Page 81 of The Wrong Bride
Maggie’s mouth dropped open, but everyone else seemed to freeze.
“Hugh,” his mother said in a trembling voice, “ye kidnapped Riona?”
She looked at her son as if her worst fears about him were confirmed, that he’d become like his father. Riona felt absolutely sick at heart, and wanted to fling herself between Hugh and all the disapproval and ugliness. But he wouldn’t welcome her interference.
“I did,” he said heavily, raking a hand through his dark hair. The queue came loose and his hair fell forward to brush his shoulders. “I thought I had the right after the earl tried to break the contract when we spoke. But I made a terrible mistake, and Riona has suffered for it—and the clan might suffer, too.”
There was a long, tense silence, where everyone stared at Hugh and Riona. She knew what they were thinking—that she should have made Hugh see the truth. She wanted to curl into a ball and retreat from them all back into her misery. But that would mean giving up, and she couldn’t do that, not when Hugh needed her.
“Take her back,” Dermot said. “Owen isn’t the same man as his father.”
“None of us know Owen well, do we?” Alasdair said bitterly. “He’s a Scotsman who wanted to be English.”
“That’s not true,” Maggie said.
Alasdair ignored her. “And we shouldn’t give up the lass. We should fight over the wrong the old earl did to ye. A contract is just paper, but the land is our birthright.”
“The land we could lose if he doesn’t take Riona back,” Dermot said.
“Do ye think brides are interchangeable?” Hugh demanded with bitterness. “I’ve dishonored both Riona and her cousin. I need to make this right. I will go to meet Owen.”
“But that could be dangerous,” Riona said. “Let me invite them here. Cat will want to see me.” And she could introduce Cat and Hugh, and then quietly step aside. It would be better for everyone, even though her heart would break into a thousand pieces.
“And bring the devil into our midst?” Alasdair demanded.
“These are my cousins, not the devil,” Riona insisted.
“Enough!” Hugh interrupted. “I will contact Owen and insist on a meeting. We will discuss this calmly and not like warriors demanding a battlethat will only hurt both our clans and perhaps draw the attention of the British at Fort William.”
Though Dermot and Alasdair exchanged skeptical glances, no one argued against Hugh, and Samuel opened the door for them.
“You were with him in England,” Dermot said to Samuel furiously. “Why did ye not stop him?”
“’Tis our place to support our laird, is it not?” Samuel asked.
Dermot swept past him, followed by Alasdair and then Samuel, who closed the door, leaving just the family.
Maggie looked at Hugh and Riona with concern. “How are ye both?”
Though Riona had worn a brave front these last days, to her embarrassment, tears brimmed in her eyes and fell down her cheeks.
“Oh, Riona!”
And then Maggie was hugging her, and Riona was so grateful for the support.
“I’ll be fine,” Riona said, straightening and stepping back. Hugh’s expression was stark with grief and guilt, and she didn’t want that. “We just need to make this work for the clan.”
“What about the two of ye?” Lady McCallum asked. “How can we help ye?”
“Only we can take care of this, Mother,” Hugh said grimly. “I’ll have to see what Owen has to say.”
“I want to be there,” Riona said.
He eyed her. “That’s not a wise idea. He’ll be offended on your behalf, on his sister’s behalf—and furious with me.”
Frustrated, Riona began, “But Hugh—”
“Nay, I’ll handle this as I see fit.”
