Page 43 of Secrets of a Kilted Seduction

“’Tis nae different tae when we first arrived. It seems tae me that neither Blaine nor his council have any idea what tae dae about me faither. If I was Blaine and I was as anxious tae get me faither back safe, as he says he is, then I’d be out searchin’ fer him mesel’ night and day. Rather than finding him, all they seem tae care about is who’s gonnae replace him.”

“Aye, I think so too. And ’tis obvious I’m naethin’ more than a big inconvenience tae them. They’d like tae get rid of me if they could.”

“Well, they cannae. Ye’re me husband, and ye’re nae goin’ anywhere,” she said, feeling defensive on his behalf again, though she was confused as to why she should feel that way.

“I’m glad ye seem tae be gettin’ the right idea at last,” Tadhg replied jokingly. But then he added more seriously, “This is why I suggested we pretend tae be wed. There’s nae doubt that if ye’d come here a single lass, they’d have had ye married off ate Blaine at the drop of a hat, whether ye would have wanted it or nae.”

“What! Ye think they could have forced me tae wed him? I’d have refused.”

“Alana, sometimes I worry that ye’re a wee bit naïve about certain things.”

“And what exactly d’ye mean by that?” she asked, offended.

“These are nae ordinary folks like us. Well, like ye used tae be. Now, ye’re a laird’s daughter. As far as the council is concerned, yer life’s nae yer own. Ye ken how it is. Look at Maddison and Odhrán.”

“What about them? Odhrán’s been in love with Maddison ever since Laird Murphy kidnapped her and kept her locked up at Lennox Castle.”

“Aye, he loved her, and she hated him. But she still had tae marry him,” Tadhg clarified. “She was forced tae marry the man she thought had slaughtered her father by order of the King, fer political reasons.”

“But she loves him now.”

“Aye, but it took them months tae get through it, and if Odhrán had nae been so much in love with her and stuck it out, it could have been a disaster for them both. He was miserable fer ages. I ken because me and Liam had tae commiserate with him. And there were times when he almost gave up.

“But me point is, as a laird’s daughter, ye’re a playing piece on a game board, tae be moved about at the whim of powerful men tryin’ tae carve out more power fer themselves. And if we had nae pretended tae be man and wife, ye can bet that’s what would be happenin tae ye right now with Blaine.”

“D’ye really think so? Even if I refused tae go through with it,” she asked, the reality of her situation sinking in.

He gave a bitter little laugh. “What ye want wouldnae come intae it. This council, all they care about is blood lines, legitimacy, legacy. Yer happiness is inconsequential tae them. And make nae mistake, Blaine wants it too.”

“Because he’s adopted, nae of me faither’s blood, ye mean?”

“Of course. Tae wed the laird’s daughter would give him all the legitimacy he needs tae take over as Laird MacIver.”

Alana felt slightly sick. “Ye ken, Tadgh, when ye first convinced me we should pretend ye were me husband, I didnae really take in the danger I could be in. Now, I can see ye were right tae be afraid fer me. I’m beginnin’ tae think I made a big mistake comin’ here. I was just curious about John MacIver, the man who abandoned me and maither. I didnae bargain on any of this.”

“I’m sorry it’s turnin’ out like this fer ye. But dinnae give up yet. Mayhap we’ll track yer faither down and the matter will be resolved.”

“I certainly hope so,” she murmured in reply, “but I’m nae convinced things will ever be resolved between me and the man claimin’ tae be me faither.”