Page 12 of The Anguish of the Scottish Lairds
“Sloan? He’s a fine man in my eyes. You surely could do worse. Come sit with me for a moment.” She pointed to two tree stumps.
Eva flopped onto the stump. “And now Mama agrees with him.”
“You are not interested in Sloan at all?”
She shook her head, afraid to speak or the tears would flood her cheeks. “Were you forced to marry Derric? Was Eli forced to marry Alaric? Is that how everyone does it?”
Dyna’s eyes widened. “Nay. No Grant or Ramsay lass has been forced. My great-grandmother, Elizabeth, made mygrandfather Alex promise not to force any of his siblings to marry. Told him it was wrong. One sister married a Ramsay, so she refused arranged betrothals for the entire Ramsay clan. And his sister Jennie did the same for Clan Cameron.”
“Truly? You are so fortunate.”
“What about your mother? Doesn’t she agree with you?”
“Nay, she wishes for me to marry Sloan because he’s a chieftain and he lives nearby. She doesn’t care how I feel about him.”
“Do you know him well?”
“Aye. He’s too stubborn. He always has an opinion on things. He’s bossy and gruff. He thinks he can do numbers better than anyone. And he doesn’t believe in anything unless it’s directly in front of him.”
“Ah, I think I recall a bit of that conversation. He said there’s no such thing as faeries or seers, didn’t he?”
“Aye. How could you speak with him if he denies your abilities? Everyone knows Tora is a seer now. Even Magni says so.”
“Some people are a wee bit more stubborn than others. It doesn’t bother me that he doesn’t recognize my abilities, so please don’t let it bother you. Some men are hard to convince.”
“Most men.”
Dyna arched a brow at that comment. “I’m sensing that this is more than believing in seers. Something you wish to tell me about most men?”
Eva shook her head and stared at her boots. “Nay. I just don’t have any luck with them. Any man I’ve ever been interested in refuses me.”
“How do you know that they refuse you? Are they that direct?”
“Nay, I have Alycia ask for me.”
“The same Alycia who is here now?”
“Aye. She asks and tells me they don’t want me. Is it my appearance? Is my hair too wavy or is it my nose?”
Dyna’s expression changed to one of surprise. “Nay, you are a beautiful lass. You have the most beautiful blue eyes I’ve ever seen. Do not allow anyone to tell you otherwise. There is the possibility that they refuse because you are the chieftain’s sister. I had trouble because my father was the finest swordsman in all the land.”
Eva tipped her head in question.
“Connor Grant was second in skills after my grandsire Alex Grant. No man would come near me because they feared they’d be tested by my sire, like Logan tested poor Cailean. They were all afraid of him, so I had to find my own husband.”
“How did you meet Derric?”
Dyna laughed. “That’s a story for another day. Ask Derric because he tells it better, but I met him when I flipped him onto his back and set my boot on his chest. He says he was smitten with me after that.”
“Where were you?”
“Not on Grant land. We were searching for the English who were after my grandsire. Derric was working with King Robert. Perhaps you need to look outside your castle.”
Eva didn’t always believe her sire had chosen the perfect man for her. There were days when she dreamed of finding a nice man on her own, one like Alaric, to have a relationship like Eli and Alaric had, but she didn’t see it happening. It was best for her, given her past, to not set her sights on any man. It was unlikely to happen for her. She’d never find out who her sire had thought was the ideal husband for her, and no one wanted the chieftain’s sister, so she’d be a spinster living alone at Dounarwyse Castle, though now she hoped to have some nieces or nephews to love.
Someone let out a squeal, so Dyna stood, looking toward the gates. “Oh my goodness, I think the group from Clan Matheson is here. We can finish this discussion later, if you like. But trust me that it is not your appearance, Eva. It is more likely that most guards fear Lennox. He has that intimidating stare that makes some lads shrink away. You can keep practicing as you wish, but I need to greet them. They’ve come a long way, all the way from Black Isle.” Then she shouted, “Look, Brigid brought wolfhounds! We’ve been waiting for them.”
A man behind Brigid opened a crate and a pile of puppies flew out, two larger dogs with them. Eva had never seen anything so adorable, and she’d always wanted her own dog, but Lennox had said there weren’t enough dogs on the isle. Eva followed Dyna out to the gates, watching as a beautiful older woman hugged Derric and Dyna.
