Page 6 of The Icy Highlander's Bride
"Ye are serious?" she asked. "Ye daenae even ken me. I daenae even ken yer name!"
"Daniel Clark, Laird of Clan MacCrawford," he announced, flashing her a smile. "And ye are Lana of Clan Gunn. See? I do ken ye."
"We cannae marry just because ye ken me name!" Lana cried. "We are strangers."
"If ye remember, lass, ye are the one who chose me."
He stepped closer to her, slightly too close, as he reached around her to grab a glass of his own. He downed the drink, feeling her eyes on him the whole time, before he set it down, brushing against her arm in the process.
This moment, meant to draw her closer to him, only seemed to upset her. She stepped away from him, and her expression suddenly turned into one of hurt.
"Ye shouldnae tease me," Lana protested. "I am nae some child ye can mock and make a show of."
"Nay," Daniel said, suddenly eager to speak to her clearly. "I dinnae tease ye. I am looking for a bride, and ye're clearly unmarried."
He thought the words would calm her down. This was a simple logic problem, after all. Daniel needed a wife to look after his young daughter. Lana was unmarried, and he knew he was at least as good as whatever old laird her brother had in mind for her. It seemed like an arrangement that could benefit both of them.
But instead of agreeing, Lana seemed all the more upset with him.
"Is that all that ye require?" she asked. "Just a lass who isnae married?"
"Ye have to agree, that's an important step." Daniel shrugged, finding her resistance off-putting. Would she rather be in a carriage headed back to the drunk Laird Cullen's castle right now? "Besides, ye owe me, remember?"
"I cannae marry ye," Lana said, folding her arms across her chest.
The image of her standing there, her eyes blazing as she faced off against him, made his heart beat faster in his chest. He struggled to understand if this mix of anger and desire was pleasant or painful.
"Is there someone else?" he asked darkly, imagining some fresh-faced boy without the scars he had acquired.
"Nay."
The answer was quick and surprising. Daniel looked down at her, narrowing his eye as he struggled to comprehend her.
"If there isnae another man, why can ye nae marry me?"
Her eyes dropped to the floor, and Daniel waited, running through possible answers in his mind. She could be afraid of him—that was the most likely answer. Or perhaps she wasn't ready to leave her family.
Whatever answer she gave, Daniel would be ready with a rebuttal. He had set out this evening to find himself a wife, and now that he was so close, he couldn't let her get away.
"I… I…" She squared her shoulders, and then she looked up at him, finding her confidence. "I want to marry for love."
Lana saw the scowl on his face immediately and then the slight shake of his head that showed her exactly what he thought about love. She imagined walking away. She could simply leave and forget that this night had ever happened. But when she glanced across the room, she saw Alexander standing there, his eyes fixed on them, clearly waiting for them.
"Love?" Daniel echoed, and she could hear the dismissal in his voice.
"Aye," she answered, forcing herself to stand tall in front of him. She doubled down on her answer, refusing to let him shake her resolve. "I will only marry for love."
There it was again, that short laugh that was little more than a burst of air expelled from his chest.
"Ye told me ye dinnae wish to be treated like a child. Is it nae childish to believe in such things?"
"Only for those who daenae believe in it," Lana answered. "If ye daenae believe in it, I daresay it will never appear."
"And how is that working out for ye?" Daniel asked. She felt a sharp stabbing sensation in her chest at his cruel words. "If ye believe, why has love nae found ye yet?"
"I willnae let ye shake me," Lana asserted. She dropped her arms and clenched her hands at her sides, breathing deeply to stay calm in front of him. "Just because we daenae see the wind, doesnae mean we believe in it any less."
For a moment, it looked like she had swayed him. His eyebrows rose slightly in surprise. But all at once, his expression was dark again, and she watched him turn away from her, physically dismissing her words.
