Page 42 of A Kilted Marriage of Convenience

“Alright then,” Aidan said, kicking the horse into a trot. He led them eastward, away from the mouth of the river, toward the planting fields of the clan farms. Soon, the traffic on the cobbled path reduced to a trickle, and he loosened the reins a bit, allowing the horse to break off into a gentle gallop.

For the most part, they rode in silence, and the only sound was the clatter of the hooves against the cobbles. Ciara smiled as they rode, seeming to enjoy the open wind on her face. She glanced back occasionally to point out interesting sights or birds. If she sensed that something had been bothering him, she did not show it.

While they rode, Aidan could not help thinking how perfectly Ciara fit into his arms. He felt a pang of loss when he realized that all this could come to an end. Over a note. A part of him wished that he could continue living as if he had never seen Keir’s letter, to move on from that nasty revelation as if it never happened. But he owed it to his family to uncover the truth.

Eventually, they approached the empty plains of the MacDonald land. There were rolling hills for miles spread eastward, and the river to the west had narrowed down to a shallow burn this far inland.

Aidan spurred the horse off the main thoroughfare with his knees and onto a dirt road. They crossed the brook with a wooden bridge to the other side which was mildly forested. He walked the horse gently through the forest, avoiding tree roots and holes that were in their way.

The forest opened up a short time later into a beautiful meadow. Aidan heard a gasp from Ciara, and he grinned. She clutched her breast with her gloved hands, taking in the beauty of the scene before her with wide-eyed amazement.

He had expected that reaction from her and wished that he could have enjoyed this sight as profoundly as she did. Despite his mood, it was still a pleasant place to be, and he smiled as he listened to the bird calls, recalling memories from a very distant childhood.

Aidan got off the horse first, then helped Ciara down.

She fell onto the ground laughing delightedly, and Aidan sat on the grass beside her, leaning back on his elbows and taking in the sights. The meadow was covered with many different colorful flowers, but one caught Ciara’s attention.

She reached out and plucked a few thistles, holding them tenderly, a faint smile on her face.

“Have I told ye...” she started, turning to look at Aidan who was still leaning on his elbows, face skyward, eyes closed. “Have I told ye that thistles were my mother’s favorite flowers in all the world?”

Her voice had a longing to it, and Aidan knew enough to be quiet for now.

“The last time I saw a meadow this beautiful,” she continued, “was in a painting hanging in my father’s drawing room. My mother had painted it before she died. There were so many thistles, I coudnae count them.”

The silence lasted for a few minutes, the only sound was that of the flowers and grass blowing gently in the wind.

“Dae ye ken much about yer mother?” Aidan asked softly.

“Nay,” Ciara replied after a few moments. “All I ken is that my mother died shortly after birthing me. I never got to ken what type of a woman she was. Sadly, the only person who could have told me anything about her was my father but he never spoke about her.”

Aidan saw an opportunity to ask about Laird MacNeil again and get to the bottom of the letter, which he carried in his breast pocket.

“How about yer father?” he asked cautiously. “Are ye close to him?”

“Nay, nae really. There has always been a gap between us, even when I was a wee babe.”

“And why are ye still under his protection? Why hasnae he married ye off?” Aidan asked quietly. “I ken ye said that yer father treated ye guardedly because ye were his only bairn, yet if ye didnae get along well, he could have easily wed ye to a man and be done with it. Was there anyone else he had planned for ye to marry?”

“Nay...” Ciara said hesitantly. “None whatsoever.”

In that moment, Aidan knew that she had lied. Again. Hurt and resigned, he stood up and walked a few paces away, and Ciara, probably feeling confused, got up as well and went after him.

“Aidan,” she said with a shaky voice. “What’s wrong? Why are ye acting so strangely?” She reached out to take his hand, but he jerked it back sharply. After Aidan took a deep breath, controlling himself, he brought out the letter from his breast pocket.

“Ye...” Aidan said softly, handing her the letter. “Have ye been lying to me?”