Amanda Scott (24 page)

“Then you believe it would be better to be married to her?”

“No! By God, I would far rather be married to you.” Hearing what he had said, he nearly stopped breathing.

She seemed to have done the same. Then, in a much smaller voice, and with no light in her eyes, she said, “I will not marry you, however.”

“I know you don’t want to. I don’t blame you in the least. I don’t want marriage either.” Lord, what was he saying? Before he could catch his thoughts, his tongue went on, seemingly of its own accord, “Still and all, maybe it’s the right answer, lass. Maybe it would resolve big problems for both of us.”

“You are daft, Duncan Campbell.”

“No, listen to me,” he said, unable to believe he was pressing her like this but feeling the same perverse need he always felt to prove an opponent wrong. “My father and Caddell between them are determined to make me marry Serena, and I cannot imagine a worse fate. Can you?”

“No, but you have only to say no,” she pointed out.

“Aye, and I don’t doubt that I could make it stick, even if Argyll lends them his support. But they’ll plague the life out of me, Mary. What with them insisting that somehow I led Serena to believe I want her, I am not at all sure that they won’t be able to present the same sort of case, in their way, that MacCrichton means to present for the magistrate at Fort William. Don’t you see? I’d be doing it for my sake as well as yours. I can protect you from MacCrichton, and you can protect me from Serena. Believe me, marriage to her would be worse than death.”

Her lips twitched, but she did not speak.

“Don’t say no yet. I know I’ve treated you badly, that I blamed you unfairly for Ian’s death. You cannot possibly think of any reason that I might want to marry you, but I don’t think I would dislike it as much as all that, or that you would, and I’ve got to marry someone one day, if only to secure the succession to the earldom. My father expects that, and he has every right to do so, because it is my duty. You must marry, too. I know you don’t want to hang on Rory’s sleeve all your life, and if you don’t marry someone else soon, MacCrichton will force you to marry him.”

She looked at him. “Very well then, sir, I will marry you.”

D
UNCAN STARED AT MARY
in astonishment. Until that moment, he did not know how convinced he had been that she would refuse. He could think of nothing to say.

She looked uncertain, too. “Did you hear what I said, sir?”

“Aye. Aye, I heard you. I just don’t know if I can believe my ears.”

“Then it is just as I thought. This whole notion is absurd. You don’t really want to marry me, nor I you.”

“No.” Realizing that she had misunderstood him, he added hastily, “What I mean is that I don’t agree with you, lass. I cannot deny that your acceptance rendered me speechless, but you are wrong to think I don’t want to marry you. I meant what I said about that. I just did not think my arguments would persuade you. That’s why your acceptance surprised me so.”

“Me, too,” she muttered. “For one thing, who will protect me from you?”

“Look here, Mary, I cannot swear I’ll make you a good husband. I could not swear that to anyone, for I’m certain that I’d make a devilish husband for any woman. I don’t blame you in the least for feeling reluctant, especially after things I have said about you in the past. I was wrong to say them. I know that now.”

“You have disliked me forever, sir. How can I believe you want marriage?”

“I admit the notion would not have occurred to me had my father not made it plain that he and others will press me to offer for Serena. Still, the more I think about it, the more I believe that marriage between us is a good notion. If you agree to it, I promise I’ll do all I can to see that you don’t regret it. I won’t touch you till you say I may, and we’ll work to create a partnership that will benefit us both.”

She was looking, into his eyes, and he felt the same startled sense of awe that he always felt when his gaze met hers. Her eyes were so clear, so guileless, so calm. He felt as if he were looking into her soul. Though he hesitated to search his own soul for fear of what he might find, he did his best to meet her steady gaze.

“Perhaps you are right, sir,” she said at last. “Such a marriage is certainly not the answer I would have sought, but I do believe that you can protect me from Ewan and any others who might wish me harm.”

“I can do that. As soon as we are wed, I’ll send proof of the ceremony to that magistrate. That will put an end to MacCrichton’s nonsense, at least.”

“I shall be most grateful for that, sir. I cannot promise I will ever become a loving wife, but I will do my best to be an amiable one.”

“And an obedient one, Mary?”

She blushed. “I must try, sir, since I shall have to promise as much before God, but in a partnership, does one partner constantly expect to prevail?”

With a wry smile, he said, “I’ll try not to demand too much of you.”

“There you are!” Serena exclaimed. Hurrying up the stairs toward them, holding her wide skirt up with both hands so that she would not trip, she went right on talking. “We have been waiting to go to the dining parlor! Your mother went to fetch a shawl and was to join us there, Duncan. She will be waiting for us now.”

“I had something of importance to say to Mary,” he said repressively.

“In faith, sir, you should not be alone with her, even here. It is quite shadowy here, you know. I believe you must enjoy making me feel jealous.”

“You have no cause for jealousy, Serena.”

“No, of course I do not, but still, sir, think how it would look to others. Here they are, my lord,” she said over her shoulder, adding playfully, “Come here at once, if you please, and take my side in this matter. Duncan says I have no cause to be jealous, but I ask you, sir, if anyone were to find your handsome son and Mary standing alone in the shadows like this, talking secrets—”

Balcardane brushed past her to confront Duncan. “What the devil is the meaning of this, sir?”

“You see, Duncan,” Serena said sweetly. “People
will
think the worst in such instances, sir. I know you do not mean to hurt me, or cause me distress—”

“Believe me, Serena,” Duncan said, cutting in before she could say more, “I don’t wish to distress you. I understand that your father, and mine, may have led you to think I might offer for you; but, now that you have spent several weeks in this house, I don’t know how you can continue to believe it.”

Her eyes widened, and she clasped her hands soulfully to her bosom. “What can you mean, sir? Surely, after what your father said …” Her words trailed to uncomfortable silence when Duncan shook his head.

As gently as his exasperation with the situation would allow, he said, “Truly, Serena, you cannot expect me to answer for what my father or yours have led you to believe. I will swear that I never said anything to make you think that I hold more than a cousin’s affection for you, if that.” He could not resist the rider; but, catching sight of Mary’s disapproving frown, he added swiftly, “I do apologize if anything I said or did caused you to misunderstand my sentiments.”

“That’s all very well, sir,” she said with a forced laugh, “but even if it has not yet come to a declaration between us, you should not be alone with Mary.”

“Faith, that’s true enough,” Balcardane said, “though damme, Duncan, I still think you are bound to marry Serena. I cannot think why you don’t want her when Caddell’s offering a most excellent dowry to the man who takes her off his hands.”

“I don’t require a large dowry from my wife,” Duncan said evenly.

“Nonsense, a large dowry is essential for any marriage to prosper.”

“You may think so, sir,” Duncan said, watching Mary, “but I shall manage without one. Perhaps I ought to explain that the reason Mary and I were alone just now is that I have asked her to marry me and she has agreed.”

“What?” Balcardane and Serena spoke as one.

“We’ll be married on Christmas Eve, I think, if I can persuade the parson to overlook calling the banns and perform the service that soon. Since Mary’s safety might depend upon it, I daresay he will agree.”

“Good God,” Balcardane exclaimed.

Serena looked pale with shock.

Mary said quietly, “Christmas Eve, sir?”

He began to declare that he had made up his mind to it; but, remembering certain complaints she had made in the past about his domineering ways, and determined that she would not instantly regret her decision, he said, “I believe we can be married then if you will agree to it, mistress.”

“That is four days hence, sir.”

“So it is. I can arrange it sooner if you prefer.” He knew that she had not meant the delay was too long, but he could feel impatience stirring. Ruthlessly, he suppressed it, ignoring his father and Serena to focus on Mary.

She regarded him steadily. “I was thinking that rather too soon, sir, but if you wish to arrange it so, I will not object.”

“Then so be it.”

“Good God, Duncan,” Balcardane sputtered, “what are you thinking? Not that she ain’t a good lass, for she is. I’ve grown amazingly fond of her.”

Mary smiled at him. “Have you, my lord? That is kind of you.”

“Aye, but I don’t want my son marrying you, lass, and that’s the plain truth of the matter. Why, you haven’t got a penny to bless yourself.”

“That is true, sir. I haven’t.”

Balcardane glared at her, then shifted the glare to Duncan. “You ain’t going to hand me a load of nonsense and tell me you love her, are you?”

“No, sir, I won’t insult your intelligence. The plain fact is that you were quite right to suggest that it’s time I settle down with a wife and beget a few heirs.”

“But I meant Serena!”

“Aye, and once it became apparent to me that you had got it into your head that I was to marry her, and had put the same notion into her head—not to mention Argyll’s—I knew I’d have to act quickly if I was to have a choice in the matter.”

“But damme, Duncan, you can’t want to marry a penniless Maclean wench!”

“More important to me, sir, is that
I
choose the woman I marry. I do not want to offend Argyll by refusing to marry Serena when he tells me the union has his approval. I can think of no one else whom I would prefer over Mary, and I’ve no desire to begin a search on the small chance that I might find someone quickly enough. As for Mary herself, she has her own reasons for accepting my proposal.”

Balcardane looked sharply at Mary. “Look here, she ain’t … that is, you haven’t gone and got her—” Breaking off in confusion, he glanced awkwardly at Serena. “Perhaps you ought to go on to the dining parlor, Serena, lass. You can be the first to tell her ladyship what her son proposes to do.”

“No,” Duncan said flatly.

Serena had not moved, but Balcardane bristled. “Now, look here, Duncan, damme, that is no way to speak to your father. I want to know—”

“I know what you want to know, sir, and I will answer your questions gladly, but it is my privilege to tell my mother about this, not Serena’s. If you want to send her away, that is between you and Serena. She’s welcome to stay if she wants.”

“Too kind,” Serena muttered.

Gritting his teeth, Duncan bit off the words that leapt to his tongue and said instead, “Mary is not with child, sir.”

Mary said evenly, “Duncan’s proposal must have surprised you, Serena. It surprised me, too, but I hope you will not dislike it too much if I say that I am grateful to him. You know that I have reason to fear Lord MacCrichton, that he has already attempted to abduct me. Duncan can protect me from him, and—”

“Lud,” Serena said, “now I see how it was. I’d have thought that a mouse like you would be too terrified of him to marry him, but perhaps I should have looked at it the other way round. Were you too frightened to say no, Mary?”

“Duncan does not frighten me,” Mary said with dignity.

“Lord bless us, I should hope he don’t,” Balcardane said. “Although, come to think of it, it wouldn’t be the first time he had frightened the liver and lights out—”

“Forgive me for interrupting you, sir,” Duncan said sharply, “but this conversation grows pointless. If you want to discuss my plans with me, I shall be happy to wait upon you later. Just now, however, I have been reminded that my mother deserves to hear this news from me at once. So perhaps we should adjourn to the dining parlor so that I may tell her. Come, Mary.”

As he held his arm out and turned abruptly away, it occurred to him that she might not obey, but then he felt the gentle touch of her fingers on his forearm, and the moment passed. To his astonishment, he felt profound relief, even gratitude, that she would obey so curt an order without protest.

Then she murmured for his ears alone, “A partnership, sir?”

“Sorry, lass,” he said, drawing her nearer. “Sometimes—”

“Don’t explain,” she said, and to his surprise she was choking back laughter. “I do not expect you to change, you know. You are much too arrogant and domineering ever to do so, I fear. I must just learn to cope, I suppose.”

Nettled, he retorted, “Do you think you
can
cope, mistress?”

“Oh, yes, I expect so,” she said.

He would have liked to debate the point, but his father and Serena had caught up with them by then, and moments later they entered the dining parlor to find Lady Balcardane impatiently awaiting them.

“I thought you were coming straightaway,” she said, looking accusingly at Serena. “Indeed, I thought you would all be here before me, but I have been sitting here this age, and with the poor servants quite eager to serve dinner.”

“Well, you won’t want your dinner when you hear this,” Balcardane announced grimly. “Your son thinks he is going to marry Mistress Maclaine.”

“Mary?” She looked blankly from Duncan to Mary and back again. “Surely you have made a mistake, Duncan, although I cannot think how you came to ask the wrong girl to marry you.”

“I didn’t.” He held Mary’s chair for her while his father attended to Serena.

“But I thought it was settled that you are to offer for Serena, dearest,” Lady Balcardane said, signing to the servants to begin serving. “Indeed, though you have not quite liked the notion, your father has said a thousand times that she will make an excellent wife for you, and just the other day he said you must do as you are bid because Argyll approves the match. Moreover, he is particularly pleased with her dowry, and I must say that if anyone has mentioned Mary’s having money, I never heard them. You must have made a mistake,” she added, looking bewildered.