Page 6 of The Pirate Laird's Hostage

‘That may be true Ramsay, and yet I am minded to accept him.’

‘Don’t do it. Don’t wed that preening creature who sees only your beauty, who sees you as a trophy to parade before all.’

‘I must at least think on it. Owen fights bravely for the King and is loyal to my brothers and to Clan Buchanan. He is kind and brave, any woman would be lucky to have him.’

‘Aye, he is brave, but there’s no grit in his soul, as there is in yours. Wed him and within a year or two, you will despise him. He will break against your hardness, Morna.’

‘What would you have me do, Ramsay?

‘Wed me instead.’

Morna sucked in a breath at the absurdity of his words. Was he jesting? He could not be in earnest. She tried to gather her thoughts and keep her face from betraying her horror as Ramsay took a step closer.

‘I would adore you, as I always have. I’d never raise a hand to you nor leave you unprotected. I know I am not handsome and exciting like Owen Sutherland, but I am loyal and steadfast in my adoration. I have known you as a wee girl and thought of you as nothing more until you blossomed into a woman and such a one as to make my heart break with wanting you. I know it was wrong of me to think of you in that way, but I did, I do, I always will. I love you.’

‘Ramsay, stop.’

‘These last few years, I have kept my feelings buried so as not to offend your brother. But now I feel I have proved myself worthy of you time and again. I have been loyal to this family and to my Laird. Is it so terrible to ask for that reward which I have secretly yearned for?’

Morna shook her head, backing away. ‘Ramsay…I…you honour me, truly, and I value you so much as a friend and a protector, but we would not make each other happy.’ Her face was on fire, she felt sick, foolish tears pricked her eyes.

This was awful, Ramsay was awful, to say such things to her. How could he just blurt them out like that? She had to get back to Beharra.

‘Give me a chance,’ he continued, desperation in his voice. ‘Stay here with me at Beharra, ease my loneliness.’

‘I don’t want to idle my whole life away at Beharra. That would be a kind of death for me, you know this.’

‘We can be gone if that is what you wish. Do not fear my affection for I will be gentle with you, Morna.’

‘I can’t,’ she sputtered. ‘It is not right for us.’

‘So you are saying I am not worthy?’

‘I am saying I do not love you, Ramsay and no matter how high my regard for you, I fear I never will.’

‘Marriage is not about love, girl. It is about having the protection of a man’s strength.’

‘I can protect myself, and you must stop this. Cormac would never allow it, he would…’

Ramsay’s voice turned hard. ‘Since when did you care what Cormac thinks? You defy your brother at every turn. No, that is an excuse and not a very good one.’

‘Ramsay you go too far,’ she said.

‘I don’t go far enough.’ He grabbed hold of her. ‘Do you think me a fool, Morna?’ Ramsay shook her hard. ‘If you are going to humiliate me at least do it honestly.’

‘Let go of me. I want to go back to Beharra.’

‘No,’ he said, and there was a hard look in his eyes. His fingers dug into her arm painfully.

Morna wriggled to get free of him, but he was incredibly strong and instead pulled her against him, his belly up against her back, arms around her like a vice. Squeezing her tightly, he put his forehead against her hair. When he spoke, his voice made her shiver. ‘Calm down, Morna and listen to me for both our fates depend on this moment. Tell me true. Will you marry Owen and spurn me?’

‘Ramsay, stop this.’

He slid his cheek against her hair. ‘What a thing it is to touch you, finally, after those days and nights of torture yearning for you. I’ve seen you with Sutherland, I’ve seen you two kissing, his hands all over you. Did you whore yourself because of his pretty face? Did I ever stand a chance, Morna, or have I been a deluded fool all these years? The truth now, girl.’

Anger took Morna. ‘You want the truth, you can have it. I have never looked at you in that way Ramsay and I never will. If I let Owen touch me, it was because I wanted him to. But you will get your hands off me, now.’

He pressed his head into hers, breathing into her hair and then he released her. Morna glared at him, her heart pounding and anger making her whole body shake. How dare he take such liberties.

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