Page 101 of Hold Fast

“Well, ’tis your word against mine, aye? I say you carry my heir, and you say you dinnae. What will people believe? The word of the daughter of a penniless crofter who sold her to play whore? Or the laird he sold her to?”

His voice was honey, dark and rich and sweet. But poisoned. The bile rose in her throat. Malcolm Cameron had an incredible talent for saying vile words in such a genial way that you almost didn’t notice how despicable he was. Almost. They had once made her cower

“It isnae possible, and enough people will remember that. I left here over a year ago. It cannae be your heir,” she said, trying to get herself back under control. She needed to keep her wits about her.

“Well, now. That is interesting, lass. Because I have a document right here signed by witnesses that say that we were still handfast some eight months ago.”

“I didnae sign that,” she said through gritted teeth.

“Una,” Malcolm said silkily, coming to stand before her. He rubbed a lock of her hair between his fingers before bringing it to his nose. “One X looks like any other.”

He walked forward, forcing her to step backwards until her back was pressed against the wall next to the door. Giffard had moved and watched from the opposite corner of the room. Malcolm leaned in, smelling the skin below her ear as his hands came to her belly.

“Oh, Una. You have made me so verra happy,” he whispered in her ear.

CHAPTER47

Una gasped as Malcolm palmed her rounded belly. He dropped his nose to the base of her neck and breathed deeply.

“So verra happy, lass,” he repeated, punctuating each word with a kiss on her neck.

Una’s skin crawled to the point where she wanted to claw it off her body.

“Giffard,” Cameron said over his shoulder, “go and see to the gate. Be sure the guard is ready should Una’s kidnapper come looking for her now that she’s home safe and sound.”

Leering as he passed, Giffard exited the room. It was hardly a relief—she still had Cameron pawing at her—but no situation was made better by Giffard’s presence and now, with the numbers even, she felt as if she could at least think. Cameron grabbed her wrists and pinned them up against the wall as he continued to kiss her neck and shoulder.

“I can hardly believe my good fortune. ’Tis as if God himself willed it.” Una felt his lips curl into a smile against her collarbone.

“A whole year. A whole year of doing my very best for you, by you, with nothing. And yet you’re away from home a few months, and look at what happened. ’Tis almost as if you didnae want to give me an heir.”

She swallowed thickly as he kissed across her chest to the other side of her neck.

“For a time, I thought about letting Giffard have a go with you. He’s gotten many a poor lass with child before. But I am a jealous man. I dinnae like sharing what is mine, even if it would benefit me.”

A sob crept up Una’s throat. She trembled against the wall.

“But, Una, what a gift you have given me. Now I have everything I’ve ever wanted.”

He took both of her wrists in one hand, holding her jaw with his other. Dread settled heavily in her belly.

“I’ve never liked the MacDonalds, which makes this all the sweeter. I can piss off that whelp of a laird and, on top of that, get an heiranda bride.”

“Nay,” Una gasped, but Malcolm only gripped her cheeks more tightly, his fingers pressing painfully against her jaw, the flesh of her lips jutting outward from the force.

“Och, aye, lass. I’ve already summoned the priest. We shall marry tomorrow.”

Her stomach rebelled, threatening to rid itself of its contents. She couldn’t marry Malcolm Cameron. Shewouldn’tmarry him. Nor would she subject her child to his caprice, his malice, his gleeful cruelty.

Since arriving at the Cameron stronghold, she’d been in shock, her mind a muddled, tangled mess. She felt herself drifting off to that safe space in her brain, where it was quiet, where she didn’t notice his touch or attention. But then the baby kicked her hard in the ribs, and she sucked in a breath, launched back to the present.

Cameron pawed at her, and she wanted to scream for all that it made her feel as if she couldn’t breathe, but there was too much at stake. She needed to focus, to figure out a way out. She needed to save herself. If only she could buy more time.

“Then you’ll be letting me go back to my chamber tonight?” she asked, feigning lightness.

“Why would I do that?”

Her mouth was dry. “’Tis bad luck for the groom to see the bride the night before the wedding.