The Highlander's Temptation (22 page)

Lorna Sutherland would be his wife.

Chapter Twenty-One

Lorna was inconsolable.

All the clan had seen her rushed from the wool barn in a state of
disheveled dress by her brother, tears streaming down her face. They’d all surely seen Jamie tossed from the land—which she hadn’t. She’d not even been able to say good bye to the man she loved.

Magnus had taken that from her. Beat him to a bloody pulp. She’d not been able to watch, but she’d heard the beating all the same
. When Ronan had rushed to her he’d tried to force her away, but she’d refused. In the end he’d had to hold her back, kept her within his comforting embrace the duration until Magnus came out and ordered her to her chamber.

She was to be confined to her
bedchamber. Though he’d not said it yet, she knew how her brother worked. He’d inform the MacKinnon that a match was not to be made and then he’d ship her off to convent, shaming her and never speaking to her again.

What she’d done would be inexcusable in his eyes. He didn’t understand love. Didn’t understand the melding of two hearts or the uncontrollable need to be in a lover’s arms. Magnus was cold inside, and while she wished her brother would find love, she was starting to think he was incapable of it. Not after the news of him sending her off as a trade for wool and then the way he’d treated Jamie.

If it had been any other man and she was just having a torrid liaison, that was one thing, but that was the furthest thing from their minds. What she and Jamie had was beautiful. What they did together was beautiful.

Jamie had told
Magnus he wanted to marry her. Had made every attempt to secure her honor, but Magnus had tossed her out of the barn like she was a whore rutting with every warrior that came in her path.

Lorna
threw herself onto her bed, heard the click of the lock on the outside of the door and knew that Ronan had been ordered to do so by Magnus. Probably to keep her from running away after Jamie.

“I’m sorry, Lorna,” Ronan called through the door.

“Dinna bother,” she screeched back, anger and pain taking hold of her anew. She picked up the closest object to her—her wash basin—and chucked it at the door.

The clay piece shattered on the spot
, falling to the floor. She’d liked that bowl, too!

Lorna thrust her face into her pillow and sobbed, feeling nauseous and full of righteous pain.

How dare Magnus!

The happiest moments of her life had been in the last month of being acquainted with Jamie. And he’d taken all that away from her.

A soft scratching sounded at the door. Probably Heather or her maid. Maybe even Aunt Fiona as the woman had seemed to come around lately. She ignored them. But the scratching persisted.

“Go away! I’m locked in here like a prisoner anyway so it’s not as though I can open the door.”

“Are ye all right?” It was Heather. She sounded scared.

And if anyone had judged what had happened just by the looks of things, they might have thought Jamie took her violently, but that was anything but the case, and she didn’t want her little sister to worry over such a detail.

So, instead of ignoring her questions, Lorna wailed, “Magnus sent my love away!”

There was silence on the other side of the door for a while and Lorna thought that her sister might have left. Then her voice sounded through the door again. “Want me to steal the key and arrange for a horse?”

Lorna couldn’t help but give a bitter laugh. “Oh, but I wish ye would.”

“I would, Lorna. I will. Tell me aye and I’ll leave now to find Ronan. He gives me everything I want. I’ll convince him I need to give ye some tea.”

’Twas a good idea, but Lorna knew without a doubt, she’d never make it through the gate without getting caught. “I thank ye, dear sister, but I do not think it will work.”

“I’m so sorry.”

Lorna wished she could open the door just to give her sister a hug. There was always the two of them, and even though Heather was a complete hellion, she loved her all the same.

“Ye have nothing to be sorry for. ’Tis my fault.” And while she blamed Magnus for his reaction, she knew deep down that it was her fault.

When she’d gone to Magnus and begged him not to make her marry MacKinnon and that she was in love with another, she should have told him it was Jamie when he asked. For he had asked, and she’d refused to answer. This entire mess could have been avoided if she’d simply told him the truth and proclaimed that she’d not marry anyone but Jamie. If Magnus was simply looking for an alliance to strengthen the clan, then Jamie was the best choice, for he had a seat on the Bruce’s council and the ear of the future king.

Oh, what shame! Her face burned with it, but even knowing that all the clan had to be talking about her loss of virtue, what hurt the most was the loss of Jamie. How was she going to get to him, or he to her?

She’d not give up. She’d not let her brother ship her off to a convent never to be seen again. Nay. The nearest window would be where she’d toss herself if all else failed, for she could never live without Jamie in her life.

“Could ye get Aunt Fiona for me?” The woman had been on her side before. Had wanted her to marry Jamie.

Maybe she could convince Magnus that though they’d made the wrong choices in bedding each other, that they were in love and a good match.

“Aye, I bet she can talk some sense into Magnus,” Heather said.

And for once, Lorna was actually looking forward to her aunt convincing Magnus of something where she was concerned. A circumstance she would have laughed at months ago.

Lorna sat up and wiped away her tears. Enough crying. This would work out. It had to. And she had to be strong if she was going to make certain that it did.

A week later, with bruises that were now mostly yellow, Jamie nudged his horse under the wide gates of Glasgow Castle.

Not only was his brother there to greet him, but a few members of the council—thankfully not Ross—and William Wallace himself.

“Damn, brother, looks as though your mission beat the piss out of ye.”

Jamie grunted. “Ye could say
’twas something like that.”

“What happened?”

Jamie dismounted, handing the reins off to his groomsmen and glanced over at Toby and Donald. “I’d probably be dead if it weren’t for those two.”

“A woman,” Wallace said right away as though he could see right into Jamie’s mind.

He gritted his teeth.

When Toby and
Donald didn’t say anything, Malcolm’s eyes widened.

“Ye got your arse kicked over a woman?”

Jamie nodded. “Dinna ask.”

“Och, ye canna come home covered in cuts and bruises and not expect to tell us the story,” Wallace said.

Just then MacKinnon came from the stables. “Thought I heard voices,” he called as he headed toward them. “Welcome back, my laird.”

“Uh, well if ye dinna mind, my laird, I think Toby and I oug
ht to be seeing to our families,” Donald said, suddenly looking extremely uncomfortable.

Jamie turned around to ask what he meant, given the two of them were not married, nor did their parents live, and out of eight combined siblings, none resided at Glasgow. But the two were off at the first sight of MacKinnon. Bastards, Jamie thought with a chuckle.

Malcolm, too, noticed the odd timing and looking from Jamie to MacKinnon, but Wallace was none the wiser.

“Laird Montgomery, ’tis good to see ye.” MacKinnon held out his hand.

Jamie stared at it, unsure of what he should do. He’d cuckolded the man. Been caught with his arse up in the air and his cock inside the man’s betrothed. Word had not yet reached Glasgow, but it would any day now.

But a head of red curls caught his attention. “What is Ceana doing here?” Jamie asked.

Sadness fell over Malcolm’s countenance. “Her husband was killed in a fight.”

“A battle?” What all had happened while he was gone?

Malcolm shook his head. “Nay. A fight. Seems the man was a right ornery bastard. With no issue, she was allowed to return home.”

Ceana retreated into the gardens, not having noticed him. He’d have to talk with her later.

“I say, Montgomery, ye look like hell. Was it the English?” MacKinnon broke in.

Jamie swallowed back the knot of irritation in his throat and stared at the man who had no idea why Jamie would be so cross with him.

“’Twas over a woman,” Wallace boasted. “I bet I know who, too. One of the reasons I sent ye on the mission was my hope the two of ye would rekindle. I’d heard of her spirit and knew ye’d be the right man to tame her. Guess ye tamed her too well.”

Jamie raised a brow. What the hell was Wallace talking about?

The warrior elbowed Malcolm. “I gave up on love a long time ago after…well, ye know. But I could nay allow your brother to forsake love. He’s become such an arsehole. Needs the touch of a woman.”

“Who’s the lucky lady?” MacKinnon asked. “And ye must tell us about the arse whooping ye got for it.”

Jamie ignored them all, changing the subject. “I must speak with ye about a member of the council. In fact, I’m glad MacKinnon is here, ’tis he who shared the details with me,” Jamie said to Wallace.

“Och, we’ve already had that conversation,” MacKinnon said.

“Dinna hold out on us brother,” Malcolm said.

Jamie couldn’t take it. He had to get away from them. He’d not tell them who it was, not in front of MacKinnon and not until he’d had a chance to write a series of letters to Sutherland begging for Lorna’s hand.

Damn, but staring the man in the eye whose bride he’d stolen made him feel like warmed over shite.

“The suspense is killing me,” Wallace said. “Come now. Did ye see Lorna Sutherland?”

Jamie stilled, his blood going cold, teeth clenching. How had Wallace guessed? Lord, but he’d been harboring the hope in his mind Wallace meant someone else entirely.

Behind him he heard MacKinnon say, “Lorna?”

There was an indrawn breath, he wasn’t certain whose, but when he turned around, MacKinnon looked ready to kill him.

“What’s he talking about?” The northern laird glared glacial spears at
Jamie.

“I rescued Lorna
Sutherland fifteen years ago.”

“During the attack
on her parents and brother Blane?” MacKinnon asked.

“Aye,
” Jamie said curtly.

“So, ye’ve a history with the Sutherlands?”

“Aye.”

“I think it best ye tell us what happened to your face.”
MacKinnon’s tone was deadly serious, and it didn’t seem that Jamie would be walking away as easily as he pleased.

That being the case,
Jamie still didn’t think it best at all to discuss it. Malcolm moved to stand beside his brother, perhaps certain there would be a fight at any moment.

“’Tis a matter I’d rather not discuss.” Ever.

“Considering Lorna Sutherland is the woman I am betrothed to,
I
think it
best
.” MacKinnon was fairly seething as he spoke through gritted teeth.