Page 8 of A Bride for the Kilted Beast

“Aye!” came a deep, raspy voice from the crowd. Lillie watched as two men pushed to the front. “I’ll double that,” said one of them. He was huge, tall and broad, his body packed with hard muscle. He wore his long, dark-brown hair atop his head, framing a strong-jawed face that possessed a rough, masculine beauty all its own, the scars crisscrossing his skin telling Lillie he must be a fearsome warrior.

Next to him stood another fellow who, though slightly shorter in stature, looked so like him, she knew they must be brothers. The first man’s lips were set in a thin line, and there was no mistaking the hatred in his eyes as he stared at Lennox. Lillie realized something was afoot between the three men, but before she had time to think further, a low whisper drew her attention.

“Thank ye, God,” she heard the girl next to her murmur, and her heart turned to ice. Was this man bidding such an astronomical sum for her actually the monster Diarmaid Kincaid the girl had prayed would not buy her?

Rattled as she was, she could not help but notice how Odhrán Lennox turned to glare at the huge warrior who had eclipsed his bid. He looked taken aback, as if he recognized him but did not expect to see him there. His lip curled and his face flushed red with obvious fury, his fist clenched reflexively on the hilt of his sword.

“Seven hundred!” he shouted before spitting on the ground in the direction of the dark-haired warrior. Lillie looked back at him to see what he would do. His lips widened into a mirthless grin as he declared, “One thousand!”

There was stunned silence for a few moments, during which she thought Odhrán Lennox was going to unsheathe his weapon and attack the warrior outbidding him. Her thought was interrupted by a shout from behind her.

“Sold!”

She recognized the voice of her kidnapper, Caelin McIrving, who then appeared in front of her, grinning and rubbing his hands in obvious glee. He waited for her purchaser and his companion to join him. Lillie watched in horror as they spoke in low voices before McIrving and the giant warrior spat on their hands and shook on the deal.

The man who had bought her did not spare her a glance, and she noticed how his companion continued staring balefully at the defeated Odhrán Lennox.

“Sold!” echoed the auctioneer, slamming his hammer down on the planks of the dais. “Tae Diarmaid, Laird o’ Kincaid!”

“Thank ye, God,” the girl next to her repeated, filling Lillie with cold terror.

What daes this brute want with me that would make him part with such a sum?

As she stepped numbly down from the dais to be delivered to her buyer, her question was soon answered in a very unexpected way.

“Damn ye, Kincaid, the girl was mine!” Lennox shouted, shouldering his way towards Diarmaid and Ciarán and confronting them with menace in his eyes. “Ye’ll nae have her!”

Diarmaid laughed to see the man so riled. “I paid fer her, fair and square, Lennox. Ask her faither whether she’s mine or nae,” he declared, satisfied and excited at the same time. This confrontation was what he had planned all along, never dreaming he would have such an opportunity to bait Lennox. And now he knew Lennox wanted her so badly, he intended to make the best of it.

“Aye, he’s paid fer her. One thousand pounds,” McIrving announced, grinning at them both. Diarmaid despised the man for selling his own flesh and blood but was glad to see how his words inflamed Lennox. He was playing right into their hands.

“Ye ken he only did it tae spite me,” Lennox cried, “he disnae really want tae wed the lass.”

“I dinnae ken why ye say so, Lennox. Am I nae as entitled as ye tae bid for the lass? Me money’s as good as yers. I have nae wife at present, and she’ll make a bonny mother fer me bairns.”

“Ye bastard! Hand her over, Kincaid, or ye’ll be the worse fer it,” Lennox threatened, so far gone in fury he seemed oblivious of the threat posed to him by Diarmaid and Ciarán.

“Is that so?” Diarmaid taunted him, seeing it was time to strike. “I’ll consider handing her over on one condition.”

“Och aye, and what’s that?” Lennox growled.

“I’ll hand her over tae ye… if ye hand over our sister, who we ken ye’ve got locked up in yer dungeons.”

A collective gasp ran around the crowd, who were transfixed by the developing argument. Diarmaid knew he had hit the bullseye from the way Lennox’s eyes almost popped out of his head. He visibly scrambled for composure.

“I dinnae have yer sister. Whoever told ye so is a damned lair,” he finally spat. “Now, give me the lassie!” He lunged forward suddenly and reached out for the girl’s arm, as if to grab her and pull her away. Ciarán stepped between them warningly, even as the girl sprang away from the grabbing hand with a look of sheer terror.

“I think ‘’tis ye who’s the damned liar, Lennox. Give us our sister, or I’m takin’ the lass tae wed,” Diarmaid countered.

“Right, I’m gonna beat ye intae the ground if ye dinnae hand her over this second!” Lennox yelled, red faced with fury, squaring up to Diarmaid, fists raised. Again, Ciarán moved swiftly to intercept him, but the man fumed like an angry bull ready to charge, darting right and left to reach Diarmaid. But he was cut off at each attempt, until Diarmaid almost expected to see steam coming out of his ears.

“Like I told ye, hand over our sister first, and the lass is yers.”

“Ye’d best take her now, Kincaid,” McIrving put in urgently, pushing his daughter towards Diarmaid. He grabbed her by the wrist.

“Aye, I think I will,” he agreed, holding on tight and beginning to pull her away from the crowd, knowing Ciarán had his back. “Seein’ as Lennox here willnae see sense and give us our sister.” He tried again to bait Lennox into giving away Maddison’s fate, but the man did not respond, so he added over his shoulder, “By the way, yer nae invited tae the wedding, Lennox, which is tomorrow.” He set off back to the inn, to where they had left their horses, practically dragging the girl behind him.

Ciarán followed, never taking his eyes off Lennox, who did not follow them but yelled after Diarmaid, “Ye’ll nae get away with this, Kincaid. The lass is mine. I’ll be coming tae fetch her, mark me words. I’ll be comin’ fer her, and when I dae, I’ll kill ye and yer brother both, damn ye tae hell!”