Page 43 of Kidnapped By her Highland Enemy
At a nearby inn, with tankards of spiced wine before them, Lucas said, “I came here kenning that the king was behind thistreachery. We’ve all felt his duplicitous hand before an’ I was sure that he was the source, only to find that we have nay king anymore.”
“I’d have kent the same thing,” Cinead shook his head.
“Of course ye would,” Angus huffed into his drink. “Like faither like son.”
“Faither,” Maisie admonished him quietly. “Please daenae start this again.”
“A lifetime of hatred an’ repulsion doesnae vanish in an hour, Maisie,” Angus said begrudgingly. “But now that we ken someone is out there plotting to kill us, I’ll fixate on that.”
“Dunn,” Lucas rubbed his face. “Tis only right for me to apologize for taking Maisie. In that moment, I had nae kent it made any sense to approach ye about the threat, so I acted instead.”
He looked over to her and smiled. “It was probably the best thing I did.”
Angus slammed his goblet down and glared. “Have ye laid one dirty, stinking—”
“Faither!”
“—hand on me daughter, Barclay?”
“I intend to marry her,” Lucas said plainly. “I want Maisie as me wife. I know I admire her, an’ I ken she’s willing to put herself at risk for those she loves.”
The silence that rang in the air after Lucas statement made her ears ring. Her father’s mouth had dropped, and his face was ash white while Laird Barclay had kept his composure, but his eyes were a tad wide as he pinned his gaze on his son.
Lucas sat back and looked utterly unconcerned, but Maisie saw some tension in his shoulders. “I figured, if a broken marriage contract was the reason this war between us had started, why nae mend it with a fixed one?”
Laird Dunn shook his head, “Ye cannae be serious, boy.”
“I am,” Lucas said, his tone broking no leeway. “I am going to marry Maisie an’ I would like yer blessing with it as well.”
“I’d die before I give ye—”
“Faither,” Maisie stopped him. “Please, stop. We’ve made the promise to have peace between us. Why nay enforce it with a marriage, because I do want to stay with Lucas, despite yer misgivings.”
He huffed and went back to his goblet, muttering dark curses under his breath. She looked to the senior Barclay and asked, “I suppose ye are nay happy about this either, are ye?”
The older man sat back and trailed a finger around the rim of his cup. “I would like to tell ye that I am surprised, but I am nae. I had a feeling something had started between ye two from the moment we saw ye in the castle’s hall. Lucas looked at ye the way I used to look at his maither.”
“Which is a good thing,” Lucas assured her before he drained his goblet. “A very good thing.”
Maisie’s soft sigh went unnoticed by her father and the senior Barclay, but not Lucas. He turned to her and with one look to her face, he seemed to understand her trouble.
“Daenae ye worry, Maisie, we’ll find out who is trying to rip our families apart, I promise,” he said, nearly reaching for her but dropped his hand short. “One way or another, we’ll find this miscreant an’ I am hoping we can muster our combined forces to do so.”
Looking from his father to hers, Lucas added. “It will be much easier if we combine our men on this, nay acting on our own.”
“He’s right,” Cinead said, his tone disgruntled but his words agreeable. “We might have progress on our own, but we stand a better chance united.”
Angus was still disagreeable, and it showed in his face. “But does that have to take amarriageto do so?”
“Faither,” Maisie said calmly. “With or without yer permission I am going to be with Lucas. I wouldnae want it that way, but I would like yer blessings still.”
“Ye cannae just drop this on me an ken I’ll accept it! I’ll need a day or two,” Angus said tersely, then looked at his goblet and added, “and a barrel of wine.”
“When we get home, I’ll start the preparations,” Lucas said. “It might take a few days.”
“Why yer home?” Angus griped. “Our land is better!”
“For heavens sake, Faither,” Maisie sighed. “Please stop protesting at every turn.”
