The guards on either side of Isa took their leave and she dropped back into her seat, waiting while Patrick crossed the room and closed the door behind the others.
“In this chamber, Isabella MacGahan, between the two of us, with my brother Patrick as witness, I’d ask that we set aside our personal strategies in favor of honesty. Can you agree to that?”
Isa paused, choosing her words carefully. “I see no point to be made in being dishonest with you.”
Again the man steepled his fingers in front of him. “You expect me to believe that? Yer obviously not what you represented yerself to be the last time I saw you. And if you’d lie about that...” He left his words hanging in the air like he’d thrown down a gauntlet.
“My disguise was my protection. When I presented myself as that creature, no one bothered me.”
“Except me.” Malcolm stood and began to pace, at last stopping directly in front of her chair. “We have a problem to solve, you and I. I mean to have these lands for my clan in payment of a MacGahan debt. I’d prefer to accomplish this goal without the need to raise a sword, but as there’s no a male descendant and you are the named heir, it seems we must come to some agreement.”
Isa sat back in her chair, wishing she had Robbie at her side to advise her now. She knew nothing of clan politics, only that the responsibility of the decision Malcolm required weighed heavily on her shoulders.
“Why me? Agneys is the laird’s widow. Why do you no just wed Agneys? Wait for the birth of her bairn and name yerself his guardian.”
The smile that broke over Malcolm’s face this time was genuine, lighting his eyes and carving years from his face. “Ah, Isabella, yer too trusting by far, lass. No, I’m afraid that taking you to wife is the only way to rightfully lay my claim.”
It was up to her. This man held Robbie’s future in his hands and her response to him now would determine what he chose to do with that future. What would her father have done in her place?
Probably not what she was about to do. Then again, her father wouldn’t have been in her position—needing to save the man she loved.
“As you say, in the past I may no have been completely honest with you. But you can believe this: I’ve no desire to control anything. I want only to be left alone. If you’ll but free Robbie, I’ll happily declare these lands yers and leave this place to yer care.”
“So you say. But what’s to stop this Robbie, yer... uh, yerhusband—from coming back later with men of his own to challenge me for what he sees as rightfully his?”
Isa wet her lips, feeling her face heat as she stalled, trying to determine just how much truth she wanted to share with this man. A few long moments of silence and she made her decision. MacDowylt held the power and she had nothing to gain in deceit.
“He willna do that because he has no right to anything here. As you seem to suspect, I lied to you. We’ve taken no vows. Robert MacQuarrie has sought nothing but that I should leave this place so that he could see to my safety as he promised my father he would. If you’ll allow us to go in peace, I’ll give my wedding vow to you in front of the entire clan.”
“I’m no as blindly trusting as you are, Isabella.” He made no attempt to disguise his skepticism.
“Oh?” It wasn’t bad enough he didn’t believe her, but now, for a second time, he’d all but called her stupidly naïve. “Is that so? Well, from what I’ve seen, yer no great judge of character yerself, naming one such as Roland Lardiner yer friend. It’s Roland who murdered my grandfather. He who beat the poor child who’d witnessed the act and he who ordered my home put to the torch with wee Jamie inside. There’s some friend for you. I’d no be turning my back on him if I were you.”
In the silence that followed Isa’s tirade, her own ragged breathing sounded loud.
“This child you speak of.” Patrick’s voice filled the stillness. “He was a small lad with a disfigured face?”
Isa nodded, biting the inside of her trembling lip while she strove for her self-control. Though she hated the thought of crying in front of these men again, the hot tears filled her eyes as she thought of poor, sweet Jamie.
A look passed between the MacDowylt brothers—a look Isa couldn’t interpret other than to know it appeared as though the two men shared a single thought. With a respectful nod of his head, Patrick turned and hurried from the room.
Malcolm strode back behind the table, retaking his seat as one of his men entered and stood beside Isa.
“I’ll give yer words consideration, my lady. For now, I’ll have to ask you to keep to yer bedchamber.”
Isa rose unsteadily to her feet, allowing MacDowylt’s man to support her arm this time.
He’d consider her words, but would he believe them, or would he decide Robbie posed too great a danger to be set free?
Chapter 25
“I, Isabella MacGahan, take you to be my husband.” Though it was shock to hear them in her own voice, the words had come out, just as she’d been instructed to say them. She hadn’t choked on them or forgotten a single one.
Assembled in the great hall before as many of the castle inhabitants as they’d been able to quickly round up, Malcolm MacDowylt had spoken his own vow only moments before.
Numbly Isa noted that neither Roland nor Agneys were among the onlookers. Nor Robbie.
“It is done.” Patrick’s words were greeted by a few scattered “Huzzahs,” but for the most part, the spectators seemed more confused than anything else.
