Page 22 of A Fearless Rebel

Just then, shouts sounded and everyone hurried to the window.

“With all this, I’d forgotten about the harvest festival,” Lady Fraser said. “We cannot very well send everyone away.”

“It can be a wedding celebration,” the ever-clueless vicar suggested.

Laird Fraser sighed. “I do not believe Laird Mackenzie will appreciate his lack of an invitation.”

“There is that,” the vicar acceded.

Moments later, Ava and Keithen stood in front of several gathered people as they were married by a jovial vicar. The entire time, Ava wanted to scream in frustration. How was it that she was about to end up doing the exact thing she’d tried to run away from?

Keithen’s flat gaze met hers as he said his vows. Nothing about the way he pronounced each word seemed sincere. Not that she would ever claim to know him well, but from the tone in which he spoke and the slight furrow between his brows, he did not mean the words.

The laird and several council members exchanged looks that gave her chills. Something was afoot. They planned to somehow use this marriage against her father.

Once the vows were exchanged, Ava was immediately guided back to Keithen’s room.

The vicar, his mother and two others whom she refused to look upon entered the room to witness the joining. Of course, it was necessary so that neither party could later attempt to end the marriage by citing there was no consummation.

The entire process was mechanical. She’d barely been pushed back onto the bed before Keithen entered her, pushing in once, twice and then one last time before pulling out.

Humiliated, she slid up to sit as the people filed from the room. This was the second time it had happened. The first time had been much more painful as she’d been a terrified virgin. This time, however, she would describe it as much more hurtful.

Keithen went to stand by the window. “We will travel to yer keep in the morning.”

“Are ye not sending a messenger instead?”

“A messenger has already been dispatched.”

Ava studied her husband with new insight.

Standing at the window, with the physique of a well-trained warrior, Keithen had thick muscled arms, powerful legs and wide shoulders. His hair fell just past his ears in silky brown waves that contradicted every other part of him. He was handsome and hard, but she’d noticed how his face softened when speaking to his mother.

And yet, she knew whatever would happen the next day would forever change the course of her life. “Why are we returning to my home tomorrow?”

“To return ye to yer family.”

*

To reject and return a woman to her family was one of the most humiliating things that could be done to a laird’s daughter. Not only would the Mackenzie have to accept her back, but he would be powerless to do anything in retaliation.

Even the Mackenzie could not get away from the insult.

Ava would not be able to show herself in public for a long time. Although most would suspect the cause of rejection was the fact Clan Fraser and Clan Mackenzie were enemies, the gossips would enjoy inventing reasons for it.

Keithen had ensured he did not spend his seed into his new wife so that there would be no possible way for her to become with child.

The entire consummation had felt wrong. As he paced in the chamber while she slept, he could not shake the heavy weight of guilt.

It was unfair to Ava. She’d done nothing to deserve such treatment, but it was inevitable. Everything had been set in motion. The next day, he, along with a contingent of warriors, would escort Ava back to Mackenzie Keep. Once there, she would ride alone to the entrance and he would never see her again.

*

Even more people had gathered for the harvest festival. In an effort to keep Ava’s departure quiet for a long as possible, the party was forced to leave through a back gate.

Keithen rode beside Ava as they made their way through the forest that would eventually lead them into Mackenzie lands. He’d purposely chosen a route that would keep them from being too visible.

They’d been traveling for a couple of hours when he slid a look to Ava. She rode with pride, her back straight and her eyes staring straight ahead.