Page 44 of Bewitching her Highland Savior

“He’s a mercenary.”

“He could be his right-hand man,” Muriel insisted. “If he so wished.”

“Even so, he’s nae better than any other noble I could marry ye to,” her father said. “I willnae argue with ye about this any longer. Ye were wrong to come to me expectin’ me help. I’m sure that Laird Macleod will be verra understandin’ and he’ll take ye back.”

Muriel’s stomach dropped at that and her vision blurred for a moment; panic overtaking her. “What do ye mean? I’m nae goin’ back to him!”

“Ye have nae say in the matter.”

“Do I?” Liam asked, drawing his sword out of its sheath. The moment Muriel caught the movement, she made to grab his arm but stopped herself before she could. If words didn’t get to her father, perhaps intimidation would and Muriel trusted Liam to leave her father unharmed.

“Ye’re a brave lad,” Laird McNeil said. “And a verra foolish one, unfortunately. Do ye truly think that ye can scare me with a sword?”

“Since ye’re givin’ me nae other choice, I have to,” Liam said as he pushed Muriel back with a hand on her shoulder. “Stay behind me, Muriel. I promised ye I wouldnae let anyone send ye back to Lewis.”

“Ye would have made a great match for me daughter, ye ken,” Laird McNeil said. “If ye were a laird, I would have allowed this marriage in a heartbeat. It’s unfortunate that ye’re nae. Guards!”

Before Muriel could finish her sentence, the door slammed open and four guards rushed inside, their blades drawn. Kenneth practically sauntered in after them, looking more satisfied than Muriel had ever seen him.

“I told ye that men like him are nae to be trusted,” he told the laird, just as the guards surrounded Liam and pushed Muriel out of the way. Muriel’s hand flew to her mouth, suppressing a gasp. She had promised Liam that she would protect him and she had already failed to do so.

“Let him go,” she told her father through gritted teeth.

“I have nae reason to harm him,” her father said. “Lower yer weapon, lad and nae one will harm ye.”

Muriel turned to face Liam, mouthing please at him. When he lowered his sword, the guards did the same, taking a step back from him.

“See? Nae harm done,” the laird said. “Prepare a chamber for him and take him there.”

“Wait!” Muriel said as all four men grabbed Liam who struggled to get out of their grasp. Even with his strength, he couldn't fight four men at once. “Ye’re takin’ him as a prisoner? How is this nae harmin’ him?”

“I’m nae puttin’ him in the dungeons, am I?” her father asked. “He will merely be confined to his chamber until I can send ye back to Lewis.”

“I’ll never stop going back for her!” Liam roared as the guards dragged him out of the room. Muriel could hear the sounds of struggle long after they disappeared from her sight and she could do little other than collapse on a chair, letting her head fall in her hands.

“Why are ye doin’ this?” she asked; her voice a mere whisper. “Why will ye nae let me have the future I want for meself?”

“Love is fleetin’, Muriel,” her father said as he stood and came to crouch by her side. “Leave us, Kenneth.”

“But me laird—”

“I said leave us.” With that, Kenneth was gone, and Muriel lifted her head to glare at her father. “Ye may love him noo, but it always comes to an end.”

“How would ye ken?” she asked. “Ye’ve never loved anyone.”

“I loved yer maither, for a while,” he said, and that was the first time Muriel had heard of that. “That’s why I brought her here but I kent that I could never make her me wife. There was nae reason in it—nothin’ I or the clan would gain from it. And then, eventually, the love faded –as it always does.”

“It doesnae sound like love,” Muriel said. “More like an infatuation.”

“I dinnae expect ye to understand. Ye’re young, and ye dinnae have the same… privileges as I did,” he said. “Ye cannae take another man to yer bed without people’s judgment. But that doesnae change the fact that ye must do yer duty.”

“Me duty?” Muriel scoffed. “Toward whom?”

“Me. The clan.”

“I have nae duty toward ye,” she said; tone laced with venom. “And Liam would be a much better laird for the clan than Macleod could ever be.”

Her father stood and made his way back to his chair once more with a sigh. “Suit yerself,” he said. “I tried to persuade ye as gently as I could but ye leave me nae choice. I’ll have ye shipped to Lewis one way or another.”