3. Chapter Two

Lorena was told by the maid who summoned her that she was to see her brother in his study. Taking a deep breath, she left her bedchamber and tapped on David's study door. Being summoned to enter, she opened the door and came to an abrupt halt.

Expecting to see the MacKay Laird, she was startled to see his brother, Craig sitting there. He rose when she entered, while her brother did not. No surprise there. He had the manners of a goat.

David waved her to a seat and leaned back in his chair and nodded at Craig. "'Twill be yer duty to tell the lass."

Confused at her brother's words, she turned to Craig. She'd forgotten how very handsome the man was. When she had visited the MacKay brooch, the maids were always trying to get his attention. He seemed like a nice enough man, but his appearance here was confusing. Had the laird been injured? Or dead? She shivered since she did have a liking for Robin MacKay, even though she didn't want to marry him.

"Sit down, Lorena," David said with a wave of his hand. "This is Craig MacKay, the laird's brother."

"I ken that. Do ye no' remember I was with ye when ye tried to foist me off on his brother?" She smoothed her skirts, avoiding both men's eyes. She knew she sounded a bit like a shrew, but she'd used that form of defense since she'd been a young girl. She found it better to attack before being attacked. That kept most people—particularly men—away from her. She didn't need a broken heart.

Craig cleared his throat and looked at David. "I would like to speak to Lorena in private."

David pushed his chair back, a bit more enthusiastic than needed and stood. "I'll give ye five minutes and then I'll send a maid to show ye to a bedchamber so ye can clean up before the evening meal."

Even more confused, she turned to Craig. "Is all well with yer brother?"

"Aye." When she didn't say anything else, he took a deep breath and said, "Laird MacKay has broken the betrothal agreement."

Lorena jumped up. She'd told the man what she would do if he didn't marry her. Apparently he was a man who cared so very little for her that he didn't mind if she jumped into a swollen river. She raised her chin. "Verra well."

When she turned to leave, he stood and reached for her hand to stop her. "Wait. There is something else I need to say."

"What?" She snapped, sneering at him. Was he now going to offer some insipid apology and ask her not to kill herself? She bit the inside of her cheek to keep the tears from falling. She would never show a weakness in front of any man. Hadn't she put up with beatings without a tear? Hadn't she saved them for when she was alone and in pain?

She sighed, pretending complete indifference. "What is it? I have many things to see to before the evening meal."

He tugged her hand and sat, pulling her with him so she sat back on her chair. "I am going to take my brother's place."

She stared at him, not quite understanding. "What do ye mean?"

"I mean precisely that. If ye agree, I will take my brother's place in the agreement and marry ye."

She laughed, the bitterness in her voice ringing in her ears. "If I agree? Is that what ye said? Do ye think I have a choice? This mon, that mon, it matters no'. Ye are all the same. Bullies, the lot of ye."

"Settle down, Lorena." His soft voice grated on her nerves. She wanted him to lash out at her so she knew where she stood with him. Those deep green kind eyes meant nothing because in a fit of temper they would darken, and he would strike.

She stood again. "Verra well. I agree." Tugging her hand as hard as she could, she turned her back on him and left the room.

***

Craig blew out a deep breath and ran his fingers through his hair. Aye, Lorena Gordon was just as he remembered. A shrew. Life with her would be difficult at best. ‘Twas a good thing his plan had been to marry her, bed her—which would not be a chore given the beauty that she was—and then drop her at Dun Ugadale and be on his way.

A maid entered the room, and her eyes grew wide as she said, "My laird asked that I show ye to a room where ye can clean up for the evening meal."

He was used to that reaction from the lasses. But this was certainly not the time to encourage the lass. Craig slapped his hands on his thighs and stood. "Aye."

He used the bowl of warm water, and clean linen cloths to wash the road dust off him. He noticed his satchel was already in the bedroom, the laird apparently ignoring his request to sleep outside with his men. He looked around the room. After a few nights sleeping outdoors, it would be nice to have a comfortable bed to lie in. Mayhap he'll leave Giles outside with the men and make use of the bedchamber.

Lady Lorena had said she agreed, so he was thinking The Gunn would go along with his plan to substitute for Robin. Lorena was certainly a bonnie lass. Her flaming red hair went right along with her disposition. Those deep blue eyes would probably darken when he drove into her. That is if he could mayhap stuff one of his stockings into her mouth before he started. He pulled out a clean tunic and chuckled to himself.

The great hall was already filling up when Craig arrived. Giles was at a table with the men who'd rode with them. As he headed in that direction, The Gunn called out to him. "MacKay. Just us here." He waved at the table on the dais. Lorena sat alongside him, a glower on her face.

He sighed inwardly. Whatever was he getting himself into? The wedding, bedding, and leaving couldn't happen soon enough for him.

The Gunn slapped him on the back as he sat next to him, with his bride-to-be on the other side of the laird. "Lorena tells me she accepted yer offer."

Lorena huffed. "Accepted? Think ye I had a choice?"

The Gunn turned toward her. "If ye doona put a smile on yer face, I'll slap one on ye."

Craig leaned toward the laird and spoke in a soft voice. "Doona think about putting a hand on my betrothed."

Her eyes grew wide as she looked past her brother to Craig. He winked at herand her beautiful cheeks flushed red.

"The lass is my sister, and I will tell her what to do."

"No longer," Craig said as he smiled at the lass who poured ale into his mug. "Lorena is my responsibility now, and I will no' allow anyone—even ye—to put a hand on her in anger." He took a sip of ale and looked at the mon. "Do ye understand?"

The laird bustled. "Ye threaten me in my own keep? Do ye realize I can have ye dragged off to the dungeon at any moment?"

"Aye, but ye won't because ye want an alliance with our clan and I ken my brother Finn would no' step into my place." He added fish, vegetables and roasted lamb to his wooden plate.

The rest of the meal was pleasant. Lorena ate and made no comments throughout the meal. On the other side of her was an older woman who had been introduced as Lorena's aunt, her mam's sister. She also seemed a tad jumpy around the laird.

Craig thought about what Robin had told him before he'd set off for Dornoch to claim Helena. Apparently Lorena had shared with him about the beatings she'd had from her brother and husband. He even mentioned her having marks from a beating the night she told him she intended to jump off the bridge if he didn't marry her and was forced to marry another brutal man.

"Lady Lorena, would ye care for a walk after the meal?" Craig asked as supper ended.

She looked as though she would accept until The Gunn interrupted her. "Nay, she has duties to look after. She will see ye in the morning. The wedding will be right after we break our fast."

Craig frowned. "Ye have a priest here?"

"Aye. If ye remember, we were expecting yer brother to arrive and marry Lorena. She's ready. Ye're ready. There's no reason to wait."

Craig shook his head in disbelief and left the table after wishing Lorena a good evening.

Giles joined him as he reached the keep door. "I dinna get a chance to talk to ye since ye visited with Lady Lorena. I assume from what I heard The Gunn say that the switch in the betrothal agreement has been accepted?"

"Aye. I canno' say that she is happy about it, but no' disappointed. She dinna seem too upset about losing Robin."

"It appears that she is no' a happy person about anything." They left the keep and walked to where several of their guardsmen had set up tents and had fires going.

"I agree. She is no' a happy person, but from the few things I've learned about her, she's had verra little to be happy about her entire life."

"Craig is getting married tomorrow," Giles said to the small group sitting around a fire.

"Already?" Roal, one of the guardsmen said.

"Aye. The Gunn is anxious to get the lass off his hands," Niles said as he put his hands out to warm them over the fire. There was a chill in the air and Craig was glad he would be sleeping in a warm bed instead of outside as he had planned.

"Will we ride right after the wedding tomorrow?" Roal asked.

Craig shrugged. "I doona see any reason why no'. Hopefully since Lady Lorena kens the wedding is tomorrow, she is busy packing now."

After a few minutes of conversation, Craig wandered off and walked by himself around the keep. He noticed the guardsmen at the top of the castle kept their eye on him. That didn't offend him, he would have considered The Gunn lax if they weren't suspicious of him.

He was about to return to the front of the keep and head to his bedchamber, when he caught a glimpse of a woman wandering around the garden at the back of the kitchen area. There was no doubt in his mind it was Lorena.

She dragged her fingertips over tall flowers that were on the right side of the vegetable garden. He turned to let her have time to herself when he changed his mind. Walking up to her, so as not to frighten her, he said, "I assume all the duties yer brother referred to are finished?"

Her lack of surprise told him she knew he had been approaching him. She drew herself up and turned to face him. "Is there something you need, Mister Craig?"

He walked closer and noticed she did not move back but held herself tight. This was definitely a woman who had been through a great deal of fear and had learned to show none of it. "Nay. I was speaking with my cousin and decided to stroll for a while before bed."

She grabbed her skirts and attempted to move past him. "If ye will excuse me."

He stopped her and placed his hands on her upper arms. "I am no' the enemy, Lorena. We are to be married. I hope to have a peaceful life with ye." There was no doubt in his mind that there were tears in her eyes. "Is there someone else ye will be missing when we marry?"

She laughed a soft, almost strangled sound. "There is no one in my life I will miss, I can assure you." She moved past him and said over her shoulder. "There's never been anyone to miss. Or who will miss me."