Page 30 of Tempting the Highland Devil
“I…”
“We are friends, me lady. Yer secret is safe with me,” he continued. “I have watched ye two on the dance floor, seen the way he looks at ye, and the way ye look at him. Only a man consumed by desire acts the way Laird MacGregor behaves around ye, me lady. I am sure ye ken that.”
Yvaine sighed, and her resolve crumbled as she held the vial with shaky hands. “He doesnae want me,” she confessed to Laird Loughty. “He may desire me, but he doesnae want to be with me or anyone. All of this is meaningless if I dinnae get to choose the man I really want. Nay matter what I do, it willnae change his mind or make him want to be with me.”
“And so ye will give up?” Yvaine blinked, and Laird Loughty touched her hand. “Ye cannae give up on love like that,” he encouraged. “I can help ye make it so that he willnae be able to resist ye any further.”
“What? I dinnae think that…”
“Let me help ye,” he continued, stopping her stammer before she could go on. “I ken what ye must do. All ye need to do is make him jealous. Make him afraid of losing’ ye, and he willnae be able to keep himself from claimin’ ye. Trust me…”
Yvaine wondered if that would work. He was already willing to let her marry someone else even though it obviously bothered him.
Will this get him to confront his feelings and let himself want me to? Is it even the right thing to do?
“What ye must do from now is tempt him. Make him believe that ye have chosen to be with me. At the end of the games, he will do his best to win, and he will claim yer hand in marriage.”
“But…”
“Trust me, Yvaine. I want to help ye.” She let Laird Loughty convince her of his plan, and they spent the rest of their time together talking about Laird Loughty’s plans to travel and find the woman he could love too once the competition was over.
Yvaine considered his suggestion for a while. It was tempting to make Arran want her, but she could not do that to him.
“I am afraid I cannae accept yer proposal,” she said to Laird Loughty with a sigh. “I am really sorry.”
“Are yer certain?” he questioned. “Do ye nay wish to ken if he truly desires ye?”
“I do,” she answered hastily, her pulse skipping her beat at the thought. “But I cannae betray Arran like that.”
It took some time before Laird Loughty smiled at her. “If that is what ye wish,” he said.
Yvaine nodded to him one last time, and they began discussing other topics.
She did not see Arran for the rest of the day, but he showed up at supper, and she was aware of his frown every time he looked at her. Yvaine ignored him and concentrated on enjoying Laird Loughty’s company. She liked that they could discuss many topics and not allow the games to burden them.
By the next morning, they left the castle to go to the base of the closest hill for the last game. The first laird to reach the top of the hill would win the final rounds of the games.
Only Laird Loughty and three other lairds including Arran were left. Laird Loughty did not stand a chance of winning with his injuries, but he insisted on competing so his mother would believe he gave the competition all his might.
Yvaine leaned into Laird Loughty’s embrace and beamed at him. “Ye dinnae have to compete today,” she said to him. “Ye can accept defeat and back down. I am certain yer maither will understand.”
“She willnae,” he insisted. “Dinnae worry about me, Yvaine. I shall try my best to win.” They both laughed as his eyes gleamed with mischief, and Yvaine caught Arran glaring at them both as Laird Loughty backed away.
“May the best man win,” Duncan announced a second later to start the hill climbing games. The lairds spun into action, and Yvaine watched with her heart in her throat, hoping Arran would make it to the top first.
16
Arran climbed to the top with all his might. Laird Macmicking edged ahead of him, determined to reach the cliff’s peak first, but Arran did not relent.
It would take him a total of twenty minutes to reach the top if he continued at this pace. Laird Macmicking would tire out soon because he climbed too fast.
Arran had climbed to this peak a million times with Duncan as a boy. Each time they did, they would engrave their name up on the peak with stones. He was certain if he reached the top, he would find his name on the rock.
The heavy gust of wind in the air blew in his direction, and he lost his grip a bit. He heard the loud murmurs from ground below faintly. Arran tried not to look down because he feared he would lose his courage if he did.
Why am I even doing this?All he knew was that he could not let Yvaine marry any of these men. Duncan expected him to give up his victory and allow one of the other lairds win, but none of them were worthy of Yvaine’s hand.
And I nearly blinded the only one she seems pleased with.Guilt bit at him as he recalled what he did to Laird Loughty. No one knew what really happened because Yvaine must have covered for him.
