Caelan opened his mouth to respond when the door was pushed open. Both men turned to acknowledge their mother. She wore a dazzling smile that could only mean she had good news. She was certainly dressed for celebration in a bright dress of blue. It matched her eyes.
She swept over to Caelan and held his palm in her hands. “Ye are most favored, my Caelan.” Her watery crinkled up at him.
Caelan exchanged wary glances with Arran above her head. His brother had given them space. Things had become strained between them since Arran refused their mother's urging to be paired with a good woman.
“What is it, Maither?”
“Tis Clan Durham. I have had word back from them.”
Clan Durham was one of the prosperous clans in the Highlands. The Laird was a kind, older man, who had paid regular visits to the Grahams when Caelan was younger. He had always visited in the company of his ravishing daughters.
His heart sunk in his chest. “How… are they?” Caelan queried halfheartedly. “I hear the Laird’s handed over his duties to his first son.”
“Aye, dear bairn,” his mother gushed. She stroked the hair on his forehead aside then stood back. “I am glad that ye remember him. That means ye ken of his second daughter.”
He resisted a strong compulsion to lie and bolt from the room. “Aye. She was a beauty, I ken.”
His mother clapped her hands together, hands that were lined with age. “Yedaeken her. Her faither tells me that there is nae eligible suitor at the moment for her. And I think this will be the perfect opportunity for ye to make yer intentions ken.”
He caught Arran giving him a sad smile before Caelan replied, “Me… intentions? Now?”
“Best to move quickly, dear bairn. She has nae stopped being the charming beauty ye remember. I hear she is just as graceful. Och, imagine the bairns ye will have with her!”
“Maither, I need to think about it,” he protested. “She is a wonderful choice. But there are a few things I have to ken first before we proceed.”
“What could those possibly be?”
“He’s right, Maither,” Arran jumped in to Caelan’s eternal gratitude. In fact, Arran was starting to appear odd with his constant thoughtfulness. “The fact that she has nae one bothers me too. What was the issue? Ye see me friend? Logan? He was engaged to be married to an heiress. The dratted thing was called off when he least expected it, and now she’s married to the lad she’d always wanted. We have to ken if there is truly nae one else in her heart before Caelan makes a blighted fool of himself. I’m nae sayin’ ye didnae check properly. Tis only… we require further confirmation.”
Their mother laughed. “That was a hearty speech, Arran. Ye sure the hidden lover is nae yerself?”
Caelan also found his brother’s speech suspicious, especially with the thought that he knew their mother would pounce on him next.
Arran raised his palms in protest and started to back away. “Ach, enough with yer teasing. I have left me guest unattended for too long. I should check to make sure he is comfortable.”
Protest all ye want, coward,Caelan thought.
After the nightmare of having unmarried sons, their mother was horrified if they were discourteous to guests.
“That ye have.” She fluttered a slender, wrinkled hand toward Arran. “Go on then. And show him the sights after yer bellies are full.”
Caelan responded with a sad smile after Arran gave him a look with a shrug that said he had tried. Arran could see now that there was one person in the castle who was interested in Caelan's intended bride.
“How long will it take afore ye are certain?” asked Caelan’s mother in the wake of Arran’s departure.
“I dinnae ken yet. I will inform ye immediately when me mind is made up.”
“What does that mean? Do ye think I should sit in me rooms, twiddling me thumbs for ye to be married?”
“Tis nae what I mean, Maither.”
Her thin lips pressed together. “This alliance will strengthen our clan, as ye are aware. Their wealth, influence, and connections will be ours for the taking.”
“I ken what an alliance entails.”
“I am sure that ye are aware of yer obligations to this family. ‘Tis nae to dally with the maids. Dinnae look so surprised. Ye all forget that I ran this castle for years before ye could tell yer right hand from the left. I ken what goes on here. Ye have been making efforts to reinforce our defenses, which can only mean that ye suspect a heavy attack soon… and our forces are depleted, though yer brother’s too proud to admit it.”
Caelan opened his mouth to object, but she held up a gnarled finger. “Dae what is right, Caelan. Nae what yer… youth craves of ye. ‘Tis lust, an’ in a matter of years, ye will forget why ye wanted the maid in the first place. Defend the Laird that raised ye, even with the knowledge that ye weren’t his.”
Caelan sucked in a sharp breath as her words pierced his heart. “Maither—”
“When ye and yer brothers humiliated a laird for a common lass, ye ken a day of reckonin’ would come. When it does, I hope that we are nae caught unguarded.” She patted his arm, a melancholy expression darkening her lined face. “Ye should eat somethin’. Come with me to the table.”
Caelan covered her papery thin hand with his. “I willnae let the clan down, Maither.”
“I ken. Tis why I trust ye. Now… breakfast?”
“Nae for another hour. I am waitin’ for the blacksmith.”
She swished past him, her greying hair high on her head. As Caelan stared after her, he felt a stirring resentment. She had spoken the truth, but none of those things were his doing.Shehad conceived him with another man.Shehad hidden the secret. And now, she had used those same things to shame him into doing her bidding.