Ever since the summons came from the Baron, Kitta had been worrying. She had no idea why he wanted to see her and as she entered the hall on her brother's arm, she wasn't happy at all to be here.

Even her brother said he didn't know why she had been summoned, but she had a suspicion he knew exactly why she had been ordered to court. As she looked around the hall, she grimaced and then sighed and hoped that whatever she was here for would be taken care of so she could return home.

Lachlan gazed around the hall and grinned when his eyes fell on his friend. He had not seen Lucian for a long time and he hoped they would have time to catch up with each other.

Bored to the teeth Lucian looked around and showed his surprise; smiling, he nudged his brother aside and moved forward. "By God it's good to see ye, Lachlan." He pounded the other man's back and then shook his hand. He wore a wide grin as he slowly turned to the small woman at his friend's side.

"Aye, it's been a long time. Ye are looking well and 'tis good to see ye as well," Lachlan replied, and smiled when he saw Lucian's attention was now on his sister.

Disgusted over the greeting by these two overbearing males, Kitta lifted her chin when the tall dark man turned to look at her.

"I see ye are nearly all grown up Kat," Lucian said and smirked when he saw her topaz eyes glitter with anger. Slowly he let his eyes travel over her, he was surprised in the changes he could see in her and was hit by a blow of sexual awareness that stunned him.

"And ye, Lucifer. I suppose ye are here to get under as many women's skirts as ye can while ye are here," She snapped back. She might detest this man but she could not help thinking he was definitely handsome, too handsome and it annoyed her.

Nearly all her life she had been attracted to the overbearing, womanizing man, and it annoyed the hell out of her as it always did. Well, she was not going to let it affect her now when she hadn't in the past. By God, she wouldn't let it.

Her remarked aggravated him. "Why are ye jealous Kat?" Lucian retorted back and smirked at her. "I see ye have nay changed, ye still have a sharp tongue and claws."

Oh, this man annoyed her and Kitta turned away dismissing him, having decided she was not going to verbally spar with him. Her eyes lit up when she saw Raine and she smiled radiantly. "Och Raine, my prince, ye are as handsome as ever."

With a shove, Raine moved his brother out of the way and kissed Kitta's cheek. "And ye are as stunningly beautiful as ever my princess."

Kitta didn't hesitate; she wrapped her arms around Raine and hugged him. "I have missed ye sorely and I hope we will have time to catch up."

Lucian watched his brother's display of affection. As always, he felt something in his gut tighten and it annoyed him just as it also annoyed him over the reaction he had to the little baggage. He had forgotten the affect that this particular woman always had on him. He had never liked it in the past and he didn't like it now.

Kitta was just about to ask Raine what he was doing here when she heard her name shouted. Well, at least now she would find out why she was here. She turned to her brother giving him a warning look. "Well let's get this over with."

A little uncomfortable, Lachlan held out his arm and when she placed her small hand on it, he led her over to the Baron.

Baron McPhea studied the young couple standing in front of him for a few moments and he was most certain now that he was doing the right thing. It would be a terrible shame to have this lovely young woman locked away in a nunnery. Aye, shameful indeed.

"Laird McGuiness, Lady McGuiness, welcome. Lady McGuiness it has come to my attention that ye be thinking of joining the church to become a nun. Is that nay true?" He sat back and waited for her reply.

Her hand on her brother's arm tightened and Kitta turned a quick glance warning him with her eyes that she was going to kill him for this. Somehow, she knew that this was all his fault.

Only a moment had passed before she turned back to the Baron and hid her anger before she answered him. "Aye, Baron it is true I wish to become a nun."

Lucian had stood close enough so he could hear what was being said and he nearly choked on his laughter. "That little vixen, a nun? Nay bloody likely," he mumbled, then grumbled when he felt his brother elbow him in the ribs.

Still, he found the whole thing amusing and thought she was ridiculous to think of becoming a nun, of all things. A nun, for God's sake, was she insane? His thoughts vanished when the Baron started speaking again.

"Well now, Lady, I canna allow such a terrible thing to happen, ye come from a great proud family and I'm sure ye parents would wish ye to carry on their blood. So I have taken it upon myself to choose a husband for ye since ye father was a dear and close friend."

Oh, good Lord, this was far worse than she expected and surely, the Baron must be joking. A husband, no, never. She didn't want to marry some shiftless man. Kitta's mind worked furiously trying to think of some way out of this mess.

Her mind was so busy that she barely caught the man's name the Baron had chosen and it took a few minutes for it to sink in, and when it did she looked at him with wide horrified eyes. Good Lord surely she had heard wrong.

Marry that man, she would rather burn at the stake! Good grief, was the Baron addled? No, she must have heard wrong; that was it, she been so lost in her thoughts that she was mistaken.

Baron McPhea wondered why the young woman was looking at him as though he had lost his mind and cleared his throat. "I said, Lady McGuiness, I have chosen Laird Lucian McCoy to be ye husband."

Oh, God this was truly a nightmare, it had to be; but as she stared at the Baron realized it wasn't. "Och, ye canna really mean ye want me to marry Lucifer. Nay, I'm sure I heard wrong. Aye, that's it, I heard wrong," She said desperately, her mind unable to grasp the horrible situation she now found herself in, and good lord, to marry that despicable man. No, never she just couldn't do it.

To hide his grin over the young woman's reaction, Baron McPhea turned his gaze to the young Laird and coughed into his hand so he wouldn't laugh. The man looked stunned and appalled. He never expected to be amused over the situation, but suddenly he was and he was looking forward to the next few minutes.