Page 34 of Scot of Desire
This isnae good. We’ll have tae dae something about it.
“Me laird,” Tad leaned forward. Before Tad had even spoken, Gilroy recognized this tone. Once again, he was going to do his best to get out of this arrangement. Gilroy steeled himself for it, his hands perfectly still on the settle chair’s arms. “About this betrothal.” Tad paused and reached into the pocket of his jerkin. He turned a sheet of paper over in his hands then leaned forward, proffering it to Gilroy. “Here is what I am prepared tae offer ye fer ending it. It has been agreed by me councilors.”
Gilroy took the paper. He smiled a little, pretending to be interested and unfurled the paper.
“A generous offer,” he said, his voice sweeping and grand as he always tried to be. “Much land, alliances, even an alliance with yer neighboring clan, Bran’s clan, I believe.” At his words, Tad nodded. Slowly, Gilroy folded up the paper again, placing it down on the desk between them. “But me answer is nay. I appreciate the offer, but me son wants his bride.”
Laird Tad’s face was immovable, practically indiscernible, though he glanced Cillian’s way. As he did so, Gilroy spied a muscle twitching in Laird Tad’s jaw.
He despises us fer this. He is just trying his best tae hide it.
“The land is a better off fer yer. Significantly so.”
“Yet we will keep tae the deal already made.” Gilroy stood, showing silently their discussion was at an end.
For a few seconds, Tad said nothing. He stared at the desk between them, and Gilroy wondered if Tad intended to battle for the sake of his sister’s future. Then Tad seemed to think better about making any future objection. The laird stood and offered a single bow of his head to Gilroy. He made to sweep from the room, but in the doorway, hesitated.
“A word of wise tae yer sister, me laird,” Gilroy called to Laird Tad. “She is too valuable tae risk her life fer the sake of a village child. That boy out on the ice was nothing but the son of one of our maids. She shouldnae take such a risk again.”
Laird Tad’s expression was not so easy to hide this time. He was plainly horrified.
“I’ll leave me sister tae act as her heart wishes. It is one of the finest things about her, her noble heart.” He flicked his gaze to Cillian. “May her future husband remember that.”
He bowed once more to the pair of them, clearly having no wish to stay any further in their company, then left the room.
Gilroy waited some time after the door had closed before he spoke again, determined to wait until Tad had walked away. Eventually, when he was certain that Tad would not be able to hear them, he turned to Cillian with raised eyebrows.
“We have a problem,” Cillian said, his voice husky before Gilroy could even speak of it.
“I ken.” Gilroy nodded.
“This Bran.” Cillian scoffed outwardly. “A politician he may be, but he has her heart. If we wish her tae stand in that church and nae refuse her vows, we must be rid of Bran fer good.”
“Very well.” Gilroy nodded. It was a matter of business now, just making the arrangements. “Then we shall be rid of him.”
Bran’s eyes shot open. He could hear someone in the room moving around. Someone had picked up a poker and was stirring the fire, he could feel the heat of it across the room, hear the cracking sound of the spitting wood too, but for the first time in days, it didn’t feel as if his body was radiating its own heat.
With sudden strength, Bran sat up in the bed, something he had struggled to do with ease over the last few days.
At his movement, there was a gasp by the fireplace. He looked around, seeing that Catreena nearly dropped the poker in her grasp in surprise. On the other side of the fire, Ilyssa was fast asleep in a settle bench, her feet curled up on a cushion beside her.
Catreena covered her mouth in amazement, her eyes wide and glinting in the firelight.
“Good evening,” Bran said as nonchalantly as he could and moved to the edge of the bed, pulling on a pair of boots he found there. “How much have I missed?”
Catreena put the poker down and hastened toward him. She kissed him at once on the cheek and pushed his hair back from his forehead, checking his temperature.
“How old am I, Catreena? I’m nae a bairn.”
“Ye had a fever. It has gone.” She smiled at once. “Bran, ye are nay longer hot tae the touch. How dae ye feel?”
“I feel… fine.” He judged this as he stood. The last time he had stood was when Tad had helped him from the healer’s rooms to his own chamber. He’d felt dizzy then, but now, there was no dizziness at all. “Thanks tae ye and Ilyssa, it seems. I feel quite well indeed.”
He moved to a bowl of water nearby and freshened up, splashing his face and washing his mouth out too.
“Dae ye really feel fine?” Catreena fussed at his side, blinking madly. It was with alarm he saw there were tears in her eyes that she was trying to fight. He laid a soft hand on her shoulder.
“Dinnae worry about me, sister. Ye must rest. Here, take this.” He found a handkerchief nearby and offered it to her. She snapped it out of his hand and promptly tapped him around the arm with it. “What was that fer?”
