The Highlander's Temptation (23 page)

Jamie looked for any reason to stall this conversation. “I’ll meet with ye all in my library after I’ve had a chance to clean myself of
travel dust.”

MacKinnon looked as though he wished to argue, but in the end conceded.

Jamie gave curt nods to all the men and then headed into the castle, as he did so, he spotted Ceana again, and she was looking past him to the trio of men he’d just left. MacKinnon was staring back.

Was it possible…?

Jamie shook his head. Nay. Ceana had just been widowed and MacKinnon seemed quite angry about hearing the possibility that Jamie had dallied with Lorna. But, damn if his eyes weren’t seeing things. For it looked as though Ceana and MacKinnon gazed at each other with the same intensity he felt for Lorna.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Two months passed and Magnus would not relent. No matter what Lorna said, nor Heather, nor Aunt Fiona—and even Ronan had started to beg on her behalf.

Word soon came that MacKinnon had heard of the relationship between the two of them and was breaking the betrothal. Magnus flew into a rage. Not because of the broken betrothal, but because MacKinnon was actually pushing for Jamie and Lorna to be together
and
he’d agreed to purchase the three sacks of wool that were to be part of her dowry.

Magnus didn’t let her read the letter, nor did he give her the details, but it was enough to enrage him all the more
that everyone was on Jamie and Lorna’s side.

Lorna no longer participated in clan activities. She barely ate. Barely slept.

She kept to herself most all the day, unless Aunt Fiona or Heather forced themselves within the room. Ronan came by and tried to entice her out for a ride on Angel, but not even a ride on the heath could make her leave her room and her perpetual state of mourning.

Heather w
rote letters to Jamie, begging him not to forsake her, declaring her love, and praying he’d be patient until Magnus accepted them. She paid the messengers double their usual fee to sneak the letters out without Magnus any wiser to the fact.

Jamie’s replies were just as gut-wrenching to Lorna, filled with love and finally an explanation as to MacKinnon’s easy release of the contract—he, too, had fallen for another. In fact, he was courting Jamie’s sister Ceana. A marriage was planned close to Samhain, when Jamie felt it wouldn’t be looked upon oddly for her to marry so quickly after the loss of her husband.

The alliance between the MacKinnon clan and the Sutherlands was still strong. Unbroken.

W
hy, then, was her brother being so damn stubborn?

Was he so
deeply against love that he would make Lorna suffer for believing in it?

Or was he completely filled with rage at how she’d gone behind his back and claimed Jamie for her
own when he’d made other plans?

On the other hand, she was certain part of his anger came from having the visions of her and Jamie making love stuck in his mind. She certainly wouldn’t want to see any of her brothers making love. It was an image that may give him night terrors.

That thought always made her laugh. Her brother was acting a fool, however, and she had to find a way to make him see reason.

That reasoning came rather quickly—in the form of several bouts of
nausea which resulted in a trip to the chamber pot morning after morning. Finally, on the third day, her maid wiped Lorna’s brow, and looked her in the eye.

“My lady… I dinna know the details of… ye and
Laird Montgomery, but is it possible ye may be with child?”

Lorna stared at Bea a long moment, thinking back over the months. She’d not bled since making love to Jamie. That was at least three months prior. Pressing her fingers to her lips, a triumphant smile tugged.

“My lady?”

“Aye, Bea, I think I might be.” She covered her
lower abdomen with her hands. Her belly had just the slightest, ever so subtle, bulge. Not enough that she’d noticed before, and not enough that anyone would have taken note.

Inside her grew a child. Her and Jamie’s child. A child born of love.

“Send Aunt Fiona to me,” Lorna said.

“Let me dress ye first?” Bea asked.

Lorna nodded and let her maid fuss about her, fixing her hair and changing her gown, tidying up her room and then the woman gasped. “Ye need to break your fast! How could I have gone about this and that when ye needed to give that bairn sustenance?”

Lorna waved her hand in dismissal. “’Tis nothing so much as that. I just finished upending my belly. I needed a little time to quell it. But I find I am rather famished now.”

“I’ll go and have a tray sent up and then find your aunt.”

“Thank ye.”

While Bea left the room, Lorna couldn’t stop staring at her belly in wonder. A secret smile curled her lips. It would seem her cloud of gray was finally lifting allowing a stream of perfect golden light to shine on her. She finally had a reason to go to Jamie that Magnus couldn’t ignore. Finally a way they could be married that Magnus could not deny.

She was with child!
Rubbing an excited hand over her belly, she glanced up at the ceiling and gave a prayer of thanks. Never had an unmarried, unbetrothed lady been so ecstatic for the fact.

“Ye’re what?” Magnus bellowed, shaking the rafters above her head.

Lorna sat in his library, though she was antsy enough that at any moment she was likely to bounce right out of her chair. Beside her sat Aunt Fiona who’d supported her entirely, and broached the topic with Magnus.

“I am with child,” Lorna repeated for what had to be the fifth time.

Magnus raked angry hands through his hair and stormed back and forth across his office like a cranky stallion about to kick anyone in his path.

“Montgomery’s child,” he stated.

Lorna nodded, no longer feeling the need to voice the fact.

“The bastard!”

“Magnus, if ye will please refrain from such language in the presence of ladies,” Aunt Fiona scolded. Despite her frown at Magnus, each time her aunt looked Lorna’s way, she smiled.

She’
d confessed to Lorna that though she’d gone about things in a backward way, Fiona was indeed happy for her.

Magnus
turned, his lips in a snarl and Lorna was quite certain whatever was about to come out of his mouth was not going to be nice. Time for her to intervene before their aunt—who’d supported her so wholly—got her feelings hurt.

Lorna
stood, and walked around her brother’s desk until she stood in front of him.

She grasped Magnus’ hands in hers and stared into his eyes. “I know things have not turned out the way ye envisioned. That ye wanted more than anything never to see or hear Jamie’s name again. But we love each other, brother. And we’ve created a life together. We deserve to be together and for our child to take his or her rightful place as heir to his seat.”

When Magnus didn’t respond, Lorna continued, “’Tis still a good match. An excellent match. Ye now have an ally that is on the royal council. Close with Wallace and the Bruce. What greater man could there be for me? He loves me Magnus, and he’ll take care of me and the child. Please, I beg ye, let me marry him. If for nothing else than to reinstate my honor and make an honest woman of me.”

Magnus’ eyes softened at that. “Ye do deserve to have honor, for ye are one of the most honorable and courageous women I’ve ever met.”

Lorna’s smile widened. “Let me marry him.”

Her brother’s shoulders sagged, and then he tugged her in for a hug. “Our parents are rolling in their graves at what ye’ve done.”

Aunt Fiona cleared her throat, and they both turned to see her sitting with a brow raised and that odd smile on her lips, like she held a great secret. “I beg to differ with ye, dear nephew. As I recall, ye were nicely warmed inside your mother’s womb afore she and your father wed.”

Magnus’ mouth fell open and his arms dropped from around Lorna. “What? How could ye say such a thing.”

Aunt Fiona shrugged daintily. “Because ’tis true.”

Lorna started to laugh. She laughed so hard tears came to her eyes and she doubled over, causing both Fiona and Magnus to fuss over the child within her womb, each of them certain her laughter had to be doing the bairn harm.

But Lorna didn’t care. She ran to the window, looked up at the beautiful summer sky and shouted, “Thank ye Father and Mother!”

Then she whipped around toward her brother. “Send a missive, for we leave at first light.”

“My laird, a messenger has arrived to see ye.”

“Send him in,” Jamie said, staring at the stone wall of his office.

It would only be another return of the letter he’d sent Magnus, he was certain. The man never replied, only had his scrolls returned with a word from the messenger that his letters were to cease immediately. That didn’t deter Jamie, but he was starting to wear down emotionally. He’d never stop wanting Lorna, never stop loving her, but he did wonder if they’d ever be given the chance to marry before Magnus was an old man.

The messenger was showed into his library and handed him the scroll. Jamie set it on his desk and waved the man away.

“My laird?”

He flicked his gaze back to the m
essenger who was covered in sweat and dirt for having ridden hard.

“Aye?” Jamie’s tone came out gruff. Something that had started to happen far too often these days. He couldn’t seem to shake off the anger, and only endless hours of work helped to stave his need to pummel Magnus to the ground.

“Laird Sutherland bade me tell ye the message is urgent.”

At that, Jamie sat forward, shredding the wax seal. The man had actually written him back?

Jamie skimmed the letter once, disbelieving what he was seeing. He read it three more times before he completely understood.

Montgomery,

It seems your prayers have been answered, for not only did ye defile my innocent sister, but ye impregnated her. We shall arrive at Glasgow within a week’s time. Be prepared to wed her immediately, else answer to me.

Let it be known, my agreement to the two of ye being joined in holy matrimony is not forgiveness for your sins, but I wish to restore honor to my sister’s name, and see her happy.

Sutherland

Jamie leapt from his chair and bellowed a victory cry so loud it startled several birds
that’d made their homes in the rafters.

Lorna and he would be wed! Lorna was with child. Such elation filled him that Jamie could barely contain himself. He ran to the window and glanced out to the courtyard below.

“Prepare, all of ye! For your new mistress comes soon!”

He gripped the messenger by
the shoulders and shook him and then ran from his office in search of his housekeeper. Preparations needed to be made. Food for feasting obtained. Linens prepared.

He was to be a father!

By the time he reached the bottom of the stair, he pressed his hand to the wall, a sudden bout of dizziness coming over him.