The laird grinned. “I would thinkexplainingit all would be a wee bit of fun.”
“I can have Sima move the lass’s things to your bedchamber,” Calum said.
“Nae!” He’d already endured one night of supposedly sharing a room at Spean. If Juliana were forced to share his bedchamber here, he’d be sleeping on the floor for sure. Not what he wanted to do. “She thinks it more of an English betrothal, which keeps the bride pure.”
Calum waved a hand dismissively. “Ye can also explain that inScotlandwe do things differently. When a man claims a lass and she doesna object…” He paused. “She didna object, did she?”
“She couldna. We would nae have been able to leave.”
“There ye have it, then,” the laird said. “The lass is rightfully yours, at least for a year.”
Rory shook his head. “She thinks ’twas a way to leave and that it means nothing.”
The laird studied him. “But ye ken itdoesmean something.”
“I ken, and I’ll nae break my word to keep faith with her, but I’ll nae force her to share my bed.”
Neither of the MacDonnells spoke, but the laird finally nodded. “Aye. ’Tis the honorable thing to do.”
“I suppose ’tis,” Calum agreed, “but if everyone believed ye, why did ye nae go back to Strae Castle?”
Rory rubbed his temples before answering. “Well, ye may nae have noticed—yet—that the lass is strong-willed and doesna mind sharing her opinion on anything. She told Margaret Cameron she had nae desire to marry Neal or any other man.”
“And Margaret told her father?”
Rory nodded. “Just as we were riding away, the men came out shouting. I kenned we would nae be able to get away riding pillion, so I headed north.”
“A practical decision,” the laird said.
“I didna have a choice.”
“I can see why ye think the fae had a hand in this,” Calum said. “Ye now have a bride who doesn’t ken she is one.”
“Aye, and it needs to stay that way. I doona want her thinking I tricked her into anything.”
“Ye can expect us to keep your secret,” Calum said, “although I think ye might reconsider. A year is a long time to go without bed sport.”
“I’ll manage.”Somehow.
The laird changed the subject. “I can see why ye think Cameron wants to pursue ye but, assuming the fae are nae really involved, what makes ye think he didna believe your story to go to Grant Castle? ’Tis logical enough.”
“Aye, but so is coming to Invergarry,” Rory replied, “since your castle is farther east and easier to return home from. If we’d gone to Grant Castle, we’d still have had to make our way back. Either across Loch Ness and then down to Drumochter Pass or attempt to return through Fort William and be back in Cameron lands.”
“Um, I suppose ye could be right.”
“Cameron is nae stupid, even if he is hotheaded and single-minded.” Rory frowned. “He probably sent some men to the Grants and took himself to Spean. If he did that, the innkeeper would have told him we were there. ’Twould nae be hard to figure out where we were headed, especially with the storm.”
“Even if he did get to Spean Bridge, do ye really think Cameron daft enough to follow ye with the blizzard raging?” Calum asked.
“He would try,” Rory said grimly. “He wants Juliana Caldwell, but he wants revenge more. I made him look like a fool.”
“Aye. ’Tis a pity the lass talked to Margaret. His pride could have been salvaged, at least, if no one kenned he’d been duped.”
Nobody needed to tell him that. Whether Juliana realized it or not, she’d started something that wouldn’t be finished until Neal called Rory out…and that might very well start a clan war.
He rather doubted the fae had meddled in this. Even collectively, they probably would be no match for one Juliana Caldwell. Then again, perhaps he shouldn’t be so quick to dismiss the fae. The faeries could very well have had their hands in this mess, because he legally had a bride he could not have.
…
