Page 62 of To Wed a Wild Scot
It shouldn’t matter. He was going to be Laird of Clan Kinross, just as he and his father always wanted. What could be more important than that? In any case, this wasn’t a love match on Juliana’s side, any more than it was on his. She was marrying him as a means to an end, so what did it matter if she believed he was doing the same?
Except it did matter. It mattered very much.
“Juliana’s going to think I’m only marrying her to get the land,” Logan muttered, avoiding Fitz’s gaze.
“Hmmm.” Fitz studied him with narrowed eyes. “Would that bother you, if she did think so?”
Itwouldbother him, but Logan wasn’t ready to admit to Fitz he cared what Lady Juliana thought of him. “Well, it’s not true, is it?”
“Then tell her it’s not true, Logan. I’ll tell her, as well. Despite what you might think, Lina doesn’t want to believe the worst of you.”
“Why shouldn’t she? I stole her letters, remember? I tried to keep her away from Castle Kinross. I accused her of chasing a duke all the way to Scotland just so she could become a duchess. If you were in her place, wouldn’t you believe the worst of me?”
Fitz shook his head. “She’s not like that, Logan. Listen to me. You don’t know her very well yet, but Lina’s as sweet and loving as she is beautiful. She’s not the sort of woman who’ll hold your past mistakes against you. She’s everything a man could want in a wife.”
“Every man but you.” Logan was ashamed of the words as soon as he spoke them, but he’d hoped over time he could persuade Juliana to trust him, and he was furious with Fitz for putting him in this position.
Fitz’s face hardened. “You’re wrong. I would have married her in a heartbeat, and considered myself lucky to have her.”
Logan stiffened. “You sound as if you’re in love with her.”
“Of course, I love Lina. I always have.”
Logan snatched up his tumbler and downed the rest of his whisky before he could give in to the urge to slam his fist into Fitz’s jaw. Christ, he was more jealous over his brother’s shared history with Juliana than he’d ever been over Fitz owning the Kinross land.
What’s happening to me?
He didn’t think anything could ever mean as much to him as the land, but now—
“What about the wedding?” Fitz asked. “I suppose it’ll have to be tomorrow morning. You and Lina can leave right afterwards. You should be able to make it as far as Dalwhinnie if you leave by—”
“No. The wedding has to be this evening.”
“This evening! But that only leaves us a few hours to make the arrangements.”
“It’s not going to be a grand wedding, Fitz. Send Stokes off to the Andersons’ farm. Their cousin Fraser is visiting, and he’s a minister. We’ll do it in the castle chapel, with you, Emilia, Craig and Mrs. Craig as witnesses.”
Fitz was frowning as he considered it. “It could be done this evening, I suppose, but I don’t know that Lina’s in a frame of mind to—”
“She won’t be in a better frame of mind by tomorrow morning.”
“No,” Fitz admitted. “But I still don’t see why you insist on rushing—”
“She’s an innocent, Fitz,” Logan said quietly. “I won’t have her spend her wedding night at some inn in Dalwhinnie. We’ll wed this evening, spend tonight at Castle Kinross, and leave for England tomorrow morning.”
Fitz looked surprised, but then he smiled. “Good man, Logan. I knew I couldn’t be mistaken in you. You may not believe it, but I haven’t any doubt you’ll take good care of Lina.” He hesitated, then said, “There’s one other thing you could do for me while you’re in England. A favor, of sorts.”
Logan gave him a wary look. “What sort of favor?”
“Now I’ve signed the Kinross land over to Juliana, I don’t have any Scottish land of my own. I want some.”
“You just told me you never wanted to be a laird.”
Fitz scowled. “I don’t. I mean…oh, for God’s sake. I don’t know what I bloody want, all right? In any case, I’m acquainted with an English earl who might be persuaded to sell his Scottish land, if the price suits him. He’ll want far more than it’s worth, but I’m willing to indulge his avarice to get his land.”
Logan straightened in his chair. He hadn’t expected this. “Where’s his land?”
“It borders Kinross land to the south, in Perth.”
