Prologue

PROLOGUE

M acMillan Castle, two years ago…

Even in June, Caitlyn MacMillan needed a shawl around her shoulders. The wind tugged at the pages of the book in her lap, teasing them open, threatening to blow them over and make her completely lose her page. However, as she sat in the gardens surrounding her father's huge castle, it was not the wind or her turning pages that distracted her. She had now read the same passage nearly four times and had not retained one single word.

It was, in fact, the thought of Aengus Lamont who held her concentration, for while she sat and attempted to read, Caitlyn was waiting for his arrival. She and Aengus had been courting for four months now, and she was certain, he would soon ask for her hand in marriage. In her mind, it was simply the next logical step.

Of course, she would say yes. A summer wedding would be so pretty. They might even have it in the very gardens where she sat. Her father's castle was large enough that even if the weather was not favorable, the great hall would certainly accommodate all who might attend. But Caitlyn would much prefer the gathering in the beautiful outdoors that surrounded her home. Looking about her, she imagined the ribbons and wreaths, the laughter and chatter of their guests, the music in the air, and she, the proud wife of a fine man.

The sound of footfalls behind her gave her great excitement. Not caring that she would lose her place, she slammed the book closed and jumped from the bench. With a wide smile, she turned to look upon the man she hoped would soon be her betrothed. Only, it wasn't Aengus at all.

"Good day tae ye, Caitlyn," Edan MacLachlan declared, striding confidently toward her.

Caitlyn dropped her smile and regarded him with the disdain she felt at his approach. While other lasses could hardly keep their eyes off him, Caitlyn was the opposite, and with good reason. Indeed, his dark hair flowed to his shoulders, and his striking looks got him anything he desired. He was tall, and broad, and full of charm. Charm she found repulsive.

Where other lasses saw Edan as the man he was now, Caitlyn had the unpleasant memories of a time when he was far less accomplished. When he had been younger and had relished in her making her life a misery.

Their fathers had been good friends for many years and would often travel the glens to visit each other. Thus, as her mother and father would enjoy the delights of Laird and Lady MacLachlan, Caitlyn and her sister Effie were forced into the company of Edan and his brother, Darach.

While close, the brothers could not be more unlike each other. Darach had always been serious and intelligent, while Edan was always the prankster or picking a fight. Given their characteristics, one might imagine that Darach was the older of the two, but as it happened, Edan was two years his senior.

The MacLachlan's visits came with instruction from Caitlyn's mother and father that she and Effie were to entertain the boys. And as much as she hated it, Caitlyn had no choice but to suffer Edan spending the entire visit making her life miserable. He loved teasing her and playing pranks – on one occasion, he actually put a frog in her bed, causing her to scream and cause an embarrassing commotion.

He would start arguments, and then blame her when the maids came to break up the fight. He pulled ribbons from her hair, making her chase him to retrieve them. He teased her about being delicate, comparing her to fine china. And on and on it went.

Edan MacLachlan had been the bane of her childhood.

After the dreadful murder of his father, Edan had taken on his role as laird of the MacLachlan Clan. Four years older than her, at seven and twenty, he led his people with bravery and fairness. But no matter how powerful, or mighty, or courageous he was, Caitlyn had never been able to shift her resentment.

Even now, after all these years, he still found great satisfaction in frustrating her. Bracing herself for whatever might be coming, she gave him a steady gaze.

"What are ye doing out here, Edan? Should ye nae be with me sister?"

"I cannae be with Effie every minute o' the day now, can I?" He smirked. "We'll be married soon enough, and then she'll be tied tae me."

Gritting her teeth, she tried to repress her annoyance at his arrogance. "Ye are intolerable." She spun around and turned her back to him. "I dinnae ken what me older sister sees in ye."

"Clearly, me good looks and charming personality," Edan continued, ignoring Caitlyn's rudeness, and walking around to face her.

"Well, ye may find somewhere else tae be. Aengus will arrive soon. I'm certain he's with me faither this minute, asking fer me hand."

Edan snarled. "Ye cannae be serious in wanting tae marry that man, Caitlyn."

"Who are ye tae judge? Aengus is a good and fine person, which is more than I can say fer ye."

As fine a man as Aengus was, Caitlyn was not in love with him. Not the kind of love the novels talked about. Not the love she had often witnessed gushing from her older sister when she gazed up at Edan. But that didn't matter. That was fairytale love, and from what she had seen, very few people discovered it anyway. Aengus made her feel comfortable. They had much in common, and she felt excited when she saw him.

They had met many years before at a carnival. Caitlyn had been much younger then, but he had made her laugh, and she had enjoyed being with him. Providence had caused their paths to cross once more just over seven months ago. Their friendship had started slowly, until one afternoon, Aengus had asked her if he might court her. It was certainly not love at first sight, but Aengus was a man of principles and great manners, and those things had impressed her. Was that not better than marrying a person she hardly knew, as so many of her peers had been forced to do over the last couple of years?

She would never disclose such a thing to Edan, of course. For a start, it was none of his business how she felt. But that was not her main reason for keeping it to herself. Edan, the trickster and teaser of her childhood, had not changed much in that regard. The last thing she needed was his snide remarks about her and Aengus's relationship. She had never confided in the man, and she certainly was not going to start now.

A movement behind Edan's shoulder caught Caitlyn's attention, and she beamed a smile as Aengus approached. While he was neither as tall nor as handsome as Edan, Aengus was still a striking man. He kept his blonde hair tied, emphasizing his strong jaw. His eyes were dark and intelligent, and his wide mouth always had a smile for her.

Until today, for as he approached, his brow knotted at the sight of Edan. The men shared a dark look, before Aengus finally came to stand at Caitlyn's side.

"Edan," Aengus growled.

"Aengus," Edan scowled back.

Caitlyn looked from one to the other worriedly. Fearing Edan's presence would scare Angus away, she said, "Ye must leave us now, Edan. Aengus and I have much tae speak about."

"Gladly," Edan spat. And without another word, he spun on his heels and stormed away.

Even as confusion danced in Caitlyn's head, she pushed it down. The two men were not often in each other's company, and thus, she couldn't remember a time before now, where they had displayed such anger towards each other. Clearly, something had happened.

Now isnae the time tae ask.

No, it wasn't. She would find that out later. At that moment, she was just delighted that Aengus was by her side.

Turning to him, she gave him a warm smile. "I am so delighted tae see ye, Aengus."

Pushing herself onto her toes, she reached to kiss his cheek, the way she always greeted him. Only, to her surprise, Aengus took a swift step back. At her stunned expression, Aengus took her two hands in his and sighed heavily.

"I need tae talk tae ye, Caitlyn. I have something important tae say."

While she felt bewildered at his reaction, she concluded that it might, perhaps, have something to do with Edan's presence only moments before. Internally, she scowled. Was she never to be rid of him ruining everything?

Shaking Edan's face from her mind, her heart skipped a beat as Aengus led her to the bench she had been sitting on earlier. Guiding her to sit, he settled himself beside her. Caitlyn could hardly contain herself as the anticipation grew.

This is it. He is going tae propose.

"I've been speaking tae yer faither?—"

"Aye, and?" she said, the eagerness too much for her to contain.

"I'm here tae say me farewells, Caitlyn," Aengus replied steadily.

What?

So stunned was she, Caitlyn could only gawp at him for several seconds. In startled silence, her thoughts escaped her, like her mind had been wiped clean of all the words she knew. It took a little time for the strange numbness to pass. And then, a wave of fear started in the pit of her stomach. Her mind whirled, trying to grasp on to a meaning that would make her heart stop thumping, but she could think of anything that would make any sense. Eventually, she seemed to find her voice.

"I beg yer pardon?"

Aengus lowered his gaze and continued. "We willnae be courting any longer. Nor will there be a union between us."

While she had already, if not a little slowly, come to that realization, hearing it stated so plainly stabbed at her heart. How could this be true? It made no sense. Why, after all this time, had Aengus decided that he didn't want to be with her?

Maybe this wasnae his decision.

Anger welled up in her breast as she drew the only conclusion that made any sense. "Me faither refused ye?"

Aengus looked at her sadly, and then shook his head. "Nae, Caitlyn. It wasnae yer faither. I didnae go tae him tae ask fer yer hand in marriage. I went tae tell him that I'm breaking off the courtship. I thought it was only right that he kent first."

Caitlyn could not feel more confused. Only yesterday, she and Aengus had wandered around the castle, gleefully talking about their future. Aengus had spoken about inheriting his father's land, and what he wanted to do with it. Caitlyn had talked about a family, and what a joy it would be for them to have children of their own.

What has changed? What happened between then and now, fer Aengus tae suddenly change his mind?

Caitlyn felt her heart shattering into a thousand tiny pieces. The future she had been imagining for the last few months had been snatched away in a few simple words. As devastated as she felt, however, her stubborn independence refused to let her emotions show. As delicate as everyone thought she was, inside she was as resilient as any of her father's soldiers. If she wasn't good enough for Aengus, then he certainly didn't deserve to see her heartbreak.

Steeling herself, she shifted and lifted her chin, determined to save face. At least, on the outside. "May I ask why?"

Aengus dropped his gaze, but didn't reply immediately. He seemed to be weighing up what he ought to say. Finally, but still without looking at her directly, Aengus murmured, "I cannae court ye any longer because o' Edan MacLachlan."

Caitlyn was now even more stunned. As the wave of shock washed over her, her earlier anger returned. Narrowing her eyes, she stared at Aengus. "What has our marriage got tae dae with him?"

"Edan doesnae approve o' me marrying ye. He's made it clear, he'll make mine and my clan's life hell if I go through with it." Aengus stood, and as astonished as she was, Caitlyn stood with him.

"But, Aengus?—"

"I'm sorry, Caitlyn. Truly, I am. I'll miss our conversations. I'll miss yer soft brown hair and the vibrant green o' yer eyes. Ye're such a charming and elegant wee lass, and I was lucky tae have yer company fer as long as I did."

Taking her hand to his lips, he kissed it tenderly. Sorrow marred his face, and with a final heavy look, he turned, leaving Caitlyn stunned, alone, and reeling.

It was hard to imagine how she was supposed to feel, but feel she did. Everything from devastation to inner rage raced through her body. Dropping onto the bench in astonishment, a flurry of thoughts battled for her attention. Why had Edan threatened Aengus and his clan? What had happened between them?

Whatever it was, it didn't matter. Edan had no right. He had no right to threaten Aengus. He had no right to tell the man who he could or could not marry. He had no right to ruin the future she had been looking forward to this past month.

Who the hell does he think he is?

Aengus was hardly off the hook, either. One threat was all it had taken. One threat, and he had turned and ran. What kind of man was he? What kind of warrior was he? Was she not worth fighting for?

Clearly not.

Back and forth her mind went; anger, confusion, despair. The life she had imagined would make her happy had been just there, on the horizon, beckoning her. Now, it had dissipated, faded like the early morning mist under the heat of the rising sun. Edan had done that to her. Did he truly hate her that much? As the anger boiled in her heart, Caitlyn determined one thing that would remain true for the rest of her life.

I will forever loathe Edan MacLachlan.