Free Highland Destiny by Laura Hunsaker

asking, he had stated, once again. "But you know that." Mackenzie was confused by this. What was he getting at?
    "Do you know much about your betrothed?" Bitterness had twisted his features and his hands dropped from Mackenzie's waist.
    "Like what?" Mackenzie narrowed her eyes, trying to understand his sudden change, wondering what he expected from her.
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    "Perhaps how he has burned my lands and raped our women when he canna best my men? Only a coward uses women to get to a man." His disgust was evident, as he continued on about the flaws of her intended. "Or how he only wants to marry you to unite with the neighboring Mackenzie clan? If he were backed by the Mackenzie, he would be nigh unstoppable. He uses what and who he can for his own designs. He is a cruel man, Miss Stewart, you'd do well to nae forget that. And for the good of my clan, I canna allow either union."
"So you kidnapped me to keep me from marrying Campbell." Connor's silence encouraged her, "But I don't understand why that would matter to him? Why I would matter to him? We've never even met. Plus, I'm not a Mackenzie, per se, I'm a Stewart. So why does marriage to me get him the support of the Mackenzie tribe? And even if all that you say is true, then won't he come after me, you know, try to steal me back?" Mackenzie realized that she had asked several questions, and paused, to see how he would reply.
    "The Campbell is a proud man, and he will retaliate. When I abducted you, it was an insult to his honor ," Connor sneered the word, curling his upper lip slightly. She guessed he didn't think the man too honorable. "You matter because you are his, and I've taken you from him."
    "I am not his ...What am I, a chair? I am not a piece of property!" Mackenzie fumed. She stalked to the fireplace and stared at the fire.
    "Aye, you are, or at least you will be his upon marriage."
    Connor's tone was unapologetic. "In accord with your father, 72
    you will marry the Campbell. And you being a woman, will do as your father commands. Women are supposed to do as they are told. Do you ever to as you are told? I wonder if in rearing you abroad, your father made a mistake?"
Mackenzie glared at the fireplace, realizing that he was right, at least in his views on women's position in life. After a moment, she flipped her hair over her shoulder, running her fingers through it to further dry the damp curls. "This sucks!
    Stupid 18th century values, and lack of women's rights!" she muttered to the fireplace.
    She whirled on Connor with a fierce light in her eyes, "You know, one day, women will have just as much a right to decide whom they marry as men do. And we'll be able to own property and vote and work and have a say in our own lives!"
    Was she allowed to tell Connor her secret? She figured probably not, and kept the rest of her feminist thoughts to herself.
    Connor seemed amused by her little tirade, if not confused. "Well, until that day comes, you'll have to do as your father says. Who, if I am not mistaken, says you shall marry the Campbell. A marriage I canna allow to take place.
    As I have said, he is a cruel man, so perhaps you should thank me, for saving you from a fate worse than death, rather than stomping about the room." He was definitely amused.
    "I was not stomping around the room." She pouted, then she smiled, "Well, maybe a little," and she chuckled. "I am sort of behaving like a child." And she giggled again. Then she sighed. "So, how much do you know about me?"
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    "Enough," he dismissed.
"So nothing, then?" she challenged.
    "You are engaged to my enemy. 'Tis all I need ken." He said this so dismissively that Mackenzie bristled instantly.
    "And that's all I am to you? A..a..a pawn to be used against him? That's so chauvinistic!!!" Her bitterness seeped through and she wasn't guarding her speech. "You know, there's a lot more to me than what you think you see. In my time..."
    "What mean you, 'Your time?'" he interrupted.
    "Nothing, never mind." Mackenzie