Page 31 of Kilted Abduction
“I’ve never heard of Dunvegan castle before.”
He shrugged. “Well, heard of it or nae, ‘tis where we’re goin’ once this weather lets up.”
“And what are ye goin’ tae dae tae me?”
“Domhnall just wants tae talk tae ye.”
“Talk.”
“Aye. Contrary tae what ye believe, me family doesnae torture or murder,” he said. “That may be what the bleedin’ English dae, but ‘tis nae our way.”
He sounded sincere but a cloud of fear passed through her heart all the same. If they really believed she was a traitor and had sold out their people to the English, Ciara was smart enough to know they wouldn’t let her go on her way with a smile and a pat onthe back. He said his family didn’t murder, but she doubted they would consider it murder if they executed a spy. She knew she was going to have to find a way to convince them she wasn’t what they believed her to be. Ciara just didn’t know how to go about that.
“Ye’re really nae takin’ me back to me faither, are ye?” she said.
“Like I keep tellin’ ye, I dinnae ken who yer faither is, nor where he lives,” he replied gruffly.
She stared at him in silence for a long moment, searching for the lie in his words. But she only heard the ring of sincerity. It surprised her and she didn’t quite know what to make of it.
“Why did ye join the archery contest back at the Games?” Magnus asked. “Why would ye draw attention to yerself like that?”
“I wasnae tryin’ tae draw attention to meself. I needed money and thought it was a quick way tae earn a few coins.”
Magnus frowned as he took a sip of his whisky. It seemed as if he was trying to fit her story into the narrative he already had in his mind and was having a difficult time doing it. It didn’t seem to match what he believed. Ciara thought maybe she could sway him to her side and convince him it had all been a misunderstanding, and he could let her go if she told him a bit more.
“I ran away from me faither’s keep. Ran away from him,” she said. “His name is Laird Robert MacDougal—of Clan MacDougal. I wasnae able tae take much with me when I went, which is why I needed tae earn some coin in the archery contest.”
“And where were ye goin’?”
She shrugged. “I dinnae ken. I hadnae thought that far ahead,” she replied.
“Why were ye runnin’?”
Ciara let out a long breath and took another sip of her whisky.
Some small part of her mind told her that she shouldn’t be sharing anything with him. The larger part of her mind, though, reminded her that if she was going to sway Magnus to her side and convince him to let her go, that she needed to tell him the truth of things. It was a risk, but she thought it was a calculated one.
“Me faither wanted tae strengthen his position as laird and tae dae that, he needed an alliance with somebody who had an army. So, he was goin’ tae marry me off tae an English Lord—Edmund Fairfax,” she told him. “I would rather be dead than marry him, so… I ran. And I plan tae keep runnin’ until I’m a world away from him.”
“Fairfax,” Magnus said. “I’ve heard of him. Cruel, vicious man.”
“Aye. That’s him.”
“He’s responsible fer the deaths of more Scots than I can count.”
“I’m nae surprised,” she said. “So ye see why I willnae marry him. He’s a monster. And I willnae be a pawn in me faither’s political games.”
“If that’s true, I cannae blame ye fer that.”
“’Tis true, Magnus. ‘Tis why I need ye tae let me go.”
“I cannae dae that.”
“Me faither and Fairfax have men out there searching fer me,” she pleaded. “They want tae drag me back to marry that monster and solidify me faither’s alliance.”
“All the more reason fer ye tae want to come tae Dunvegan with me,” he countered. “Ye’ll be safe there.”
“I’m nae safe anywhere. And I’d be puttin’ ye and yer family in danger.”
