Chapter 13
While Darack was in the meeting with Ewan and Chief Lindsay, Mairiana found her brother in the courtyard. She could not wait to tell him the news about Darack wanting to marry her. She rushed toward him, lest someone else call him away for some other duty. "Could I talk to you, Dugald?"
He turned, observing her closely with green eyes so like their father's. "Aye. What are you so happy about?"
Well, aye, she was indeed beaming. "'Tis what I want to speak with you about. Let's go into the garden." She rushed around the side of the castle to the spot beside the kitchen garden which contained a small orchard and roses climbing on the stone wall.
"What is it?" Dugald tilted his head and grinned. 'Twas so unlike him she was startled for a moment.
"First, a question," she said. "Why areyouin such a good mood?"
"Why shouldn't I be? My sister is safe."
She narrowed her eyes. "Something is very different about you now than when I last saw you a month ago."
"Oh, well." He shrugged. "I did get married."
"What?" she yelled. "Married? When? To whom? You had best not be jesting with me."
He laughed. "Nay. 'Tis true."
She was shocked, for she had never seen him so happy. Did he have a love match? She had never thought to see the day. "When were you planning to tell me?"
"This is the first opportunity I've had. She's a beautiful, sweet, French fireball named Camille."
She could see the love in Dugald's eyes when he spoke of her. "When did you meet her? How? I want the whole story."
He snorted. "I'm certain she will enjoy telling you the story of our meeting far more than I would. Suffice it to say, she makes me happy… and she's amazing. Now, what were you wanting to tell me?"
Mairiana grinned, her joy and love for Darack rising to the forefront. "Darack is going to ask you for my hand in marriage."
"What?" Dugald's eyes widened. "Although, I don't know why I'm surprised."
"Indeed. Isn't it exciting?" Unable to stay on the ground, she bounced on her toes. "And you must tell himaye. I love him!"
Dugald sighed as if tired. "Mairiana, 'tis the same thing you told me about Alec."
His words brought her firmly back down to earth, though she did not allow this to dissuade her. "I was wrong about him. But you know Darack. He's a friend of yours and a good man. He was incredibly generous in protecting me on the journey here. And he was so grievously injured, I feared for a while that he would not survive." Tears burned her eyes as she remembered how she'd felt over the past several days. "He is the son of the last MacGregor chief."
"I ken it," Dugald said. "And if things were different, he would be a chief."
She nodded, wiping her tears away.
"I'm not concerned about his social status. Are you certain 'tis wise to marry so soon after you've broken off the engagement with Alec?"
"It does not seem soon to me. I was naïve when I thought I loved Alec. 'Twas only infatuation with his handsome face and charming ways—a false front. He and Darack are like night and day."
"I agree with that," Dugald admitted.
"Though it has only been a fortnight since I left Lenor Castle and Alec, I've been through so much it seems like half a lifetime. I have gotten to know Darack well during that time."
Dugald frowned, observing her for a long moment. "Has he compromised you?"
A shock went through her. "What? Nay!" Her face burned. "How can you ask such a thing?"
"Because I know men. I am one, after all."
She was tempted to tell him Darack was not like him, but she didn't want to insult him, lest he become unreasonable. Instead, she said, "Darack respects me."
