Free A Promise in Midwinter by Alyssa Stark

veins and suddenly she was overly warm despite the fact
that she was clad only in her flimsy shift.
    “Thank ye lass,” Lachlan said as his lips curled into an appreciative smile.  “I’m no sure what I would have
done had ye said no.”
     

 
     
    ..oo  Chapter Ten  oo..
     
     
    “I Lachlan Angus
MacFarland, in the name of the spirit of God that resides within me, by all the
life that courses within my blood and the love that resides within my beating
heart take you, Elizabeth Olivia Campbell to my hand, my heart, and my spirit
to be my chosen one,” Lachlan said as he squeezed Elizabeth’s hand in
reassurance.
    “Halt!” Liam
exclaimed as he rushed forward and roughly seized Lachlan’s shoulder, tearing
him away from Elizabeth.  “Elizabeth Campbell?” he said with a low growl.  “It
cannot be true!” he said angrily as his eyes narrowed, glaring at Lachlan.
    Liam’s expression
softened as he turned to look at Elizabeth.
    How had he not
seen the resemblance?
    The lass was the
image of Olivia in ever manner.  From her alabaster skin to her auburn hair,
she was the spitting image of her lovely mother.  And her green eyes, however
had he not noticed?  She had received her striking green eyes from her father. 
    Elizabeth’s eyes were
the mirror image of Liam’s.
    “Ye son-of-a
bitch!” Liam screamed as he drew back his fist and spun, landing a powerful
blow to Lachlan’s jaw.
    Lachlan was
stunned.  He dodged Tristan and pulled Elizabeth behind his back, shielding her
from the crazed warrior.
    “Explain yourself,
auld man!” Lachlan demanded as he poised for a counter attack.  His hand was on
Elizabeth’s arm, cautioning her to stay safely behind him.
    Liam’s eyes were
narrowed with rage.  His face was red and a large vein had risen on his
forehead, thundering with the erratic beating of his enraged heart.
    “Aarrghh!” he
yelled as he dropped his head and charged at Lachlan.
    Lachlan pushed Elizabeth out of the way.  Angus MacFarland grabbed her wrist and pulled her safely out of
the path of the fight.  He shot her a curious look.  Angus was as perplexed by
Liam’s sudden surge of anger as she had been.
    Lachlan refused to
allow Liam to put Elizabeth in danger.  He sought only to protect her and lunged
at Liam, wrestling him to the ground.  Although Liam was old enough to be his
father, he was a sound warrior.  Liam punched wildly at Lachlan, consumed by
the rage of whatever had come over him.
    Lachlan struggled
to remain atop Liam.  He dodged blow after blow, all the while wondering what
had come over the older clansman.  
    Liam struggled
against Lachlan, landing a blow against his cheek. His chest heaved from the
exertion of grappling with the much younger and much stronger clansmen.
    Enough was enough.
    Lachlan growled
and punched Liam, the bone rattling blow stilling his opponent for a brief
moment.
    “I do not want to
fight you!” Lachlan thundered as he overpowered Liam.  “Explain yourself!” he
demanded again as he struggled to take stock of what had just occurred. “Damn
ye, Liam…what has come over ye?”
    Lachlan glanced
over his shoulder to assure himself that Elizabeth was safe.
    Her face had
drained of color.  She stood next to his father with her hand over her mouth,
watching the horror that their handfasting had become.
    Seizing his
opportunity, Liam landed a surprise punch to Lachlan’s eye.  Finding renewed
strength, he flung Lachlan off his chest and reversed their position so that he
now straddled the younger clansmen.
    “Ye’ve stolen my
daughter’s honor!” Liam seethed as he dealt another glancing blow to Lachlan’s jaw.
    Lachlan was too
shocked to move.
    He struggled to
focus amidst the stars that Liam’s weighty blow had onset.
    His steel gray
eyes flitted from Liam’s angry green eyes to Elizabeth’s.
    They were exactly
the same.
    Liam has a
daughter?
    His mind was
reeling from the blow to his jaw, but more so from Liam’s