They were finalizing the details as Lachlan arrived. When Cathal broke the news, Lachlan roared, “What in the hell is the meaning of this, Matheson? Ye have ties already with MacKenzie and ye snuck in behind my back to steal my son’s bride? MacKenzie, I thought we had an agreement!”
“I’m sorry, Lachlan. Ye know I wanted Mairead to be closer to home. I think this will make her happier. Ye have daughters. Surely ye understand.”
Lachlan’s anger fizzled when reminded of his daughters. “Aye, those lassies will be the death of me. I should have married again after their mother died.”
“If ye are still interested in an alliance, would ye consider a betrothal for one of them with one of my sons? Rowan is quite taken with Sine.”
“Not my little dove, Sine. Like your Mairead, I want her closer to home. Eara is my oldest daughter. She is a real beauty that one. A bit willful at times, but she will make Rowan a fine wife.”
Three
Mairead nervously waited in the courtyard with Lily, Rose, Cullen, and Marjean after the watch announced Laird MacKenzie’s party approached. Her parents had been gone for ten days. It was utterly foolish to hope they had not arranged a betrothal. When the first hugs and hellos were exchanged and everyone had entered the great hall, her father said, “Mairead, my sweet, we have very good news for ye. Ye will be marrying Laird Tadhg Matheson on the Feast of St. Mairead.”
The family fell nervously silent. Everyone stared at her expectantly. Surely, they didn’t mean for her to marry within weeks. Remain calm, Mairead. “Ye mean the Feast of St. Mairead next year?”
Her mother shook her head and gently put an arm around her. “Nay, love, next month.”
Mairead didn’t react. She stood there for a moment in her mother’s embrace then nodded her head and left the hall. She stopped just inside the stairwell with her arms clenched to her chest trying not to panic. Footsteps followed her, but they stopped when her mother said, “Nay, Rose, give her some time.”
“But if she is marrying the laird, she won’t be able to live here,” Lily said. The tone of her voice suggested she thought there must have been some mistake. “Da, how could ye do that? How can ye send her away?”
Peadar said, “It is an excellent match, Lily. She will be Lady Matheson, and I consider Tadhg a friend. He is a good man.”
Rose wailed, “Mama, how could ye let this happen?”
“Enough!” roared their father. “Ye’re acting as if I am sending her to the depths of hell. Cnocreidh is less than a day’s ride away. Do ye think I want her to leave home? She is not a bairn. She’s a grown woman, and it is time she was married. Furthermore, she is marrying one of the richest, most powerful lairds in the Highlands and by all accounts, a fine and decent man. God’s teeth, by yer reaction ye’d think I planned to marry her to a troll. ” There was a moment of bleak silence before her father cursed, “Damnation! Ye will stop moaning this instant and ye will be happy for her. If ye aren’t, how can ye expect her to be? Perhaps this is the best thing. If she doesn’t have the lot of ye to shield her, she may just have to stand on her own two feet!”
Her siblings must have looked affronted at his statement because her father growled and added contritely, “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. It’s just she has lived her whole life surrounded by people who love and protect her, and she only grows more timid. Maybe this will help.” With steely resolve he added, “There will be a feast tomorrow where we will announce the betrothals to the clan. And curse it all, every one of ye will be there with smiles on your faces.”
“Betrothals?” sniffed Rose.
“Yes! Betrothals,” roared her father. “Rowan will be marrying Eara Fraser in the spring,” he shouted and stormed out of the hall toward his solar.
After he left Lily finally asked, “How did Da get Tadhg Matheson?”
Her mother’s tinkling laughter sounded before she answered, “Ye wouldn’t believe me if I told ye.”
Mairead didn’t want to hear any more and rushed up the stairs to her bedchamber. In her agitation, she paced the room. This was happening. In a matter of weeks she, who had lived her quiet little life safely within the grounds of Carraigile, would be leaving to be married to a stranger. Sweet Mother of God, she didn’t want to do this.
Right after the attack, fear and guilt had consumed her, and she couldn’t bring herself to tell anyone in her family what had happened. Mortified, she believed it was her fault. She should never have snuck away with Flan. She didn’t want anyone to know what had happened. She had begged the priest who saved her from the men to hear her confession, knowing by doing so he could not reveal anything. At the time, the priest urged her to tell her parents. “Lass, your only sin was in disobeying your parents. Those lads are responsible for the rest of this. The sin is theirs, not yours. Ye know very well I can’t do anything about this now, but in addition to the prayers for your penance, I want ye to tell your parents. If ye want me to talk to them with ye, I will.”