Page 8 of Secrets of a Kilted Seduction

“All right,” she agreed, admitting defeat. The curiosity and excitement she felt at the prospect of finding out more about the man who could be her father remained. But at the same time, as she and Tadhg parted, she could not help feeling thankful for his quick-wittedness. She followed him from the room, wondering what on earth she had gotten herself into.

A few hours later, after the MacIver delegation had enjoyed a lavish luncheon with Laird and Lady Lennox, followed by a period of rest, they were ready to set off back to their own lands. There to see them off at the gate as well as Odhrán and Maddison were Liam and Tadhg.

As soon as the party receded into the distance and they began walking back to the castle, Tadhg turned to his brother and Odhrán and blurted out, “I must speak tae ye both in private at once.”

“All right, we’ll go tae me study,” Odhrán replied, looking appealingly at his wife. “D’ye mind excusin’ us, Maddy?”

“It willnae take long,” Tadhg interjected.

Maddison smiled and said, “Dinnae fash yersel’. I can take a hint. I have things tae dae anyway.” She reached up and kissed Odhrán’s cheek. “Come and find me when ye’re done.” She walked away towards the staircase, leaving the three men alone.

“Come on then,” Odhrán said to Tadhg as the trio headed towards his study. “I’m curious tae hear what has ye lookin’ so tense.”

“Me too,” Liam chimed in, giving his brother an enquiring look, which went unacknowledged.

A few minutes later, they were seated around the enormous carved desk Odhrán had inherited from his father, each with a dram of whisky in his hand.

“I must thank ye fer steppin’ up and takin’ on the job of escortin’ Alana tae the MacIver castle. Ye’re the best man fer the job.” Tadhg knew he was referring to their former close relationship. Liam grinned at him, but he was not in the mood for any teasing just then.

He threw his whisky down his throat, wiped his lips with the back of his hand, leaned on the desk, and said, “Ye thank me fer it, Odhrán, but I ken I’ve just done the stupidest thing ever by tying mesel’ tae Alana like this.”

He saw Odhrán and Liam both frown, clearly perplexed by his announcement. “How so?” Odhrán asked.

Tadhg sighed heavily and rubbed his forehead with his palm before looking at them. “Because at some point on this little escapade to the MacIvers, she’s gonnae find out the truth. And then she’s gonnae despise me even more than she already daes,” he said finally.

“Ach, I dinnae understand what ye’re talkin’ about,” Liam said, his dark brows drawing together. “Ye’re gonnae have tae explain yersel’, as I can make head nor tail of what ye’re sayin’.”

“Aye, ye have me confused too, Tadhg,” Odhrán admitted. “What’s goin’ on?”

“There’s things I’ve never told ye, neither of ye. I swore tae Murphy Lennox never tae tell anyone, and I kept me word until I heard he was dead.”

“This has somethin’ tae dae with me faither?” Odhrán asked curiously.

“Aye.”

“For the Wee man, Tadhg, will ye just come out with it and stop keepin’ us in suspense like this?” Liam interjected with a hint of impatience.

“Alright. Ye recall I was away for those four years, and I didnae come back ‘til I found out Murphy Lennox was dead?”

Liam scoffed and folded his arms. “D’ye honestly think we could forget, ye dummart? Ye vanished without so much as a word overnight. I thought ye must be dead,” he said harshly.

“Aye, ye’ve said so a hundred times since,” Tadhg replied.

“And I’ll say⁠—”

“All right, that’s enough. Let him speak,” Odhrán put in, clearly sensing the tension between the two brothers.

With Liam glaring at him, Tadhg went on. “It all started just before that, when yer faither sent me on a mission tae spy on the MacIvers and find out what I could about the laird’s succession. That was all I kent at the time.”

He continued, telling them all about what he had found out for Murphy Lennox, how he had spied on the MacIvers, finally finding proof of the connection between Ella and Alana and the MacIver clan.

“It was just as the delegation said,” he finished. “Alana is the illegitimate daughter of Laird John MacIver by his former mistress, Ella. And when Lady MacIver discovered Ella’s pregnancy, unbeknownst tae her husband, she banished Ella from their lands forever. That was how Ella ended up here.”

“Ye mean tae say, ye’ve kent this about Alana’s true origins all along, back even before the me faither died?” asked.

“And ye’ve kept it tae yersel’ these six months past, since ye came back after four years away?” his brother asked.

Tadhg nodded, clenching his fists, feeling burdened with guilt. “Aye.”