Page 21 of The Highlander's Temporary Bride
“Ye brought a woman home,” Brenda said, and Grant almost choked on his drink. “But notyerintended—rather, the Beast of Briorn’s intended.”
“How—?” Grant sighed. “Aileas.”
For a moment, his mother’s eyes danced. “Perhaps.”
“MacLarsen married someone else,” Grant said. “So…”
“Mhm,” Brenda murmured and took a long draught. “So, Queen Marianna will pick either Lochlane, Conran, or…” She paused. “Darrow.”
Something tightened in Grant’s chest, and he nodded, staring down at his road-worn boots unseeingly. “Aye. I’ve thought of this.”
“Have ye?” Brenda asked, and something in her voice made him look up. Something fiery flashed in her green eyes, but then it was gone quickly. “I think ye were impulsive, Grant.” Again, her eyes seemed to flicker, and Grant thought she was fighting a smile, but then it was gone again, and her expression became stern and remote. “I think ye have little time to reckon with bringin’ her here.”
“She willnae stay, Maither,” Grant said. “And it wasnae on impulse.”
The words felt stilted on his tongue, and he frowned. It wasn’t a lie, was it?
“I encountered her first on the road to London and had a mad idea to bring her to the Queen—safely return the lady fleeing her Edict, but I couldnae bring meself to do it.”
“And why nae?”
He walked to the fireplace and stared down into the dying flames. “I think she can help me. Ye ken well what I am.” His chest rose and fell. “To be honest, I thought Her Majesty was jibin’ when she said she’d marry me off to one of her noble ladies. The Devil of Banrose wed to an English flower. Madness.”
“Madmen, fools, and children oft tell the truth.”
Grant heaved a sigh as he set his glass down and rubbed a hand over his face. “I ken now—if she willnae allow an English lady to choose whether to follow the Edict, she will never give the same courtesy to a Scottish laird.” He closed his eyes. “I will be wed. But I dinnae intend to… be a monster. If I can be good to me bride, then I intend to be.”
“Och, me son.” He turned to see Brenda putting a hand over her heart. “I ken now.” She offered him a small smile. “I like it. It’smad as a box of frogs, but she is here, so ye may as well learn everything ye can.” She furrowed her brow. “If she’ll agree.”
Now, Grant laughed outright. “Ah, she is as outspoken as ye. She will. She can tell me how to win over Elena.”
“Elena?” His mother tilted her head to the side and then shook it. “Och, lad. Perhaps ye should start with her name.”
“Hm?”
“Yer intended is Helena. Helena Lovell.”
Grant felt his cheeks flush and nodded. “Aye, of course. ‘Twas a long day.”
His mother stood up. “Ye dinnae have long, me son. Dinnae tarry.” She paused. “Did Reuben tell ye that the Queen’s Edict somehow pushed an English nobleman to marry off a Novice of the Craeghil Order to Laird MacLarsen?”
“Craeghil?” he asked, thinking back to that ancient stone pile by the sea.
They had passed by its bay yesterday. It was known for its healers, and they’d stopped there before for aid and supplies, but Mother Superior ran that order with an iron fist.
A dim memory flashed through Grant’s mind, of him stopping there and a tall healer helping him. He recalled hearing lovely, melodic laughter behind the walls and seeing her smile—only for it to falter when she was quickly hushed and scolded.
Poor lass,he remembered thinking, and for the first time in a long time, he appreciated his freedom—no matter how hard-won and bitter.
“What a cold place. I…” he trailed off as a different feeling overtook him, cold and suffocating.
He’d been so caught up in Reuben’s news that Emma would not marry MacLarsen that he had not considered the implications of the Beast of Briorn marrying her twin sister.
His mother voiced it, then, softly, as though reciting poetry. “Neither Beast nor Devil nor Firedrake may escape Her Majesty’s will.”
“Fine,” Grant growled and smiled as she gave him a searching, compassionate look, yet also seemed to fight a smile. “A week.” He smiled. “I dinnae think even the English Queen can argue with that.”
A gentle touch on Emma’s shoulder caused her to jerk awake. Her head spun, and she fell back against the pillows, putting a hand to her head. Her stomach churned. She suddenly felt likeshe couldn’t draw in a breath, and she clutched at her heart as tears pooled in her eyes.
