Page 69 of Laird of Twilight

“Lord Struan’s plaid?” Margaret asked. “You met him at Struan House, I heard. Reverend Buchanan told me, and Uncle Donal said so too, for I saw him outside now when I arrived. He and Peggy Graham told me...something interesting might have happened between you and Struan, is it?”

Elspeth felt a blush heating her cheeks. “Grandda cannot always keep a secret for long.”

“He has your best interest at heart.”

“I know.” Elspeth sighed and turned another page. “I thought to weave a cloth for Lord Struan so that he could have a kilt made up in Edinburgh.”

“Would this be your wedding gift?”

“Och,Grandda has indeed been chatty! Of course it is not.”

“Uncle Donal seems to think otherwise. It is Highland custom for the bride to make her husband a tartan of his clan, if she has the skill for it. I did that for my Robbie Lamont when we married.”

“This would be more a parting gift,” Elspeth murmured.

“Would it, now?”

“It is more likely that than what Grandda thinks, I promise you.”

“Peggy Graham and your grandfather love you so much,” Margaret said quietly. “And they fret over you. Whatever may have happened between you and Lord Struan, your family does not want you to be hurt. They worry it might discourage some other man offering for your hand if he hears of it. Those Buchanans have been spreading some gossip.” Margaret sighed, touched Elspeth’s shoulder. “Peggy and Uncle Donal wish you would accept the laird’s offer of marriage.”

“So they told you that. I was going to confide in you, but I have made my decision. They are simply not happy about it.”

“If he has offered, you would be wise to marry him. Do you care for him?”

Turning another page, Elspeth did not answer directly. “It is all my doing, this kerfuffle. I asked him to ruin me, Margaret,” she admitted.

“Asked him?” Margaret half laughed in surprise.

“I wanted to escape the Lowland marriage that Grandda was about to arrange for me. As it turned out, that will not happen anyway. And I never thought—well, it is no matter.” She had nearly blurted that indeed, she did have feelings for Struan.

“You told your grandfather you did not prefer the tailor?”

“He scarcely listened. He is so determined to find me a Lowland suitor that he will keep looking. Now his mind is set on Lord Struan.”

“An improvement over any suitor, I think. I hear the viscount is a bonny man.”

Elspeth felt her blush deepen, and knew that Margaret saw it. “Grandda wants my happiness, true. And I need to stay here at Kilcrennan. I do not want to go south to follow a husband, be it Lord Struan or anyone. I thought if I were compromised, no one would want to marry me, and that would settle the matter. But Struan...offered, and feels obligated, although it was all my doing.”

“All yours?”

“Well. Mostly mine. I did not—say him nay.”

Margaret’s lips quirked. “It takes two, love, but both have a choice. Will you not change your mind?”

Elspeth shook her head. “I cannot.”

“Peggy says he is a lovely braw man, with a good heart and a good head.”

“Oh, aye,” she said quickly.

“Did he? Ruin you, I mean?”

“Not entirely, if that is what you ask. He was a gentleman, refused to—” Her breath quickened. “But I never expected that I might—well.” Her voice caught.

“That you might fall in love?” Margaret asked quietly.

“I—it is all so confusing.” Elspeth flipped pages frantically. “I cannot find the pattern I want.”