Never Seduce a Scot (The Montgomerys and Armstrongs #1)(50)

“He did not call her such, Graeme. He was only repeating what many have said after you dismissed the women from the keep.”

“She is not to be spoken of in such a manner regardless of whether you’re repeating the words of others,” Graeme snapped.

Teague held up his hands. “I’m merely telling you that there is much discontent. They feel you’re being disloyal to your own kin by siding with the Armstrong lass.”

“She has a name,” Graeme growled. “And it is no longer Armstrong. She is a Montgomery.”

Bowen sighed. “Aye, we know it. We’re on your side. But you cannot ignore what’s being said around you because it offends you. You can’t make the clan accept Eveline, no matter how much you may wish it. You can tell them how they must act. You can tell them what they must say. But you can’t force them to accept your wife, because you can’t change what’s in their hearts. And what’s in their hearts is hatred.”

Graeme sighed. He knew what his brother said to be true, and it frustrated him.

“If I can accept her, then why can they not? Her kin is responsible for the death of my father. They are responsible for the loss of our clansmen’s lives, and yet I know that I cannot hold a lass responsible for the sins of her father any more than the Armstrongs could hold Rorie responsible for the Armstrong lives that have been forfeit to us.”

“Aye, but you’re assuming that they would afford the same courtesy to Rorie,” Teague said in a grim voice. “Everyone is not you, Graeme. Not everyone has your logic. You can look at the situation and say the lass is not to blame and we should not make her pay for the sins of her kin. But everyone else just sees the enemy and their thoughts turn to vengeance.”

“She’s not daft,” Graeme said, frustrated with the course of the conversation.

Bowen lifted his eyebrow. “Nay? I had my doubts. Why then does everyone in her clan assume so and why has she never corrected their opinions?”

“She’s deaf.”

Teague’s gaze sharpened. “Deaf? She cannot hear? How then does she know what it is we’re saying? She understood enough of the insults the women were slinging to go into a sword-wielding rage.”

Bowen grinned. “A fierce wee kitten swinging a sword. Now that was a sight to behold.”

“She reads the words that are formed on our lips,” Graeme explained. “ ’Tis extraordinary if you think about it. She lost her hearing as a result of her accident, but not her wits.”

“It still doesn’t explain why she perpetuated such a myth,” Teague said.

Graeme related the story that Eveline had told him, of how she sought to protect herself from marriage to Ian McHugh only to find herself forced into marriage with Graeme.

Bowen and Teague both wore frowns when Graeme finished. Then Teague shook his head. “It was quite clever of the lass even if a little extreme.”

“Not so extreme if it prevented her from falling into the hands of a man who’d sorely abuse her,” Bowen murmured. “Think on it. The lass went to her father with her fears and he discounted them. Mayhap he wanted the alliance too much to put any credence into what she said. Or mayhap he just thought she was overly fearful and that once accustomed to the idea she’d come around. But ’tis clear she thought she had no choice.”

Graeme nodded. “She didn’t want to continue the deception, but she was fearful of my reaction. She thought that I was kind to her because I thought she was daft and that I would no longer look at her as someone to be pitied and that I’d despise her because of her heritage.”

“And were you kind to her because you thought she was pitiable?” Bowen asked.

Graeme hesitated. “In the beginning, aye. I felt sympathy for her even as I felt frustration for being forced into marriage to a woman who could never be a wife to me. I was angry, but I also knew I could not be angry with her.”

“But not now,” Teague commented.

“Nay, not now. She’s … special. I cannot explain it, but I do not regret our marriage.”

Bowen blew out his breath. “You’ve a difficult path ahead, brother. It won’t be a simple thing for her to win favor with our clan.”

“Aye, I know it. But you and Teague will aid me in this, will you not?”

Teague and Bowen exchanged glances.

“Aye, we will,” Teague said. “If the lass is what you want and you are content with her, then we trust your judgment and will do all we can to ease her way.”

Graeme nodded. “My thanks. Rorie has accepted—nay, befriended—her already. ’Tis good for Rorie to have the companionship of other lasses. Rorie doesn’t have much use for the women in our clan.”

Teague chuckled. “That’s because the lass is convinced she’d rather be a lad.”

“The day will come when she will marry. I would have her prepared for that,” Graeme said.

Bowen frowned. “We will not do as the Armstrongs were forced to do. We will not sacrifice her for alliances or favor with the crown. We have no need of either and I’ll not have her marry someone who would treat her as Ian McHugh would have treated your Eveline.”

His Eveline. Graeme liked the sound of it. She was his. Not fully, yet, but he’d remedy that soon enough.

“Rorie is happy here with us,” Teague said with a scowl. “There’s no reason for her to leave.”