Page 99 of Captured By the Cruel Highlander
“I ken ye blame me, and I admit he should have returned to us durin’ the final few years of his life. But he was determined to finish what he started. That last battle with the MacPhersons is why we are so close to peace. I believe that, and ye have upheld his legacy as nobly as I always kenned ye would.”
She took a step toward him, her expression fierce.
“Why are ye avoidin’ this marriage?”
“Because I dinnae need a wife.”
“Aye, ye do.” The words were firm and urgent as she took his hand in hers. “Nae just that, but ye need the wife yehave.When are ye goin’ to understand that ye willnaeloseanythin’ by havin’ Emily with ye? Ye will gain everythin’. Yer faither and I loved one another, and we made decisionstogether. I am only sorry me son is incapable of kennin’ that feelin’. Ye cannae do everythin’ alone. Nay one can.”
As his mother spoke, all Adam could hear was Emily’s voice in his head. It was exactly the same thing that she had told him when they had argued on the hillside.
He realized just how blind he had been.
It was naïve of him to believe that he was so different from his father. That he alone had the will to lead his people.
What his mother had pointed out to him seemed so logical now that he considered it. His father had expanded their territories and fought for his people while his mother had managed the day-to-day business of the clan. Together they had forged a better world.
The MacNialls were stronger because of the lands they had conquered. They were richer because of the resources they had won. All of that was his father’s legacy. Without his father’s absence, it would never have existed.
Adam sat down heavily in his chair, feeling shaken. “I dinnae ken if she will forgive me,” he said sullenly.
“I think she will,” his mother replied. “She isnae half as stubborn as ye are. If ye believe for one moment that that sweet lass will be like me, ye are mistaken.” Her voice was proud and strong as she looked down at him. “She will work with ye and make ye a stronger laird, I have nay doubt.”
With that, she swept out of the room, leaving the two men somewhat stunned in the silence that followed.
Adam stared into the fire, thinking through everything his mother had said and what it meant for him. He felt ashamed that he had never spoken to her about his beliefs before and had never simply asked her what his father had wanted. He had demonized her for years without ever truly understanding the bond his parents had.
She believes I could have that with Emily.
His heart soared at the possibility.
All the doubts and concerns floated away as though they had never been. He imagined sharing his life with Emily. Not fighting with one another but working in tandem to improve their lives and the lives of their people.
Doughall rose to his feet, finishing the last of his whiskey and fixing him with a knowing stare. He slammed the glass down on the surface of the desk, leaning toward him, his expression intense.
“For once I agree with yer maither. Get her back before it’s too late.”
35
Emily woke up with the sunrise.
The familiar walls of her old room at Wilkinson Castle surrounded her, and she should have felt a sense of belonging. But her mind lingered on only one thing as she lay staring at the ceiling.
I wonder how Adam is spendin’ his morning today.
A part of her mind conjured up images of him rejoicing at her absence. Perhaps he would joke about the many women he would pursue now that his marriage was over. The other, secret part imagined him missing her.
It was strange to wake up in her old room again. Although she had only spent two weeks in MacNiall Castle, it had felt much longer. The bed felt strange and uncomfortable beneath her, the blankets scratchy and unpleasant.
I have grown too accustomed to the luxuries at MacNiall Castle.
She threw the covers off her, got out of bed, and walked to the window. The lands before her looked the same. She loved this view, but seeing it again was bittersweet.
He didnae even say goodbye to me, as if I dinnae mean anythin’ to him at all.
She rubbed at her chest. An ache had settled over her heart which she could not shake, and she took a deep breath to try to dispel it.
A gentle knock at the door announced the arrival of her maids. It was as though nothing had changed at all as they all fluttered about her, saying how well she looked.
