Chapter 2

Dunn could hardly believe he had managed to get himself into a strange deal with this young woman he barely even knew. Perhaps had it not been for her long, auburn hair and her blue eyes that looked at him as though they could see right through him, Dunn wouldn’t have agreed to it. But he had long accepted a terrible fact about himself: he was weak when it came to women. A pretty face and a charming smile was all it took for him to fall for their charms and do anything they wanted.

I should dae somethin’ about that.

He didn’t know what he could possibly do, though, since every time he made the resolution to stay away from women, he lasted only a few hours at best.

His pact with Elayne had led him to ride with her through the woods towards Macgillivray Castle, where he would be staying while pretending to be her betrothed. He didn’t really know what to expect, but at least he knew how to act. The two of them had stayed up all night discussing their plan and what they would say if anyone asked them how they met. He could only hope neither of them would be relentlessly questioned about their relationship. Though they had gone through the details, they were bound to crumble under pressure. There was no amount of planning they could do in such a short time that could replace the organic feel of a real relationship.

It was a chilly day and there was a storm rapidly approaching again. Dunn could see it in the roiling grey clouds that gathered close to them over the tops of the trees, so thick that little sunlight could make its way through. He could only hope they would make it to the castle before the storm, as the last thing he wanted was to be soaked to the bone while travelling.

Next to him, on her own horse, Elayne shivered but tried her best to suppress it, her body going tense. Dunn laughed and she turned to glare at him. It had occurred to Dunn recently that Elayne was quick to anger and this time was no exception, but that only made it more entertaining to tease her.

“Would ye like me coat, lass?” he asked. He had his plaid to throw over his shoulders, after all, though it wouldn’t be as warm.

“I’m fine,” said Elayne stubbornly. “I’m sure yer coat smells like ale anyway.”

Dunn snorted in a rather inelegant manner that didn’t befit his upbringing. If his old governess could hear him now, she would certainly lecture him about it, even at the age of twenty-four.

“It’s better than shiverin’,” he said with a small shrug. “Besides, I didnae think the smell o’ ale would offend ye so much since ye were happy tae drink so much o’ it last night.”

Elayne’s cheeks, already tinted pink from the cold, now turned a furious shade of red as her head whipped to the front, her jaw clenching tightly.

“I was saddened by the prospect o’ an unwanted marriage,” she reminded him. “Ye cannae blame me fer wishin’ tae forget as much as I could about it. But o’ course, I dinnae expect ye tae understand. Ye will never be in such a position.”

Dunn’s eyebrows knitted together in a frown. “Dae ye think I never have tae dae things I dinnae wish tae dae?”

“I dinnae think ye’ll have tae marry a terrible, vicious man,” Elayne said. “An’ ye should ken ye’re lucky fer that.”

“Perhaps,” said Dunn. “But what if I end up marryin’ a terrible woman?”

Elayne pinned him with an unimpressed gaze that told him everything he needed to know. It wasn’t the same, he supposed, and besides, no one would force him to marry like they were forcing Elayne. Her position was undoubtedly one of disadvantage and they both knew that well.

“Fine,” he said, relenting. “I suppose ye’re right. But that’s why I’m comin’ with ye. Tae save ye from this marriage.”

“Aye,” Elayne said, but she didn’t sound so convinced, as though she worried their plan wouldn’t work. If there was something she was hiding from him, Dunn didn’t know, but as far as he was concerned, there was little reason to worry. Why would anyone question their decision to marry? From what Elayne had told him, she had been at her aunt’s cottage for a sufficient amount of time to have met someone and fallen in love.

They fell into a silence, the two of them riding side by side through the path. Dunn soon noticed how the clouds had gathered over their heads, the storm having caught up to them though it wasn’t raining just yet. He cursed under his breath, knowing it wouldn’t be long until the first drops started to fall, and once the rain began, it wouldn’t stop for a long time.

The silence was cut by the sound of thunder, so close to them that his horse was spooked and Dunn had to tighten his hold on the reins, keeping it still. Elayne, though, wasn’t so lucky. Her horse was spooked as well, much more than Dunn’s, and all he could do was watch as it bucked and threw her off its back, dashing down the path towards the castle.

Elayne landed with a thud, but she managed to roll her body and avoid the worst of the impact. Still, Dunn couldn’t help but fear she had been injured and he quickly jumped off his horse, rushing to her, hands hovering over her body as he didn’t know if he should touch her.

“Are ye alright?” he asked, a hint of panic seeping into his voice. Elayne groaned, rolling onto her back as her features contorted into a grimace of pain. Dirt coated her cheek and the strands of her hair, the brown of her dress even duller now that it was coated in dust. “Does it hurt?”

“O’ course it hurts,” said Elayne, but simply the fact that she could be annoyed meant she couldn’t have been that hurt from her fall. “I feel off a horse!”

“Aye, I saw,” said Dunn with a soft chuckle as he offered her his hand. Elayne took it gratefully and he helped her stand to her feet, still watching her carefully for any signs of severe pain as she dusted herself off. “Can ye walk?”

Elayne took a few tentative steps and nodded when she saw she could manage the pain. Dunn let out a sigh of relief, but he knew the aches would come. He, too, had fallen off horses many a time and the bruises that came with such a tumble were far from pleasant. But at least they were close to the castle, so Elayne wouldn’t have to ride for too long in that state.

Looking into the distance, she let out a heavy sigh. “Me horse… dae ye think we can go after it?”

“It went towards the castle,” said Dunn. He looked up at the sky, though he already knew what he was going to find there: nothing but grey clouds, heavy with water, and the occasional lightning in the short distance. “We’ll find yer horse on the way. We must hurry now before we’re caught in the middle o’ the storm.”

As he spoke, Dunn reached for Elayne and brushed the dirt off her cheek with his thumb. At first, she startled at the sudden touch, almost pulling away from him, but once she realized what Dunn was doing, she only remained still, letting him clean her face.

Her skin was burning under his touch, the color turning a charming pink. He had promised her that by the end of all this, she would be begging him for a kiss, and he was determined to do anything it took to make that promise come true, though now it seemed like it wouldn’t take too much.

Clearing her throat, Elayne took a step back from him, putting some distance between them. Instantly, Dunn missed the proximity, the way he could feel the warmth radiating from her body, but he didn’t try to pull her closer again. Seduction was a long game, he knew, and he would work on it for as long as it took.

“Let us head tae the castle, then,” said Elayne, but then she eyed both Dunn and his horse with hesitation. “Are we tae share the horse?”

“Och aye, she can handle it,” Dunn said, patting his mare on the flank. She had obediently stayed near him, munching idly at a bit of grass on the side of the path.

The color on Elayne’s cheeks intensified.

I see… she doesnae wish tae be so close tae me. Ach, it cannae be helped.

“Come,” Dunn said, offering her his hand to help her up onto the saddle. After another moment of hesitation, Elayne took it and climbed on, plastering herself to the front so that when Dunn joined her, they wouldn’t be touching.

Only her plan failed. There was no way for them to share the saddle without Dunn’s chest pressing up against her back, and it soon became evident to her, as she went rigid against him. With a sigh, Dunn began to steer the horse back onto the path, but it didn’t help that Elayne seemed determined to avoid his touch at all cost.

“Ye’ll have tae relax,” Dunn told her. “Or we’ll both fall off the horse.”

Elayne relaxed, but only enough to ride a little more securely. Dunn was certain the way she kept her back so straight could not possibly be comfortable, but she simply refused to lean against him. They rode in silence, the soft, accidental brushes of Dunn’s arms against her own as he handled the reins always making her jump, as though she never expected it, as though she couldn’t get used to it.

“Have ye never felt the touch o’ a man, lass?” he asked, only half-teasing. Surely, Elayne had no reason to be so uncomfortable near him. Servants like her always worked in close quarters, men and women together, so he couldn’t be the first man to ever brush against her like that, in an innocent way.

Still, at his question Elayne stiffened once more, going perfectly still for a few moments. When she regained her wits, she said, “I dinnae think that is any o’ yer concern.”

As amusing as it was to watch her squirm, Dunn couldn’t help but fear she would end up falling off his horse, too, so he didn’t tease her any further. Instead, he made sure to ride at a steady, quick pace, so they could stay out of the storm and avoid getting drenched before arriving at the castle.

It struck him as odd, though, that she was so shy, so seemingly inexperienced. As odd as it was, it was also alluring. Elayne was so different from him, like no one he had ever met before, and that drew Dunn to her like a moth to a flame.

Perhaps by the end of this, he would be the one begging for a kiss.

Macgillivray Castle was just as Dunn had expected, large and imposing, the grey stones matching the color of the sky during the storm. They had managed to avoid the worst of the rain and they had also caught up with Elayne’s horse, so the two of them rode in separately through the gates, Dunn looking around at the unfamiliar place.

There weren’t many people in the courtyard save for the guards, the servants surely staying inside in preparation for the weather. There was a man, though, standing by the doors who didn’t look like a guard or a servant. He was older, in his mid-forties if Dunn had to guess, with dark hair and blue eyes, bearing a passing resemblance to Elayne.

When the two of them dismounted, he expected Elayne to guide him to the servants’ quarters, but instead she took him to the doors, where she greeted the man.

“Where are yer guards?” asked the man in lieu of a greeting. “An’ who is this?”

Guards? Why would Elayne have guards? So I was right the first time I met her!

“They didnae come,” said Elayne. “I thought perhaps they were caught up in the storm an’ they didnae make it, so I left.”

“On yer own?”

“Well… with Dunn.” Elayne grabbed his arm and dragged him closer as if to present him to the man. “Faither, this is me husband.”

Faither? Who is this lass?

Dunn’s expression must have mirrored that of the man’s, he thought, the two of them looking at each other with the same kind of confusion. If there was one thing Dunn knew, it was that Elayne was no maid, no matter what she had led him to believe. Was this man one of Laird Macgillivray’s advisors? Had Dunn just agreed to help Elayne ruin an advantageous marriage?

Judging by the murderous rage in her father’s eyes, he could only guess that was indeed the case. In those few seconds, his face had been contorted with fury, eyes almost bulging out of his head as he looked at the two of them, as if he could hardly suppress his desire to kill them both.

“Ye fool,” her father said through gritted teeth as he reached for Elayne’s arm, his fingers wrapping like a vice around it. A whimper tumbled past Elayne’s lips, one that she managed to suppress, and Dunn couldn’t help but wonder how many times her father had grabbed her like this; how many times he had caused her pain.

He took a step forward, his palm itching to wrap around the hilt of his dagger. Elayne’s father was far from intimidated by the gesture, though, and he only scoffed at Dunn, scrutinizing him from head to toe.

“Did she tell ye she has a betrothed?” he asked. “Laird McCoy Rose is expectin’ her. It’s already been decided. Yer marriage is a sham.”

Laird McCoy Rose?

That was more than a simply advantageous union. Laird McCoy Rose was a powerful man, and he wasn’t going to agree to such a marriage unless he received something in return—something more than a beautiful bride. Dunn’s throat tightened as realization dawned on him, and he instinctively took a step back again, putting some distance between himself and the man.

This was not simply an advisor to the laird. This was the laird.

Elayne… what have ye done?