Page 55 of The Wrong Bride
Riona had said nothing to anyone about the way she’d come to Larig Castle, and he wondered if that would change, now that his family was there to help pressure him. Little did Riona know, there was nothing his mother could do to impact him, not ever again. But Maggie . . . he had a soft spot for his younger sister, and been her guardian against the worst of their father’s drunken outbursts. While Hugh had spent much of each of the last seven years in London, she’d been the one he’d written to, whom he’d missed the most.
“When did you last see your family?” Riona asked, as the guards dismounted and went to assist the women.
“Earlier this summer after my father died.”
Her expression sobered. “Of course. Forgive me.”
He frowned at her. “You have nothing to ask forgiveness for.”
“But I thought your arrival with me was the first time you’d been here in years.”
“It was. I was not here for the burial but I saw my sister and mother in Edinburgh later.”
Hugh seldom stayed in the same room with his mother for long. At least she had not put on a show of mourning, but had been solemn with respect for Hugh himself, as the heir.
And then he smiled, for Maggie was running toward him. He scooped her up in a hug that made her groan.
“You’re crushing my ribs, brother!” she said in Gaelic. When he put her down, she smiled at Riona. “Lady Catriona, how wonderful to meet you at last!”
At Riona’s bewildered expression, Maggie repeated it in English, then impulsively hugged her. It was good to see Maggie looking happy. Hugh thought it had been a few years since she’d been the carefree girl he remembered, but then she had had to deal with problems few could imagine.
Maggie had dark, wavy hair like his, and she wore it pulled back to the nape of her neck under a jaunty straw hat tied beneath her chin with ribbons. She wore a plaid shawl to combat the breeze of a Highland summer over a dark green riding habit.
“Lady Catriona, may I present my sister, Maggie McCallum. Maggie, my betrothed.”
“Please call me Riona,” said Riona, smiling politely.
The two young women took each other’s hands, and Hugh found himself hoping that at last Riona would find a friend, someone who could help her see that life as the wife of a Highland chief wouldn’t be so bad.
But he hoped Riona wouldn’t confide quite everything to his sister . . .
And then his mother approached sedately. She wore a frilly cap over her gray hair, and her gown was dull in color, as if still in mourning for the man who’d destroyed their family.
Riona curtsied to her as Hugh made the introductions. “Mother, this is Lady Catriona Duff. Riona, my mother, Lady McCallum.”
“Lady Riona,” his mother said in a formal voice, even though her eyes drank in the sight of Riona as if she were a lifeline back to Hugh.
Nothing could be that for Hugh, not after all the secrets and lies.
“So you met your betrothed at last,” Maggie said, eyeing Riona from head to toe. “He has waited a long time, my lady.”
Riona blushed, then glanced at Hugh with a worry that hopefully only he could see.
“So how did your first meeting go?” Maggie continued. “It must have been tense.”
Hugh was tempted to jump in and answer, used to being in control, but he just gave Riona a smile.
“It wasverytense,” Riona said at last. “I—I had heard nothing about the marriage contract at all.”
Maggie’s smile faded. “Oh, how dreadful that your family didn’t prepare ye.” Then she glanced at her brother. “But ye’re here with us at Larig Castle, so I’m hoping that means ye see ye’ve been blessed.”
Riona could feel herself going pale, the blood draining away. Blessed? To feel so conflicted all the time? To not even be able to hate one’s captor? And here she had the perfect opportunity to embarrass him before his family, and she couldn’t even do it.What did that say about her deepening feelings for him?
She told herself that it would be unwise to make enemies of them, because of course they would take his side. But she could still use this time to understand Hugh, to figure out the mystery of Brendan and help him if possible. Hugh’s family must know the truth.
Hugh gestured her to precede him up the stairs to the entrance of the great hall. He took the arms of his mother and sister and followed behind. Riona glanced over her shoulder, to see him talking to Maggie, while his mother remained silent and pale. This was the woman who’d tried to save him from his father’s drunken behavior. Wouldn’t that inspire some sort of closeness or at least loyalty? Apparently not, for she’d never seen Hugh behave so coolly to one of his own clan, let alone his mother.
In the great hall, new platters of hot food were being brought out to serve the chief’s family. They all sat down on the dais to eat, on display for those gentlemen and servants who watched closely. Maggie was seated to Hugh’s left, and Lady McCallum was seated on Riona’s right. Hugh spent much of the meal chatting with his sister about friends they both knew in Edinburgh. He spoke in English and kept drawing Riona in, which she appreciated, but then there was his mother, silent andwithdrawn on her right. Riona couldn’t ignore the woman.
