Not Mine to Give by Laura Landon Page B

right.”
    “I will not let William Bolton marry Katherine, Ian. We cannot give her over to such an evil man.”
    Duncan’s gaze shot to Katherine. Her face had turned deathly pale. A cold hand gripped his heart. “ This is the sister betrothed to William Bolton? This is the sister your king would force to marry that bastard?”
    Ian answered. “Aye.”
    Duncan turned his glare back to the woman who had already felt the sting of Bolton’s whip. “You would marry him? You would marry such a man, knowing what he’s capable of doing?”
    Elizabeth stepped out of Ian’s embrace and faced her sister. “Did Bolton harm you, Katherine?”
    Katherine shot Duncan a harsh glance. A glance that told Duncan he didn’t understand. That he’d stepped over his bounds. That his words were only upsetting Elizabeth, and Katherine would not have it.
    Elizabeth’s hands flew to her mouth. “Dear Lord. He did.”
    The look in Katherine’s eyes turned hostile.
    “Are you all right, Katherine?” There was panic in Elizabeth’s voice. “Oh, no. That’s why you didn’t come to see me for weeks at a time.” Elizabeth turned back to her husband, the frantic look in her eyes edged with despair. “Ian, we cannot let this happen. We cannot let—”
    “Stop it!” Katherine turned on her sister, the determined look of resolve strong. “There’s nothing you can do to stop the marriage, Elizabeth. It’s an edict from our king. Do you know what would happen to father if I went against our king’s command?”
    Elizabeth shook her head. “You cannot marry such an evil man, Katherine. You cannot.”
    “It’s too late to stop it.”
    “Ian?” Elizabeth looked at her husband with a pleading look in her eyes.
    “I’ll give you refuge, Katherine.”
    Katherine closed her eyes and shook her head. “It would do no good. I would only endanger everyone here if I stayed.”
    Katherine walked to the arrow slit that let a single ray of sunshine into the room and stood where the sun lit her hair and skin. “Father is one of the king’s closest advisors. He’s a very important man in England. That makes me special to Bolton. I’m a trophy to him. A prize. He collects what he thinks has great value.” She turned to face them. “He wants me for the same reason he wants the Bishop’s Crown. He thinks it will give him power.”
    “But we can—”
    “You can do nothing without sacrificing the lives of hundreds of innocent people. I’ll handle this problem on my own.”
    No one spoke. Tiny tears streamed down Ian MacIntyre’s wife’s cheeks, but even she realized the futility of her sister’s plight. It was an edict of the King of England, and it could not be ignored. There was nothing for either of them to do.
    “Is there a priest in residence at Kilgern?” Duncan’s voice broke through the silence. It was soft and harsh and determined and unyielding.
    “Aye,” Ian answered. “There is a priest.”
    “Find him.”

Chapter 4
    “No!”
    Katherine spun around and glared at the huge Scot, hoping that when she looked into his eyes she would not see what she feared. The look was there. So was his determined stance. He stood with his thick, muscled legs braced far apart as if ready to do battle. The cords in his arms bulged as he clasped his hands behind his back, stretching his already too broad shoulders to an unbelievable width. Not one inch of him gave an impression that he would yield.
    Katherine shifted her gaze to Ian’s face. His hard glare told her nothing — nothing other than that he understood the reason for Duncan’s request and would support his friend’s decision, even if he did not agree with it.
    “Get yourself ready, milady,” Duncan issued again.
    “I will not. I will never agree to this.”
    “Agree to what, Katherine?” Elizabeth took a step closer to her husband. “Why do we need the priest?”
    “We don’t need a priest,” Katherine reassured her.
    Duncan took another step closer. “It would