Page 13 of Highlander’s Lesser Evil

“First, I have a question. Young Cameron claims that ye have a letter in yer pocket that ye keep reading.”

Drafted boy. Can he keep no secret?

“That is not a question.”

“Who is the letter from?”

“None of your business.”

“What does the letter say?”

“Also none of your business.”

“Is it the reason that ye are in such a foul mood?”

“You are bloody irritating.” Her cottage was in sight. She just needed to get in and slam the door shut right in his face.

“I told ye that I would protect ye. If that letter has upset ye, then I wish to know why.”

“The letter says that ye are the most infuriating man who would ever cross my path. If you want to no longer upset me, you can go away, which is the first thing that I asked you to do.”

“Ye could trust me.”

Stopping short, she closed her eyes. “All right. I suppose that someone should know why I’m leaving.”

“Leaving? Just where the hell do ye think ye are going?”

“Somewhere that isn’t here.” Pulling out the letter, she handed it to him.

There was no point in watching his gaze move across the page. She’d read the letter so many times that she’d memorized it, but her heart still hammered in her chest at the sight of it.

“This doesn’t make any sense,” Theo said as he frowned.

Gemma wasn’t sure whether to feel insulted or not. “It doesn’t make any sense that a man would want to marry me?”

Rolling up the missive, he tucked it in his pocket and studied her. “No, that is not what I meant.”

“Then?”

“I thought Fletcher was too consumed with his past wife’s betrayal to want to marry again so soon,” Theo mused. “He’s made Graeme his heir, so he has no need for another one.”

“He still loves his women.” At the thought of her fate, she shuddered.

“But he doesnae need to wed a lass to get a lass.”

“Look, I honestly don’t care what Fletcher’s motives are. I just know that I have no plans to be Lady Fletcher MacSeaver, so I am leaving tonight, hopefully while Graeme is too deep in his cups to notice...although I would love to wrap my hands around his neck. He spoke pretty words of protecting me when all he wants is to drag me back to him.”

“Lass,” Theo said softly, “ye doonae have to flee to be rid of Fletcher MacSeaever. There is one thing ye can do to ensure it never happens.”

Annoyed that he’d kept the letter, she rolled her eyes. “Laird MacDougal, you do not have to force a woman into marrying you. I guarantee that any woman here would be happy to marry you. You just have to pick one.”

“I have, Lady Gemma.”

“I won’t be a pawn in your game. I know how you highlanders work. Steal what your enemies covet the most.”

“That isnae why I want ye. Gemma, my sweet, I chose ye before I even knew who ye were. There is none here that will do. I wed ye because I want ye. I wed ye because I want to protect ye.”

His words were so tempting. They started to pull at a part of her heart she thought she’d long forgotten. “I want to marry for love.”