for youthful folly. âAnd what was your foolish choice?â
âI joined the army,â he said. âMore than ten years later, Iâm not through paying for that choice. Most of my friends paid with their lives.â
She bit her lip. When he put it that way . . .
âPlease try to understand. If you read my letters, you must believe I took no pleasure in lying. It simply mushroomed beyond my control. Iâve wished so many times that Iâd never said anything.â
âYouâd take it all back?â
âYes. In a heartbeat.â
She thought he flinched a little at her eagerness, but maybe it was just her imagination. She had a well-Âestablished surfeit of imagination. Particularly when it came to men in kilts.
âIf you want to take back your lies,â he said, âthen you should marry me.â
âHow do you reason that?â
âThink on it. You wrote letters to your Scottish intended. I received them. Those are the plain facts, are they not?â
âI suppose.â
âOnce you marry me, none of it is a lie,â he pointed out. âIt will be exactly as though youâve told the truth all these years.â
âExcept for the part where we love each other.â
He shrugged. âThatâs a minor detail. Love is just a lie Âpeople tell themselves.â
Maddie wanted to disagree with that statement, but she wasnât sure she could make a convincing case. Not from personal experience, at any rate.
And despite herself, she was growing intrigued. âWhat kind of arrangement are you suggesting?â
âA simple one. We marry for our own reasons, as a mutually beneficial arrangement. I get the property. Youâll get your letters back.â
âWhat about . . .â Her cheeks warmed with a blush. âYou know.â
âIâm not sure I do know.â
He knew what she meant, the rogue. He just wanted the amusement of making her say it.
She forced the words out. âWhat about marital relations?â
âDo I mean to ravish you, you mean?â He lifted a brow. âThe marriage must be consummated. But Iâm not interested in children.â
âOh. Iâm not interested in children, either.â
That wasnât precisely true. Maddie loved babies. But for one reason and another, sheâd long given up on the idea of motherhood for herself. It wouldnât be much sacrifice to jettison the last raft of hope now.
âSo just one night of consummation?â she asked. âAnd no emotional involvement whatsoever.â
He nodded. âWeâll only need to live together for a few months. Long enough for me to establish ownership of the place. Iâll build some cottages, put crops in the ground. Then youâre free to do as you please.â
âYou mean leave? What would I tell my family?â
âThat weâre like any other Âcouple who married in haste and then found themselves reconsidering, wanting to live apart. Itâs not uncommon.â
âNo,â Maddie admitted. âIt isnât uncommon. In fact, that wouldnât even be a lie.â
Her head was spinning.
The idea of marriage had sounded preposterous at first. But maybe this was the next-Âbest thing to going back in time. Perhaps she really could take it backâÂthis ridiculous, impetuous tale that had taken over her life.
And, ohâÂher heart pinched.
For the first time in years, she could visit her family without feeling like a fraud. This web of lies sheâd spun had made it impossible for her to confide in anyone. She didnât dare let anyone too close.
The loneliness had worn on her. Most dreadfully.
And when she wasnât visiting friends or family, she could stay in the castle and continue her work in peace. Captain MacKenzie would be busy managing the lands. She only needed to share a bed with him the once.
She stole a glance at his bare
George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois