Page 23 of The Anguish of the Scottish Lairds
“Oh, nay.”
“You didn’t?” Now this admission she found more interesting than anything else she’d heard this morn.
“Nay. I hated him. Ask your mother. I think she heard us arguing down near the boat launch. He tried to give me orders,and I didn’t like it. He told me I was ignorant, and I didn’t like that either.”
“Then how did you end up loving him?”
Meg shrugged. “I had to spend time with him, see all his good qualities. And he took care of me right from the start. Something I’d never experienced before. It didn’t happen right away. Be patient. Believe in what Lia tells you.”
“What would Lia say about finding a husband, one that I could love?”
“She would say that the heavens will find him for you when the time is right. She’d say not to worry.”
Somehow, Eva couldn’t quite believe that, but she knew one thing for certain. Whoever she was meant to be with, it would not be Sloan Rankin.
CHAPTER NINE
Sloan
Sloan came back from the lists and headed toward the stables. He thought to take a quick ride to Clan Grantham to see if Logan had heard anything new on the attack. Unfortunately, he was stopped by his sire outside the building.
“So you can’t even find yourself a wife, I hear.”
That comment halted him in his tracks. “What, Da?”
“I said I heard Eva refused you.” He crossed his arms and stared at his eldest son, his eyes telling Sloan exactly how upset he was about this.
He let out a loud groan, wishing his brother was nearby so he could throttle him. “Who told you that?”
“Doesn’t matter, does it? The truth matters. MacVey was going to force her to marry you, and you refused. What the hell is wrong with you? Women don’t get to make decisions. If Lennox said he’d accept the betrothal, you should have agreed. Did I teach you naught?”
Sloan was too angry to sort out his thoughts, but he knew better than to yell at the old man. He moved until he was a hand length away from his sire. “You taught me too much, Da. How to punish lads. How to favor one lad over the other. How to ignore the lasses of your clan. How to run the clan without listening to your clan members.”
His father waved his hand in dismissal. “Stop your whining, boy. I did a good job raising you and your siblings. But you don’t do what I ask you to do. Why not?”
“What have I ignored?”
“You should force the marriage. You need to marry, Sloan.”
“I’m trying, Da. But honestly, it is none of your concern. I want to know who told you.”
“I’m not saying.”
“Rinaldo did. And where the hell is he today? He was supposed to brush down the horses, and I see it hasn’t been done yet. Does that upset you, or do you prefer to stay mad at me and me alone?”
“He’ll get to it. He wanted to go on a boat ride. Rinaldo will be back. He’s a good boy. He always does what I ask him to do.”
“I know. You remind me of my lackings often enough.”
“Sloan, I don’t mean to be so hard on you, but you have an important job. Rinaldo doesn’t, and he has a hard time being second to you. He always has. You were fortunate to be the heir to my land. I think it’s important to keep him involved.”
“Da, I give him responsibilities, but he shirks them.” Right now, Sloan could jump in the sea and swim over to Coll and his father would still be talking about the wonders of Rinaldo. “I have work to do. I’ll see you at the evening meal.”
Sloan headed down the hill toward the coastline, grumbling at his brother along the way, waving off his father. He thought he’d seen a boat out of the corner of his eye. Sure enough, it was Rinaldo coming back from some unknown destination.
“Rinaldo, where the hell have you been?” Hellfire, but he sure looked like a fool when his own brother refused to do whatever he asked of him.
“Greetings, brother. I have new information for you that I’m sure you’ll find pleasing.”
