Page 69 of Highland Jewel
He motioned to Maisie to approach as Searc huffed and began pacing again.
Her steps were unsteady. She still had no idea what was happening or what the questions were about. The hard set of Niall’s jaw and his refusal to look at her didn’t make things any easier. She was clearly the only one in the room who was ignorant of the truth—whatever it was. Now, standing in front of Cinaed, she felt like a convicted criminal about to be sentenced.
“Isabella tells me you two were engaged in Edinburgh.”
An awkward silence fell as she waited for Niall to speak. He continued to look away from her.
“We were,” Maisie answered finally.
“Do you still want to be married?”
Niall had set her free before leaving the city. Andhere they were, so far away from the life each of them imagined for their future. Once again, the silence became interminably long, and Maisie feared what Niall might say. What if he didn’t want her anymore? Especially after what she’d done yesterday.
“I do.” Even to her own ears, her words sounded like they were coming from the bottom of a well.
“You don’t have to do this,” Niall said, looking for the first time into her eyes.
“I want to… if you’ll still have me.” She couldn’t hide the note of vulnerability in her voice.
He said nothing for a moment, and Maisie was suddenly tormented by the thought that he’d been forced to make a bargain with the Mackintosh clan in exchange for his freedom.Thiswas part of the deal. His pause and his inscrutable expression paralyzed her.
Then, the back of his hand gently brushed against hers, and he waited until she looked into his blue eyes again. “I would be honored if you’d have me as your husband.”
Suddenly, she could breathe. He took her hand and brought it to his lips, and Maisie wanted to cry. She wanted to throw herself into his arms and have him hold her as he had last night, but too many eyes were watching them.
“Your marriage makes Campbell my brother-in-law. Family.” Cinaed’s stern face was all business. “We need him. His expertise. His knowledge of British regiments, of the strategies they employ in battle. We’ll protect him.”
No!He’d tried to put the military life behind him. This arrangement too was a trap. He was being forced to act against his own wishes.
She’d thought of this moment for so long. She’dimagined the romance of it. The joy of what would lie ahead for them. But she felt no sense of celebration.
Cinaed turned to the laird. “How soon can we arrange it?”
“We’ll see these two married the day after tomorrow.”
CHAPTER26
Maisie had finished writing only moments ago and now watched her dark-haired friend pace their room as she studied the pages. Never again would she leave Morrigan in the dark about her political activities. Since they left Edinburgh, her new sister had become her first reader.
The Safety Committee of the Weavers Guild in Inverness had already agreed to print and distribute the article in a flyer, but Maisie also planned to send a copy to Ella in Edinburgh to share with members of the Female Reform Society. Their correspondence had been scant so far, but the letters were coming more frequently now. In her last message, Ella mentioned that they were once again searching for a new meeting place. The Society needed a larger hall, for the number of women joining up had exploded since the spring.
Maisie was gratified that what she and Fiona set out to do less than a year ago was thriving, even in their absence. Since arriving in the Highlands, she was keenly aware of what was happening in Inverness and Aberdeenand other cities to the north. The situation was not improving. The government was acting more forcefully than ever. She wasn’t going to be left out of the opposition’s fight and felt her writing was a bridge that kept her connected with what she’d left behind. And then perhaps, someday, she’d rejoin the battle in Edinburgh.
Morrigan handed the sheets back to her. “It’s excellent.”
Maisie bit her lip to hide a pleased smile. She was becoming accustomed to the other woman’s brutal honesty. If the work contained any flaws in argument, content, or style, she’d hear about it.
As Maisie prepared to copy the document, Morrigan moved to the window and looked out into the courtyard.
“Are youcertainabout marrying him?”
Marrying him. Marrying Niall.Maisie had still not fully recovered from the whirlwind of events that had occurred this morning. After Cinaed’s decision, Searc had summarily dismissed her from the laird’s study, and she had yet to speak with Niall alone. But as far as the Mackintosh clan leaders were concerned, the plans were in place. She was getting married in two days. “I’m certain.”
“But what about all this?” Morrigan moved back across the room, waving a hand at the papers laid out on the bed and the article still in Maisie’s hand. “Does he know anything about what you are doing?”
Maisie sat back in her chair. “When we met, I was marching on the streets in Edinburgh, speaking at rallies, writing and distributing flyers and handbills promoting the cause of reform. And he asked me to marry him then.”
Morrigan shook her head. “That was a lifetime ago. Think of all that has happened. To you. To him. To his sister. You’re not the same people. The situation has changed completely.”
