“The woman has that privilege, too.”
“True, but the man is no’ changed by it, or thought the worst of for having failed. But the woman is no longer a maiden and is known to have failed, no matter the reason. You think another man considering her will no’ think long and hard about that?”
Colen shrugged. “I’ve never thought of it that way. But handfasting is a tradition older than both of us, and I’ll no be arguing over it now. I’m no’ the one asking you to handfast. I dinna need time to see if we can be happy together—I know we can. ’Tis Jamie you’ll have to be telling all this to, for after the tragedy of his first marriage, he’s sworn never to marry again unless he’s tried his bride-to-be.”
“This is all beside the point, Colen. I’ll no’ be handfastingorwedding your brother. Now I’ve asked you what he’ll do when I tell him so, and you say he’ll no’ give up. What does that mean, Colen?”
“I dinna know what he’ll do, Sheena, truly,” Colen replied gently. “I suppose he’ll ask you again and again until you say yes. But Jamie’s never met with anything like this ’afore and how he’ll handle it is uncertain.” He brightened. “Then again, you can solve everything by telling him you’ll wed me. He’ll leave you alone then.”
Sheena plopped down on the bed, angered by his suggestion, however lightly given. “You do think all this is amusing, this fixyou’veput me in! Aye, ’tis your fault I’m here. ’Twould serve you right if I did marry your brother!”
“If that is what you want—”
“What I want! Sweet Mary!” She shot off the bed, raging. “You know what I want! Take me away from here. You can—he’ll let you. Take me away ’afore he kills me!”
“Dinna talk like that!” Colen shouted back. How could she say anything so shocking about his brother?
Sheena glared at him, her blue eyes sparkling with jewel-like radiance. “Do this, dinna do that—’tis all I’ve heard since I’ve been here! No’ even my father ordered me about like this. If you were not so much like my brother, I’d be hating you like I do Sir Jamie!”
“You’ve a brother?”
She clamped her mouth shut and walked past him through the door. Colen caught up with her on the stairs, but she wouldn’t stop.
“Sheena!”
The stairs leading to the second floor were circular and narrow. Sheena wouldn’t look at him, but concentrated on her footing instead.
“Leave me be, Colen. The great laird is waiting.”
“Haveyou a brother?”
“Aye, a brother, a father, sisters, cousins! I told you I’ve family, but would you believe me?”
She stalked down the second floor passage to the stairs that led to the hall. Colen was right beside her, growing just as angry as she was.
“We’ve been over this ’afore, Sheena!”
“Aye, but we never reached truth,” she stormed. “You are selfish, Colen, selfish and stubborn. If you had any feeling for me at all, you’d see I hate it here and take me back to where you found me!”
“To what good?”
Sheena was so enraged that she shrieked, “For my good!”
She had just about reached the open archway into the hall. A man stood there, a handsome man of lean build. Whether he had been about to leave the hall or enter it, Sheena couldn’t tell. He was looking up, drawn by her voice. What had been an expression of open curiosity turned to awe when Sheena took the last few steps and stood before him. She was a vision of dark-red-haired fury.
Sheena was struck with acute embarrassment, knowing this man had heard her tirade. Oh, the arrogance of the laird who had given the order to drag her down there! What sport for these Highlanders to see their laird abuse a Lowlander! She must never give him an excuse to berate her in public.
Colen was right behind Sheena, but the man didn’t see him. He was blocking their way into the hall, and although Sheena was too flustered to point that out, Colen was not.
“Your pardon. Black Gawain.” He spoke curtly.
Black Gawain’s surprise gaveway to a winsome smile. “Och, Colen, where are your manners? I’ve no’ met this lovely lass—”
“Nor need you!” Colen snapped.
“Have a heart, lad.”
“Nay, you have a care,” Colen returned, unrelenting. “She’s spoken for.”
