“I kenned it,” Callum declared. “Ye have been spending time with the Hart lass.” He pointed his finger in Torquil’s direction. “I warned ye. Told ye naught good would come of this and now look.” He waved his arm through the air. “Now she has trapped ye into marriage.”
Before Torquil even kenned what he was doing, he was grabbing Callum’s tunic at the neck, shaking him. “Her name is Eilidh,” he ground out. “And ’twas no’ entrapment.” His gaze slid to the cottage to ensure Eilidh was not seeing what was happening outside. “No’ like ye believe, anyhap.”
“Fine.” Callum shoved Torquil back. “I dinnae ken what happened. But ye two are to be wed—in secret—might I add, as quickly aspossible.” His eyes rounded. “Ye defiled her,” he accused.
“I did no’ defile her, Christ!” He looked toward the cottage again. “Weel, I suppose I did, but ’twas mutual. We’ve been meeting for quite some time.”
“Jesus.” Callum grabbed the sides of his head in disbelief. “Seamus is going to have ye flogged for this. Do ye ken what the Harts will do? They will insist on much more than a flogging for ye. The laird’s daughter, brother. What were ye thinking?”
“I love her Callum,” Torquil admitted. “I think I have since the first day I saw her. Afore I e’en kenned her name.”
“Ye cannae be serious.”
“I will work things out with Seamus. And the Harts. This is my problem, and I will solve it on my own.”
Callum shook his head. “I did as I was told and kept mum on why I was leaving. But, hell, brother, ye have opened up the fires of hell with this.”
“I ken what I have done.”
“The clans, either ours or theirs, willnae be happy. And ye ken as weel as I the rumors that abound that lass. This will only make it worse for her.”
“Let them talk,” Torquil replied with barely constrained anger. “I ken something that they dinnae—the truth—and they cannae take that away from her. Away from us.”
Callum scratched the back of his neck. “Sometimes the truth doesnae matter when it comes to situations such as these.”
Torquil nodded, wondering how his younger brother had managed to become so wise.
“I love her,” Torquil confessed quietly.
Callum looked out through the trees and sighed. “Shite. Does she ken?”
“Aye. I have professed my feelings to her.”
“Does she feel the same?”
“She said she does.”
Callum blew out a low whistle and shook his head. “This will be a mess. But since ye have been found in a compromising position, this was the only outcome.”
“I am unsure if Eilidh agrees.” He hated to admit it. The fear that she was only in agreement to save her reputation and her family’s reputation niggled at him.
Callum clapped him on the back. “Out of the three of us, brother, ye were the last one we would have e’er suspected of causing a scandal.” He pushed his hair out of his eyes. “I shall help ye stack the wood. She is inside, aye?”
Torquil nodded. “She was still asleep when I came out earlier to…”
“Release some tension,” Callum finished. “I can find far more fun ways to accomplish that.”
With a chuckle, Torquil dipped his head. His brother was right.
Footsteps sounded and he spun around to the path that led to his home. Their home. Hell, that was going to be hard to get used to saying.
Fergus appeared, a lass at his side. “MacGregor,” he said curtly and, noticing Callum’s presence, nodded in his direction. “I am glad to see ye have made it. Wise man.”
Callum scoffed. “Ye were verra cryptic in yer summons. It really left me nay choice but to come.”
The young woman with Fergus remained silent as her gaze volleyed betwixt the men.
“This is Morven Hart. Just as ye are attending to yer brother, she will attend to her sister and will bear witness to the ceremony.” He pushed her toward the door.
