Highlander's Rebellious Love Read Online Free PDF Page B

kept her silence, at least for the moment.
    Greer turned to Saundra, Rab’s wife. “See that a room is prepared for Lady Macinnes.”
    “I will not have my future wife staying in this filth. She will reside with our mother until the wedding.”
    The woman Patience had protected stepped forward. “I would be honored to have Lady Patience stay with me.”
    Patience found herself speechless. To think that Greer would harm his own mother was unthinkable, and it made her realize just what kind of man she was dealing with. If he could harm his own mother, then there was not anything he would not do to get what he wanted.
    Greer’s wife Rona sprang out of her seat. “We cannot have Lady Patience stay in a mere cottage. What will others think?”
    “I do not care what others think,” Hunter said tersely. “Patience will reside with Mum.”
    “That has always been your problem, Hunter,” Rona accused, shaking her finger at him. “You do not care about anyone but your own selfish needs.”
    “That seems to be a recurring trait among the McLaud men,” Hunter shot back.
    “My husband does what is best for the clan,” Rona shouted her face turning bright red.
    “Throwing things at his mother, gripping her arms so tight he leaves bruises, telling her he would be better off if she was dead, is doing what is best for the clan?”
    “She interferes when it is not her concern,” Greer bellowed.
    Patience could not believe her ears, though it was difficult not to since it seemed the McLauds could not converse without shouting. How could a son treat his mother so badly? She was relieved to see that Hunter was not like his brother in that respect.
    “Our mother will not trouble you any longer,” Hunter said with such an evil sneer that Greer actually took a step back. “As soon as Patience and I exchange vows, Mum will be leaving with us.”
    “Take the hag with you,” Greer said with an abrupt wave of his hand. “But you and your bride will not leave until I am sure that your vows have been consummated.”
    Hunter not only laughed, but the servants did as well. “You truly are a fool. Knowing that I do not go a day without a woman, do you actually believe I would not bed my own wife?”
    “He does have a point,” Rab said, “and perhaps the sooner they take their leave the better.” Geer turned a vicious sneer on his brother, but Rab was quick to continue. “The sooner they wed the better. Why waste a celebration on them? Let us see them wed and be gone.”
    Patience watched the expressions of the two brothers. It was obvious some silent message had been exchanged and she wondered over it. The two brothers had plotted and with their original plot foiled by Hunter’s announcement, they would be looking to regroup and plot again. Something was very wrong here and Patience wondered how her father had not been made aware of it. Besides the McFarden clan, her father was on good terms with many of the clans in the area. Surely one of them would have apprised him of a troubling situation in the making.
    Greer turned to Hunter. “I want the lot of you gone once the ceremony is done.”
    “It will not be soon enough for me,” Hunter said.
    “The cleric is at a neighboring clan,” Rab said. “I will send a message for him to return. It should take two days at the most for him to arrive.”
    “Enough time for mother and me to pack our belongings and be ready to be on our way,” Hunter said.
    “And it will be good riddance to both of you,” Rona screamed.
    From the furious anger in the woman’s eyes, Patience could not help but think that Rona protested too much and was truly unhappy that Hunter was leaving, and she wondered why.
    Hunter turned to Patience and with a hand on her arm, he whispered, “Come with me, we need to talk.” He also turned to his mother and took her hand, walking both women to the door.
    McFarden followed along with the trio, having been struck silent by the whole bizarre exchange.
    “This