Chapter 1

Bound In Wedlock

Gallacher Castle, Scotland, 1658

“Come in, me dear,” Laird Gallacher called.

Holly entered her father’s study. She was nervous. Something was brewing, and she could not figure out what it was.

Lochlan wagged his finger to beckon his daughter forward. He dipped his quill in the inkpot and scribbled something on the parchment before him.

Her father spent a lot of time in his study, and Holly knew he devoted a lot of time to business dealings, hoping to reclaim what he had lost.

She stopped at the mahogany table and waited for him to finish. Two fat candles illuminated the room, one on each side of the desk. The wick had been trimmed multiple times, and the wax had melted and congealed to create girth where there had previously been height.

Her blonde hair was tinted gold in the candlelight, her curls dancing between shadow and light even though she was still. Her green eyes burned emerald in the flickering flame. The study had no windows, but Holly could feel the darkness outside the castle walls.

“Aye,” Lochlan muttered as he finished writing. “That will do it.” He looked up at his daughter. “Ye are to be married.”

“Aye, Faither,” Holly replied.

It was common knowledge that she would be married as soon as an appropriate suitor was found.

“To Laird MacPherson,” Lochlan announced.

A shiver ran through Holly. She was the eldest daughter, and she had matured far quicker than her sisters. She cared for them and guided them.

I would do anything for me sisters, but how can I do this?

“Laird MacPherson?” she hissed. For a moment, she felt as if she would lose her balance and fall. She leaned forward and placed her hands on the desk to steady herself, becoming more confrontational. “I dinnae want to marry him. I cannae marry a monster.”

“This isnae a discussion,” her father warned. “Ye will marry him, and that is that. Ye are four and twenty years, and that is far too old nae to be married.”

“So I dinnae have a say in it now? Ye’ve had me meet with lairds and other nobles and given me time to decide, and now ye rush me into this? With him?!”

“Aye, he might have a beastly reputation, but it is a favorable match,” Lochlan said. “He does well with his Clan and the other Clans. Ye shouldnae listen to idle gossip so much. Ye should be thankin’ me. ”

“Thankin’ ye?” Holly spat. “We both ken it is nae idle gossip. How can I?—”

I Lochlan slammed his fist on the desk, startling her.

Holly took a step back as her father stood up and placed his hands on the table, ready for a fight.

“Ye will do as I say,” he warned. “I am yer faither and the head of this family. Ye willnae talk to me like that, do ye hear?”

Holly wanted to fight, but her father was right. “Aye, Faither.”

“Good.” Lochlan brushed his hands together. “This isnae just about ye, Holly. This is about the clans and what is best for our family. Yer sisters are all about marryin’ age, and they need to be wed, too. Lily, Violet, and Rose can wed after ye have wed if we find suitable matches, and Rose will in a couple of years. She still has a wee bit of time.”

“Aye, I ken that,” Holly said. “But he isnae like the other lairds, is he? Ye ken what he did.”

“Aye, I ken,” Lochlan relented.

“And ye ken—” It struck Holly what was actually happening. She dropped her head in her hands as she thought it through before turning to her father accusingly. “Ye went to his castle yesterday.”

“Aye, I visited his castle.”

“Is that the deal ye made? Me for some coin?”

“It’s nae as simple as that,” Lochlan protested. “Ye dinnae ken what it is like.”

Holly wanted to fight, but she could see the pain and shame and guilt in her father’s eyes. He was a proud man, and it would have taken all his courage to stand before Laird MacPherson and beg for the money. Still, she couldn’t help herself.

“Ye made bad business deals and gambled away our money, and ye use me to repay our debts,” she muttered.

She wished she hadn’t said it when she saw the look her father gave her. She loved her father—of course, she loved him. But he might not be the best laird for their clan. It was heartbreaking to admit that about her own father.

“This is not just about ye or me,” Lochlan informed her. “I ken I’ve done wrong by ye and yer sisters, and I’m tryin’ to make it right, but I need yer help. Ye need a man, and Laird MacPherson is a powerful ally. If ye do this, ye protect yer sisters’ futures.”

“Ye cannae put that all on me,” Holly argued.

“I ken I shouldnae, but I wouldnae have done it if I didnae think ye were strong enough. Ye are the only one who can do this.”

Her father’s eyes were filled with hope and expectation, and as much as she wanted to fight back, she knew it was her duty.

“Ye cannae let us get into trouble again, Faither. If I do this, and ye fall back into debt again, I will never forgive ye.”

Lochlan nodded. “I promise ye.”

“And that is it? I marry Laird MacPherson and yer debts are settled?”

“Aye, that is it. He wants a wife and an heir, and…”

“And what, Faither?” Holly asked.

“And he will provide for ye,” her father finished.

Holly held his gaze. There was something more he was not telling her, something more to the deal. She could see how ashamed he was already, and she did not need to push that any further. She did need some time.

“I am nae sayin’ aye, Faither. I ken ye made a deal with Laird MacPherson, but I could run away and never come back if I wanted to.”

“What are ye askin’ for?” Lochlan asked.

“Just give me twenty-four hours to think about it. I need to make me peace with it, and I dinnae want to feel like I’m bein’ forced to do this.”

“Aye, that is fair. Twenty-four hours, and then we plan the weddin’.”

Holly sighed as her father placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. She waited until he released his grip before turning and leaving the study.

She wanted to be alone but not alone at the same time. Wandering the castle halls, she eventually headed back to the drawing room from where she had been summoned.

When Holly entered, her four younger sisters looked up in expectation.

“Is everythin’ well with Faither?” Rose asked. She was the middle child, nineteen years old.

“Aye,” Holly replied.

Violet looked up from her book. “What’s going on?”

Holly studied her sisters, and the four of them formed a tableau of expectation. Lily, twenty-two, the oldest after Holly, held herself still—she was usually bursting with energy. She was in the middle of some needlepoint but stopped to hear what Holly had to relay.

Violet, a mature twenty-one year old, studied Holly, trying to decipher the look on her face. Holly knew that as soon as she revealed the news, Violet would attack it rationally. Rose stared at Holly, ready to help should a problem present itself. Daisy, only sixteen years old, looked impassive.

If Holly decided she did not wish to wed the Laird, Daisy would fight with her all the way.

“Faither has informed me I am to wed Laird MacPherson,” Holly announced.

“A weddin’!” Lily exclaimed. She jumped up from the floor before her face contorted. “To Laird MacPherson! Ye do ken what he did.”

“Aye, I ken what he did,” Holly confirmed. “I dinnae ken if I will do it yet.”

“Ye cannae,” Daisy insisted. “How can ye marry a man like that?”

“Let’s nae jump to conclusions,” Rose added. “She said she might nae wed him, right? If Faither is suggestin’ the union, it must be for a good reason.”

“We all ken the reason,” Violet huffed.

Everyone fell quiet. Lily had bounded to the door when Holly had announced marriage, and she took Holly’s arm and led her to the middle of the room, as if bringing her into a conclave.

“I heard he slaughtered an entire clan,” she hissed, still holding tight onto Holly’s arm.

“Lily, we ken what he’s done, and ye dinnae need to worry Holly about it,” Violet drawled.

Lily let go of Holly’s arm. “I’m nae tryin’ to worry her, Violet. I’m just layin’ the facts on the table. Ye heard that he killed a hundred men with his own sword.” She mimed, swinging an imaginary sword back and forth. She thrust it upward and forward. “And he stabbed a man twice his size in the eye.”

“Lily!” Violet warned. “How is that helpin’ anyone? We all ken what he’s done and how violent he can be. Those facts are already on the table. What we need to discuss is how to help our sister.”

“I have a few ideas,” Daisy chirped. “I ken all the hidin’ places in the castle.”

“This isnae just about stoppin’ the weddin’,” Violet stated. She looked at Holly. “This brings the clans together, and it solves Faither’s problems, does it nae?”

“Aye,” Holly confirmed.

“How about another laird?” Rose suggested. “If one laird wants to marry ye and give Faither money, then another surely will.”

“Oh, how about Laird Cowan?” Lily offered. “I’ve seen him in formal wear, and I might pay money to have a roll in the hay with him.”

The others laughed, and even though Holly did not feel like joining in, she laughed with them. There was nothing humorous about the situation, but it made her feel a little better.

“Aye, Laird Cowan has nice, thick forearms,” Rose agreed. “I wouldnae mind bein’ wrapped up in them.”

Daisy started to giggle when Rose stared off into the distance, imagining the Laird’s embrace.

“It’s not only his cruelty I am worried about,” Violet spoke, interrupting her sister’s daydream. “We hear about Laird MacPherson a lot from the nobles near the English border—they much prefer talking about bad deeds than good ones. Tongues wag easily when the one bein’ spoken about is nae around.”

The other sisters looked at Violet, waiting for her to finish her point.

“He is a reclusive beast,” she added. “There is a lot to fear on Holly’s behalf, but what I fear most is nae seein’ our sister again. If he doesnae leave his castle, then he willnae let Holly leave either. And when was the last time ye heard of an event or gatherin’ at MacPherson Castle?”

“Never,” Rose said.

“Then that settles it,” Lily piped up, exploding with energy again. “She simply cannae marry him, and we must find a way to save her.”

“Save her and save Faither,” Rose reminded her.

“Aye,” Lily replied, as if that should have been obvious.

The four sisters began chattering amongst themselves, and Holly shook her head as she watched them. They were her world. Since their mother had passed, she had cared for them as best she could.

They would all find husbands soon, and they would each bring something different to their own marriages.

Lily was spontaneous and full of energy. She could be a handful, but she would drive a relationship forward. Violet was the most intelligent of them all, and she would challenge her husband. Rose was empathetic and would listen to her husband’s concerns, helping him solve problems. And Daisy was rebellious, bold, and adventurous. She was another handful, but alongside the right man, she would lead rebellions against any injustices in the world.

What about me? What do I bring to a marriage?

Holly had been forced to become dependable and motherly, but she was much more than that. She was intelligent, kind, and sensitive. Beneath that, she was feisty, determined, and outspoken.

Enough to deal with any man.

“I need to step up and do this,” she announced.

Her four sisters stopped talking and looked up at her. She had watched them try to figure out how to save her, and it showed their love. Holly had to show her love by providing them with a future. With the dowries gone, it would be hard to find good men. They would be married off to whoever would take them, and it would only break her heart.

“Nay, ye dinnae—” Daisy started.

“It’s fine,” Holly claimed. “I love ye all, but this is bigger than me.”

“Holly, ye can—” Violet began.

Holly held up a hand. A warm feeling of love and responsibility washed over her. “I’ve made me decision, and I’ve made me peace with it. There will be a weddin’.”

Lily was the first to rise to her feet. She walked over to Holly and embraced her—a sad, loving hug. The other three got to their feet and rallied around Holly, hugging her too.

Holly had to do it for the sake of her sisters. She would wait until morning and inform her father of her decision. He deserved to wait a little longer for the news after what he had done. She loved him, but she had no sympathy for his actions.

The love from her sisters overwhelmed her. She would secure a future for all four of them.

But what will me future look like?