Page 32 of The Wrong Highlander (Highland Brides 7)

“If?” Aulay asked as he stopped at the foot of the bed and glanced around.

“Well, the Maclean offered her to Rory, no’ me,” he pointed out, and then muttered, “Besides, a lifetime seems a hefty price for a couple minutes in the clearing.”

“A couple minutes is all it takes,” Aulay said dryly, and then turned to eye him. “And ye ken the Maclean will make the offer to ye now he kens what is what and Rory has stepped back from the offer.” When Conran didn’t comment, he added, “It sounded to me like ye were intent on marrying her when ye pointed out she could be bearing yer bairn right now. Was I wrong?”

Conran shifted uncomfortably, knowing that was true.

“Although,” Aulay continued, “I will confess I thought at first that ye were no’ pleased with the idea.” He raised his eyebrows in question. “So, which is it? Do ye plan to marry her, or do ye no’? I’ll support ye either way,” he added solemnly.

“Ye will?” Conran asked with surprise. He’d felt sure his brother would force him to marry Evina. He had ruined her after all.

“Aye, o’ course I will. We’re family,” he said solemnly. “So? Yay or nay?”

Conran turned away and considered the question, but he didn’t really see a choice. While he hadn’t spilled his seed, he had ruined Evina. He’d carried away the proof of her innocence on his cock, and it was now gone. He couldn’t just walk away and pretend it hadn’t happened. On the other hand, she didn’t want to marry him . . . Which had the obtuse effect of making him want to marry her and prove that the bedding could be a pleasure, and that he could make her happy as a husband. Conran was quite sure he could make her happy. He also suspected he could be happy with her.

It wasn’t just her uninhibited passion that made him think that. Conran had been watching Evina since arriving here. Not just in passing either. He’d often watched from the window in her father’s room as she’d moved around the bailey, handling castle affairs and practicing in the bailey with the men. Evina walked with a confident stride he’d only ever seen with his sister, Saidh. She handled her sword like she’d been born with it in hand. She handled the men with the same natural skill, and he could tell they respected her. They obeyed her orders at once and without complaint.

But there was more. Their outing to collect medicinals had been rather revealing. He’d deliberately put the gathering of the plants before the meal to see how she was when she was hungry and tired and Evina hadn’t complained once. She also hadn’t got snappy or cranky either. She’d merely got a bit quieter, her humor getting drier. Conran had enjoyed her wry sense of humor and honesty that day. Evina had flat-out admitted she was supposed to be nice to him, and that she was bad at that kind of thing. She’d admitted her faults with a complete lack of self-consciousness. As if it was just the way it was, and he could take it or leave it as he wished. Conran found he wished to take it.

“I guess I’d best marry her,” he said finally.

“Good, good.” Aulay slapped him on the back and then urged him toward the door. “I really did no’ want to have to beat the shite out o’ ye.”

Conran stopped in the hall and turned sharply on him. “I thought ye said ye’d support me either way?”

“Aye,” he agreed. “And I would have. As yer brother I’ll support ye in anything ye do. And that would have included beating the shite out o’ ye until ye saw yer duty in this situation,” Aulay assured him.

“Ye could try,” Conran said grimly, and turned to head for his own room.

“Brother?”

“What?” He turned back with a scowl.

“The first time is always tricky,” Aulay commented, “but it sounds like ’twas particularly difficult for Evina.”

“Aye,” Conran said on a sigh. “Thinking her experienced, I acted more quickly than I would have had I realized otherwise.”

Aulay nodded. “I suggest ye do some wooing then, and show her that there is pleasure to be found in the marriage bed.”

When Conran arched his eyebrows at the suggestion, Aulay shrugged.

“This is a good deal for you. Ye’d have a home and people o’ yer own,” he pointed out. Smiling faintly, he then added, “Besides, I like Evina. I think she’d be good for ye.”

“Ye like her?” he asked with surprise. “Ye hardly ken her.”

“I ken her actions and she’s shown spunk,” Aulay said with a shrug, and then asked, “Did ye ken she is usually the one who trains the men at practice and gives them their orders?”

“Aye,” Conran admitted. “I did ken that.”

“And she took two men and came to fetch ye herself for her father,” Aulay pointed out. “She did no’ send someone else to do her dirty work. And I gather she knocked ye out to save her cousin?” When Conran nodded, he smiled. “She reminds me o’ Saidh, and I’m thinking ye could use a Saidh in yer life. With Evina for wife, ye’d ne’er need worry about the running of the castle when ye have to rush off to help one o’ our brothers as ye’re wont to do. She can handle matters in yer stead.”

Conran blinked in surprise as he realized he was right.

“However,” Aulay said now, “Evina does no’ have brothers to make her do the right thing here. And I suspect her father will no’ be able to force her. He might order it, but I would no’ put it past the lass to run away rather than marry ye.”

Conran stiffened at the suggestion.

“I’m thinking wooing and bedding her well and often are the only way ye’ll be getting her before a priest. Understand?”

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