It STARTED WITH A KISS

Chapter 2 Who is Ian MacTaggart?

"I think he kens I am not you?!" The blond lad with the green eyes looked at his brother fearfully.  The lie they were playing was going to have severe consequences.
"How do ye ken?" The dark haired man looked at the other with a feeling of dread. Laird MacInnes was a shrewd mon but with just one meeting would his brother had bungled things up " He would only guess something was wrong if you bumbled?"
The look the light haired man was fierce "I dunna bumble."
"Then how do ye ken?"
"It was the way he looked at us when we left the room.  He had this frown and he was watching me curiously.  This won't work Ian, best reveal yourself before we make fools of our clan and return to father shamed."
"I canna do it  Liam, my heart is promised to Morvane.  I willna marry anyone else." Ian's tone was firm but he was sweating as he listened to his brother.  Perhaps this was a mistake.  He should have been more forceful when he spoke to his father, but like the coward he was, he only grunted when his father made him travel to Kinfyre to marry the betroth he was supposed to have married a couple of years before, but made his father and the rest of his clan wait while he dithered like a shameless lassie.
It wasnna in his plan but when he met Morvane  McGinty and fell for the fairest most beautiful lass he had ever rested his blue eyes on he had been impulsive. He knew he was a handsome devil or so he had been told by countless lasses who were willing to lift their skirts with just a smile from him, and he had his fair share of them during his days fostering until he saw Morvane and that's when his heart was lost to the young lass.
She was everyman's living dream with hair spun like gold and a face so flawless and delicate she looked like an angel. Eyes the color of bluebells on a warm summer day and a mouth shaped like a bow full and ruby red. Her figure matched her face for it was slender and curved at just the places he wanted.
They had spoken their promise to each other one night, not so long ago and he had hand fasted with her without telling his father. Now it was time to end the ruse of his betrothal and marry the woman he loved but there was just one problem: he didna ken how to tell his parents, which was why he used his younger brother Liam who was a hopeless clutz and would hopefully triumph at making the liard's daughter break the betrothal setting Ian free to pursue his heart's desire.
It was a simple plan but it was the hardest thing he had ever had to strategize.  He was known in his foster home as the keenest strategist during a siege. However with his own personal life he was as lost a a newborn lamb.
"I canna go through with this mon! Father will be furious with both of us not to mention laird MacInnes when he finds out I am pretending to be my brother." Liam slumped against the tree facing the ground trying to cover his fear from his brother.  He almost lost it when he heard the Liard speak of his daughter.  In the beginning Liam played along because he thought it would be a good laugh between them, but right at that moment it was a thing as real as the day he felt his terse rise and that was an agonizing moment. He lifted his head and looked at his brooding brother "better think of a plan and fast before we are found out!"
Ian drubbed his face with his hands and stared for a moment at the burning hearth. Liam was right, he had to think, if this plan was to go as it should.
...........................................
Agneta watched her father pacing in her chamber while her mother held her hand and rubbed gently.  At least her face was as pale as a ghost which made her ruse much more believable.
"Charles let her miss the nooning meal, perhaps if she lay in bed with some warm milk and cheese she would be fine for the evening festivities." Her mother suggested placing her palm on the clammy forehead of her daughter.
"I canna believe you swooned" there was a hidden smile beneath her father's bearded face " You have never swooned in yet life my Agneta, and now you do.  Why I have seen you race the lads and win, pick up a sword with the fierceness of a warrior about to do battle and shoot a bow with the precision of a soldier but now you chose to be a typical lassie" he started to laugh
"Charles! Fie on you" Martha reprimanded her husband turning reassuring eyes at her daughter "Agneta is a lass you ken.  Her time to behave like one has finally come and it gives us hope she will not try to outsmart the lad who is to become her husband.  Ye know how she rules her brother's and sisters,  now perhaps she will be learning some humility."
Liard MacInnes continued to laugh even louder "You ken I never thought to see the day." He sighed straightening himself. "Let the lass rest for all she will be useless if she swoons again at the nooning meal.  Wife I leave it to you to ease our daughter for the coming nuptials." He left Agneta's chambers when two rapscallion girls rushed in and jumped on Agneta's bed.
"Is it true?"
"Did you swoon?"
The two young lasses asked in unison as they stared at their sister as if they were looking into a complete stranger.
Agneta wanted to lash back at her sisters but she remained impassive if only to avoid the nooning meal and finally meeting her betroth.
"Both of you are not helping matters. It is a big step your sister will be taking this day.  She will marry and become a wife.  Soon the two of you will be doing the same.  It is alright for there to be nerves, why I had my fair share of nerves when I was to marry your father."
Both girls looked at their mother with rounded eyes "It canna be so bad?" The girl who looked most like her mother with her golden hair and eyes the color of grey stared in confusion.
"Sarah my love it is never bad to be a wife and mother.  It is our duty and when it is your time you will feel as Agneta, nervous but excited." Martha smiled at her young daughter almost six and ten with a face so captivating the soldiers in the castle stole surreptitious glances when the lass was not looking, hoping to catch her eye.
"Then why is Agneta unwell?" The youngest girl Iona asked, not yet three and ten, she showed promise of ripening into a delicate flower just like Sarah.
Martha looked at Agneta, the only one of their daughters who took after her father in looks.  Her skin was the color of olive prone to darkening if she stayed too long under the sun.  She had his wide face, hair the color of a ravens wing and eyes the color of wet mud flecked with a golden spark when she was angry or excited. Although Agneta was not a beauty by current standards she had a pleasing face and the most beautiful smile as her biggest asset with straight even white teeth and a hint of a dimple at the edge of her mouth.  Full lips that charmed rather than beckoned and a spatter of freckles running down her button nose.
"Just nerves." Martha patted her daughter's hand "Agneta, your husband is quite pleasing to the eye from what I saw, you have nothing to worry about and he seems pleasant enough, not rough but gentle. His manners are impeccable, and he does have the greenest eyes I have ever seen.  You will like him so do not fret, your life will be much like this one only you will be marrying the future Liard and thus your duties will be as mine. Think of it my love, a liard's wife, what better destiny is that?"
Agneta held her blanket to her chest more tightly swallowing slowly "Yes mam I understand what my duties are"
" I have told you all you need to ken."
"Yes mam" Agneta took another slow swallow.
"Alright then lass we should leave. Have your rest and we will see you at supper."
As soon as her family left her room Agneta scrambled from the bed and ran to her chest.  At the bottom she felt for the garments she needed in order to escape the keep.  She kenned her days of freedom would be over soon but for now, for just a brief few moments she wanted to taste her freedom.
Donning the breeches she had tailored just for her figure she walked toward the hidden doorway that would lead her to the back of the castle closest to the stables. As soon as she reached the stables, she hid from the the stable boys trying to look like a lad and quietly without making much noise she saddled Rosie, her mare and took her out of the stall quietly before mounting the horse and speeding out of the castle grounds to the only sanctuary she knew.
With the wind blowing the wisps of hair that escaped her braid she marveled at the sense of freedom she felt while galloping with her horse.  Her father had warned her not to ride so fast for fear of falling and breaking her neck, but when she was alone with the men or her brother she didn't care, she just galloped with the wind.  It was an exhilarating experience to feel the caress of the wind on her face.  It made  her think clearly and she needed to think about extracting herself from this betrothal.
She reached the loch hoping that she would find the solace she needed in order to come up with a plan. She dismounted her mare and tied Rosie to a branch where the horse could graze while she made to walk toward the loch when she heard two strong male voices. She hid walked toward the voices and hid by a bush to watch.
Two brawny men stood by the loch's edge one with the fair hair had his back to her while the other , the one she met at the stable stood right at the edge of the lock he was facing the fair haired man.
"So you heard she swooned which gives us time to think how to get out of this mess" the dark haired man had said.
"She will not be joining the nooning meal but there is still the evening.  Have you thought of anything? You said the ride would give you a better idea of how to work this out. Has it?"
"Control yourself Liam." The dark haired man said sharply
Liam! Her betroth's name was Ian
"How can you say that when we barely have time!" Liam whined almost like a child who lost his way.
"We do, just let me think. Ride back now before they wonder where you've been.  Leave me here to think of something"
The fair haired man walked to his horse and rode away leaving the dark haired man still on the edge of the loch.  He turned to look out to the crystal waters.
This was Agneta's place! How did those two find it? Who was Liam? And where was her betroth? Where these two men taking her father for a fool? Her heart started to beat faster when she thought of her betroth? Who was he really? Did he even come with the MacTaggart party? And most importantly who was the dark haired man that Liam spoke to?
One thing was certain, she was in danger if Ian was not even among the MacTaggart men and her father was going to fall into a trap. She sat down behind the bush, her mind racing with all sorts of confusing thoughts.