Page 26 of Highlander’s Dangerous Love

“I dinnae think so. An’ a question if a young, unmarried lady can really have unmarried young male friends. ‘Tis not proper,” Muriel said.

Gemma wanted to question the validity of her assertion, but there would be no use. It would not change the outcome. She was to marry Bryce, at nearly everyone’s insistence. Her parents had basically accepted the proposal for her. It had not been a romantic gesture at all; nothing like how Colin had asked her on the beach months ago. He’d written to her parents, asking if he could stop by for dinner and have a discussion with Mr. Gordon. Immediately, that had set the house in an uproar, because in Mrs. Gordon’s eyes, there was no other reason a young man would come to their house, have dinner, and ask for a private audience with the head of the household. No, it could not possibly be just business-related. Unfortunately, Mrs. Gordon had been right. She’d dressed Gemma up in one of her finest gowns, ordered her to wash her face and smooth her hair, and had sprayed her with lavender water. After dinner, Bryce and Mr. Gordon had gone into the study. They’d emerged only ten minutes later, both of them beaming. Gemma and her mother had been knitting — or pretending to knit — in the drawing room.

“Wonderful news, Miss Gemma,” Bryce had said.

“Oh?” she’d asked, hoping it was not what the household was anticipating.

“I’ve just spoken with yer father, an’ we can marry this autumn, if yer willin’.”

It left her speechless. Was that what passed for a proposal? Did he not have a ring; did he not care to get down on one knee and declare his love? No, of course not, because he did not truly love her. This was simply the next step in a man’s life.

She gulped.

“I…”

“Well, go on then! The man’s waitin’,” her mother had said, poking her with her knitting needle.

There was a flash of…warning, in her father’s eyes. Not warning her about Bryce, of course, but warning her that if she did not accept, there would be trouble. Her mother had already voiced her opinion several times earlier that day.

“I…alright,” she said, feeling bile rise in her throat all the same.

Her mother squealed in delight, threw aside her knitting, and wrapped Gemma in a spine-crushing hug. Her father and Bryce shook hands, as if they’d just completed a successful business transaction.

“We’ll start our plannin’ soon. A pleasure, Miss Gemma,” he said, reaching for her hand and kissing it when her mother had let her go. Then he left.

Perhaps many marriage proposals were like that. Gemma knew that romance was not always part of marriage. Her parents’ own marriage had been one purely of business. But when she had felt love, and it had been so within her grasp…it was devastating to lose it. And worse…no one else knew, so instead of having pity on a woman who’d lost her one true love, people thought her sour and frigid.

Her mother had even warned her that if she did not display some fine smiles and sweet laughter for her husband-to-be, she could expect to sleep in the stables and eat hay with the horses. Whether or not she’d make good on her promise, Gemma didn’t know, but she also didn’t want to find out.

She quickly touched the collar of her gown, subtly checking if Colin’s ring of grass was still there. Every day, she tucked it between her shift and her bodice to keep him close to her. One day it would fade to nothing. She was surprised it hadn’t already, being made of grass many years ago.

“I ken ‘tis not the worst thing that can happen to a lady, but…Muriel, I dinnae love him,” she said morosely.

“Well, ye better learn to. At least tae tolerate him, or be affectionate. He’s not a bad-lookin’ lad.”

It was silent for the remainder of the time that the two of them spent getting ready. Gemma’s hair was braided elaborately, put into a pretty updo threaded with wildflowers, a few pieces left loose to frame her face. Her mother had instructed her to wear her blue silk gown because it was the color of loyalty. In fact, the entire Gordon family would be in attendance in blue. Even her brothers had come back to Aberdeen for the betrothal dinner. And really, it was one last chance to celebrate before the autumn chill set in.

“There. Yer done. Now remember tae smile,” Muriel said, making the smiling motion on her own face with her pointer fingers.

Gemma stared flatly at her instead. Muriel huffed in annoyance.

“At least smile when yer there, a’right? I’ll be waitin’ when ye get back, an’ I want tae hear everything. I expect Violet’ll be proposed to soon, as well,” the maid said with a wicked grin.

“I’ll be sure tae bring ye back the choicest gossip. ‘Twill be a good distraction from the feast.”

Muriel all but pushed Gemma down the stairs to her waiting family. Once again, her mother squealed upon seeing her all done up in her beautiful blue gown.

“Mother, really, ye act as if this is the day o’ the wedding,” Gemma said, irritated.

“Yer mother is just happy ye’ve found such a good match,” Mr. Gordon said in his even voice.

“Br—Mr. MacNeill is my friend, nothin’ more. Remember how we used tae play in the courtyard as bairns?”

“Aye, an’ now ye’ve the perfect foundation for marriage,” her mother said.

“Do you an’ Muriel talk often? She said the same thing tae me just now.”

“Then she’s a wise maid, and we’ll be sendin’ her along wi’ ye when ye move intae the castle. Think o’ that, Gemma! Ye’ll be the Lady of the clan! How grand will that be?” Her mother asked, holding Gemma’s face between her hands and squishing her cheeks.