Page 33 of How to Woo a Highlander

At her words, Jane felt her smile freeze, before cracking and breaking as every part of her heart shattered.

She spun around on the stool to face her governess. “Father is coming here? But how? How long have you known this? Why would he be coming?"

"You know why he is coming, Jane. Also, your betrothed has returned just moments ago.”

Her heart thudded in her chest as the gravity of the governess’s words hit her. Her father could only be coming for one thing, and that was to enforce her betrothal and make her marry William. William must have received news from her father, and that was why he said he would announce their engagement when he returned.

She had already decided the day before when the little orphan girl Cynthia spoke to her that she would put her foot down and let her father know that she wanted Alastair. However, she still had to explain to Alastair the circumstances of her relationship with William.

Panic seized her as she thought of what he would think, especially after their intimate moments together the night before. Alastair treasured his friendship with William. If he found out before she explained to him, she knew that the results would be catastrophic. He would feel that he had betrayed William, and he would never forgive himself or her.

Mary did not say anything. She looked at the governess, not hiding her expression of betrayal. She had told Mary of her interest in Alastair although the governess mistook her words to mean she liked Lain.

“I… I need to go,” she stammered, her heart thumping in her chest as she got to her feet and stumbled to the door, feeling sick to her stomach from nervousness. She needed to find Alastair before William did and explain things.

Where would she find him? Would he still be in his chambers? She had no idea how early he woke, but he did not seem like the type to rise late. It was also the morning. Going to his chambers during the night had been daring, but then she was less likely to be seen. Going there in the daytime was not wise.

She had just turned the corner when she ran into Lain, almost tripping if not for his hands, steadying her arms.

“Woah, steady there, lass. Where are ye going in such a hurry?” he said. Looking at her, he saw the panic on her face, and his smiling expression filled with concern.

“Jane, are ye alright?” he asked, searching her features. She did not feel well. It seemed like the hallway was spinning, and she needed to calm down, but the panic that gripped her was too strong.

“Do you know where Alastair is?” she asked, fanning her face with her hand as she tried to get a grip on herself.

“Alastair is nae in the castle right now, but I think William has sent for him. I was actually sent to find ye. William sent me to fetch ye, said ye should come to meet with yer faither,” he responded.

Her heart threatened to burst from her chest. If not for his hands holding her up, she might have fallen. He gripped her arms tighter, searching her face, thoroughly worried for the girl.

“Jane! What’s the matter? Are ye sure that ye are alright?” he asked. She waved her hand, dismissing his concern.

“Please take me to where they are,” she gasped.

* * *

Alastair had woken up early that morning for the sole purpose of planning his day with Jane. It was because of this that he had not been present when William arrived. He was surprised that his friend had returned so early. He should have been there to receive him to immediately begin to work based on whatever news he would bring back.

He frowned slightly. The clan was at war, and in times like these, he would usually be more alert than ever. Instead, he was absent when William had returned with news about the war. He began to worry that his priorities were not in the right place. Shaking his head to clear it, he made his way to William’s study, but voices from inside made him pause.

“Father, please,” he heard. All his senses sharpened as curiosity made him lean closer to the door.

Was that Jane?

He opened the door to find William behind his desk, a hand to his temple and Jane standing beside him, along with an unfamiliar man who turned slightly at Alastair’s entrance and met him with green eyes identical to Jane’s. Alastair’s brow raised as he acknowledged the resemblance between the two.

Jane looked panicked as she gave him a wide-eyed stare, and William looked caught in a bad situation. It suddenly seemed he had walked in at the wrong time. The man was obviously Jane’s father, and he only spared him a second of his attention as his eyes went back to William.

“What I am asking is why your engagement has not been announced. I was making my way here to attend a wedding!” The man thundered at William. Alastair felt his eyes widen as Jane sent him panicked glances.

What?

His heart began to thud as he tried to figure out what was going on. It could not be what he was thinking, could it? Perhaps he had heard wrong or had misunderstood the situation. William rubbed his forehead in obvious tiredness.

“I am sorry for the delay, Mr. Baxendale, there has been urgent clan business holdin’ me back, but I already promised Jane that the announcement would be made after my return,” he explained.

Jane is engaged to William?

Alastair had already gathered what was going on, but a part of him stubbornly refused to accept it. There was no way that Jane would have kept such an essential piece of information from him, especially not when they had been so intimate the night before.