body for another beating.
“I’m here to tell ye that there are two ways yer getting out of this cell, MacRae,” he spat, as if every single word was offensive to him. Roan knew better than to interrupt. “As a dead man,” he paused, “or as my sister’s fiancé.”
“What?” Roan choked.
Ian ignored him. “Now I dinna ken how my sister can stomach the thought of letting ye within a hundred feet of her, but lucky for ye, she can. If that changes, I’ve told her to let me ken immediately.”
“I dinna touch -” Roan began furiously, but Ian once again continued as if he hadn’t spoken.
“Our Laird has given his reluctant blessing to the union. He kens how highly yer regarded by yer own Laird and dinna want to provoke outright war between our two clans,” Ian snorted.
“Cameron! I’m telling ye -”
“And I’m telling ye!” Ian snarled, actually acknowledging Roan for the first time in several minutes. “Two ways, MacRae,” he spat, holding up two fingers and then pointed towards the door. “Now tell me, which way is it going to be?”
There was, of course, only one answer that Roan could give.
..ooOOoo..
He said yes.
Isla couldn’t believe that MacRae had said yes! She was getting away with her lie. More importantly, she would be free of Tavish at last. Of course, Isla knew that she couldn’t run from the truth forever. There were two other people who knew what had really happened: Roan and Tavish.
Isla knew Tavish. She knew how he might try and take revenge, but Roan? He was a complete mystery, a virtual stranger, and she had just managed to bind herself to him eternally.
Now that she had time to think, Isla was concerned about the rashness of her actions. Why had she done that? Was it because he’d been kind to her? Because he’d soothed her ankle, and saved her from Tavish?
Isla wondered what Roan thought about the whole predicament. He would be furious, of course. He had every right to be, but how would Roan’s fury present itself? He was a MacRae. Isla hadn’t stopped to consider how many difficulties that would create, but now that she paused to think, all she had ever heard about the MacRae’s was that they were violent and brutish, and now she was going to marry one.
..ooOOoo..
The very next morning, Roan was granted all of ten minutes to wash his face and to don a clean shirt before Ian dragged him to the chapel inside Castle Cameron. As he stood at the front of the aisle waiting for his bride to arrive, Lachan finally began to believe that this was all real . These people were seriously going to force him to marry the girl.
Roan took a deep breath, wincing at the pain it caused his bruised ribs, and scowled at the altar. In that moment, Roan thought he might actually prefer death to this bizarre ordeal. He wasn’t afraid to die. He had ridden to Castle Cameron fully expecting the worst, but he made the journey because it was his Laird’s command. Roan believed in duty and honor, and in dying for those ideals if it was called for, but he refused to ruin his life without a fight for no reason! He was going to get to the bottom of this sham, even if it was too late to do anything about it.
Roan rued the moment he had spotted the woman by the roadside. He also cursed himself for being stupid enough to leave his room and to wander the castle alone. He clenched and unclenched his fists, as he thought about all the chances he had missed to avoid this fate.
Roan refused to turn around and look at his bride when she finally entered the sanctuary. He kept his back rigid and his head lifted high. Isla Cameron was going to regret trapping him in her snares. That was one vow he intended to make and keep.
Roan kept his eyes forward and his jaw set, but glanced down at Isla from out of the corner of his eye.
Roan was surprised to
“I’m here to tell ye that there are two ways yer getting out of this cell, MacRae,” he spat, as if every single word was offensive to him. Roan knew better than to interrupt. “As a dead man,” he paused, “or as my sister’s fiancé.”
“What?” Roan choked.
Ian ignored him. “Now I dinna ken how my sister can stomach the thought of letting ye within a hundred feet of her, but lucky for ye, she can. If that changes, I’ve told her to let me ken immediately.”
“I dinna touch -” Roan began furiously, but Ian once again continued as if he hadn’t spoken.
“Our Laird has given his reluctant blessing to the union. He kens how highly yer regarded by yer own Laird and dinna want to provoke outright war between our two clans,” Ian snorted.
“Cameron! I’m telling ye -”
“And I’m telling ye!” Ian snarled, actually acknowledging Roan for the first time in several minutes. “Two ways, MacRae,” he spat, holding up two fingers and then pointed towards the door. “Now tell me, which way is it going to be?”
There was, of course, only one answer that Roan could give.
..ooOOoo..
He said yes.
Isla couldn’t believe that MacRae had said yes! She was getting away with her lie. More importantly, she would be free of Tavish at last. Of course, Isla knew that she couldn’t run from the truth forever. There were two other people who knew what had really happened: Roan and Tavish.
Isla knew Tavish. She knew how he might try and take revenge, but Roan? He was a complete mystery, a virtual stranger, and she had just managed to bind herself to him eternally.
Now that she had time to think, Isla was concerned about the rashness of her actions. Why had she done that? Was it because he’d been kind to her? Because he’d soothed her ankle, and saved her from Tavish?
Isla wondered what Roan thought about the whole predicament. He would be furious, of course. He had every right to be, but how would Roan’s fury present itself? He was a MacRae. Isla hadn’t stopped to consider how many difficulties that would create, but now that she paused to think, all she had ever heard about the MacRae’s was that they were violent and brutish, and now she was going to marry one.
..ooOOoo..
The very next morning, Roan was granted all of ten minutes to wash his face and to don a clean shirt before Ian dragged him to the chapel inside Castle Cameron. As he stood at the front of the aisle waiting for his bride to arrive, Lachan finally began to believe that this was all real . These people were seriously going to force him to marry the girl.
Roan took a deep breath, wincing at the pain it caused his bruised ribs, and scowled at the altar. In that moment, Roan thought he might actually prefer death to this bizarre ordeal. He wasn’t afraid to die. He had ridden to Castle Cameron fully expecting the worst, but he made the journey because it was his Laird’s command. Roan believed in duty and honor, and in dying for those ideals if it was called for, but he refused to ruin his life without a fight for no reason! He was going to get to the bottom of this sham, even if it was too late to do anything about it.
Roan rued the moment he had spotted the woman by the roadside. He also cursed himself for being stupid enough to leave his room and to wander the castle alone. He clenched and unclenched his fists, as he thought about all the chances he had missed to avoid this fate.
Roan refused to turn around and look at his bride when she finally entered the sanctuary. He kept his back rigid and his head lifted high. Isla Cameron was going to regret trapping him in her snares. That was one vow he intended to make and keep.
Roan kept his eyes forward and his jaw set, but glanced down at Isla from out of the corner of his eye.
Roan was surprised to
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