should live,' he said in a voice that sounded quite pleasant given the circumstances. 'What is their primary duty? Their only duty? Their sacred duty?'
She could tell he was beginning to get angry. His voice had hardened with each question he asked. He was also squeezing her fingers so hard they hurt. 'Their primary duty is to defend.'
He relaxed his hold. 'And who do they defend?' he demanded.
'The king first and always, then the baron to whom they've given their pledge of fealty.'
'And?' he prodded.
Too late, she realized where he was headed. God help her, she couldn't come up with a quick way to change direction.
'Me.'
'And did they?'
'What they did or didn't do isn't your concern.'
'It is my concern,' he corrected. 'Those men have no honor. They deserve to die.'
'Such a decision isn't yours to make.'
'Of course it is,' he replied. 'You're going to be my wife.'
'So you say.'
'So I know,' he snapped, his voice as hard as sleet now. 'I cannot allow such cowards to live.'
'There is another reason you cannot kill them,' she stammered. Please, God, help me think of one, she thought. She bowed her head and stared down at the ground while she frantically tried to think of something clever to persuade him. 'I'm waiting.'
So was she, but God apparently wasn't in the mood to be helpful. 'You won't understand,' she whispered. 'What won't I understand?'
'If you kill my father's soldiers, I couldn't possibly marry you.'
'Is that so?'
He sounded to her as if he wanted to laugh. She looked up to see whether he was smiling and was thankful she'd been wrong. He looked just as somber and mean as before.
'Yes, that is so. I told you you wouldn't understand. If you weren't a heathen…'
'I'm not a heathen.'
She didn't believe him. The man was smeared with paint, after all. Only pagans would follow such ungodly rituals.
Connor had wasted enough of his time discussing the matter. He looked at Quinlan, fully intending to tell him to let the soldiers leave, though certainly not because of her weak protests. No, it was the fear he'd caused her that made him change his mind. Fear had its place, especially in the hearts of his enemies, but it would be wrong for a wife to fear her husband.
She wouldn't give him time to be magnanimous. 'Wait,' she cried out. 'Is it important for you to marry me?'
He shrugged. She translated the rude action to mean, yes, it was important. 'And you are unwilling to explain your reasons?' 'I need not explain myself to you.'
'I think perhaps I'd best explain my intentions to you, though.' she replied. 'And then I believe you'll understand. If you aren't a heathen, how are you going to get me to marry you? Will you simply announce to your family and friends that you have taken a wife? Or will there be a ceremony with a priest to hear our vows and bless our union?'
'There will be a priest.'
She frowned. 'A priest in good standing with the church?'
He smiled then. He simply couldn't stop himself. Lord, she was suspicious. 'A priest in good standing,' he promised.
Victory was suddenly within her grasp. She said a quick prayer in thanksgiving to God for helping her, promised to get down on her knees later to beg His forgiveness because she'd believed He hadn't listened to her plea for assistance, and then said, 'Exactly how do you plan to get me to repeat my vows in front of this man of God?'
'You will.'
'Will I?'
She had him there. She couldn't possibly know how important it was for her to agree to marry him. He wasn't worried about the behavior of the priest or Brenna during the actual ceremony. He could be intimidating when he needed to be. It was Alec Kincaid who gave him pause. Connor was already standing on trembling ground with his brother, and if Brenna let Alec know she hadn't agreed, there would be hell to pay. He could deal with that, but if Alec wanted the pig MacNare to have her, Connor would have to go against him.
She was pleased to see his smile disappear. 'Now I think you understand,' she said. 'I would like you to let the soldiers leave unharmed. Let them go to Laird MacNare or back to my father.'
The innocent woman actually thought she was saving their lives. Connor knew better. MacNare would surely torture the men before he disposed of them, and although her father probably wouldn't be as twisted with his punishment, Connor assumed he would still kill them because they had dishonored him.
'And if I agree to this difficult bargain?' he asked, trying to keep his amusement out of his voice. 'You'll accept this marriage? I want your agreement and your acceptance.'
'There's a difference?'
'There is,' he replied. 'In time, you'll understand.'
'Do you expect me to give you my promise without knowing exactly what it is I'm promising?'
'Do you expect me to let twelve cowards live when they poison the air I breathe?'
He was frowning at her now, and she couldn't help but worry he might be changing his mind. She decided not to press her good fortune. She had just won an important victory, hadn't she?
Still, she didn't feel like celebrating. 'I'll agree and I'll accept.'
'You have a kind heart.'
She was astonished by his compliment. 'Thank you.'
'It wasn't praise,' he snapped. 'I want you to rid yourself of such a weakness.'
He'd rendered her speechless. How could she possibly argue with such opinions?
His followers were just as odd as their leader. When they were ordered to let the soldiers leave unharmed, they didn't even try to hide their disappointment. They pouted like babies. She glared at the Highlanders while she was being pulled along by their leader. Quinlan had the gall to smile back at her.
The man she had just promised to accept didn't speak to her again until they were well away from the others.
'Brenna?'
'Yes?'
'I'm not always going to be this pleasant.'
She could tell he was serious, but still she wanted to laugh until she cried. She was fast losing her control and forced herself to calm down. She needed to stay clearheaded so she could figure a way to get out of this nightmare.
Oh, Lord, what had she gotten herself into?
Damn it all, none of this was her fault. She knew the truth, though she doubted anyone in her family would understand, especially her father. On her way out the door to go to MacNare, hadn't she threatened to do something rash? Papa was surely going to think she'd done just that.
'If my father blames me for this marriage, you're going to have to set him straight. I didn't plan this, and you're going to tell him so. Promise me you will.'
He didn't answer her. She knew he'd heard every word, though, because she'd shamelessly raised her voice. 'Promise me,' she demanded again.
He lifted her onto her horse, and while that was very thoughtful of him indeed, she didn't thank him.
She grabbed his hand as he let go of her waist. 'Promise me?' she asked yet again.
''Tis doubtful you'll ever see your family again. Your concern is foolish.'
He thought he was very reasonable.
She thought he was deliberately cruel. Tears filled her eyes over the very idea that she might not see her
