times of peace and war. The MacKenzies have agreed to the marriage, and so have I. It is decided.”
“Well, mayhap someone should have consulted me before ‘deciding,’” Isla said through clenched teeth, “since it wasmyhusband andmyfuture being ‘decided.’”
And with that, she stormed out, leaving Seamus dumbfounded.
He may have been shocked and confused by her reaction, but Seamus was canny enough to know that the best course of action was to stay out of her way for the next day or so until she’d had a chance to calm down. Being a husband and a father to daughters had given him a keen instinct in terms of giving women their space when needed in order to keep from turning an emotional bonfire into a raging inferno. He took his meals in his chambers rather than the dining hall and pondered whether there was any way to make Isla come around to his way of thinking.
The following day, though, he was focused on other matters.
At last, the time had come for Margaret to ascend to the rank of maid, and Seamus had the honor of overseeing this promotion.
He entered the dining hall that morning with Margaret by his side, and his daughters stood to greet him. He did his best to ignore the look of anger and resentment on Isla’s face and the way her eyes studiously avoided his.
Girls and their accursed temperaments,he thought ruefully.She will get over it and marry as I wish her to, I have no doubt. Until then, best to let her stew and simmer until she’s gotten it out of her system and she’s ready to do as she’s told.
