The Scot's Quest - Keira Montclair Page 0,18

’tis the only reason?”

“Lass, stop forcing me to make decisions about something that hasn’t happened.” This was not going well, and he had no idea how to change that. Everything he said seemed to dig the hole he was in a little bit deeper. Soon he’d be burying himself.

“Never mind. I have my answer.” She raced ahead of him.

Shite. She was so fast, he couldn’t hope to keep up.

Not that he’d know what to say if he managed to catch up. He sure as hell hadn’t done anything to complete his quest to find out why her grandsire considered her soft-hearted. A hard arse and a stubborn wench were the terms that came to mind after this interlude.

Nay, that wasn’t quite true—he’d seen the flash of pain in her eyes—and yet, he wasn’t sure where that left them. He’d hoped to see if they suited, but neither of them seemed able or willing to admit to having strong feelings for the other. The truth was she’d scowled the moment he mentioned marriage.

Mayhap she wasn’t interested in anything but a means to an end.

The end of her maidenhead.

***

Dyna threw the keep door open with a bang, a move she instantly regretted because it brought all the eyes in the hall straight to her.

Every single person in the great hall stared at her, a mass of questioning glances that she had no wish to acknowledge.

Blushing, she nodded, trying not to act flustered as she made her way up the stairs to her bedchamber. She didn’t wish to cause Derric any trouble. Everything they’d done had been her idea. Except for the kiss.

Tears pricked her eyes, and she struggled to hold them back as she entered her chamber and lowered onto the edge of one of the beds. It was a chamber for guests, equipped with enough beds for a few lasses.

Someone knocked on her door a few moments later.

“Enter.” She swiped at any tears that had managed to fall, too proud to let on what had happened.

The door opened, revealing Alasdair. He stared at her before he spoke, his usual tactic—assess the situation first, then speak. Hardly her philosophy, but this was her beloved Alasdair.

His chin lifted a bit as he perused her face. “Answer me one question. Was he inappropriate with you?”

“Who?” Doing her best to summon a look of innocence, she glanced up at her cousin from her perch on the bed, not wanting to let on that her problem was indeed related to Derric.

“I think you know,” he said, stepping inside. Emmalin came in behind him, but she stayed back to let them talk. “Don’t play innocent. He left with you.”

“Alasdair, naught happened. Derric did not hurt me.” She paused, considering, then said, “But I would ask a question of you.”

“I’m listening,” he said, moving closer.

She glanced from him to Emmalin and back. “How did you know Emmalin was the right one for you? How did you…When did you… I don’t even know exactly what to ask, dammit.” Her hands curled around the covers, yanking them sideways. “What made you decide to marry Emmalin?”

Alasdair smiled, something she didn’t see often enough. If only it weren’t at her expense. “Are you laughing at me?”

“Nay,” he said, sitting next to her on the bed. “You just made me think of a conversation I had with Grandsire on the parapets. I asked him how he knew Grandmama was the right one for him.”

“And?”

“His answer didn’t help. He said he knew when he first saw her, but that he fought against it. In the beginning, he was more concerned about protecting her than anything else. That was how I felt with Emmalin at first. I had a fierce need to protect her, to keep her by my side.” He glanced back at Emmalin and reached for her hand. She stepped closer and rested her head on his shoulder. Then he continued, “And you helped me, too, Dyna. Don’t you recall yelling at me outside the gates?”

Dyna had forgotten that time, when she’d known he carried so much pain after losing his parents that he couldn’t speak of it. That his pain blocked his ability to see Emmalin and the possibility of a relationship with her. “I’d forgotten. That helped you know she was for you?”

“Oddly, aye. I couldn’t imagine marrying someone without my parents present, but that was impossible. I had to accept that first. Once I did that, then I could consider marriage. But I never seriously considered standing in front of