Page 54 of Rescued By the Highland Warrior
Arabella leaned in close, her tone hushed as though the walls were listening. “I heard that Mr. McDougall has called fer his daughter tae come tae the castle. Strange timin’ right? Why now?”
Moira nodded thoughtfully, thinking back to the arrow.
“I doubt that it is true,” Arabella said quickly. “Ye cannae really trust everythin’ ye hear, but still, interestin’ nonetheless.”
Moira raised her cup to her lips thoughtfully and took a small sip, her gaze wandering from the cup’s edge to the far window.
“See I told ye,” Arabella joked. “I really dinnae have anythin’ tae share.”
“Nay,” Moira said thoughtfully. “That isnae true at all.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
“Roderick,” his mother’s voice sounded alongside a gentle knock on his study door. “Can I come in?”
“Of course, Maither,” he responded vacantly, his mind muddled with clouded thoughts. “I’m nae too busy.”
Isobel entered and stopped as soon as Roderick’s eyes met hers.
“What’s the matter with ye, Roderick?” she asked. “I can tell that somethin’ is botherin’ ye more than usual, an’ dinnae nae try to tell me otherwise.”
“I found some letters from Faither hidden at the hunting lodge,” Roderick responded curtly. He had decided to speak to Isobel about his concerns. He was too uncertain, too burdened and he needed his maither’s council.
“An’?” Isobel questioned, closing the door behind her.
“An’ I’m wonderin’ whether I’m doin’ the right thing, being wi’ Lady Wilson.”
“Roderick, why on earth would ye be wonderin’ that? Tell me more about these letters, for I ken neathin’ about them.”
“Faither wrote a letter addressed tae me, in which he made it more than clear that he wished me tae marry Malcolm’s daughter and tae give Malcolm’s family the position they deserve after livin’ on the periphery fer so long. The other letters were ordinary business of the clan.
Roderick frowned, unable to disguise his anguish as he ran a hand through his hair. He didn’t want to have to lay all this on his maither’s shoulders, but the problem was plaguing him.
He wanted Moira but he still also wanted to honor his father’s wishes. The conundrum was driving him mad.
Isobel stepped closer, her expression softening. “Roderick, I kenned yer faither better than anyone else, and although I dinnae ken the reason fer those letters, I dae ken that ultimately, all he would have wanted was tae see ye happy. It daesnae matter who ye are wi’.”
“That isnae true,” Roderick said shortly. “I am the laird. Faither taught me that the clan’s survival comes above all else.”
“It’s obvious that ye feel deeply for Moira, Roderick. An’ if he were here, he’d agree wi’ me that it would only be right fer ye tae be wi’ the lass that ye chose. If yer faither hadnae chosen who he wanted, we wouldnae have gotten together, an’ ye wouldn’t be sittin’ here today.”
“Maither,” he said shortly, unable to conceal how affected he was by her words. He was irritated, and he didn’t have time to think about why. “I dinnae have an obligation tae Moira.”
“What dae ye mean?”
“What I mean,” Roderick corrected himself quickly, “is that I just want tae dae right by faither.”
“Aye,” Isobel responded thoughtfully. “I understand that, son.”
“Nay, ye dinnae truly. This situation is far too complicated fer ye tae understand, Maither.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized how condescending and aggressive they sounded.
The more he suppressed his yearning for Moira, the more he tried to cast her aside for the good of the clan and for his father, the more erratic and untethered he felt. The injustice of it all was an uncompromising frustration that burned fiercely inside him.
“I understand that this is difficult fer ye son,” Isobel said, her eyes full of kindness that only served to make Roderick feel worse. “All I can advise ye, although I see right now ye dinnae want me advice, is tae listen tae yer heart more than ye’re listenin’ tae some old words.”
Roderick didn’t respond, and he picked up a quill from his desk twirling it idly to keep his hands busy.
