Highlander Unmasked Read online

  Alex fought to control the rage that swarmed his senses at Jamie’s words. Meg was his. Every muscle in his body rejected the proposal, even as his mind realized that Jamie was right.

  Jamie observed Alex’s reaction but stood his ground. “Meg doesn’t deserve to be put in danger,” he continued. “If you are up to anything untoward, you will not involve her. You have to know that such a marriage would be the worst possible situation for her clan, and therefore for her. Unless you are willing to give up whatever you have planned?”

  Alex didn’t like hearing his own concerns bandied back at him by Jamie. He was honor bound to do two contradictory things: marry Meg and fight the king’s injustice on the Isle of Lewis. His eyes narrowed as he studied his foe with part suspicion and part dread. Intuitively, it seemed, Jamie understood his conflict and was using Alex’s conscience against him. Jamie knew that Alex would not endanger Meg unnecessarily, not when she could still come away unscathed. He pictured her face as she’d left his room. Well, relatively unscathed.

  He clenched his jaw, biting back the refusal he desperately wanted to shout. But he couldn’t, because Jamie was right. Damn him straight to hell. “After what you just saw, you know I am honor bound to marry her,” Alex said. “I will not withdraw my proposal. It is her decision.”

  She thought herself in love with him. Alex knew Meg. If he confided his plans to her, she would make him into a damn hero and ignore the danger to herself. Part of him wanted to do just that, tell her the truth, placing the weight of the decision on her. She could have the facts and decide for herself, giving her a choice that he was fairly certain would result in his favor.

  Could he marry her knowing that he would put her in danger when there was another alternative? A safe alternative?

  Selfishly, he wanted to hold on to her now that he had her. But he knew he wasn’t the best man for her.

  Damn Jamie Campbell and his blasted proposal.

  Alex would have to drive her away and give her no choice but to break the engagement. But it would have to look bad, giving her no choice but to turn to Jamie.

  If there was a way to keep her from danger and stop her from making a mistake by marrying him, he would find one. No matter what the cost to himself.

  Chapter 17

  Alex need not have worried how he was going to convince Meg to break their engagement. The means to do so came to him.

  And not a minute too soon. In a matter of hours, Alex’s men would meet just outside the city gates to begin their journey to the Isle of Lewis. But he couldn’t leave without resolving things with Meg—one way or another. He’d just finished breaking his fast and was considering seeking advice from his brother when the Marquess of Huntly approached him.

  “Have you given any consideration to my offer?” Huntly asked.

  Distracted, Alex had to think a moment before he realized what Huntly was talking about. Ah yes, Huntly had thought to hire him as a mercenary. As the need for Alex’s pretense would be over when he left, the words were in his mouth to politely turn down Huntly’s offer. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Meg standing near the door. She must have paused just outside the door to the dining room when she saw whom Alex was speaking to. Alex pretended not to see her.

  His mind worked quickly. This was it. This was his opportunity. He felt a sharp pang of regret for what he was about to do. Thanks to Huntly, Alex was effectively taking the decision away from Meg. Huntly had unwittingly given him the golden opportunity to strike her where she was most vulnerable—her brother.

  “A bit,” Alex answered. “What exactly are you proposing?”

  “I’m not sure whether it would appeal to you. I am not at liberty to discuss the details, but I can say this: It might require fighting against other Highlanders.”

  Alex shrugged indifferently. But he was even more certain that Huntly was talking about fighting for the Fife Adventurers. The irony wasn’t lost on him.

  “Perhaps even against your brother,” Huntly warned.

  Was she close enough? Not taking any chances, Alex raised his voice. “No doubt you’ve heard that my brother and I do not see eye to eye on a lot of things. For the proper consideration, I might be amenable.” He lingered on the word consideration. He dared not look at Meg to see if she was listening.

  “You will be well paid,” Huntly said. “A sword arm like yours would be highly valued for what we have in mind.”

  “Of course. But that is not the only consideration I was referring to.” He paused at what he was about to do. Forgive me. “It seems I’ve recently come into some lands. Some considerable lands.”

  He heard a faint sound. The muffled sharp intake of breath. She was listening all right. His chest tightened as he realized the pain he must be causing her. Not yet engaged for a full day and he was already making claims on her land. But he was doing the right thing. The best thing for Meg. It was that knowledge that propelled him on, though each word he spoke pushed the dirk a little deeper in his chest.

  Huntly looked surprised. “Oh?”

  “Yes, Mistress Mackinnon has agreed to become my wife. As I’m sure you are no doubt aware, the situation is ripe with opportunity.”

  Huntly smiled. “So I was right. You did have designs on the lass.”

  Alex feigned a “you caught me” look. “She is tempting,” he pointed out.

  “Yes,” Huntly agreed. “A very tempting morsel to an ambitious man like yourself. With the right support, you could be chief.”

  Alex paused, uttering the word that would seal his fate, driving Meg away forever and sending her right to Jamie. He tensed, his body fighting against it. He wished there were another way.

  “Exactly,” he lied. Meg was tempting, but for none of those reasons. But she would never marry him now. Not thinking that he meant to usurp her brother’s position.

  “And the consideration you refer to?”

  “If necessary, when the time comes, a good word with the king.”

  Huntly gazed at him thoughtfully. “I will see what I can do. We are agreed, then?”

  Hearing the gentle swish of skirts moving away from the door, Alex ventured a quick glance to see that Meg had left. He stood up. “I will think on it.”

  Huntly looked mildly surprised that Alex had not accepted right there, but he nodded as Alex walked out the door. His legs moved with the forced stride of a man going to his execution. He still had one thing left to do before he departed. It was time to talk to Meg. Or, he supposed more accurately, allow her to talk to him.

  Meg had started the day with no more clarity of mind than she’d gone to bed with. She loved Alex and was convinced that he was the right man for her clan. Even knowing that he did not want to marry her, she couldn’t disappoint her father and fail her clan by breaking the engagement simply because of her pride. There was too much at stake.

  He cared for her, she knew he did. Surely he would come around…eventually?

  With that thought in mind, she’d gone to break her fast, hoping to find him.

  If only she hadn’t.

  She’d thought it odd to see him talking with Lord Huntly again. Not wanting to interrupt, she’d hung back, intending to wait until they were finished with their conversation.

  Their voices carried right to her, as if set on a course straight for her ears. She’d been shocked to hear Lord Huntly’s proposition to hire Alex and even more shocked by Alex’s response. She must have misunderstood. Alex wouldn’t fight against Highlanders—against his own brother—would he? The very idea was repugnant. Meg might take a pragmatic view of the problems facing the Highlands, but she would never condone taking a sword against her own people. But it wasn’t the first time she’d questioned his loyalty. She recalled how she’d found him playing cards with a group of the king’s men not long after he’d arrived.

  What did she really know of his activities? She’d attributed a higher purpose to his fighting with the MacGregors. But what if there wasn’t one? Her heart started t