“Nay,” Domhnall agreed. “It means constrained.”
Niall’s gaze sharpened. “And the lady?”
“She is safe,” Domhnall said at once. “Cameron is with her.”
Ruaridh nodded once. “Good. Drummond looked ready tae forget where he stood.”
“He nearly did,” Domhnall said, raking his fingers through his hair.
For a moment, none of the men spoke. They rested in silence, the kind forged by shared histories and unspoken understanding.
“This is going tae turn ugly,” Niall said finally. “MacGregor willnae accept it.”
“I expect naething else,” Domhnall replied. “Which is why we leave before dawn.”
Colin’s eyes flicked up. “Immediately?”
“At the crack of dawn,” Domhnall told them. “Margaret, Cameron, and a guarded escort. Falkland grows more dangerous by the hour.”
Ruaridh’s jaw tightened. “What if ye have pursuit?”
“Let them try,” Domhnall retorted. “But I doubt they’ll risk it here, under the Crown’s roof.”
Ruaridh shifted his weight, and the wood beneath his boots gave a low scowl of protest. “But, ye’ve avoided the obvious question long enough.”
Domhnall didn’t look up.
“Why her?” Ruaridh continued, blunt as a blade’s edge. “Ye could have named any woman in that hall. Hell, ye could have stalled, made it difficult and even forced the Crown tae pick another laird. Instead, ye chose the one woman guaranteed tae light three different fires at once.”
Colin’s gaze sharpened. “Drummond’s daughter… Kenneth’s expectation.”
Niall’s mouth curved fainty. “And politically inconvenient in the extreme.”
Domhnall shrugged. “She was there. And she was useful.”
Ruaridh snorted. “That’s a thin answer, even for ye.”
Domhnall’s eyes locked in on him. “It is the only one ye need.”
Niall leaned forward in his chair, with his forearms resting on his thighs. “We all ken ye dinnae gamble unless the board is already stacked. So, tell us what we’re missing.”
There was silence again, but this one was full of meaning.
Domhnall folded his arms. “The King wanted a claim. That was made clear before I ever stepped intae the hall. Refusing outright would have cost more than yielding once.”
Colin nodded. “So, ye chose the least damaging option.”
“The most contained,” Domhnall corrected him. “Drummond needs the Crown’s protection. And MacGregor was always going tae come fer me, with or without a bride.”
That gave them pause. It also made him remember that this marriage was just an arrangement, and it was to remain exactly that. It was to be a contract to satisfy the Crown and blunt MacGregor’s ambitions. In other words, a white marriage, untouched and uncomplicated.
Ruaridh approached him first and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Ye willnae stand alone.”
Niall shifted forward in his chair, with all traces of ease gone. “If MacGregor moves, he will want it tae look inevitable. That means witnesses and spectacle.”
“Which we deny him,” Colin agreed, “by standing where we can be seen.”
Domhnall inclined his head. “In two weeks, at Inveraray.”
