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She wanted to believe his every word, but why would Cameron lie? He appeared to be a good man. But ye never truly knew another’s thoughts and motivations. Could he have made those claims out of jealousy? Perhaps he realized she had chosen Lachlan?

“Who filled yer head with such unfounded tales?” Lachlan demanded.

Torn between loyalty and honesty, Ailis finally met his gaze, her green eyes revealing her inner turmoil. “It was Cameron who told me.” She watched him carefully, curious to see how he would react to the news of his accuser.

Lachlan’s expression darkened. “That man would say anything to drive a wedge between us. He seeks to sow discord where there is none.” He shook his head. “I canna believe ye listened to him.”

Though she felt betrayed, Ailis couldn’t ignore the doubt that had taken root within her.

*

Days later, tension gripped Ailis as she sat with Cameron in his boat on the loch.

“Ye look fair bonnie against the backdrop of the Highlands,” Cameron crooned, trying to capture her gaze. He reached out and touched her hand, hoping it would break the tension.

“Beauty fades,” Ailis replied coolly. “What remains when it does?” Now that she was with him, she was having a hard time knowing what the truth was. She’d believed Lachlan when she was with him. But now that she was with Cameron, she was no longer certain.

“Power,” he answered without hesitation.

“’Tis a poor thing to build one’s life upon,” she countered. “Cameron, I have made me choice, and it is not ye.” She spoke softly and compassionately. She didn’t want to hurt him, though she knew some hurt was inevitable.

His oars stilled as silence engulfed them.

“Ye cannot mean it,” he began at last.

“Aye, I do.” Her words fell like stones into still waters. He appeared much less hurt than angry, and that confused her a bit. Why would he be angry? It made little sense to her.

“Ye’ll regret this,” Cameron warned, his charm giving way to cold determination.

“Perhaps,” Ailis conceded. “But I would rather live with regret than choose a man who doesn’t sway me heart.” Or a man who threatened me when I told him me feelings.

Ailis stepped onto the shore, leaving an unbridgeable chasm between them. Her decision anchored her to a path of peril and passion.

*

Beneath the star-filled sky, Ailis McAfee wandered the moonlit heather fields near her family’s estate. The Highland chill stirred the leaves and made her wrap her cloak tighter.

As she pondered her feelings for Cameron and Lachlan, footsteps interrupted her thoughts. Lachlan approached, dressed in hunting leathers with a longbow slung over his shoulder.

“Ye look lost in thought,” he observed, his voice warm in the night air.

Ailis sighed. “I am confused. Sometimes I wish there was a book telling me what I should do in any situation.

“Ye’ll figure it out. Yer a smart lass.” He grinned at her for a moment. “Would ye like to join me on a hunt?”

Excited by the prospect of spending time with him, she accepted with a soft smile.

“I would enjoy that. Spending time with ye is always something I want to do.” Now that she was with him again, she knew he hadn’t lied.

Cameron had been the liar, and though she hadn’t wanted to hurt him, she was glad he was no longer an important person in her life.

At daybreak, they ventured into the Highlands together. When Lachlan spotted a red deer, he motioned for silence before expertly shooting it down. He grinned at Ailis, saying “There’s more to me than just a charming smile.”

“And ye are better with a bow and arrow than most men. Though, Fiona can still outshoot ye.” She grinned. Her heart raced as the thrill of the hunt sharpened her senses. The bond with Lachlan transcended mere attraction—it was a connection forged through shared experiences and continually deepened.

Returning with their hard-earned spoils, Ailis was pleased that they were able to combine spending time with one another and doing something for the good of the clan. Choosing between duty and her heart was difficult. For once, she hadn’t had to.

*

In the following days, Cameron persistently sought Ailis’s attention. One morning, he approached her with gifts: a woolen shawl resembling the loch’s deep blue and a silver brooch.

“The gifts are beautiful, but are ye sure ye wouldn’t rather give them to someone else?”

“Nay, these gifts are meant to be worn by the bonniest woman in the Highlands, and that would be ye.” He bowed slightly.

“But ye remember that I told ye I have chosen another?” she asked, studying his face.

“I plan to change yer mind. Ye must be cold in the Highland air,” he offered, as he placed the shawl on her shoulders. “Nothing but the finest for ye.”

Ailis accepted the gifts, feeling the weight of expectation upon her. Cameron’s compliments held an unsettling urgency.

“Thank ye, Cameron,” Ailis replied cautiously. “But ye are mistaken about me feelings. Once I make a decision, I dinnae change me mind.”

Cameron leaned closer, determined. “Give me a chance, Ailis. Me heart is true, and me fondness grows each day.”

She shook her head. “Me mind is made up, and I love another.”

Ailis retreated to the kitchen where Granny stirred a pot of stew. She confided her confusion about Cameron.

Granny met Ailis’s gaze. “A gift given freely is light as a feather. If it carries expectations of winning yer affection, it becomes heavy as a millstone.”

“What do I do?” Ailis whispered.

Granny touched Ailis’s cheek. “Listen to yer heart—it beats a unique rhythm only ye understand. Charm may dazzle, but building a life together takes more than finery and flattery.”

Ailis thanked Granny for her wisdom and went outside, where the sun cast long shadows across the land.

*

Lachlan strode through the castle’s corridors, hearing the echoes of his boots against the cold floor. He had heard whispers that Ailis was beset by doubts—doubts sown by Cameron’s lies. His jaw clenched at the thought.

In the pale moonlight, Lachlan saw Ailis in the courtyard below, pacing back and forth in the quiet garden. Her dark hair was subdued under the moon’s gaze.

He descended the stairs, wondering what he could say to breach the walls of mistrust between them. He understood that there had been lies told about him, but he had trouble rationalizing why she didn’t believe him and chose to believe Cameron instead.

“Fair evening, Ailis,” Lachlan greeted as he emerged into the cool night air, his voice disguising his inner turmoil. No matter how confused she was, it was good to be with her.

She turned, her eyes reflecting the stars above. “Good eve, Lachlan,” she replied guardedly.

“May I walk with ye?” he asked formally, watching her for any sign of mistrust.

“Of course,” she answered.

“Is that a new shawl?” he asked.

She sighed. “Cameron gave it to me. I told him that I was not interested in pursuing our relationship, but he didn’t listen. He gave me this and a brooch. I wish he’d go away.”

“Well, I dinnae think much of Cameron, but I must admit that yer beautiful in the shawl. It makes yer eyes even more lovely.”

Ailis smiled, blushing a little and hoping it was hidden by the darkness around them. “Thank ye.” How could she mistrust a man who was so sweet and kind?

“Ye seem troubled,” Lachlan ventured. “Do ye want to talk about it?”

Ailis sighed heavily. “I fear I am caught betwixt me own desires and expectations.”

“And where do I stand in this tangle of thorns?” Lachlan asked.

“Ye are… a man of great merit, Lachlan. But I’ve been told of dalliances,” she reiterated. She wanted to trust him with everything inside her, but she couldn’t. Not after hearing he was kissing another.

“Tales are naught but falsehoods!” Lachlan cried, shaking his head. “Tis Cameron’s deceitful hand at play. Why would ye lend an ear to his venom over me truth?”

Ailis shook her head, filled with confusion. “I told him I would not choose him. Why would he continue to lie?”

“Let me be clear,” Lachlan declared. “Me heart beats for none but ye, Ailis. If ye cannot trust me word, then what hope have we?”

Ailis met his gaze, her green eyes pools of resolve. “I sought counsel from Granny, and she bade me follow me heart. Yet, she warned that charm alone cannot sustain us.”

“Yer heart knows the measure of a man, not the honeyed whispers of a rival,” Lachlan insisted.

“Perhaps,” Ailis conceded, hope igniting within her. “But the path I choose must withstand not just warmth, but chill winds.”

“Then let us face those seasons together,” Lachlan replied steadily. “I care for ye, Ailis. Ye are not a fleeting whim. I will care for ye until the day I am taken from this earth.”

Ailis nodded. “I care for ye too. I just need time to sort this out in me mind.”