“I did not realize she was your daughter when we met.” He chose his words carefully, as Grey had taught him. His brother wasn’t the only one who could speak as if he were attending a black-tie event. “I was, perhaps, a bit too forward with her. And for that, I do apologize.”
“Fuck.”
Grey had sworn under his breath, but he’d said the word loudly enough for Ian to hear. What was he so worked up about?
“Forward?Did you compromise my daughter?” The laird leaned forward, eyes flashing.
“Father, ’twas just a simple kiss.”
And then all hell broke loose.
Laird Kelbrue stood from his chair, his bellowed “kiss” likely heard by the rest of the MacKinnishes at Hightower. Ross and Grey immediately launched into apologies, and Màiri rushed forward, grabbing her father’s arm.
What the hell?
For his part, Ian just hoped the father didn’t come at him. The laird was a big guy, but Ian was too. He could beat him easily in a fight, but the last thing he wanted to do was punch out the guy he’d come here to charm.
“What happened at that loch, Màiri?” the laird shouted.
Ian did step forward then. He’d not let her take the blame.
“I kissed her, sir.” Cursing at himself for the anachronism, he tried again. “Laird. We’d just met, and I thought your daughter lovely . . .”
Yeah, this wasn’t helping. The man’s face was so red, he feared he’d given him a heart attack.
“Father, please.”
“Did he force himself on you?” the man roared.
All eyes turned toward Màiri, who didn’t hesitate to answer truthfully.
“No, Father, he did not. I forgot myself. I . . .”
She looked at him. And boy was she pissed.
So maybe being truthful wasn’t always the best approach. The feeling of having messed up royally was compounded when Ross and Grey flanked him, as if preparing for a fight. A literal fight. Judging from all the people who’d suddenly filtered into the back of the hall, it was a fight they would lose.
Shit.
The mountain man narrowed his eyes at Ross, who muttered something under his breath.
“My daughter has been dishonored.”
Ross answered before he could. “They shared a kiss, nothing more. We were witness to it.”
Technically, they’d gotten to second base, but he didn’t blame his uncle for not saying so. The laird already looked like he wanted to kill them.
“He has dishonored my daughter, who has kissed no man before.”
His eyes flew to Màiri. From the way she’d opened her mouth for him, he didn’t believe it had been her first kiss.
A sense of dread began to creep up his neck. Ian didn’t like the energy in the room. He suddenly felt the same way he had five years ago, when Rhys had walked into his bedroom, a blank stare on his face, and said those fateful words: “Mom didn’t come home last night.”
He held his breath, waiting for the hammer to drop.
“They will marry,” Laird Kelbrue said. No, commanded.
If Ian’s admission had caused a shitstorm, this was even worse. Màiri pleaded with her father, and although he couldn’t hear what she was saying over his uncle’s shouting, she was clearly not very happy about the prospect.
