Page 5 of Never Marry a Highlander

Lorena huffed.“Accepted?Think ye I had a choice?”

The Gunn turned toward her.“If ye doona put a smile on yer face, I’ll slap one on ye.”

Craig leaned toward the laird and spoke in a soft voice.“Doona think about putting a hand on my betrothed.”

Her eyes grew wide as she looked past her brother to Craig.He winked at herand her beautiful cheeks flushed red.

“The lass is my sister, and I will tell her what to do.”

“No longer,” Craig said as he smiled at the lass who poured ale into his mug.“Lorena is my responsibility now, and I will no’ allow anyone—even ye—to put a hand on her in anger.”He took a sip of ale and looked at the mon.“Do ye understand?”

The laird bustled.“Ye threaten me in my own keep?Do ye realize I can have ye dragged off to the dungeon at any moment?”

“Aye, but ye won’t because ye want an alliance with our clan and I ken my brother Finn would no’ step into my place.”He added fish, vegetables and roasted lamb to his wooden plate.

The rest of the meal was pleasant.Lorena ate and made no comments throughout the meal.On the other side of her was an older woman who had been introduced as Lorena’s aunt, her mam’s sister.She also seemed a tad jumpy around the laird.

Craig thought about what Robin had told him before he’d set off for Dornoch to claim Helena.Apparently Lorena had shared with him about the beatings she’d had from her brother and husband.He even mentioned her having marks from a beating the night she told him she intended to jump off the bridge if he didn’t marry her and was forced to marry another brutal man.

“Lady Lorena, would ye care for a walk after the meal?”Craig asked as supper ended.

She looked as though she would accept until The Gunn interrupted her.“Nay, she has duties to look after.She will see ye in the morning.The wedding will be right after we break our fast.”

Craig frowned.“Ye have a priest here?”

“Aye.If ye remember, we were expecting yer brother to arrive and marry Lorena.She’s ready.Ye’re ready.There’s no reason to wait.”

Craig shook his head in disbelief and left the table after wishing Lorena a good evening.

Giles joined him as he reached the keep door.“I dinna get a chance to talk to ye since ye visited with Lady Lorena.I assume from what I heard The Gunn say that the switch in the betrothal agreement has been accepted?”

“Aye.I canno’ say that she is happy about it, but no’ disappointed.She dinna seem too upset about losing Robin.”

“It appears that she is no’ a happy person about anything.”They left the keep and walked to where several of their guardsmen had set up tents and had fires going.

“I agree.She is no’ a happy person, but from the few things I’ve learned about her, she’s had verra little to be happy about her entire life.”

“Craig is getting married tomorrow,” Giles said to the small group sitting around a fire.

“Already?”Roal, one of the guardsmen said.

“Aye.The Gunn is anxious to get the lass off his hands,” Niles said as he put his hands out to warm them over the fire.There was a chill in the air and Craig was glad he would be sleeping in a warm bed instead of outside as he had planned.

“Will we ride right after the wedding tomorrow?”Roal asked.

Craig shrugged.“I doona see any reason why no’.Hopefully since Lady Lorena kens the wedding is tomorrow, she is busy packing now.”

After a few minutes of conversation, Craig wandered off and walked by himself around the keep.He noticed the guardsmen at the top of the castle kept their eye on him.That didn’t offend him, he would have considered The Gunn lax if they weren’t suspicious of him.

He was about to return to the front of the keep and head to his bedchamber, when he caught a glimpse of a woman wandering around the garden at the back of the kitchen area.There was no doubt in his mind it was Lorena.

She dragged her fingertips over tall flowers that were on the right side of the vegetable garden.He turned to let her have time to herself when he changed his mind.Walking up to her, so as not to frighten her, he said, “I assume all the duties yer brother referred to are finished?”

Her lack of surprise told him she knew he had been approaching him.She drew herself up and turned to face him.“Is there something you need, Mister Craig?”

He walked closer and noticed she did not move back but held herself tight.This was definitely a woman who had been through a great deal of fear and had learned to show none of it.“Nay.I was speaking with my cousin and decided to stroll for a while before bed.”

She grabbed her skirts and attempted to move past him.“If ye will excuse me.”

He stopped her and placed his hands on her upper arms.“I am no’ the enemy, Lorena.We are to be married.I hope to have a peaceful life with ye.”There was no doubt in his mind that there were tears in her eyes.“Is there someone else ye will be missing when we marry?”

She laughed a soft, almost strangled sound.“There is no one in my life I will miss, I can assure you.”She moved past him and said over her shoulder.“There’s never been anyone to miss.Or who will miss me.”