Highlander's Beautiful Liar A Scottish Medieval Highlander Romance Historical Novel - Adamina Young Page 0,30

clan. Although, since I’ve already decreed that she marry Innes, I suppose it’s just as well that she died that night. If Innes were to marry her now, he’d be able to usurp you.”

Alec locked eyes with Cora. “What was the daughter’s name?” he asked coldly.

“I believe it was Cora. Cora Isles.”

8

Cora watched with trepidation as Alec pushed his chair back and stood. “Miss Claire, I believe it’s time for ye to retire.”

When Edward didn’t bother stopping him, she wondered if this was it. Would his King sanction her murder to ensure that Innes Campbell didn’t take the clan? “I don’t need an escort,” she said bravely. “I can find the way to my room on my own.”

“Ye won’t be going to yer room,” he growled. “I’ll meet ye in my chambers in ten minutes, and so help me God, if ye aren’t there, I promise that ye will not like the consequences.”

Once again, the Scottish King didn’t interfere. With a quick curtsy, she quickly fled to the stairwell. Part of her wondered what would happen if she made her escape. No doubt Alec would catch up with her and gleefully dole out her punishment.

For the first time, she lamented not being more skilled on a horse. Her mother didn’t have any, so she’d never experienced a horse until the Thistles took her in. They taught her side-saddle, which would only hinder her efforts to get away quickly.

What was the King thinking? What could possibly be achieved by telling the truth?

Entering his room, she shut the door and thought briefly about bolting it. She could lock herself in and make her escape out the window, but as she glanced down, the mere thought of the height brought her to a dizzying panic. She’d never been much of a climber.

Unwilling to sit on the bed, she pulled out a chair and perched primly on it. There was only one course of action left to take, so she began weaving a realistic tale that would show Alec that she was not Cora Isles and therefore no threat to him.

When the door banged open, Alec strode in with fire in his eyes. “Miss Claire,” he growled. “I believe that ye have some explaining to do.”

“As I’ve already explained, I did not seek the King’s counsel. He caught me in your room and demanded that I joined him at dinner. I did not go out of my way to embarrass you, and I did not tell him that I was thief.”

“But yer not a thief!” Alec roared as he slammed the door shut behind him. “Are ye, Cora?”

“My name is Claire,” she said hotly. Standing, she crossed her arms and faced him. “You want to hear my story? Just over six months ago, Seth MacKay visited England and swindled my father out of the family ring. I managed to track him down here, but he caught me before I took it back. Rather than have me hanged, he decided to take an interest me. He kept me in the prisons in hopes of breaking me.”

He stared at her. “There was no ring on his finger when I killed him, and there are no reports of a ring in the inventory.”

“I can’t explain that. I had hoped to get my hands on it before I left, but it’s not worth my life.”

“It’s a nice story,” he muttered quietly. “Did ye come up with that just now? Ye’ve a quick mind, but there’s just one problem.”

“What’s that?” she asked nervously.

“When I look at ye, I can see Duncan MacKay staring back at me. Ye have his eyes. So it would seem to me that the only thing ye plan on stealing is the MacKay clan, and I wilnae let that happen!”

“I don’t want it!” she shouted suddenly. Surprising them both, she began to beat her fists against his chest in anger. “Over six months ago, a man that I’d never met before turned my entire life upside down, and I spent months being tormented by the likes of Seth MacKay, my supposed half-brother. I don’t want your stupid clan. I don’t want anything to do with this place! I just want to leave!”

Alec caught her wrists in his hand and forced her to sit back down. “Cora. Cora,” he said in a low voice. “For God’s sake, calm yerself.”

Embarrassed by her admission and her outburst, she jerked her hands away from him. “I do not belong here.”

“If yer Duncan MacKay’s daughter, ye do.” He pulled a