Chapter 26
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
A lastair Campbell believed himself a reasonable man. He was calm and collected. He was not easily swayed by the matters of the heart, nor did he often give in to whims and the kind of man who had the perfect disposition to influence others.
And yet when confronted with a little bastard like James MacGregor, he had no choice but to give in to his anger and forget every principle he had ever believed in. Tae think he would reject his niece that way, after all the work they had done fer an alliance!
It was unheard of. Alastair had not been lying when he told the boy his niece had several suitors from which she could choose. And yet, none of them were as good a match for her as James was, otherwise he naturally would not have even entertained his antics. They needed a good alliance; they needed that wedding.
“Evelyn!” Alastair yelled as he slammed his fist on her door. “Evelyn, are ye in there?”
The door opened just as Alastair was about to knock again, revealing a concerned Evelyn. Pushing his way into the room, Alastair had to resist the urge to tug at his own hair in frustration, but no matter how much he tried to breathe and calm himself, the mere memory of James’ smug face sent him right back into a rage.
“What is it, Uncle?” Evelyn asked in that gentle way of hers. “Did something happen?”
“Ye saw what happened,” Alastair bit out. “Ye saw the lass the MacGregor lad brought with him.”
“Aye,” said Evelyn, her head tilting to the side in confusion. “What about her?”
“He says he wishes tae wed her.”
For a moment, Evelyn didn’t respond. She only pursed her lips, folding her hands behind her back. When she finally spoke, she did so with an air of dignity.
“Well,” she said, “then we shall find someone else.”
With a humorless laugh, Alastair shook his head. “It is James MacGregor ye must wed, Evelyn. Yer other suitors? Merchants and landowners. They dinnae have titles. They’re nae of noble blood. They have wealth, aye, but they’ll never take the lairdship!”
“There are nae other nobles who wish tae wed me?” Evelyn asked. Once again, she was reserved, with that air about her that to anyone who didn’t know her, would make her seem unaffected. But Alastair knew better than that. Evelyn was like a daughter to him. He had helped raise her.
And he was not going to fail her now.
“Nay,” he said. “Nay one good enough… ‘Tis yer duty tae marry well. Dinnae forget that”
Alastair did not need to say anymore. Evelyn could surely understand why their situation was this dire and why they needed the MacGregor boy specifically. With Evelyn as the only heir, either she had to wed someone like him and produce male heirs for the clan or their family would lose the lairdship forever. While Alastair was the laird, they were safe, but what would happen if he died? To secure the clan before that happened, Evelyn would need to wed. Taking a few steps forward to close the distance between them, Alastair placed his hands on Evelyn’s shoulders. She looked up at him with her big, hazel eyes—just like her father’s, just like Alastair’s own—and her gaze betrayed only a hint of fear.
“This wedding must happen,” he said. “And I will dae anything in me power tae make sure it daes. I willnae let ye down, Evelyn. I promise. I willnae let yer faither down.”
His brother had entrusted him with Evelyn’s future. On his deathbed, he had asked him to take care of her, to ensure she received what she deserved. Even if she couldn’t take the lairdship, as a woman, she had to at least become the Lady of the Clan.
“Uncle… even if the marriage doesnae happen, ye willnae let me down,” Evelyn promised him, her hand coming to rest over his where it was squeezing her shoulder. “Ye have done everything ye can to help the clan. Everyone kens that. I ken that. Even if this marriage daesnae happen, it willnae change this.”
While Evelyn’s assurances were nice to hear, they bore no weight for Alastair. Perhaps for her, it would truly be fine, perhaps she would hold no malice in her heart for his failure, but Alastair would never be able to forgive himself. This was his one chance to save the clan. This was his one chance to give Evelyn her birthright.
“Listen tae me,” he told her, looking at her right in the eyes. “James will wed ye. I’ll make sure of it, if it’s the last thing I dae.”