Page 63 of The Dark Wolf's Deliverance

‘I have nothing to say, so why not give me a whipping and get on with it.’

‘Conall, I will have the truth, and you will put this thing right.’ His voice was all anger now.

‘It pains me to say it, Laird,’ piped up Father Boyle, in a voice which was anything but pained. ‘Your son is nought but a drunken fool, sick with lust, and he has used that poor innocent girl very ill, very ill indeed. His sins have finally caught up with him, and now….’

Conall struggled not to rip his head off. ‘You can take your opinion Father and shove it up your….’

‘Thank you, Father Boyle, for those words of wisdom, helpful as always,’ interrupted his father.

‘I didn’t do anything dishonourable to Kenna, I swear,’ he said, lying through his teeth. If he couldn’t salvage his honour, at least he could protect hers.

‘Do you seriously expect us to believe that, Conall, when you’ve rutted our way through half the village?’ Murray had decided to speak, and Conall wished he’d just kept his mouth shut.

‘Yes, Murray, for it is the truth, I didn’t touch her.’

‘Well, if that is the case, we can’t in all conscience make him do it,’ Murray said, turning to the others.

‘Make me do what?’

‘The only way to save Kenna from being returned to her betrothed is to wed her to someone else. If she has a husband already, she can’t marry this Menzies fellow,’ said Duncan evenly.

‘What the hell are you talking about?’

‘Kenna needs the protection of a husband, so we will find someone suitable. If you won’t do the right thing, I am sure someone will, and you have a rival, you know.’

‘Meyrick is sweet on her, came to me the other day and asked leave to court her,’ said Rory. ‘Maybe she’ll take him, though he’s a bit of a strange one.’

‘No, she bloody won’t.’

‘If not, then who, Conall? However much you deny it, I know you did something with that girl. The truth now, what is she to you son?’

‘Kenna is my friend. She’s kind and good, and she doesn’t deserve this, talking about her in such a way, as if she is yours to gift to some man she doesn’t care for. I didn’t rescue her just to have that fate befall her.’

‘But you did do something, admit it, and be a man.’

‘Well, whatever I did do, and it wasn’t half as much as I wanted to, it certainly wasn’t lying with her.’

‘So you did seduce her then?’

‘Not completely, and well, it’s not as if she was fighting me off.’

Duncan rolled his eyes. ‘For the love of God, Conall, that is no excuse.’ He was shouting now. ‘You steal her from her family, take her on a dangerous journey which could have killed her, and then you have your way with her and drag her home to Dunslair to carry on seducing her whilst leaving her to the mercies of strangers with no dowry, no land, no prospect of a respectable husband. Have you no honour, boy?’

‘I didn’t take her maidenhead. I swear.’

‘So what did you take exactly, Conall?’ growled Murray, his voice had become hard with disapproval, and there was a thunderous look on his face.

Conall glared at him. He had hoped Murray would be on his side, but he was no help at all, and he seemed overly concerned about a girl he hardly knew, not that it was any of his business anyway.

‘I’m ashamed of you, Conall,’ Murray growled. ‘You don’t just seduce a woman, an innocent, and then abandon her. That is not what an honourable man does, and I have always thought you had that in you. You have my love, Conall and you always will, but if you don’t do right by Kenna, then you forfeit my respect.’

‘Of course, I will do right by her, Murray, and if marrying Kenna is the only way to keep her safe from Donald Menzies, from her father, from Meyrick’s slimy attentions, I will do it. But before you start congratulating yourselves, just one thing. What makes you think she wants to wed me?’

‘What makes you think she doesn’t? You said you were friends, that you owe her a debt, surely there are worse husbands out there than you,’ laughed Rory.

‘And you won’t know until you ask, will you?’ said his father. ‘So I suggest you get on with it.’

When Conall had gone, Murray followed him out. ‘Best go talk some sense into him,’ he said.

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