Page 25 of The Laird’s Sinful Secret

“She’s Keith MacKenzie’s daughter,” Malcolm cut in, his weathered face grim. “Her very existence under our roof is trouble, regardless of whether she means tae be. The other clans are already whispering. Some think ye’ve taken a fancy tae the lass. Others believe it’s proof of MacLeod weakness, that we cannae make hard decisions when needed.”

The accusation made Euan’s jaw clench. “I’m not keeping her here because of any⁠—”

“Aren’t ye?” Fergus studied him with uncomfortably perceptive eyes. “Because from where I’m sitting, ye’ve given her chambers befitting an honored guest, allowed her freedom tae roam the castle, even taken her tae the battlements at night. That daesnae sound like a prisoner tae me.”

Heat crept up the back of Euan’s neck, but he forced his voice to remain level. “As is appropriate fer someone of her station.”

“Aye, appropriate,” Fergus agreed. “But some might wonder if there’s more tae it than duty.”

Euan’s jaw tightened. “What are ye suggesting?”

“Naething untoward, me laird.” Malcolm said quickly. “Only that we need tae be clear on our position. Is she a prisoner? A guest? A potential ally? The clan needs tae understand how tae treat her—and what our endgame is.”

“The endgame is her faither’s response tae our letter,” Euan said firmly. “Until then, she’s under me protection. That’s all anyone needs tae ken.”

“And if Keith refuses?” Daniel asked quietly. “What then?”

The blunt inquiry hung in the air like smoke. Around the table, eight pairs of eyes fixed on Euan with varying degrees of curiosity, concern, and calculation.

“Then we’ll decide our next move as a Council,” Euan said. “As we always have.”

“I have a suggestion.” Daniel spoke up from the far end of the table. “One that might solve multiple problems at once, should Keith prove as unreasonable as we suspect.”

“I’m listening.”

“Marry her.”

The words fell like stones into still water, sending ripples of shock around the chamber. Even Niall, who rarely showed surprise, straightened in his chair.

“Ye cannae be serious,” Euan growled.

“I’m entirely serious.” Daniel stood, moving to the map of Highland territories that hung on the wall. “Consider the advantages. Keith claims rights tae MacLeod lands through his marriage tae Ishbel. Her blood tie is weak at best, but it gives him legal standing tae make noise at every council gathering.”

“How daes marrying his cast-off daughter help?”

“Because it makes his claim tae our lands through Ishbel redundant.” Daniel’s finger traced the border between MacKenzie and MacLeod territories. “If ye marry Lady Moyra, ye create a direct alliance between our clans. In the eyes of the king and the other lairds, any claim Keith might make through Ishbel becomes moot—he already has a daughter married tae the MacLeod laird. He’d look like a greedy fool fer pushing fer more.”

Malcolm nodded slowly. “It would also prevent him from using her death as justification fer war. She’d be under MacLeod protection as yer wife, nae yer prisoner. Any harm that befell her would reflect on him as her faither, nae on us as her captors.”

“And it would secure an alliance with those MacKenzie clan members who still remember Moyra’s maither fondly,” another councilor added. “Nae all of Keith’s people support his ambitions. A marriage might give them someone else tae rally behind.”

The strategy made cold, perfect sense. Euan could see it laid out like a chess board—each move calculated to maximize advantage while minimizing risk. But the image of Moyra’s face when he’d promised she wouldn’t be treated as a prisoner rose unbidden in his mind.

Was forcing her into marriage any different than what her father had done?

“She’d never agree,” Euan said flatly. “Ye’re suggesting I force a woman who’s already been imprisoned and betrayed tae marry a man from a clan that’s been her family’s enemy fer generations.”

“She daesnae have tae agree.” Fergus’s voice was matter-of-fact. “She’s our prisoner, whatever pretty name we put on it. We have every right tae arrange a marriage that serves our clan’s interests.”

“Nay.” The word came out hard as iron. “I’ll nae force any woman tae marry against her will. Nae fer politics, nae fer land, nae fer anything.”

“Even if it prevents war?” Malcolm asked quietly. “Even if it’s the only way tae protect both her and our clan?”

The question struck at the heart of his dilemma. As a man, he found the idea of forcing Moyra into marriage abhorrent. But as a laird responsible for hundreds of lives—as the man who’d sworn to protect his people the way his father had tried to protect him at Loch Eilein—could he afford such scruples?

“The lairds of the Loch Eilein Covenant would support this,” Daniel added. “A marriage strengthens all our positions. It shows we’re willing tae seek peace through alliance rather than force. And it removes one of Keith’s most potent tools against us.”

“It also removes any claim he has tae use her as a martyr,” Malcolm said. “If she’s yer wife and something happens tae her, the blame falls on ye as a married couple, nae on us as her captors.”