Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

A lana was unsure what she was more shocked about—learning she might be the illegitimate heir of Laird MacIver or Tadhg claiming to be her husband. She was dumbfounded by his blatant lie and could not fathom what he thought he was playing at. She groped for a response, but her mind was spinning. To add insult to injury, she suddenly felt Tadhg's proprietorial hand on her waist. It brought her back to reality with a bang. Biting her lip, she decided not to make a scene in public but have it out with him in private at the first possible moment.

"Aye, ‘tis true," she agreed with a nod. "We'll be travelin' together."

"Well, that's sorted out then," Maddison piped up with a slightly tense smile, exchanging a meaningful look with Odhrán. "I'm sure the gentlemen of the delegation would like to rest here a while before they set off back to their lands. Shall we be seated? I'll have tea and refreshment brought in."

"That's very kind of ye, me Lady," Huston replied with a small smile. "I'm sure we'd all like that very much." The other two delegates nodded in agreement and thanked her, apparently pleased about the prospect of a rest and a good feed.

"I have many things tae arrange before I go," Alana said, dying to get Tadhg alone and ask him what he was up to. "But I'll be leavin' here first thing tomorrow morning. Now, if ye would nae mind excusin' us."

Without further explanation, she dropped the delegates a quick curtsey and then grabbed Tadhg's arm, purposely digging her fingers into it and making him wince. "Come along, dear," she said through clenched teeth, giving him a dark look. "We must go and prepare tae leave." Trying not to appear too obvious about it, she pulled him towards the exit.

"Ye're hurtin' me arm," he complained once they were out in the hallway.

"I dinnae care," she retorted sharply, not letting go of her grip on him as she opened the nearest door, which she knew led to a small, seldom-used anteroom. Finally releasing it, she pushed him inside and shut the door, leaning her back against it as she faced him.

Her fists clenched, she half-whispered, half-screamed at him, "What the hell are ye playin' at, lyin' like that?!"

"Think about it," he replied gruffly, his dark eyes stormy as he rubbed his sore arm.

"What?! What are ye talkin' about?" She was beyond exasperated. "What possessed ye tae say we're wed? Is this some sort of?—"

"Be quiet fer a minute, will ye, woman, and listen?" he told her brusquely, making a chopping motion with his hand. "D'ye want tae go alone tae the MacIvers' place?"

Alana bristled at his tone, but she had no choice but to be truthful. "Nay, of course I dinnae wantae travel alone. I'm a woman. It would nae be safe. I need someone tae safeguard me."

"So, d'ye nae think I'm capable then?" he demanded, his dark brows drawn.

"Of what?" She stared at him, mystified as to what he was driving at.

"Of keeping ye safe on the journey, obviously," he answered cuttingly.

Alana did not want to admit it, but once again, she had to be honest. "Aye, I believe ye can keep me safe," she answered warily.

"Then there's naethin' tae discuss. Odhrán willnae let ye travel alone, and since neither he nor Liam can be spared—and they're the only two men I trust tae protect ye properly apart from mesel'—that leaves me."

Alana tutted in annoyance, realizing he was right. "All right, I accept that. But I dinnae understand why ye had tae go and say we're married. Why did ye have tae lie like that?"

He gave her a pointed look. "I can see ye havenae thought about this properly. Let me explain it tae ye. So, Laird MacIver's been abducted, so they claim."

"Aye," she agreed.

"And the only way tae free him is tae make some alliance, is that right?"

"Aye, that's what Huston said." She nodded.

"Then, let me ask ye this," Tadhg said, "how exactly d'ye think ye'll be "helpin'" the clan and this Blaine MacIver? Before ye answer, remember, they believe ye tae be Laird John's only child, and a daughter tae boot."

Alana took in his words, her confused mind trying to figure out what he was getting at. Then it suddenly hit her like a shower of freezing rain, and a cold chill settled in her bones. She felt foolish for not having realized it before.

She stared at him her voice coming out in a shocked whisper as she finally croaked, "They'll want me tae marry someone."

"Exactly," Tadhg agreed without warmth. "So, now d'ye understand why I lied and said we're man and wife and why I insisted on accompanyin' ye?"

Alana nodded miserably. "Aye, I understand."

"Very well. So, we'll be leaving first thing in the mornin'," he told her. "Together."

"All right," she agreed, admitting defeat. The curiosity and excitement she felt at the prospect of finding out more about the man who could be her father remained. But at the same time, as she and Tadhg parted, she could not help feeling thankful for his quick-wittedness. She followed him from the room, wondering what on earth she had gotten herself into.

A few hours later, after the MacIver delegation had enjoyed a lavish luncheon with Laird and Lady Lennox, followed by a period of rest, they were ready to set off back to their own lands. There to see them off at the gate as well as Odhrán and Maddison were Liam and Tadhg.

As soon as the party receded into the distance and they began walking back to the castle, Tadhg turned to his brother and Odhrán and blurted out, "I must speak tae ye both in private at once."

"All right, we'll go tae me study," Odhrán replied, looking appealingly at his wife. "D'ye mind excusin' us, Maddy?"

"It willnae take long," Tadhg interjected.

Maddison smiled and said, "Dinnae fash yersel'. I can take a hint. I have things tae dae anyway." She reached up and kissed Odhrán's cheek. "Come and find me when ye're done." She walked away towards the staircase, leaving the three men alone.

"Come on then," Odhrán said to Tadhg as the trio headed towards his study. "I'm curious tae hear what has ye lookin' so tense."

"Me too," Liam chimed in, giving his brother an enquiring look, which went unacknowledged.

A few minutes later, they were seated around the enormous carved desk Odhrán had inherited from his father, each with a dram of whisky in his hand.

"I must thank ye fer steppin' up and takin' on the job of escortin' Alana tae the MacIver castle. Ye're the best man fer the job." Tadhg knew he was referring to their former close relationship. Liam grinned at him, but he was not in the mood for any teasing just then.

He threw his whisky down his throat, wiped his lips with the back of his hand, leaned on the desk, and said, "Ye thank me fer it, Odhrán, but I ken I've just done the stupidest thing ever by tying mesel' tae Alana like this."

He saw Odhrán and Liam both frown, clearly perplexed by his announcement. "How so?" Odhrán asked.

Tadhg sighed heavily and rubbed his forehead with his palm before looking at them. "Because at some point on this little escapade to the MacIvers, she's gonnae find out the truth. And then she's gonnae despise me even more than she already daes," he said finally.

"Ach, I dinnae understand what ye're talkin' about," Liam said, his dark brows drawing together. "Ye're gonnae have tae explain yersel', as I can make head nor tail of what ye're sayin'."

"Aye, ye have me confused too, Tadhg," Odhrán admitted. "What's goin' on?"

"There's things I've never told ye, neither of ye. I swore tae Murphy Lennox never tae tell anyone, and I kept me word until I heard he was dead."

"This has somethin' tae dae with me faither?" Odhrán asked curiously.

"Aye."

"For the Wee man, Tadhg, will ye just come out with it and stop keepin' us in suspense like this?" Liam interjected with a hint of impatience.

"Alright. Ye recall I was away for those four years, and I didnae come back ‘til I found out Murphy Lennox was dead?"

Liam scoffed and folded his arms. "D'ye honestly think we could forget, ye dummart? Ye vanished without so much as a word overnight. I thought ye must be dead," he said harshly.

"Aye, ye've said so a hundred times since," Tadhg replied.

"And I'll say?—"

"All right, that's enough. Let him speak," Odhrán put in, clearly sensing the tension between the two brothers.

With Liam glaring at him, Tadhg went on. "It all started just before that, when yer faither sent me on a mission tae spy on the MacIvers and find out what I could about the laird's succession. That was all I kent at the time."

He continued, telling them all about what he had found out for Murphy Lennox, how he had spied on the MacIvers, finally finding proof of the connection between Ella and Alana and the MacIver clan.

"It was just as the delegation said," he finished. "Alana is the illegitimate daughter of Laird John MacIver by his former mistress, Ella. And when Lady MacIver discovered Ella's pregnancy, unbeknownst tae her husband, she banished Ella from their lands forever. That was how Ella ended up here."

"Ye mean tae say, ye've kent this about Alana's true origins all along, back even before the me faither died?" asked.

"And ye've kept it tae yersel' these six months past, since ye came back after four years away?" his brother asked.

Tadhg nodded, clenching his fists, feeling burdened with guilt. "Aye."

"And ye never breathed a word tae me?" Liam said, shaking his head, looking pained.

"Wait, will ye? I havenae told ye all yet," Tadhg said, needing to get the rest off his chest after keeping secrets for so long.

"I'm sure he had his reasons, Liam. Keep goin', Tadhg," Odhrán intervened, leaning his chin on his hands and fixing Tadhg with a searching stare.

Tadhg sighed and resumed his sorry tale. "I was away fer several weeks, and me mission was successful. Too successful. The information I'd gathered about Alana's birth had shocked me tae me core, and I wish I'd never found it out. I kent for a fact she had nae idea of her true origins, and I wanted tae be the one tae tell her. It was her right tae ken."

"But I couldnae because I was workin' in secret fer me Laird, and I was bound tae keep it tae mesel' until I could report it back tae him. All the way home, I was worryin' over it. Yer faither bein' a sly, brutal man, Odhrán… I felt sure he was out tae find some way of usin' the information tae his benefit, something that would involve her. He wouldnae care about her happiness. Tae him, she was naught but a chattel. So, ye can imagine how I dreaded tellin' him."

"Aye, that sounds just like him," Odhrán remarked scathingly. "He must have been thrilled tae hear Alana has a claim by blood tae rule Clan MacIver. He would have been plannin' tae use the information tae his advantage at some point, tae get somethin' from John MacIver."

"He said it could be useful leverage. He called Alana leverage," Tadhg replied with disgust.

"The bastard was always schemin' tae benefit himself," Liam put in. "But what's this got to ae dae with ye disappearin' without a word fer four years?" Liam asked.

"Hear me out, Braither," Tadhg told him. "I'm gettin' tae that. Anyway, when I got back here, I went straight tae report all this tae Murphy Lennox. But he was away, on a huntin' trip. They didnae ken when he would be back. He was away for three weeks. I spent a lot of that time with Alana, and nae a moment went by that I wasnae on the verge of tellin' her the truth.

"But I was sworn tae yer faither. Much as I wanted tae, I couldnae tell her, and that's as good as lyin'. So, I had tae lie tae the woman I loved fer the entire time." He avoided saying ‘love,' though he did indeed still love Alana deeply.

"I kent if she ever found out I'd kept it from her, she'd nae see me again. I couldnae bear the thought of losing her. I wanted tae wed her, and I stupidly thought it would make it harder fer her tae reject me if we were married. So, I asked her tae marry me, and she said yes. We we're plannin' tae be wed in a month's time. I was the happiest man alive," Tadhg recounted, feeling a mixture of anger and sadness at the memory of that day and the happiness he had lost.

"I remember that day," Liam said. "Ye were in the gardens together. So, that's what ye were talkin' about, was it? I came tae tell ye the laird was back."

Tadhg nodded. "Aye, that's right. Finally, he was back, and I reluctantly went tae brief him on what I'd learned on me mission."

"But why did ye nae tell me all this at the time?" Liam asked.

"The first person I had tae inform was Murphy Lennox. And as I saw it, the second was Alana. After that, with her permission, I would have told ye and Odhrán," Tadhg explained. "But I didnae get the chance," he added bitterly. "Murphy ordered me tae leave the castle that night and never come back. He said that if I didnae dae as he wanted or ever breathed a word of the truth, he'd hang Alana."