Read Online Clandara by Evelyn Anthony - Free Book Online Page B

curtly. “I think she thought Father might care for her and have children by her … it’s a pity the situation was not explained to her before. It would have saved the poor thing a lot of disappointment.”
    â€œIt was not explained to us either,” he said. Now they were standing facing each other in the empty corridor, and Katharine thought suddenly: “We’re going to quarrel, and over Margaret Clandara, of all people in the world. It’s too ridiculous …”
    â€œAre you telling me that your father has offered my cousin that insult for all these years? Good God, Katharine, I’d rather he’d treated her as I did Gannock’s daughter … it’s less cruel!”
    â€œJames, don’t be angry, I beg of you,” she said. “I am not responsible for what happened between Father and Margaret. Don’t look so angry with me as if it were my fault …”
    â€œOf course it’s not your fault,” he said, and he put his arm around her again. But his face was set and his eyes were angry. “I was not aware of the insult to the honour of my family. No wonder your father is against our marriage; what a fine irony of fate on him, that now he’ll have Macdonald grandchildren instead of the children he’s denied poor Margaret!”
    â€œJames,” Katharine interrupted, “James, he didn’t love her. He never pretended that, surely? Why must you start all this talk of insults and honour now? Do you want to lose me even at the last moment? Don’t you know that your father and mine-would seize any excuse to start a clan war with each other and stop our marriage?”
    â€œOf course I know,” he said. “I know very well that there’s nothing I can do for Margaret without risking our happiness. But I’m not used to swallowing my honour, and the taste is bitter, I assure you.”
    â€œWhen we’re married,” she said suddenly, “perhaps Margaret could go back to her own people. Darling James, please don’t think about it. Don’t nurse a new grudge against my father or we will never be happy. If Margaret went back to Dundrenan she would be happy then. I will ask her, if you like.”
    â€œMargaret may not have your wit and beauty, my Katharine, but she has the Macdonalds’ sense of what is fitting. She will never be returned to her own people as the repudiated wife of a Fraser. She will stay here and suffer for as long as your father lives. But you can be kind to her, my love; for my sake, ease her hurt a little if you can. We were brought up together and she was all of a sister that I ever knew.”
    â€œI will,” she promised eagerly. “I will do my best. I will do anything if only you will look at me and smile again.”
    He gathered her quickly into his arms and kissed her, begging her forgiveness.
    â€œI was a boor,” he apologized. “My darling, I didn’t mean to hurt you and accuse you when you are wholly innocent. I was upset for my cousin. Did you see the look on her face when she left us? We won’t talk of it again, but I wonder if your father knows what an enemy he’s made … Come now, kiss me and we’ll go back to the Ball. I love you so, my Katharine. To hell with Margaret and Clandara. Come.”
    Back in the Great Hall, Robert advanced to meet them. He smiled at his sister and took James by the arm.
    â€œCome into the supper-room; some of our guests have still to meet you.” And in the supper-room they were surrounded; Katharine found herself in the centre of a group of women, and soon the talk was of dresses and the mysterious Kincarrig, which she was going to see for the first time tomorrow. With the men – among them James’s cousin, the Macdonald of Keppoch, and the younger son of Lord Lovat, who was head of all the Clan Fraser and a distant cousin of Clandara himself – the talk was more