Page 21 of Marry the Highland Villain
Finally, in one last room, they found yards of fabric and the discarded clothing of former ladies of the clan. Not all of it was usable, or even in fashion, but they managed to unearth a number of dresses that could be altered to make a suitable wardrobe for Brigid. Some of them were a little long or a little tight, but they were all lovely, and Brigid sighed with pleasure as she ran her hands over the sumptuous fabrics, delighting in the luxurious feel of them.
It was altogether far more fabric, and a larger wardrobe, than anything Brigid had ever had before. She couldn’t help lingering over some of the soft, smooth silks and linens, and even a few squares of satin.
“They’re lovely, are they nae?” Emily smiled. She reached out to touch a length of cream-colored fabric that was soft and smooth against Brigid’s fingers. “This would make an elegant wedding dress, especially if we add some embroidery and some panels of these blues and greens. And it would go well with the MacKane tartan.”
“It would.” Brigid nodded. “I’ve never seen aught like it.”
“Then we’ll make ye a wonderful wedding dress out of it. And if ye want to include your clan’s colors…”
“I dinnae have a clan,” Brigid admitted, flushing. “My grandfather is the Laird of his clan, but he’s never acknowledged me or my sisters, so we dinnae consider ourselves part of his family or his clan. My father was an outlaw, and my mother joined him in that status. My sisters and I were loved, but we were never claimed by any clan.”
“Well, ye’ll be claimed by a clan now!” Emily exclaimed. “Conall would never leave his kin, by blood or marriage, to stand alone.”
Emily meant well, and Brigid knew it, but her words only brought forth the grief and anger Brigid had been trying to ignore since she left Conall’s study. Before she knew it, her vision blurred, and her tears fell on the fabric in her hands.
“I…”
“Och, what’s wrong?” Emily wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and Brigid leaned into the comforting embrace.
It wasn’t like leaning into Lily’s arms, but it was better than being alone, and she was grateful to the woman for her kindness.
“Conall willnae let me return home to speak to my sisters.” She swallowed hard, her throat aching. “I can accept that, as much as I dinnae like it, but… he willnae even delay the wedding long enough to be sure that they can attend. I sent them a letter, but… I cannae… They’re likely nae to be here on time… And will they be safe on the road? Will they even believe me? We’ve had to protect ourselves our whole lives, and I cannae be sure they will believe my letter. Even if they do, they may nae arrive before the wedding.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Emily replied, giving her shoulders a sympathetic squeeze. “And ye cannae persuade him to delay?”
“He says he cannae delay. I have asked.” Brigid swallowed hard. “But nay matter what I say, he seems determined to ignore me. And I just…”
She paused to gather her thoughts.
“I was dragged out of my home at swordpoint and was told I had to go to my grandfather or see my sisters slaughtered. Then, it wasnae even my grandfather I was brought to, but LairdMacKane—a man I’d never even heard of, but who I’m now betrothed to. I’m grateful he proposed marriage instead of what he said my grandfather likely intended. But I feel like… I…”
“Yer whole life has been turned upside down in the past few days, like a mariner amid a sea storm,” Emily said matter-of-factly. “Yer life has been overturned, and badly. And now ye’re scramblin’ for the things ye love. ’Tis only reasonable, and to be expected.” Her arms tightened around Brigid’s shoulders. “Conall is gruff, but I think he will understand what ye want, in time. All that’s required is a little bit of patience.”
She offered Brigid a square of cloth to wipe her eyes.
“I’ll tell ye something I wouldnae say in front of Conall, for fear he’d feel obliged to bluster about in a temper,” she went on, drawing a reluctant smile from Brigid.
“What is it?”
“He might have decided to marry ye, but he’s likely as unsettled by the idea as ye are. He didnae plan to get married before he met ye, and he’s probably strugglin’ with his own concerns. He’s just too much a man to admit it, even to himself.”
The idea that someone as stern and self-assured as Conall might have doubts made Brigid want to burst into laughter.
“I… I cannae see a man like Conall bein’ unsure about anything. He seems so stern and determined.”
Nae to mention pig-headed and stubborn.
“I ken. He is all of those things—or he can be. But give yerself time to get to ken him for the man underneath the hot temper. Ye’ll discover that he’s as human as the rest of us, I promise”
Brigid considered that. She wasn’t sure she believed what Emily was saying, but the idea that Conall might be less rigid than he seemed to be gave her at least a smidgeon of hope.
Perhaps if she gave him a few days, some time for them to get to know each other, she might be able to persuade him to change his mind. However, as she bent over the fabric and began discussing her wedding dress with Emily, another thought came to her mind.
If I get to ken Conall well enough to convince him to change his mind, I might also come to find I care for him… but I can never trust a man like him. I’ve vowed that nay such man will ever have power over me.
She wasn’t sure she could risk it. Not even for a man as handsome and mesmerizing as Conall Barr.
CHAPTER 8
