Chapter 25

Daemon woke to someone knocking on his door. He grunted and rubbed sleep out of his eyes, then winced at the aching in his head. He hadn't drunk enough to be hungover, but neither had he had enough sleep to feel functional. He and Laird MacDougall had spent several hours together, discussing the situation in regards to Clan MacLean and Clan Ranald, and their own actions.

In the end, he still planned to send soldiers, but now they would wait until Laird MacDougall returned with his own relief troops. Then MacDougall and MacMillan would march together.

That, of course, would be after Lyla had been returned to her father's home. The idea made him feel conflicted. On the one hand, she would likely be safer in her father's keep. And it wasn't as if it was strictly proper for her to be here with him, an unmarried woman in the same household as a widower of similar rank.

It made sense that she would return home, especially since he'd not yet told her father about the feelings that had developed between them. With no betrothal or other arrangement between them, she had no reason to stay with him.

Another round of knocking on the door dragged his thoughts back to the present. He sat up and called out. "Enter."

The door was flung open, and Lyla darted inside. Daemon blinked as she shut the door and turned toward him, her face tight with consternation. Daemon sat up a little straighter and reached for a kilt to wrap around him and give at least an appearance of propriety. "What's wrong?"

"We need tae tell me faither about us." Lyla started to pace across his rug. "I ken that it was me fault we didnae tell him last night, but I couldnae sleep. I cannae lie tae him fer long, and I dinnae want tae try. I'd rather tell him and brave his response, instead o' trying tae dance around the matter."

Daemon finished with his kilt and reached for a shirt. "I understand."

Lyla paced another turn, then stopped to look at him again. "I want tae tell our friends here as well. Ryan and Cai and Alyn."

Daemon suspected they'd already guessed, but he nodded agreeably. "I'll send a lad tae fetch them." He stepped forward. "I ken yer faither's like tae sleep late, with the riding yesterday, and how late intae the night we talked. Why dinnae ye ask the kitchens tae send breakfast fer five tae me study, and we can tell everyone the news there, in relative privacy?"

Lyla smiled, relief clear on her features. "Thank ye, Daemon. I'll dae that." She stretched up to kiss him on the cheek, then turned and hurried out of the room. Daemon smiled as the door shut behind her, and turned to finish dressing.

Twenty minutes later, they were gathered in his study, with a selection of sweet breads and fruit from the night before laid out for breakfast. Daemon gave them all time to eat something before he addressed the matter at hand. "There's something Lyla and I need tae speak tae ye about."

He reached out and drew Lyla into the circle of his arm. "Lyla and I have been spending time taegether, and we've come tae have feelings fer each other. In fact, we've fallen in love, and we're hoping her faither will bless a marriage between us." He glanced at Ryan and Cai. "That's the reason I refused the alliance betrothal with Clan MacLachlan."

He wasn't sure what response he expected, but it wasn't a laugh and a rueful exchange of a silver coin between Ryan and Cai. Alyn smiled and clapped her hands. "I was wondering when the two o' ye would realize."

"Realize?" Lyla stared at her friend; her expression slightly dazed.

"Aye. Ye've been dancing around each other since the first night ye arrived, and especially after the game o' hide and seek." Alyn giggled. "We've all been wondering when ye'd finally admit that ye were getting closer tae each other."

"Aye." Ryan nodded. "I've been thinking it was something like that since ye demanded tae take over her lessons in self-defense."

Cai snorted. "I was thinking it from the moment I found them in a closet taegether."

Lyla flushed. "That wasnae intended. I just didnae want ye tae find me…" She ducked her head as everyone laughed. "Ye ken what I mean!"

"Aye. We ken. But it doesnae mean we willnae tease ye." Alyn stepped forward to hug Lyla. "Ye're set tae become family now, which means yer likely tae be in fer teasing like everyone else. And dinnae think Daemon will escape his fair share." She smirked at him, and Daemon suppressed a sigh of exasperation.

Lyla looked between them. "Ye tease Daemon?"

"Nae so much when he was so gloomy, but now? Aye." Alyn reached out and wrapped an arm around him, and Daemon let her tug them together. "Ever since ye came tae the keep, me cousin has been smiling more. I was hoping it was because o' ye, and I'm glad tae ken I was right. Ye've helped Daemon relax, and regain some o' his old spark and enjoyment o' life. In fact, he's happier than I've ever seen him." Alyn squeezed him round the shoulders. "Is that nae right, Daemon?"

"It is." Daemon returned her embrace with a smile. He hadn't expected everyone to take the news so well, especially since Lyla was the sister of his first wife, but he was happy that they were so accepting of his growing relationship with Lyla.

Ryan opened his mouth to say something else, but a firm knock on the door interrupted him. At Daemon's nod, Cai went to the door.

Laird Kaelin MacDougall was standing outside the study, his face set in a stern expression. Daemon was sure he saw a flash of anger in the older man's eyes as he beheld his daughter in Daemon's arm. Still, the older laird managed to keep his voice calm and controlled as he spoke. "Laird MacMillan, there's something that's come tae me attention that I need tae speak with ye about. In private."

* * *

Lyla watched as her father stalked into the room. He looked calm and dignified, but she could see the anger in his eyes, and knew it was a deceptive calm that could shatter at a moment's notice.

Ryan, Cai and Alyn obviously sensed something was amiss, because they all made their excuses and left the room. When her father's gaze fell on her, Lyla lifted her chin and stared back. "Whatever it is ye have tae speak with Daemon about, surely ‘tis something I can hear as well."

"Lyla…"

"I'm nae leaving Faither." There were only two things she could think of that could put such an expression on her father's face, and both of them were things that concerned her.

As expected, after a moment her father scowled, but relented. "Very well. Ye might as well be here fer this as well. I intended tae speak tae Laird MacMillan first, but it concerns the both o' ye."

"Aye?" Daemon's voice was calm. "And what matter might it be that causes ye concern?"

"I was at breakfast, and I overheard some o' the servants talking. Specifically, talking about the two o' ye. They were speaking about how close the two o' ye have become since Lyla arrived and talking o' ye being... intimate. Or close enough that ‘tis like tae happen soon, if it hasnae already." His gaze flicked between the two of them. "I want the truth from ye."

Daemon stepped forward while she was still trying to decide what to say. "The truth is fair simple. Yer daughter and I have come tae ken more o' each other during her stay here. And as it happens, we've fallen in love with each other. In point o' fact, I'd intended tae speak with ye about the matter this morning, after breakfast. Lyla and I were trying tae decide how best tae approach ye."

Her father's expression tightened. "Ye... fell in love? Dae ye hear what ye're saying?"

"Aye. And I realize how it seems. But we didnae choose this, it simply happened, and we couldnae defy it either."

Lyla watched her father's expression darken with anger, and what looked like disdain, or disgust. "Ye say that, when ye were the husband o' me eldest daughter?"

"A-aye."

"And ye dinnae see how wrong this is? Fer ye tae be pursuing a lass who's a decade younger than ye and yer sister by marriage?" Lyla stepped back as her father stepped forward.

Daemon, however, remained firm, his expression calm and unruffled. "I ken how it looks, but I also ken I love yer daughter, and naething can change that. I'd like tae have yer blessing, afore I make the relationship official."

For a moment, Lyla thought her father would say no. He looked as if he was about to explode with rage. Then he huffed out a breath and closed his eyes. When he opened his eyes again, he was calmer, though he still looked far from happy. Lyla stepped forward. "Faither?"

"I dinnae like this. It seems wrong tae me, fer ye tae be with the man who was married tae yer sister. But... I'll nae say more than that until I've had time tae think it over."

Lyla felt a stab of disappointment, but also of hope. He wasn't happy, but he hadn't outright forbidden their relationship. "Mayhap, if we remain a few more days, tae give ye time tae think?"

Her father sighed again. "It might be best. There's other plans tae be worked out as well, I suppose. And me second-in-command can go ahead and start gathering the men and the supplies we need."

"Thank ye Faither." Lyla stepped forward to kiss his cheek.

"Dinnae thank me just yet daughter. I'm nae currently o' a mind tae permit this courtship, if only fer the sake o' yer sister's memory."

She wanted to argue, but before she could say anything, Daemon stepped forward. "I understand. But if I could clarify matters, perhaps it might set yer mind at ease?" His ice blue eyes met Lyla's. ‘Will ye give me a moment alone with yer faither, Lyla? There's something I need tae tell him, something that I'd like tae keep between us fer now."

She wanted to know what he was about to say. However, her desire to see her father placated enough to permit their relationship was stronger than her desire to listen to Daemon's words. Reluctantly, Lyla nodded. She gave her father a kiss on the cheek, then another one to Daemon, and left the room.

Hopefully, whatever it was he intended to say would change her father's mind about their relationship. In the meantime, she could spend some time with Alyn, and perhaps the two of them could find some ways to help her father understand, if Daemon couldn't convince him to see reason.

Still, she couldn't help hoping that Daemon could convince her father, especially since he'd once had the same doubts himself.