Chapter 24

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

I t wasn’t the first time Alaric had seen Lucia fight; far from it, in fact. But every time he saw her, something ignited in him. She was not only strong and graceful, but as strong as any soldier he knew. Alaric himself had always felt more kinship with soldiers than he did with nobles since the life he had chosen was one that had him spending more time with the former rather than the latter, and it was yet another difference between Lucia and Kayla that he couldn’t ignore.

He had to speak to his brother. There was no other way around it.

As they all sat in the drawing room drinking tea, Alaric nodded to his brother, giving him a meaningful look. It was a look they had shared plenty of times before, and so Evan knew to excuse himself and follow Alaric out of the room subtly, the two of them heading to the courtyard, where they could be away from the others.

Alaric had some small reservations about leaving Lucia with Kayla, but at least Bonnie and Isabeau were both still there. How wrong could things go, he wondered, in the time that he would be gone from the room?

“What is it?” Evan asked as they stepped outside. Alaric had a suspicion that Evan already knew what he was going to tell him, or at least had an idea. His brother was clever, and he had been watching him and Lucia all day.

“I need tae tell ye somethin’ an’ I need ye tae consider it carefully,” he said. “Even if yer first reaction is tae disagree.”

Evan took a deep, steadying breath, already reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose, as he often did when he was trying to stave off an oncoming headache.

“Go on,” Evan said.

Alaric took a steadying breath of his own. Then, he said, “I dinnae wish tae wed Kayla.”

Feigning shock, Evan gasped. “Truly? I would have never thought.”

Rolling his eyes, Alaric pushed Evan with his shoulder. “Dinnae dae this now,” he begged. “This is serious. I didn’t plan to, but I have fallen in love with Lucia, Evan an’ I cannae hurt her like this.”

For a long time, Evan said nothing. When he spoke, he did so carefully, his tone measured. “I understand,” he assured him. “But I’m sure ye also understand what it is ye are askin’ o’ me.”

“I dae,” Alaric said. He knew there was no easy way out of this marriage. If nothing else, then they would lose an important alliance and that was the best case scenario. For all he knew, there would be consequences he could not even predict yet. “But I am only askin’ because I have nay other choice. I love her. I love her more than anythin’ an’ I cannae imagine bein’ wedded tae anyone else.”

He knew Evan could understand him. He adored Bonnie more than anything and if their roles had been reversed, he would have done the same for her. So, Alaric simply stared at him hopefully, waiting for an answer.

“Ye’re me braither an’ I want ye tae be happy,” Evan said with a heavy sigh. “But it willnae be easy, ye ken that as much as I dae. The political ramifications, the possibility that this will start a feud between clans…”

Evan’s voice trailed off, but Alaric didn’t need him to say anything else for him to know what he meant. The alliance was important and they would be losing it. On top of that, the Sinclair Clan could very well take offence and neither Alaric nor Evan could predict what would happen then. But Evan had already agreed and that was good enough for Alaric.

“I ken, braither, and I will dae anything I can tae keep the peace and avoid problems fer ye and the clan” he said, pulling him into a tight embrace. “We will find a way taegether. Thank ye. Ye cannae imagine how happy that makes me.”

Evan chuckled, patting his back comfortingly. “I’m glad,” he said. “Ye deserve tae be happy. Ye must however speak to Kayla immediately and then I will write her family and reconfirm our alliance to their clan nonetheless,” he added, to which Alaric solemnly nodded.

When they pulled back from each other, they remained silent for a short while until Evan spoke once more. “I assume ye wish tae wed the lass, then?”

“Aye,” said Alaric. There was no doubt in his mind that he wanted to marry Lucia, but he knew this, too, could be a problem.

“I figured,” said Evan. “Ye are aware the council…”

The council may nae agree. She is a commoner, after all.

“I ken,” Alaric said with a nod. “But I must try.”

“I’ll help ye,” Evan promised. “I’ll come with ye an’ we will speak tae them together. Perhaps if they hear me, and they are reminded ye are nae the laird and dinnae have the same obligations as I dae, they will be more easily convinced.”

Alaric nodded, giving Evan a grateful look. He could not express in words just how grateful he was, not only for Evan’s understanding but also for his help. His brother had never let him down before, and Alaric was certain he would not start now.

“I’m happy fer ye, Alaric,” Evan added. “Lucia truly seems like a good lass.”

“She is,” said Alaric. “She is lovely.”

Preparing himself to confront Kayla was no easy task. In fact, Alaric thought there was nothing he could do to truly prepare himself. There was no getting ready for a conversation like that, no matter how much he tried and rehearsed in the looking-glass.

That afternoon, Alaric found Kayla in the gardens, taking a stroll by herself. When she spotted him, she stood a little straighter and came to a halt, smiling as she waited for him to catch up to her.

“Alaric,” she said in her sweet, melodic voice. “What a pleasant surprise.”

Alaric couldn’t help but wince a little at that. Kayla had no way of knowing what he was about to tell her and Alaric hated that he was about to shatter this illusion for her, but it had to be done. He couldn’t keep her in the dark any longer than he had already. The sooner he informed her of his decision, the easier it would be for them both.

“Kayla, I wished tae speak with ye about somethin’ important,” he said. It occurred to him that even now, he was delaying the inevitable, filling the silence with meaningless words instead of simply telling Kayla the truth.

“O’ course,” she said, turning to face him fully. “Ye can tell me anythin’.”

Alaric drew in a steeling breath. There was no going back now. He had to say it.

“I can only ask ye tae forgive me fer this, though I dinnae expect yer forgiveness,” he said, and the moment the words were out of his mouth, Kayla’s face fell. There was no smile on her lips anymore, no cheer in her gaze. There was nothing but a guarded blankness, as though a wall had been raised in front of her.

Alaric had never seen such an abrupt change in someone. It seemed practiced, as though Kayla had plenty of experience in hiding her emotions on command, and Alaric didn’t know what that said about her. Had she been feigning her sweetness all along or was she now trying to protect herself?

There was no other choice but to come clean.

“I am afraid I cannae wed ye,” he said. “Ye are a very bonnie lass an’ lovely, but another has me heart. It all happened after the agreement was made between our clans and me braither only just heard about it as well. I dinnae wish tae hurt ye, I promise ye. If I could, I would carry all that pain meself, but I’m askin’ ye tae please understand. I couldnae help but fall in love.”

That carefully constructed neutrality was instantly replaced by a mask of rage, Kayla’s beautiful features now contorting into something unrecognizable. She wasn’t trying at all to conceal her anger. If anything, it seemed to Alaric that she was amplifying it, letting it all come to the surface.

“It’s because of her, is it nae?” she asked, her voice dripping with venom. “All because o’ that lowborn.”

Alaric could understand her rage and her disappointment, he truly could; still, he couldn’t let her speak about Lucia like that in his presence.

“Her name is Lucia,” he said. “An’ this isnae her fault. If ye wish tae blame someone, then blame me. I deserve it, but she doesnae.”

Kayla scoffed, making a show of rolling her eyes. “Look at ye, defendin’ her honor. How very noble o’ ye.”

Alaric said nothing. There was nothing he could say to make the situation any better or soften the blow of his rejection. There was nothing he could say to excuse himself either, save for repeating that he had simply fallen in love without expecting it.

“I’m sure ye understand what this means,” Kayla said. “If ye expect me family tae have nae reaction tae this, then ye’re wrong. There will be ramifications, an’ ye best believe me braither willnae be pleased.”

“I am aware,” he said. He had given plenty of thought to the possible ramifications, and though none of them were ideal scenarios, he knew he would have Lucia and his family by his side. “An’ I will tae send me apologies tae yer braither an’ yer family as well. I truly mean nay insult tae yer clan. When I agreed tae meet ye and be wedded tae ye I could nae have kenned this would happen. It is nae right fer ye either, tae wed a man who loves another. Ye deserve better.”

“Dae ye think yer words change anything?” Kayla demanded. She sounded so cold, so cruel, so unlike the girl he had first met just the previous day that he couldn’t help but wonder again which one was the true Kayla. “It doesnae. This is still an insult. An embarrassment. Everyone will ken ye rejected me an’ everyone will ken why. What dae ye think they will say about me?”

Alaric wasn’t certain whether that was a rhetorical question, so he remained silent. Even if Kayla wanted an answer, he didn’t think he had one for her that would be satisfying.

“I’ll tell ye, since ye seem incapable o’ thinkin’ fer yerself,” Kayla continued. “They will all pity me. They will all laugh behind me back.”

“Come, now,” said Alaric, perhaps unhelpfully. “I’m certain nay one will dae that tae ye, Kayla. If they wish tae laugh at someone, they will laugh at me.”

“It’s Miss Sinclair fer ye,” Kayla said sharply. “An’ nay one will laugh at ye. Ye get tae have what ye want. Nay one will oppose ye an’ nay one will comment on any o’ it. Well, unless they laugh at that lowborn. Then we can be the laughingstock o’ the Highlands together.”

Before Alaric could say anything else, Kayla stomped away without another word. Alaric watched her, her hands balled up into fists, her gait fast and full of rage.

A part of him was relieved, of course. He had told Kayla and there was one less obstacle for him being with Lucia. The lightness that came with it should have been substantial.

Instead, he couldn’t help but feel a gnawing guilt. He knew he had hurt Kayla’s pride, if not her feelings. He knew he had uprooted her entire future, everything she had planned for several months. After all, she had been sent to Castle MacGregor with the sole purpose of becoming his wife, and now she would have to return to her clan, rejected.

Alaric wanted to think that no one would laugh at her as she claimed. That no one would start rumors regarding the reasons of his rejection of her, but knowing how things worked in society, he had to admit it was far more likely than he would have liked. For all he knew, people would spread the rumor that there was a flaw in her Alaric couldn’t overlook, no matter how much he would deny it.

And for a woman like Kayla, public image was everything. Once it was tarnished, there would be no going back.

He hoped that wouldn’t be the case this time. He hoped Kayla would come out of this unscathed and that no rumors would emerge, but if they did, he would do anything in his power to put them to rest. She truly seemed like a kind woman and she didn’t deserve such a fate.

Alaric didn’t try to push his feelings away for the reality was that he had hurt someone and the guilt that came with that ought to be felt, he thought.

With Kayla disappearing into the distance, Alaric turned around and made his way back into the castle. He had not yet told Lucia about anything, for after his conversation with Evan, he had wanted to speak with Kayla first and ensure nothing stood between him and Lucia. Now that the difficult conversation was out of the way, he could finally deliver the good news to her.

Once inside the castle, Alaric made a beeline to Lucia’s chambers, knocking on the door and not bothering to wait for a reply before he entered. The sight before him, though, gave him pause and his heart skipped a beat when he saw her.

She was in the tub, steam rising from the water around her. Her hair was wet, cascading down her back and over her breasts, her cheeks were flushed with the heat, and Alaric couldn’t help but think she looked like a mermaid of the legends, like a beautiful, mythical creature capable of luring any man to his death with her beauty.

When she saw him, she made no attempt to cover herself. If anything, she sat a little more upright, her breasts peeking over the water. Alaric gazed at her and suddenly his throat went entirely dry.

The look she gave him was one full of heat and desire. She smiled, the gesture so inviting he had a difficult time stopping himself from rushing to her and giving her anything she asked of him.

“Well?” Lucia asked, raising a curious eyebrow. “Will ye join me?”

Alaric didn’t know how he could possibly refuse such an invitation.