Page 6 of Bewitching her Highland Savior

CHAPTERTHREE

Muriel was not the type of woman to give up easily. Liam had no reason to help her stop to the wedding plans just yet but if she tried hard enough, if she explained her situation to him, maybe he’d see that defying her father’s orders was the right thing to do. He would not subject her to a loveless marriage if he had any honor.

“What is it?” Liam asked; sounding wary and expecting a trap.

Muriel ruminated for a few moments; trying to choose the appropriate words. Liam had already shown her he would be difficult to persuade.

“I really think that me faither is making a mistake,” she said; frowning when Liam huffed out a laugh.

“Ye’re only sayin’ this because ye dinnae like the way yer faither conducts business.”

The word business crashed like a jagged piece of glass on Muriel’s tongue as she repeated it. She didn’t need a reminder that her marriage would be nothing more than a mere transaction – one from which she would have no benefit.

“What I dinnae like is that I have nae choice!” Muriel said. “Do ye think that’s right? Why should I nae have a say when it comes to the man I’ll marry?”

Muriel observed Liam parting his lips as if about to speak, but no words came out. He appeared to give her question serious thought to his credit, as his brows knitted together in a frown.

“I suppose ye should,” he said after several moments of silence. “I suppose that everyone should. But I cannae help ye, lass. Yer faither has already paid me and has entrusted me with deliverin’ ye to Macleod. What ye do once ye’re there is nae of me concern but I cannae be involved in this.”

Muriel considered Liam’s words. Could she escape on her own once he had taken her to Lewis? Did she even need Liam’s help?

It will be much harder to escape once I’m there. Impossible, even.

Waiting was not an option. How would she escape Lewis without any means of going home? She couldn’t just wander around, trying to hide from the Macleods – they would find her with little effort, no doubt.

“Ye ken I will never escape if ye take me there,” she said. “Ye may think that this is nae yer problem but by takin’ me there, ye’ll condemn me to a life I dinnae want.”

“I’m sorry,” Liam said in a sincere tone. His sincerety though was of no help to her. “I really am. But I dinnae leave any job unfinished. This is between yer faither and ye. If ye wish to send him a letter, I’ll take ye to the nearest town. But that is all I can do for ye.”

“How will that help me?” Muriel asked, her voice trembling to her chagrin. Anger boiled up inside her, warming her cheeks. Perhaps it was too much to expect Liam to understand, let alone help her. He never had to feel like he was someone else's property, something they could use to barter with. His worth was not determined by his ability to be a good husband.

“Ye might be able to change his mind before we reach Lewis,” Liam said with a shrug.

“Did ye meet me faither?”

“Aye.”

“Then ye ken he’s nae a man who changes his mind,” Muriel said.

“Lass… this discussion is over,” Liam said with a weary sigh; running a hand through his black hair – strands of it falling over his eyes. All of a sudden, in the soft light of the fire, he looked tired. Muriel observed him for a few moments. She hadn’t really looked at him earlier and hadn’t noticed much about him other than he looked rugged and rough at the edges, like any mercenary. But the more she looked at him, the more she realized that beneath his sour demeanor was a handsome man. His green eyes glinted in the dim light, and the shadows cast by the fire on his face accentuated the sharp lines of his clean-shaven face.

If only he wasnae so stubborn!

“I’m nae goin’,” Muriel said after a short pause; crossing her arms over her chest like a petulant child.

“Aye, ye are,” Liam said; unfazed by her.

“Nae, I’m nae,” she insisted. “What will ye do, carry me all the way to Lewis?”

“If I must.”

Muriel’s mouth fell open in astonishment. Liam seemed entirely serious, and she wondered if he could really carry her all the way to Lewis. One thing was certain: she was not going to make it easy for him. She'd kick and scream the entire way there.

“I have nae reason to listen to ye!” she said; hands curling into tight fists as though she could fight her way out of it.

“Enough!” Liam snapped; pinning her with a stern gaze. “I willnae discuss this anymore.”

“Ach, how convenient for ye! Of course ye dinnae wish to discuss it; but I do.”