Chapter 10

That evening, while Ava and Cameron were arguing, and after his long chat with the Laird and his son, James Henderson was sitting in his study, his mind racing. The old man looked as though he would not last much longer, since the pains in his chest were becoming more frequent and more severe. James knew he had to work fast, since every moment Cameron Dalziel spent on his farm kept him close to the woman he truly loved.

He needed to push Davina forward more, but she was not keen to go to Cameron's farm, and the Laird had steadfastly refused to have him under his roof until two days before the wedding, and that was only because he needed ‘to scrub the dirt off him,' as he put it.

James had never really understood the concept of love. His parents had married for convenience and his mother had produced three sons, whereupon she had decided that her childbearing days were over. She moved from a bedroom that connected to his father's to one at the opposite end of the house, and both were quite happy with the arrangement.

There were rumors that his father had a mistress and his mother had lovers, but he had never found out if there was any truth in them. As far as he could see, they were friends and treated each other with courtesy, at least in public.

He had never experienced the glowing warmth in his heart that other people had, although he felt the desperate urges of his body all too well.

His wife Elizabeth had died giving birth to his daughter eighteen years previously and he had not married again. They'd had the same kind of relationship as his parents, with marriage merely being merely a means to an end. It was solely for the bearing of children, and the only regret that James had was that his wife had borne him no sons.

He thought about the man with whom he had agreed to pair his daughter. Cameron Dalziel was a prime physical specimen of a man. He was sure that he and Davina would produce beautiful children, and they would have a seemingly doting grandfather. It was in James's best interests to be one. He would try to mold them in his own image, so that the castle would be run his way and for his benefit - and his profit.

At that moment, as if his thoughts had conjured her up, his daughter came into his study, smiling and holding a tiny ginger kitten in her arms. He thought wryly that Davina would have a whole menagerie of cats if he had allowed it, but he had no love of animals. He only allowed her this one indulgence because it kept her quiet. "Have you decided what to call that thing yet?" he asked, frowning.

Davina kissed the tiny creature. "His name is Mack."

James sighed impatiently. He was eager to have his plan carried out and had no time for cuddling small furry things.

Davina loved animals, and whoever she married would be made to love them too whether they liked it or not. "I am glad you are here," he said, pouring her a glass of wine. "Because there is something I need to discuss with you."

"That sounds ominous," she remarked, sipping her wine. She looked at him suspiciously out of her dark brown eyes, her heartbeat quickening. "What is it?"

He took a deep breath. "I have found a husband for you," he replied. Davina opened her mouth to protest but he raised his hand for silence. "Hear me out, Davina. What if I told you there is still a chance for you to be mistress of the Kilcarron Estate?"

"But Brian is dead," Davina protested, puzzled. "I saw him in his coffin."

"Did you know that there is another Lewis brother?" James asked, watching her eyes widen in shock.

"I heard a rumor," she replied, shaking her head and frowning. "But I never believed it. What is his name? Where has he been all this time?"

"His name is Cameron Dalziel, and he is Brian's bastard half-brother," James answered. "He owns a little bit of land beside the loch."

"Have you met him?" Davina asked. She was completely intrigued.

"Yes," James answered. "And I think you will like him. He is very handsome, and he looks just like Brian. They could have been twins."

"Hmmm." Davina was scornful. "Brian was handsome too. It is not looks that matter, Father."

"No, but they help," James said firmly. "And I am sure he will be suitably enchanted by my lovely daughter. If not, I will want to know why. However, there is one problem."

Davina was so enchanted by her cat she was hardly listening. "What problem?" she asked vaguely.

"He is in love with someone else, and has asked her to marry him." James sighed. "Let me explain all of it, Davina." He began to tell her Cameron's story from the day he had summoned him to see Laird Lewis, and when he had finished he sat back and watched his daughter's reaction.

At first, she said nothing, merely sat stroking the purring kitten as she digested what he had said. "It sounds like a complicated situation," she said at last.

"It is not complicated at all," James said. "I have no doubt that he could change his mind and marry this other woman at a moment's notice, so you must make him fall in love with you."

Davina stared at him, mystified. "What do you mean, Father?" she asked. "You cannot just command a man to fall in love with you! Anyway, you told me you don't believe in love."

"But I am not a commoner," James reminded her. "Things are different for us. This man has had to scratch a living for himself out of the soil every day of his life, and suddenly a beautiful woman comes and offers herself to him on a silver platter. You don't have to fall in love with him, but I am willing to wager that he will be besotted with you from the first moment he sees you."

Davina looked down at herself. She was dressed in a simple pale pink woolen dress, and she knew that the color suited her. In fact, she knew that men's eyes followed her wherever she went, no matter how badly she was dressed. With her long dark hair and eyes that had been gifted to her by her Italian mother, her tall, willowy figure and full breasts, she knew that she could ensnare any man without too much effort.

She had assumed that when Brian died, her father would find her another husband, but she had never imagined that he would be a common farmer, and an illegitimate one at that! She did not know whether to be flattered or insulted. Eventually, though, common sense prevailed. This man was the key to her father becoming master of the castle, and that was his ultimate goal. As well as that, he was quite capable of punishing her quite severely, as he had done many times in the past. For herself, she only wanted the whole business to be over with.

"I will do it," she said, sighing.

Much though it disgusted her, Davina set out the next morning to meet her husband-to-be in his own environment. She had promised herself that no matter how revolting his home was she would not turn up her nose at it. She wanted to show herself like a rose in a patch of weeds, an exotic contrast to the squalor in which he no doubt lived.

Davina had not dressed in her best clothes, merely the simple, practical ones she wore every day. She reasoned that her worst clothing would look a hundred times better than anything the peasants wore.

Despite her disdain for the working people, Davina's heart was hammering as she approached the little cottage where Cameron lived. It looked like a very poor place indeed, with a roof that badly needed re-thatching, and a hole in one of the walls at ground level. The whole place stank of manure.

Davina dismounted from her horse and put her feet cautiously onto the ground pulling up her skirts as she did so to avoid mud sticking to the hem of her dress, and curling her top lip up in disgust. This farmyard was truly revolting.

‘How can people possibly live like this?' she thought as she looked around.

Suddenly she jumped, startled, as a deep voice behind her said, "can I help ye?"

Davina whipped around to look up into the brightest pair of teal-blue eyes she had ever seen. They belonged to a tall, fair man with chiseled, masculine features, and she was mesmerized, for he looked so much like Brian that she could hardly believe her eyes.

"I am looking for Cameron Dalziel," she told him, shaking slightly. He was so completely and utterly male that she could hardly take her eyes off him, and found herself staring.

"That would be me," he replied, crossing his arms over himself as if to form a barrier between them. "Who are you?"

"I am Davina Henderson," she replied. "I believe we are to be married."

Cameron had been expecting a visit from the woman to whom he had been unwillingly promised, but he had not expected it quite so soon. He said nothing, merely studied her for a while. She was an attractive woman, somewhat foreign-looking, with her long dark hair and eyes, as well as a curvy, womanly figure.

He supposed many men would leap at the chance to marry her, but he was not one of them. There was only one thing wrong with this lovely woman, and it was something that no one could mend. She was not Ava.

At last he spoke. "Aye, I believe so. Is the Laird any better?"

"He has good days and bad days," she replied. "But I believe it is only a matter of a short while now - maybe months, weeks, or even days."

Cameron nodded. He hoped it would be longer, so that maybe he could figure out a plan to get both Ava and the Castle. He had been thinking about it incessantly, but he had come up with nothing.

"I brought us some wine and cakes to celebrate," Davina said, smiling. "Do you have anywhere to sit?"

Cameron was uncomfortable. They could not sit on the ground, or on a tree stump. The only proper place was on the rough chair in his cottage, and he was reluctant to let her inside, since he knew that she would think it was a hovel. As well as that, he felt a certain possessiveness for the place. It was his home, the one his mother had sacrificed so much for. He did not want to let strangers - and she was a stranger - into his home. Nevertheless, it had to be done, and he opened the door for her, then led her inside.

Davina noticed one thing about the small one-roomed cottage as soon as she entered it. It was scrupulously clean. The straw on the floor was fresh, the table and two chairs were free of crumbs and other detritus, and all the plates, pots and spoons were nearly stacked away. Looking for his bed, she saw a pallet neatly rolled up in a corner of the room, where there were some shelves for his few clothes. There was even a small cracked earthenware vase with a bunch of heather in it on the table.

She was amazed. She had heard that peasants lived like animals, and she had not been prepared for this amount of neatness and cleanliness.

Cameron brought out two earthenware cups and laid them down on the rough surface of the table, after which Davina took the stopper from the flask of wine and poured it into them.

He laid down a clay bowl on the table and Davina scattered some honey cakes into it, then waited for Cameron to taste them. He said and did nothing, however, and she began to wonder if he was being polite, or genuinely did not know what to do.

"Eat," she instructed, smiling as she took a cake and a sip of wine. "The wine is from France, and is one of our best, and our cook makes the cakes herself from an old family recipe."

Abruptly, he said, "why are ye here?"

"To introduce myself, of course, or do you want to marry a perfectly strange woman?" She laughed. "Do you not want to get to know me a little? I would like to know you better. After all, we are going to be together for a very long time."

Cameron nodded slowly. "I suppose ye are right." He took a sip of the wine, deciding that its aromatic, fruity flavor was absolutely delicious, and ate one of the spicy cakes. There were half-a dozen on the plate but he ate only one, not wanting to make himself look like a glutton.

Davina felt awkward, and searched around for a topic of conversation, but began to panic when she could think of nothing.

"Are you no' afraid o' marrying someone like me?" Cameron asked suddenly. "I am no' exactly a refined kind o' person. I don't speak like one o' you. I might embarrass ye."

Davina thought for a moment. "You are courteous and clean," she told him. "And I have no doubt that when you are dressed properly and not covered in dirt you will be the handsomest man in any room. I will be proud to be seen with you, especially at our betrothal ceremony, then our wedding." She reached out a hand and put it over his on the table.

Cameron took another sip of wine to cover his expression of embarrassment. He did not want to be the most handsome man anywhere. He knew that he was good-looking, but it had never mattered to him; he merely wanted to be with Ava. He knew that he would do his best to be a good husband to Davina, but she was just not the woman he wanted. He felt a deep, numbing sadness settle over him and he finished the wine in one gulp.

Davina poured him another glass. This was proving to be much harder work than she had expected.