Page 64 of Married to the Highland Devil
“He believed in love,” Amelia said again, and her words brought Duncan back from his wandering thoughts. “Do you believe in love?”
“I dinnae ken,” Duncan answered honestly as he reached for her hand and pressed a kiss to it. “I havenae thought of love before. I have always kenned that I would marry and have bairns in the end, but love… it just wasnae a criterion for findin’ a bride.”
“I never even thought I would marry. I mean, who would have wanted to wed a blind lady? My father must have tripled my dowry when he made the call for suitors to compete for my hand.”
When Duncan stayed quiet, she asked, “Did he?” Her eyes widened, and her cheeks flushed. “Goodness, he sold me off and paid the price.”
Duncan chucked now. “It is naethin’ of the sort. I didnae ken how much worth yer dowry was… I still dinnae ken how much it is worth.”
“Oh,” she gasped. “I thought the only reason ye came was for the dowry?”
“It was,” Duncan said. “But I didnae ken its worth back then. When all of this is over, I shall send word to yer faither to come for the weddin’.”
Duncan noticed how Amelia’s lips quivered at that moment, and a frown spread out on his face. “What is it? Ye dinnae want yer faither to come?”
“No, it is not that I do not want him to come. I want that. It is just… I sent a letter to my father a while back with Yvaine’s help, but I did not get any response from him. I told him that I wished to hasten up the wedding and that I wanted him to begin his travel with Lily here, so we could get married as soon as possible.”
“Amelia, why would ye do something like that without tellin’ me first?”
“I wanted to help,” she answered quickly. “I should have told you, Duncan. I am so sorry that I did not, but I wanted to help your clan in the only way I could.”
Duncan sighed, and he pulled her closer, so she leaned on his chest, and he could caress her back. “It is all right,” he told her. “I understand, but the dowry does not help me. Laird MacGregor is after something else.”
He had not told his mother or Amelia about his last confrontation with Laird MacGregor because he did not want to worry them.
My clan.
Malcolm wanted McLennan, and he would do anything to get it.
Duncan would also do anything to protect his clan and his people. It was why he did not think of giving up.
And I cannae.
“Laird MacGregor doesnae need me to repay my faither’s debt. He made it clear the last time I was in MacGregor that he wanted my clan. This fight is for my lairdship.”
“Can he do that? What will you do now?” Amelia asked him after a moment.
He still had her in his arms, and that comforting feel of having her close by spread through all of Duncan’s nerves, making him want to relax here and forget everything else.
“I must fight to keep my lairdship. My faither left it to me, and I willnae give it up to a man like Malcolm. He might have deceived my faither, but he doesnae have me fooled. I see him for the vile man that he is.”
Amelia’s hand moved to his cheek now, and she gently patted it while she kept her face pressed into his chest. “Whatever happens, you have me by your side,” she whispered, then lifted her face. “You have me.”
And that is more than enough.
Duncan wanted to say the words, but he inhaled deeply instead. He kissed her forehead then the side of her lips before he took her lips for a full kiss.
It lasted only a second; Duncan heard the hoofbeats of a horse in the distance. The sound cut through the desire that clouded his senses. He moved fast the moment he heard the hoofbeats draw closer, and he reached for his sword first, drew it out, and took a wide but well-planted stance.
“My Laird!” the man on the horse yelled as he drew closer. When he brought the mare to an abrupt stop then jumped off the saddle and landed on his feet with a thud, Duncan recognized him.
“My Laird, ye must return to the castle, at once,” the guard said. “Arran has returned. He came back with Lady Yvaine. They are both safe, and no one is injured.”
Amelia scrambled to her feet once the guard delivered the news.
“They have returned home,” Duncan murmured as relief flooded him, and he felt lightheaded because of it. The wave only lasted a second before he composed himself. “I shall ride there at once.”
The guard bowed then mounted his horse and rode away again before Duncan turned towards Amelia, closed the rest of the distance between them, and enveloped her in a tight hug.
