A Wee Highland Predicament by Ceci Giltenan

Author:Ceci Giltenan [Giltenan, Ceci]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Duncurra LLC
Published: 2018-03-05T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

Ailsa could hardly believe she was on Lucas’s lap with his strong arms around her, on her way home to Brathanead. He wanted to marry her and she wanted nothing more. He had defied his brother and was truly rescuing her. For the first hour of their journey, she floated on that happy thought.

Then it began to sink in.

She was in Lucas’s arms—Lucas Grant’s arms—on her way home to Brathanead. She had been held hostage at Castle Grant for the last twelve days and Laird Grant had sent Fingal a ransom request. When she rode up to the gates with him, she was certain that Lucas would be tossed into their dungeon before she could stop anything. The fact that she loved him and wanted to marry him might not make any difference.

“Lucas, I love ye with all my heart, ye know that.”

He kissed the top of her head. “I do.”

“And I am thrilled to be going home.”

“I know that too. However, it sounds like a ‘but’ is hovering at the end of that sentence.”

“But, I don’t know how my clan will react to ye. Fingal surely has the ransom request and has returned to Brathanead by now. Even though ye’re bringing me home, I can’t help but think he’ll be furious with the Grants. He might take ye as a hostage.”

“Aye, Ailsa, I’m aware of that too.”

“Then ye agree, ye shouldn’t take me all the way home.”

He snorted. “I most certainly do not agree.”

“Nay, listen to me. Ye could take me most of the way—to within easy walking distance of the village. Then ye can return home while I explain everything. I believe, after a few days, once he calms down, Fingal will be more inclined to listen to reason about a betrothal.”

“I will absolutely not leave ye alone miles away from Brathanead.”

“Nothing could happen to me once I’m that close.”

“Ye don’t know that. I’ll remind ye that ye had a similar thought in Edinburgh. Ye saw no danger there and look what happened.”

“I met ye and fell in love,” she said happily.

He chuckled and kissed the top of her head again. “Well that’s true, but it could have been significantly worse.”

“Ye worry too much.”

“And that’s a good thing because ye don’t worry enough. Nay, Ailsa, I will take ye to Brathanead Castle.”

“But—”

“No more ‘buts’. I understand the risk I’m taking. I will not leave ye unprotected to save my own skin. I’ll hear no more about it. Even if I’m thrown in the dungeon, I won’t perish there. It’s as ye say, after a few days Laird MacLennan may be willing to listen.”

“He might not be willing though.”

“I said no more ‘buts’.”

“I didn’t say ‘but’.”

He grinned. “It was there nonetheless.”

“Lucas, I ken the reason ye held me for ransom was because yer clan was in need of funds. That could be the only reason William wanted ye to marry Moira MacNaughton. What if William can’t pay yer ransom.”

“Oh, my sweet lass, after this, William wouldn’t pay a ransom for me if he were the richest man in Scotland.

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