Chapter 5 #2
“Aye, it’s true,” Megan responded, forcing a quick smile. She pointedly didn’t look at Ryder. “Yer braither and I are betrothed. Does that please ye?”
“Oh, aye!” Sophie breathed. “I am so glad. Flora is always sayin’ that Ry ought to get married.
Sometimes Ewan comes and eats the noon meal with us—he and Flora are married, by the way—and he said that Ry ought to get married too.
He said that it would calm him down,” she added, as if this little conversational tidbit might be interesting.
Megan bit the corner of her mouth to keep from smiling. She glanced up at Ryder, who looked thoroughly displeased.
“Aye, well, I’m nae marryin’ to please Ewan, or even Flora,” he snapped. “All ye need to ken, Sophie, is that I am getting’ married, and it is to Megan.”
She felt a curl of unease in her gut. Why couldn’t he just keep saying that they were betrothed?
Talk of marriage felt far too official, far too real.
They weren’t getting married and talking about it was a waste of time.
Why work so hard to tell lies to his own sisters?
Some lies were unavoidable, of course, but still.
It wasn’t a point she wanted to labor, however, and the conversation moved on almost straight away.
“Does that mean that there’s goin’ to be a weddin’?” Sophie whispered, her voice hushed and awestruck. “A proper weddin’?”
“Indeed, there will be,” Ryder responded.
“Can I be a flower girl?”
“I see nay reason why nae,” he answered, then paused, throwing an apologetic look at Megan. “Although of course ye will have to ask Megan.”
Sophie stared pleadingly up at Megan. “Can I, Megan?”
She managed a smile. “Aye, of course.”
Sophie gave a squawk of delight, jumping up and down and clapping her hands.
“Well, this is excellent news,” she murmured, rubbing her hands together.
Ryder gave a hoot of laughter. “Ye sound like a fairy tale villain when ye talk like that, lass.”
Sophie barely listened to him. She beamed up at Megan instead.
“Well, Alaina will definitely let us into her chambers with news like this. Ry, can I take Megan to meet her?”
“Aye, that would be ideal,” he responded, nodding. He met Megan’s eyes and lifted his eyebrows. She rose to her feet, holding his gaze.
She had to admit that the whole thing had gone very smoothly so far. There seemed to be no doubt in Sophie’s mind that Megan and Ryder really were betrothed, and since she already seemed to like her, that was a good start.
Alaina would likely be harder to convince. She’d be more suspicious of a new betrothed coming out of thin air and would ask questions. She’d want to know where Megan and Ryder met, how their “love story” had progressed, and so on.
Megan would have to come up with satisfactory answers to these questions.
From what she’d heard of Alaina, the girl was just an ordinary teenage lass.
She was moody, confused, crippled by ordinary teenage embarrassment, and unsure of her place in the world.
Megan remembered watching each of her younger sisters go through that uncomfortable stage, so that when it came for her, she knew what to expect.
I have to be her friend, she reminded herself. If Alaina is the sort to resent any restriction of her freedom, I imagine she views honesty very highly.
Which, of course, is even more reason to keep her from findin’ out the truth.
This thought sent a shiver of unease down Megan’s spine.
Their little scheme wasn’t going to last forever.
Once the people who meant harm to Alaina had been dealt with, Megan would leave.
How would they manage it? Maybe she could just slip away, and Ryder could tell them that she simply broke off the betrothal.
Would they be disappointed? Nay, I’m sure they willnae. Their braither is the one they love. Sophie is sweet and very friendly, but she’s so young. She’ll forget me in nay time. And as for Alaina, I might nae even earn her friendship in the first place.
“Ye should go and meet Alaina now, then,” Ryder said, sounding disinterested. He’d wandered over to his desk and had begun shuffling through various papers. “I’ll check on ye later, and order a room to be made up for ye by Alaina’s. Unless, of course, Alaina invites ye to stay with her.”
Megan didn’t think that was very likely, but if she could stay close to her charge, that would be suitable.
“Aye, I’m sure that’s right,” she answered, a thrill of nerves rolling in her stomach.
At that moment, Sophie reached up and grabbed her hand, tugging gently.
“Come with me; I’ll show ye where to go,” the little girl said reassuringly. “I never get lost in the Keep, but newcomers do, all the time.”
“Well, then, I’m glad I have ye with me,” Megan laughed, allowing herself to be towed toward the door.
“Oh, and one last thing,” Ryder called as Sophie opened the door.
Megan glanced back at him, lifting her eyebrows questioningly.
He met her gaze, and a slow grin spread across his face. He put his fingertips to his lips and blew a kiss at her.
“I’ll see ye soon, me darling bride,” he said, chuckling.
Color flooded Megan’s face. She turned away as soon as possible, but it was too late—he’d seen it. She could hear him laughing to himself as Sophie tugged her out of the study and into the hallway.
This had better all be worth it, Megan thought grimly.