Chapter 3

3

It was a delight to see how surprised she was. Daniel felt a thrill to realize he could still bring a blush to a woman's cheeks.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Lana asked.

Daniel liked that she looked up at him when she spoke, her eyes full of curiosity and eagerness that made him feel alive. Too many women stared at their feet and cowered in his presence. He had forgotten how good it felt to flirt with a woman who was not so afraid of him.

"Ye did promise me anythin' I want, did ye nae?"

"What?" she sputtered, her voice barely above a whisper.

"When ye asked me to lie for ye, ye said ye would give me anythin' I want."

"Aye. Money, or a horse," Lana offered. "Some jewel me brother can buy and send to ye."

"I daenae need horses or jewels," Daniel said, shaking his head. "I daenae want any of those things."

"But ye want a fake betrothal?"

"Nay," Daniel replied. He couldn't tell if her shoulders slumped in relief or disappointment. "I want a real one. We're getting married, lass."

Lana blinked at him, taking in his words. He watched her chest heave as her breaths came faster, unable to keep himself from noting the beautiful swell of her breasts as they pressed against the neckline of her dress.

She looked utterly shocked by his declaration. Lana turned to the refreshments table nearby, lifted a glass of ale and downed it, before she turned back to him.

"Ye are serious?" she asked. "Ye daenae even ken me. I daenae even ken yer name!"

"Daniel Clark, Laird of Clan MacCrawford," he announced, flashing her a smile. "And ye are Lana of Clan Gunn. See? I do ken ye."

"We cannae marry just because ye ken me name!" Lana cried. "We are strangers."

"If ye remember, lass, ye are the one who chose me."

He stepped closer to her, slightly too close, as he reached around her to grab a glass of his own. He downed the drink, feeling her eyes on him the whole time, before he set it down, brushing against her arm in the process.

This moment, meant to draw her closer to him, only seemed to upset her. She stepped away from him, and her expression suddenly turned into one of hurt.

"Ye shouldnae tease me," Lana protested. "I am nae some child ye can mock and make a show of."

"Nay," Daniel said, suddenly eager to speak to her clearly. "I dinnae tease ye. I am looking for a bride, and ye're clearly unmarried."

He thought the words would calm her down. This was a simple logic problem, after all. Daniel needed a wife to look after his young daughter. Lana was unmarried, and he knew he was at least as good as whatever old laird her brother had in mind for her. It seemed like an arrangement that could benefit both of them.

But instead of agreeing, Lana seemed all the more upset with him.

"Is that all that ye require?" she asked. "Just a lass who isnae married?"

"Ye have to agree, that's an important step." Daniel shrugged, finding her resistance off-putting. Would she rather be in a carriage headed back to the drunk Laird Cullen's castle right now? "Besides, ye owe me, remember?"

"I cannae marry ye," Lana said, folding her arms across her chest.

The image of her standing there, her eyes blazing as she faced off against him, made his heart beat faster in his chest. He struggled to understand if this mix of anger and desire was pleasant or painful.

"Is there someone else?" he asked darkly, imagining some fresh-faced boy without the scars he had acquired.

"Nay."

The answer was quick and surprising. Daniel looked down at her, narrowing his eye as he struggled to comprehend her.

"If there isnae another man, why can ye nae marry me?"

Her eyes dropped to the floor, and Daniel waited, running through possible answers in his mind. She could be afraid of him—that was the most likely answer. Or perhaps she wasn't ready to leave her family.

Whatever answer she gave, Daniel would be ready with a rebuttal. He had set out this evening to find himself a wife, and now that he was so close, he couldn't let her get away.

"I… I…" She squared her shoulders, and then she looked up at him, finding her confidence. "I want to marry for love."

Lana saw the scowl on his face immediately and then the slight shake of his head that showed her exactly what he thought about love. She imagined walking away. She could simply leave and forget that this night had ever happened. But when she glanced across the room, she saw Alexander standing there, his eyes fixed on them, clearly waiting for them.

"Love?" Daniel echoed, and she could hear the dismissal in his voice.

"Aye," she answered, forcing herself to stand tall in front of him. She doubled down on her answer, refusing to let him shake her resolve. "I will only marry for love."

There it was again, that short laugh that was little more than a burst of air expelled from his chest.

"Ye told me ye dinnae wish to be treated like a child. Is it nae childish to believe in such things?"

"Only for those who daenae believe in it," Lana answered. "If ye daenae believe in it, I daresay it will never appear."

"And how is that working out for ye?" Daniel asked. She felt a sharp stabbing sensation in her chest at his cruel words. "If ye believe, why has love nae found ye yet?"

"I willnae let ye shake me," Lana asserted. She dropped her arms and clenched her hands at her sides, breathing deeply to stay calm in front of him. "Just because we daenae see the wind, doesnae mean we believe in it any less."

For a moment, it looked like she had swayed him. His eyebrows rose slightly in surprise. But all at once, his expression was dark again, and she watched him turn away from her, physically dismissing her words.

"Love doesnae exist in real life," he announced. "Only duty pushes us forward."

Just then, a giggling couple approached the table where Lana and Daniel stood. They were close to each other, holding hands and whispering in each other's ears. Lana watched them, seeing the way they spoke to one another as if they were the only two people in the world.

In fact, they hardly seemed to notice Lana or Daniel, and Daniel had to step out of the man's way as he gathered pastries for the woman, asking her to tell him all her favorites.

The appearance of this couple proved Lana's point better than any words she could give Daniel, and she simply smirked at him, letting the laughter and endearments float to his ears. He looked at her from the corner of his eye, glaring at her when he should have been mad at God for sending the enamored couple to them directly into the middle of their conversation.

"There is more than duty," Lana whispered, her eyes still on them.

They watched the man slip an arm around his wife's back before he led her to a seat along the wall.

"Caring for people can only bring pain."

Her head snapped up at the words, trying to see Daniel's face, but he instantly turned on his heel and walked away from her, along the perimeter of the room, keeping himself in the shadows.

"Where are ye going?" she asked.

Moments earlier, Lana had thought of walking away from him, but then she thought of his kindness to her. She thought of his defending her against Alexander. And the way he stepped close to her and brushed his arm against hers as he picked a glass from the table. There was something about this man that made her want to get to know him better.

"I willnae stand here and listen to ye speak about love," Daniel said as she chased him.

"What do ye mean that caring only brings pain?" Lana asked.

He was so much taller than her that she had to jog to keep up with his long strides. Before she knew it, she followed him out onto the terrace, feeling the cool night air on her face.

As they found themselves on the terrace, where only a handful of people were scattered around, Daniel suddenly stopped. Lana nearly barreled into him, but she managed to stop herself at the last minute.

"It's best ye learn this now," Daniel said, his gaze on the stars twinkling in the night sky. "It's nay use gettin' close to people. It only makes it harder when they are taken away from ye. There is nay reward for being kind."

"Then why did ye help me?" Lana asked. For a man who didn't believe in kindness, he had certainly gone out of his way to protect her tonight. "Ye cared for a strange lass ye dinnae even ken. Ye were ready to cut off a man's hand just because I was being mistreated."

"I thought it was unfair for ye," he answered. "Believe me, there was nay emotion involved."

The sense of embarrassment Lana had been holding back all evening finally crashed over her. She was ashamed of her behavior and the silly protestations of love she had confessed to him. And now, standing here, with the cold air sending goosebumps up her arms, she couldn't help feeling that this man saw her as nothing more than a little girl who didn't understand the world.

"I will leave, Me Laird," she mumbled, wanting nothing more than to escape this man and whatever situation she had found herself in.

But she should have realized it wouldn't be so easy.

"I will speak with yer brother," Daniel called, stopping her in her tracks. "We will marry quickly."

"I told ye," Lana said, trying to keep her voice under control. She was starting to feel exhausted, and a headache was forming behind her eyes, probably from the alcohol she had so far. "I willnae marry. Nae unless I am in love."

"I daenae think ye have a choice," Daniel countered, with a darkness in his voice that scared her. "Everyone saw yer little show in there. And yer brother seems mighty interested in me proposal. A match with me clan is a better union than he could have hoped for."

Lana felt a rush of tears fill her eyes as she realized just how serious the man was. She had promised him anything he wanted, and he had chosen the one thing she wasn't ready to give him.

All her life, she had dreamed of a happy marriage founded on love, and with one rash decision, she had thrown it all away.

"Ye will soon see ye have nay choice but to become the bride I came here to find," Daniel said, still speaking to the night sky. "I expect to be married in a week. I'll be back to discuss things with yer brother."