Will deceit, lies and secrets cause lifelong sorrow…, or might love be victorious?

“Pretend I am Maeve. Besides you aren’t going to make love to me. I’m just showing you the best way to convince a woman you love her,” the lady instructed.

He sighed, pictured Maeve in his mind, then stared deeply into Labhra’s eyes.

“Now is when you should begin to speak. Use the same tone you would use to calm a frightened horse.”

“And once I have said my piece?”

“That is when you lean forward a bit.”

“Why?”

“To give her warning of your intention to kiss her. Why aren’t you leaning forward?”

“You said to pretend.”

“Aye, and pretending you would do as you intend to do with Maeve.”

“Very well.” He leaned forward.

Labhra leaned toward him. Her mouth was less than a finger’s span from his own. “If she does as I just did, she wants your kiss, and you need not worry about further persuasion.”

“And if she doesn’t?”

“If she doesn’t what?” Maeve’s voice was not gentle.

Dougal dropped Labhra’s hands as if scalded. “D…does… doesn’t want to marry me.”

Arms akimbo, Maeve stood just within the shadow of the apple tree, glaring at him.

The arms moved and folded before her chest. “I imagine she would clout the disloyal oaf with the nearest stick she could find. Then she would tell him she never wished to see him again. And I don’t.”

She whipped around and stalked off toward her maid standing at the entrance to the garden.

Dougal leapt from the bench and ran after Maeve. He caught her before she covered half the distance to the entrance.

He clasped hold of her arm and swung her round to face him.

“Maeve, don’t leave. You don’t understand.”

“Indeed, Lady Maeve,” Labhra spoke softly approaching at a much slower pace. “I was helping Dougal plan out how he should act while he offered for your hand.”

Maeve’s eyes narrowed. Her gaze moved from Dougal to Labhra. “I don’t think he needs your help,” she stated flatly. “Especially with how to propose marriage to me.”

Dougal’s beloved shifted her focus back to him. “If you were nervous or uncertain, you should have come to me. Not some other woman.”

“I…I didn’t intend to seek out Lady Labhra. I had no knowledge she was here, and ‘twas your brother who told me to wait for you in this garden.”

Maeve looked once more to Labhra. “Is this true? You did not have an assignation with Dougal?”

“Indeed not. I came here after my maid used your sister’s salve on my back. I wanted some solitude in which to recover myself. I would have left long ago, but I fell asleep, and did not wake until your betrothed nearly sat on me.”

Maeve laughed. “Really, he sat on you?”

“Nearly.”

“It was dark,” Dougal explained with his eyes on the ground. “I did not see her.”

“Oh, my poor Lady Labhra.” Maeve pivoted about, and locked her arm with the other lady. “’Tis an insult not to be borne for a supposedly gentil knight to sit on a lady.”

Labhra giggled. “We were both surprised.”

“I was appalled,” Dougal defended. “I should have left.”

“Indeed, you should have. As you did not, you must wait until tomorrow to speak to me.”

“But…”

Labhra looked over her shoulder at Dougal. “I’m sorry you are to suffer when my intention was only to help.”

He sighed. “You were being kind, and I…I was being…”

“Stupid,” Maeve murmured with a backward glance, before leaving the garden with her maid and Labhra.

“Yes, stupid. Stupid in love.” Dougal told himself.

At least she will give me another chance tomorrow.

“Then you pull back slowly and begin with your best arguments for marriage.