Page 44 of Captured By the Cruel Highlander
“Do ye think it will come to that?” Emily asked curiously.
“I dinnae ken. Me son is an impatient man. He doesnae have the luxury of waitin’ to see what will come of us all.”
The two women fell silent for so long that it became uncomfortable. Emily desperately tried to think of something to say, but Lady MacNiall seemed contemplative. Her gaze was fixed on the flames as they leaped up toward the chimney.
“Me son will need a patient partner at his side,” she stated finally. Her voice sounded hollow. “Is that somethin’ ye can do? I ken he vexes ye. He has always been a headstrong boy.”
Emily was all too aware of the complex relationship between Adam and his mother. She had only spent a short time in their company, but they certainly did not see eye to eye on many things. All the same, she knew there was a lot of love between them, despite their differences.
“I’ll do right by him if that’s what ye’re askin’. It is a much better fate than the one I would have faced without his intervention.”
Lady MacNiall’s expression sharpened. “And what was that?”
“Do ye ken how I came to be betrothed to James Stewart?”
Lady MacNiall turned away from the fire, and it was as though the older woman saw Emily for the first time at that moment. Her eyes became interested, her mouth losing the harsh line Emily had grown accustomed to.
“Nay,” she said slowly. “How did that come about?”
“I refused to dance with him,” Emily said bitterly, the injustice of it hitting her all over again.
Lady MacNiall scoffed, her jaw working, a vein throbbing in her temple. “The arrogance ofmen,” she spat.
“He asked me at a ceilidh, and I refused him. I kenned his reputation. I had nay desire to encourage him, but he wouldnae take nay for an answer. When I refused for the final time, he threatened to destroy me clan and kill me family if I didnae marry him.”
Lady MacNiall stared at her in shock, all signs of her previous contempt fading away. “Did he follow through on his threat?” she whispered.
“Laird MacNiall said that he hasnae. He has sent word to me faither. But they are still in danger until Stewart is dead. I am just as eager as ye are to finish this business, M’Lady.”
“Well then…” Lady MacNiall cleared her throat. “I suppose it is a good thing that me son found ye.”
She walked to the wardrobe in the corner of the room and opened it, pulling out a dress from inside. It was burgundy in color, with faint images of the lion from their clan crest across the folds of the skirt.
“This is me weddin’ dress,” she said, holding it out to Emily.
The dress trailed across the floor, sumptuous and beautiful. It should have been a lovely moment to be gifted such an heirloom, but Emily felt a rush of panic at the sight of it.
This is really happenin’. I am goin’ to walk down the aisle again in a matter of days.
Emily laid trembling fingers on the fabric and shuddered as she looked it over. It was a stunning gown, but the reality of what would happen when she wore it suddenly sank in.
“I think ye should be able to make some amendments to it in time,” Lady MacNiall continued, her eyes running over the long train. “Ye can wear it at yer weddin’ just as I did, and me maither did.”
Emily forced a smile as her mind became a whirlwind of half-formed fears. She ran a hand over the fabric, then dropped it back to her side, trying to keep the worry she felt from showing on her face.
“Thank ye, Lady MacNiall. It is beautiful, and I’d be honored to wear it. Thank ye for givin’ me these rooms as well. Who kens what will come of the weddin’, but if nothin’ else, I hope that ye can get yer family back together again.”
Lady MacNiall’s eyes softened, and she nodded. “I’ll see to the arrangements meself,” she replied.
Her gaze fell on the dress once more, and a look of such sorrow contorted her features that Emily almost stepped forward to comfort her. She could not imagine what Lady MacNiall had been through after the loss of her husband.
There had been love between them, that was clear. She wondered if the wedding dress brought back bad memories.
How did their marriage come about?Perhaps they were betrothed to one another, and love grew over time.
She closed her eyes in despair.
That would not be the case with Adam. He had made it clear that he didn’t need a wife and that they would hardly see each other, let alone fall in love.
