Page 67 of The Dark Wolf's Deliverance

‘Love? I am offering myself to you, all my wealth, my home, my family name, and you think me wanting, Kenna?’

‘I can’t be with a man who does not love me, who doesn’t really want me.’

‘I think I made it damn clear that I want you, woman.’

‘That is just lust, something you know a great deal about.’

Conall narrowed his eyes at her. ‘I told you what kind of man I’ve been from my own lips, and I refuse to stand here and beg forgiveness for what I did before I met you.’

‘But you can’t just stop being who you are because you wed me.’

‘For God’s sake, Kenna, I am offering my hand in marriage. Must you throw it back in my face? What is wrong with you? It is far more than you could ever have expected a few months ago. I can have my pick of girls from wealthy, well-connected families but I choose you.’

‘And there it is. We can never be happy because you will never think me good enough. I’m not a fool like all those other girls you’ve seduced, and I’ll not fall at your feet with gratitude at your proposal. The mighty Conall Campbell deigns to offer me his hand, and I am supposed to be live out my days here as your grateful little wife so that your sense of honour is satisfied while you carry on lifting every skirt for miles around. If you think I will do that, then you are a fool.’

‘And you are a fool if you think you have any choice in the matter.’

‘Oh, but I do, and I’ll not trade one prison for another, so I reject your proposal, Conall.’

‘You can’t mean that.’

‘I do. You may think you can force the world to be as you want it, that you can force me to fall in line with your wishes, but you cannot.’

‘If you refuse me now, I’ll never ask you again.’ Conall shook his head, anger twisting his guts. ‘That you could wound me like this after everything I’ve done for you.’

‘I don’t mean to hurt you, Conall. I just can’t marry a man who can’t say he loves me.’

‘Oh, I cansayit. I can lie through my teeth and tell you everything you want to hear. I can flatter you with oily words that satisfy your girlish, romantic notions of what love is. That is what Meyrick would do?’

‘He has nothing to do with this.’

‘Oh yes, he does. Do you think I haven’t noticed you two cosying up to one another? I can only imagine what poison he must have been dripping in your ear. But Kenna, if you had any loyalty, you wouldn’t believe everything you are told like a gullible fool.’ Conall kicked the ground in anguish. ‘To think I was going to lower myself to marry my enemy’s daughter. What your father did to me, I was prepared to let it go just so that I could protect you, and yet you want no part of me. I thought you had some kind of affection for me, some soft feelings. And this thing between us, it could have been love. It could have grown to be that, but now, I cannot bear to look at you.’

He walked away then turned back abruptly. ‘Let me give you one last piece of advice, Kenna. Find a man to marry before Menzies drags you back. Let him be the kind of man who raves about how ardent his love for you is, who tells you everything you want to hear. But remember this - once you have made your bed, you have to lie in it.’

‘You are hateful.’

‘So you keep saying.’

Kenna shouted at his retreating back. ‘Conall. I pity you, for you know everything about seduction and nothing at all about love, and you never will.’

As he stormed back around the loch, Dunslair Castle seemed to tower above him with disapproval, ‘failure, fool,’ it was saying. His fragile hope of a new beginning, of being worthy of Kenna’s love was broken at his feet. Conall could think of only one thing to do.

***

It was getting dark, and Conall was about to ride out when Rory ran up to him. Erebus was stamping impatiently, eager to be off, sensing the turmoil in his rider.

‘Conall, where are you going in such a rush?’

‘Cailleach. Kenna refused me, in no uncertain terms.’

‘Ah, I’m sorry. Perhaps you caught her unawares, the suddenness of it.’

‘No, she doesn’t want me, turned me down flat, and so I need to let it go. I’ll not force her to have a man she doesn’t want. If I do that, I am no better than that Menzies bastard.’ He sighed and looked away at the distant mountains, and Rory could tell he was hurting. ‘Best I go and give Kenna time to work out what she wants to do, let the gossips find something else to prattle about.’

‘When are you returning?’

‘When I can bear to. Do something for me, Rory. Leave her be tonight. She is upset. I said some things that hurt her. Tomorrow, tell her I’ve gone and tell her I’m sorry for what I said. She will know what you mean. Keep her out of harm’s way while I am gone and watch her around Meyrick. I don’t trust that snake.’

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