Highland Promise: The Daughters of Clan Drummond Page 7

“No, thank ye. The loch is so beautiful, thank ye for bringing me here. I canna wait to paint it.”

  “Did ye bring yer paints with ye to the keep?”

  Catriona shook her head sadly. “No. I lost them the night I… the night I met yer brother. Liam promised that he would try to find some for me.” Catriona smiled softly and looked away.

  “It is nice to see the two of ye speaking at last.”

  “I must admit that I was not so sure that the day would come. But it is nice to know that he does not hate me, at the very least,” she said softly.

  “I’m sure there have been many a fine marriage built on less than that.”

  Catriona was saved the need to come up with an answer by the sound of hoofbeats behind them. She turned to see a large brown horse bearing down on them from across the glen. As the horse grew nearer she could clearly make out the large form of Liam atop the stallion.

  Her head cocked to the side as she watched him draw nearer. He was an impressive sight. His large stature made him an imposing figure as he easily commanded the large beast beneath him to draw to a halt a few feet from where she and Iain sat.

  Liam swung down off of his horse and strode toward them carrying a large wooden box under his arm.

  “Good day to ye, Catriona,” Liam said, inclining his head to her.

  “Liam.” Catriona could feel her face growing warm and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

  “I’m sorry that I could not escort ye around the keep today. I hope the two of ye have had a pleasant time.”

  Catriona smiled brightly. “Yes, yer brother was an excellent guide. I hope yer day was as pleasant as ours?”

  “I doubt it was as pleasant as yours, but I’m glad to see that my brother kept ye good company.”

  She shifted uncomfortably, remembering her words from the previous night. She could not deny that Iain made for pleasant company, but she wanted to get to know her new husband. She was happy that Liam was trying to make her feel more comfortable in her new home, but the thought of ever feeling as at ease with him as she did with Iain felt like an impossible dream.

  Liam sat down beside her on the wool blanket with his legs crossed and his knee brushed against her thigh. The contact made her skin flush, and she looked away from him, out across the deep water of the loch.

  “Well,” said Iain, getting to his feet, “I have some business of my own that I should be seeing to. I’ll leave ye now, Lady Catriona, in yer husband’s care.”

  “Thank ye for taking the time to show me around the grounds today, Iain.” She smiled warmly at him.

  Iain bowed deeply and winked. “It was my pleasure. I look forward to seeing the both of ye at supper tonight.”

  “Aye, Iain, we will be seeing ye there,” Liam said.

  Catriona couldn’t help but notice a hint of impatience in his voice, and smiled inwardly. Could it be that he had been looking forward to spending some time together just as much as she had been?

  “What is that?” she asked Liam, eyeing the box he had set down on the other side of him.

  He smiled at her and handed her the box he had brought with him.

  “Why don’t ye open it and see for yourself?”

  Catriona took the box from him and placed it gently on her lap. Her hands trembled slightly as she lifted the lid to reveal a beautiful paint set. Inside were charcoal sticks for sketching and small pots of paints filled with different colors along with a large stack of drawing paper that was tied with a white ribbon.

  “Oh Liam, it’s absolutely beautiful,” she gasped, trailing her fingers gently over each item in the box. “Wherever did you find it? When did you have the time?”

  Liam, gave a light shrug and cleared his throat. “I promised ye that I would look for paints…” he trailed off for a moment before finally asking hesitantly, “Do ye like them, then?”

  With a laugh Catriona threw her arms around his neck and hugged him close. “I absolutely love them! Oh Liam, it is such a thoughtful gift. Thank you, they’re perfect.”

  Liam shifted awkwardly, caught off guard by Catriona’s unexpected show of affection. Slowly, he raised his arms and wrapped them lightly around Catriona’s waist.

  At the touch of his hands upon her, Catriona froze, suddenly aware of the intimacy of their embrace. Embarrassed by her sudden outburst, she began to pull away from him, but Liam’s grip on her prevented her from making much space between them.

  Halted by his grip, she stopped her retreat, her face now mere inches from his. She found herself staring at the fullness of his lips. She had never before noticed how inviting they looked. Most likely because they had always been curled into some form of frown or scowl whenever he was looking at her.

  Catriona glanced upwards and was caught in the gaze of Liam’s stormy grey eyes. Suddenly, one of Liam’s hands was in her hair, and he pulled her closer to him. His mouth met hers, and she inhaled deeply, shocked by the unexpected kiss.

  The movement of his lips were tentative at first, as though he were asking a question, and Catriona yearned for more. More of what, she didn’t quite understand, but she knew that she did not want to dampen the smoldering need that was growing inside from the kiss he pressed upon her.

  She whimpered lightly, hungry for something that she couldn’t quite identify, but the sound must have spurred Liam on, because his lips instantly became more insistent. He kissed her harder, and his tongue flicked over her lips, teasing its way into her mouth.

  Catriona clung to him, reveling in the new sensations flooding her body. And then just like that, Liam pulled back, and the kiss was over just as quickly as it had started.

  “We should be getting back to the keep,” Liam said. His voice was gruff, but his hand was gentle as he pushed the hair back from her face.

  Catriona blushed, but nodded silently, allowing Liam to help her to her feet. Her lips still tingled from his kiss, and as he lifted her onto her horse, she hoped that it would not be long before he kissed her again.

  Chapter 10

  She was going to be late. Catriona rushed down the hallway towards the great hall where most of the castle inhabitants had already begun to gather for supper. She had taken extra time redressing her hair for the evening meal. She had to admit that she wanted to look beautiful for Liam. It seemed a bit silly, worrying so much that the sight of her would be pleasing to him. But every time she thought about the kiss they had shared earlier on the banks of Loch Oich, her face warmed, and she ached for him to take her into his arms and kiss her again. It was no secret that men wanted to kiss beautiful women. Growing up, she had often overheard the maids giggling about the young men and so…

  She shook her head. It was silly to even think about. But she wanted to be beautiful tonight in hopes that it would make him want to kiss her again.

  But more importantly, tonight she would be introduced to the gathered clansmen as Liam's new wife, Lady MacDonell, and she wanted to make a good impression on her new clansmen as well.

  As she rushed around a corner, she slammed into someone coming the other way.

  “Oh!” she exclaimed, “My apologies, I was not paying close enough attention to where I was going.”

  “It is I who should be apologizing,” he said. “In my rush, I could have knocked ye down.”

  Catriona looked up at the man who had a firm grip on her arm. He was tall, almost as tall as Liam, but narrower through the shoulders and had wavy light brown hair. As Catriona gazed at him, she saw his deep brown eyes focusing on her and narrow slowly as he examined her face.

  “I do not believe we have met before,” he said, his voice suddenly more cool and suspicion.

  “No, I have not been at Invergarry Castle for long.” Her heart beat rapidly. Why was he so suspicious of her?

  “And what might your name be, lass?”

  “Lady Catriona MacDonell. Now I’ll ask ye to unhand me.”

  The hand on her upper arm tightened, and she flinched from the pressure. She tried t
o pull herself from his grasp, but he did not release her.

  “So, you are the one who married my brother,” he said coolly.

  “You are Liam's brother?” Catriona should have felt comforted by that fact, but she was not. The undisguised expression of dislike on his face made it clear that she was not welcome.

  “Ye have some nerve, showing yer face here after what ye have done.”

  “I did not do anything. Now, let me go. Yer brother is expecting me.”

  “Did not do anything? Ye tricked my brother into marrying ye, and ye consider that no little thing?”

  “I do not know what you think happened between yer brother and me, but I did not trick him into marriage. I think it would be best for you to speak to your brother. Now please, I am late.”

  “Let me tell you what I know. I know that I am not going to let you ruin my brother's life.”

  Catriona was rapidly growing irritated with Liam's brother’s accusations.

  “I have no intention of doing any such thing. And I have no interest in discussing this with you further. Now please let me pass.”

  Alex leaned in, crowding Catriona and lowered his voice. “Ye do not belong here,” he said menacingly.

  “What is going on here?”

  Alex took a step back at the sound of Iain’s voice. “Nothing,” he said. “I am simply getting acquainted with our brother’s new bride.”

  Iain eyed his younger brother suspiciously, unconvinced by his claim.

  “Catriona, do you mind if I speak to Alex for a moment?”

  “Of course not.” Catriona sighed with relief, grateful of the escape she had been offered.

  She slipped away from Alex and flashed Iain a small smile as she passed him. She had not gone far when she heard Iain addressing his brother behind her back.

  “What do ye think ye are doing?”

  “I've no idea what ye mean,” Alex said casually.

  Catriona glanced back to see him lean against the wall and cross his arms over his chest, a bored expression on his face. She started down the stairs but paused once she was out of sight.

  “Ye know exactly what I mean. Not even a blind man would have mistaken that look in your face as one of welcome.”

  “It wasn't, because she's not. She doesn't belong here Iain, ye know it as well as I do.”

  “She’s Liam's wife, this is her home now. The faster ye come to terms with that, the easier it will be on everyone.”

  “Why are ye defending her?”

  “Because I've actually taken the time to speak to her. She's a sweet lass.”

  “Ye’ve always had a soft spot when it comes to the ladies. She's blinded ye with her charms.”

  “No, yer suspicion of her has blinded ye to seeing what's right in front of yer face. That this could be our brother's chance at happiness. Don't come between them by making her feel uncomfortable.”

  “Ye cannot ask me to trust her.”

  “All I'm asking is that ye keep a civil tongue in your mouth when ye speak to her. What's done is done. She and Liam are wed. So just keep your opinions on the matter to yourself and let the two of them make a go of it.”

  Alex snorted. “Have ye always been this much of a bleeding heart, or are ye just getting soft in your old age.”

  “I simply know that no good will come of ye sticking yer nose where it doesn't belong.”

  “So says you.”

  “Aye, I do. So do ye promise to not go stirring up trouble?”

  “No. But I promise to hold my tongue at least until after supper. Come on, before Liam starts to wonder where we are.”

  Hearing their footsteps approach her, she rushed down the staircase before they could discover her and realize that she had been eavesdropping. She was grateful to Iain for defending her, but she had also learned something important. That she needed to keep out of Alex’s way the best she could if she wanted to avoid more unpleasant confrontations with him in the future.

  * * *

  Catriona could feel every eye in the great hall on her. She sat silently next to Liam, trying to ignore, not only the weight of the stares that she felt from everyone in the room, but also the not-so-subtle glares from Alex, who was seated next to her on her right.

  Liam pushed back his seat and stood up from the table, his glass raised as he introduced Catriona to his clansmen as his new wife, but she did not hear a word of it. She was trying as hard as she could to block out the cruel words Alex was whispering to her under his breath.

  “Ye may have my brothers fooled, but I know ye for the deceitful wee bitch ye truly are, and I dinna care what it takes, I'll find the proof of it and expose ye to my brothers.”

  Catriona squeezed her hands together beneath the table and fought the urge to slap Liam's brother. She could not take much more of the poison he was spewing into her ear.

  “Ye may sit there, looking all innocent, but I see right through ye. And my fellow clansmen will see through ye as well. I dinna ken why ye did it, and I dinna care, but ye'll not get away with this.”

  “Please,” she whispered, unable to hear any more, “just stop.”

  “I'll not stop until ye're out from under this roof. I'll have ye gone, even if I have to drag ye out of here by yer hair myself.”

  The room broke into thunderous applause, pulling Catriona's attention back to Liam. He had finished his speech and was looking down at her expectantly. A moment passed before she realized that he was expecting her to say something.

  Hurriedly, she stood up from her chair and forced a smile to her lips, as she looked around the room. She did not want to focus on any of the faces, afraid of the expressions she would see cast back at her. Terrified that they, like Alex, would be filled with suspicion and hostility. But as she stood there looking down at them, though some people were eyeing her with open curiosity, the residents of Invergarry Castle looked genuinely happy to see their Laird wed. Bolstered by this, she pushed aside the thoughts of Alex's threats and found the courage to speak.

  “Thank ye, husband. I am so happy to be here. And thank ye all for welcoming me so warmly to Invergarry Castle. It is already starting to feel like home.”

  She took her seat quickly as the inhabitants applauded once more, and Liam caught her eye, raising a questioning eyebrow at her.

  She blushed and shrugged her shoulder slightly. It was a pretty lie, and each one of them at the head table knew it, but what else was she to say? That she would give anything to be back at her father's house, laughing with her sisters? No. She and Liam had agreed to move forward in harmony, and she would honor her word. This was her life and her home now.

  “Look how easily ye lie. Ye give yourself away,” said Alex as he reached for his whiskey.

  Catriona could take no more. She pushed back her seat and rose abruptly from the table.

  “Catriona?” Liam asked.

  “I'm sorry, Liam. If ye'll excuse me.”

  Alex relaxed casually in his chair, a satisfied smirk on his lips as he sipped his drink. She shook with anger, wanting nothing more than to strike him as she fought back the tears that burned at her eyes.

  Iain leaned over and whispered something in Liam's ear as Catriona turned and left the head table, hurrying towards the doors of the great hall. All she wanted was to get as far away from Alex as possible.

  As soon as she was out of the great hall, she collapsed against the nearest wall and started to cry, unable to hold back the tears any longer.

  “Catriona?” Liam said.

  She jumped in surprise. She had been crying so hard that she had not even heard him approach her.

  “Oh!” Hastily, she rubbed the back of her hands across her eyes, trying to wipe away the tears, but it was of no use. For every tear she brushed away, more fell, until she simply gave up trying to hide it completely. She buried her face in her hands and sobbed. Now that she had started, she was simply unable to stop.

  “Catriona, what is it?”

  Liam rested a tentative ha
nd on her shoulder, and squeezed it gently. “I know that ye're not happy here. But I thought... Is there something that I can do for ye?”

  Catriona shook her head.

  “Is it really so horrible here as all that?” His voice was soft and filled with concern.

  She looked up at him and saw the worry and guilt in his eyes. She was torn. She did not want to come between Liam and his brothers. Would he even believe her if she told him the cruel things that Alex had said?

  “I dinna know how to explain.”

  Liam took her by the shoulders and turned her towards him. “Take yer time lass, and tell me what's troubling ye. Is it me? Have I done something to upset ye?”

  “It's not you.”

  “Then what is it lass?”

  “It's Alex,” she whispered.

  He frowned at her, and she wished she could take it back. “Has he said something to upset ye?”

  She nodded, but said nothing. Liam stared down at her, waiting silently for her to continue.

  “He does not trust me. And I suppose that I cannot blame him for that. But he keeps saying such horrible things. I tried to tell him that you and I had made peace with our situation, but he said that he would see me gone from the castle if he had to drag me out of here himself. He hates me, and I dinna think he is going to stop.”

  Liam's face was expressionless as he released Catriona and walked back into the great hall without a word. She stood alone, her stomach tied in anxious knots, cursing herself for telling him what Alex had done. He obviously didn't believe her, or didn't care, otherwise why would he have simply walked away from her like that? Did he think that she was trying to turn him against his brother?

  A few minutes later Alex stormed out of the great hall with Liam close behind him. Catriona froze when Alex caught sight of her and headed in her direction, his face red with anger.

  “Ye may have him fooled,” he said, jabbing his finger toward her face, “but it will not last.” He looked over his shoulder with a sneer and shook his head. “Ye're an idiot brathair. I just hope I can convince ye of that before it's too late.”