“I didn’t marry him for money,” Heather said. “And to be honest, I didn’t know he was going to be a lord till well after he proposed to me.”
MacNair stamped his foot in frustration. Evidently he wasn’t used to someone countering every line he spoke. “Then why did you do it?”
“Because he offered and I accepted. I don’t see why you need to know any more than that.”
“Evasive. Just as I expected.”
Heather got more annoyed the more he talked. “In fact, I have already told Maeve some of the same details, because she asked nicely and seemed to have a genuine interest in knowing. Whereas you only wish to insult me.”
“He was meant to marry Brenna!” MacNair said, coughing. “It would have bound the MacNairs and McGlashens closer, broadened the lands we need for grazing, giving us another harbor for fishing. What do you bring, as an English woman of no account, no breeding, and no name?”
“I’ll have about a thousand a year, and I make very decent shortbread.”
“We don’t need an English bitch to make shortbread!” He coughed harder, bending over as he held the handkerchief to his face. “Damn it all, you’ll be the death of me.”
Heather glimpsed the dark red spots on the handkerchief as he bunched it up. She caught her own breath, shocked into realization. “Sir, your death is already assured. You have consumption, don’t you?”
“So the girl is a doctor too, eh? Aye, that’s what I’m told. But I’ll live long enough to see you discarded and Niall married proper, mark my words!”
“You may indeed,” she said, thinking that he might endure till October. If he was a more pleasant man, she would have told him exactly what the plan was, just to reassure him. But he was a mean-spirited old fart, and she was quite done with older men deciding her fate.
“You’re hiding something,” he declared. “Don’t think you’ll keep hiding it. I’ve broken stronger men than you.”
“Perhaps, sir. But have you broken stronger women?” Heather spun about and strode out of the room.
She needed a breath of fresh air after that. Heather walked downstairs. Maeve had mentioned that Carregness had several gardens surrounding the keep. Heather thought it would be relaxing to visit them.
However, she went to the great hall first—it was the heart of Carregness, where most of life was lived. Meals seemed to largely be communal, with the family and guests at the high table, and all others partaking of food wherever they could squeeze in at the benches. In between mealtimes, the room served as a gathering spot, a workroom for any number of indoor tasks, and a council chamber.
And yes, there was Niall now, speaking with a group of men around the table, discussing something that riled them up. One man kept gesturing to a paper on the table. Heather felt her cheeks burning. She’d acted like a wanton last night. Niall probably thought less of her for it.
Still, she couldn’t run away from her behavior. She had to own up to it. She walked over to him, nodding a polite hello. He nodded back and dismissed the men, who left to go about their daily tasks.
“What were you talking about with those men?” she asked, mostly to open the conversation.
“Some cattle and sheep have gone missing. We were talking about the best way to retrieve what was lost.”
“By lost, do you mean stolen?”
“Possibly,” he said, his expression grim. “We can’t afford to lose any more before the cold sets in.”
“I’m sure you’ll find out who is behind it. Niall, may we talk privately?” she asked, keeping her eyes lowered.
He nodded and escorted her over to a corner of the room near a window. “What is it?”
“I behaved very badly last night. I apologize.”
He was already shaking his head. “It wasn’t your fault. Surely, just a mistake on Maeve’s part—she overestimated your capacity.Youdid nothing wrong.” He still seemed annoyed though, in Heather’s view.
“You’re being kind again,” she told him. “I was drunk…but not so drunk that I don’t remember what I said and did. I never should have asked you to kiss me last night.”
“And I shouldn’t have listened to your request. But I did. And I didn’t have the excuse of being drunk.”
“Then why did you do it?” she asked, curious.
“Ah, let’s just say…it was a tempting scene.”
She blushed. “I’ll avoid getting us into such a scene again.”
