That makes me pause. I’ve never really thought of Maggie as anything other than the all-powerful matriarch. The idea that she was once a young woman with dreams—and frustrations—feels almost strange.
“That still doesn’t justify her trying to marry me off to every single Highlander with a kilt and a bank account,” I mutter, though with less bite.
My mother laughs softly.
“No, it doesn’t. But understanding her might help you figure out how to handle it.”
Short of suddenly getting engaged, I don’t see how?—
I freeze.
The idea hits me out of nowhere. Wild. Reckless. Possibly brilliant.
Definitely dangerous.
“Keira?” my mother asks, concerned.
I don’t answer. A plan is already forming.
What if I gave my grandmother exactly what she wants?
A fiancé. Someone who would immediately shut down her matchmaking.
Voices drift toward us along the path. Maggie appears, Robert beside her, scanning the area. My body tenses, ready to bolt.
“Keira! Darling! We’ve been looking everywhere for you!” my grandmother calls, her cheerfulness a little too forced. “Robert was wondering if you’d like a walk in the gardens.”
Over my dead body.
Robert steps closer, that predatory smile back in place.
“The stars will be especially bright tonight. Almost as bright as your eyes.”
I swallow a gag. That does it. Something inside me snaps.
“That’s very kind, Robert,” I say, straightening, “but I can’t.”
“Oh?” Maggie frowns. “You have plans this evening?”
“No, Grandmother. I have… permanent plans.”
“I don’t understand.”
I take a deep breath, aware of my mother’s alarmed stare.
This is insane. Reckless. Possibly the worst idea I’ve ever had.
I do it anyway.
“What I’m trying to say is… I’m engaged.”
Maggie opens and closes her mouth like a fish out of water. Robert looks like he just swallowed one of his own teeth.
“Engaged?” she finally manages. “To whom?”
I turn toward the McKenzie distillery, still visible in the fading light, and smile with a confidence I absolutely do not feel.
“To Alistair McKenzie.”
