Page 68 of Wedded to the Heartless Highlander
Erica’s chest tightened at the mention of Struan’s name. She couldn’t escape him, his sly comments and manipulative tactics. It didn’t surprise her that he had something to say, even if it wasn’t true.
“Struan,” she uttered.
The man seemed to dissolve in and out of her life without a consequence.
“Aye, he was just outside and told me that Lily was sick yesterday.”
“She wasnae sick,” she stated firmly, not backing down. “She was perfectly fine. Ye should ken—I was with her all day.”
Hunter furrowed his brow, his jaw tightening. “Struan seemed to believe otherwise. Why would he lie about somethin’ like that?”
“Because he’s lookin’ for a way to undermine ye, Hunter,” Erica shot back, her voice rising slightly with frustration. “Do ye nae see? He’s just lookin’ to cause trouble, to drive a wedge between ye and everyone else.”
Hunter’s lips pressed together into a thin line as he stared at her, his expression unreadable. There was a moment of silence, the kind that felt thick, like a fog rolling in between them.
“What do ye mean?”
Erica took a deep breath. She didn’t want to sound paranoid or create unnecessary tension, but her concerns demanded to be voiced. Her thoughts were jumbled up, and they started to spill out of her.
“Ye said that Struan found ye this mornin’. I can only assume that he must have gone out of his way to do so. Am I wrong?”
Hunter straightened. “It was Struan who brought it up, and I dinnae see the reason as to why he was up here or even outside at all to interrupt the conversation Calvin and I were havin’. So, aye.”
Erica hesitated, choosing her words carefully. “Why would he do such a thing?”
Hunter’s jaw tightened, his gray eyes darkening like a storm brewing on the horizon. “Struan’s role is to stay informed about the clan’s well-being,” he explained, though there was a sharpedge to his voice. “He obviously remembered from yer run-in yesterday and was simply askin’ after Lily, kennin’ how much she means to me.”
Erica shook her head. “Maybe, but it doesnae stop there, does it?”
Hunter’s back stiffened, the tension unmistakable. “What are ye suggestin’, Erica?”
Erica swallowed hard, her gaze unwavering despite the intensity of his stare. “I’m suggestin’ that Struan is playin’ a game, one that involves ye—and possibly me. If he’s willin’ to use Lily’s health to push ye, what else might he do to get his way?”
Hunter fell silent, the flickering torchlight casting shadows on his face. For a long moment, he said nothing, his thoughts racing. Finally, he exhaled sharply, raking a hand through his hair.
“Struan’s loyalty to the clan has never been in question,” he said, though there was a hint of doubt in his voice. “It seems everyone around me needs to be reminded that he has served this clan for years, long before I became Laird.”
“That doesnae mean his motives are pure,” Erica pressed gently. “He might believe he’s doin’ what’s best for the clan, but that doesnae make it right. And it doesnae mean his actions are in yer best interest—or mine, or Lily’s.”
Hunter crossed his arms over his chest, his gaze dropping to the floor as he mulled over her words.
Erica could see the conflict in his eyes, the struggle between his trust in Struan—his father’strust in Struan—and the possibility that she might be right.
“Ye think he means to undermine me, then?” he asked finally, his voice low.
“I think,” she said carefully, “that he’s pushin’ ye to make decisions that benefit him more than they benefit ye. Whether that’s underminin’ ye or steerin’ ye in a direction he prefers, I cannae say for certain. But I do ken that it’s worth payin’ attention to.”
“And ye reckon that I’ve been blind to this?”
Erica shook her head. “I think ye have had enough on yer shoulders without needin’ to question the people closest to ye. But that doesnae mean ye shouldnae.”
The silence stretched between them, thick with tension and unspoken words.
Finally, Hunter spoke again. “Struan’s counsel has always been sound,” he murmured, though his voice lacked conviction this time. “But I’ll admit, some of his suggestions lately have… been unsettlin’. And nae just to me. Calvin has voiced his concerns on more than one occasion.”
“Like what?”
“He’s the one who advised me to compete for yer hand.”
