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“Nae, that does nae bother me.” It was not a total lie. Kendrick didn’t care if Reed asked for her hand. He would care if she saidyes.
Who are ye lying to? Ye go mad just from the idea of them together.
“There are three lassies of interest at the feast.” Reed glanced over the room, clearly not dissuaded by Kendrick’s sourness. “If Sophia is nae an option, who else?”
“Who do ye think?” He eyed Lorena.
“She is her sister. It may upset Sophia if ye propose to her,” Reed muttered. “And the other lass—heard her name’s Beth. I dinnae think she’ll be a braw match for ye.”
“I think she will be just fine,” Kendrick suggested. “She may become the Lady of the MacNeil.”
“Are ye not teasing me?”
“Aye, she may just be perfect for me.” He slugged back the last of his drink. With one last look back at Sophia, he turned away. “I have made a decision about my bride,” he declared. The entire hall swiveled to look at him. “Ye may all return to yer homes and wait till I inform ye o’ what I decided. I declare this feast come to term.”
Kendrick looked over the guests. Angus’ frowned, most likely convinced the evening had been a cruel jape. Despite himself, Kendrick turned back to Sophia. There was something sad and angry in the way she looked at him.
And there was nothing that could have prepared them for what would come next.
The guests began trailing out of the hall; among them, Beth, and her father. While the servants cleared the great hall, Kendrick decided he would speak to Angus.
“Angus,” he called out to Sophia’s father. “If I may, I would like a word with ye outside.
“O’ course, milaird.”
They made their way out of the hall, their footsteps sounding on the thick stone floors of the keep.
“Yer daughters, Angus,” Kendrick started. “Which do ye think is best suited to marry a laird?”
Angus blinked. “Milaird, I—”
“Ye heard me.” Kendrick turned to face him. “Which of yer daughters will ye choose to be my lady?” He needed to ask Angus. He needed to be sure he wasn’t making a mistake.
“Do ye hold either dearly?” Angus came back at him. “Whom ye must marry is up to ye to decide, milaird.”
“All right then.” Kendrick paused. He could not look at Angus as he murmured, “I shall marry Lorena.”
“B-but milaird,” Angus stammered. “Are ye sure it is Lorena ye wish to marry?”
The way his eyebrows shot up to his receded hairline was enough for Kendrick to understand that Lorena was not the name he had expected to hear.
“Aye, it is Lorena whom I desire.”
“I do nae wish to question my Laird’s decision,” Angus said mumbling, “However, I thought it was Sophia whom ye desired for a time, was it nae?”
“It was nae, Angus,” Kendrick replied, but he knew his expression was hardly convincing. What if Angus saw my face and read my thoughts? “I’ve never wished to marry Sophia.”
It was not a complete lie, of course. Helongedfor Sophia; he hungered for her, and he was sure that he loved her… but she would never be his wife. It was a decision made by fate and necessity.
“Ye played together as friends for years.”
“Sophia was a friend, aye.” The more Kendrick denied his affection, the easier he thought it would be to say, “She was a dear friend and naething more.”
A dear friend and naething more, he repeated inwardly.
“It was my mistake, milaird,” Angus apologized. “I assumed wrong. I would ask we dinnae make an official announcement till we are prepared.”
“It is settled then,” Kendrick agreed. “I am to take Lorena as my wife.”
