Page 12 of A Virgin for the Highland Beast
Hunter flexed his jaw as he bit his tongue, refusing to say anything more. He knew how his mother felt about their home. It was quiet, just the way he liked it. A pang of guilt jabbed at him, as he knew he was the only one who enjoyed the peace that came from being alone.
“Well, I wouldnae get too comfortable wit’ them,” Hunter said. “They’ll nae be stayin’ long.”
“Oh? That’s a pity,” Katie mumbled. “It would be nice to have someone to actually talk to other than yer sister. Which, by the way, have ye seen her? She wanted to paint a portrait of me, and I cannae for the life of me seem to find her.”
“Have ye checked the drawing room?” Hunter asked, hoping his mother would move along before she could hear the topic of conversation the girls were having.
“Aye, I checked there, her room, the library—even thought maybe she’d be in the kitchen wit’ the staff—but that girl is like a cat, she’s never around when ye want her and always there when ye dinnae.”
“Perhaps I can help ye look for her,” Archie suggested, stepping closer to Katie.
“That would be most helpful,” Katie said. “Thank ye, Archie.”
Hunter gave a sharp nod to Archie, pleased that he stepped up to give him time alone with the girls. The last thing he wanted was for his mother to know what he was up to. He knew all too well that she wouldn’t be pleased with his proposition to them, and he didn’t need her input on the situation.
“Come, M’Lady, let us find Violet,” Archie said, ushering Katie away from the door.
“Now, hold on one moment,” Katie said, with a judgmental glare that Hunter had seen far too often. “Why are ye hoverin’ at the doorway like some common criminal? Hunter, I ken ye, ye’re up to somethin’. And dinnae tell me it’s nothin’, because I can see ye’re hidin’ somethin’. Now, out wit’ it, and remember that I gave birth to ye. I raised ye and will ken if ye lie to me.”
Hunter glanced at Archie before his gaze fell back on his mother. It was clear the woman wasn’t going to leave without satiating her curiosity. Pulling in a deep breath, he studied her eager expression, wondering how she’d react to his plan.
“The girls have come lookin’ for sanctuary from their clan,” Hunter finally explained.
“Unheard of,” Katie gasped, clutching her hand to her chest. “Ye must tell them to leave immediately. We’ve nae the manpower or the equipment to be burdened by a war between clans. If their presence brings strife, ye cut it down like a weed.”
“They’re in trouble, Maither. I cannae just turn a blind eye to that,” Hunter said.
“I dinnae want them or anyone else to bring trouble to our home, to our clan,” she said. “Can ye guarantee their protection? Or that there willnae be malice under our roof?”
Hunter swallowed hard as he steeled his nerves and his resolve. “Nay one can guarantee anythin’ in this world. But I may have come up wit’ a solution that will put yer mind at ease.”
“Oh?” Katie asked, folding her arms over her chest. Her indignation wasn’t lost on Hunter. “And what’s that, pray tell?”
“I’ve proposed marriage to one of them,” Hunter admitted, his voice stern and confident.
Katie looked at him in shock. “Marriage? I never thought ye were interested in marryin’ anyone.”
“Aye, I’m nae,” Hunter quickly replied. “But the council wants a laird with a wife and a future. Besides, if one of ‘em agrees to wed me, she’ll nay longer be bound to her clan, and I’ll be able to care for the others as well.”
“That’s cruel, Hunter,” Katie retorted, her voice hard.
Hunter shrugged. “No crueler than to send them on their way right now in the rain and havin’ them on the run for the rest of their lives.”
“And if they decline? What, then? Ye cannae protect the world, Hunter,” Katie said, her voice softening. Dropping her arms to her sides, pity replaced the shock on her face.
“I’ve put forth a proposal of marriage,” Hunter stated, his voice sounding foreign to his own ears. “It’s the only way I could think to help.”
Katie gasped. “But marriage? Hunter, do ye have any idea what ye’re askin’ of them? Especially since ye have nay interest in it.”
Hunter shrugged. “It’s an odd request, I ken that. Nay woman would agree to marry a man she doesnae ken.”
“That’s nae the point,” Katie retorted. “There’s a difference between offerin’ help and coercion. Ye shouldnae have offered such a thing. Ye’re riskin’ an awful lot for them. Did ye think of the clan and how they’d react?”
“Aye, it’s because of the clan I made the offer,” Hunter said. “The council wants me gone, Maither. They want someone wit’ a future and wife—one who will be stable. Without a wife, I cannae have children, and without children, there is nay future for the clan. And they ken that I’ll never marry someone from the clan. Everyone is terrified of me. But here is a chance to get everythin’ we need. If one agrees, all will be set.”
“Ye’ve got it all sorted out, then, do ye? But what if they turn ye down?”
“I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it,” Hunter said, resigned to his fate.
