Malcolm Oliphant is, beyond a doubt, the brains of the family. Since his father—the laird—announced that whichever of his sons could marry and produce a son first would become the heir, Malcolm's brothers have been running around, falling in love willy-nilly, without using their brains at all. But not Malcolm, oh no. He plans to do this intelligently.
He'll find a widow with a son or two—thus proving her ability to bear male offspring—and explain to her they will be married. See? Simple. No need to bring emotions into it. But when he finally meets the woman, there's no logical explanation for the way his heart keeps getting involved. It would be so much simpler if the stupid organ would just simmer down, but have YOU tried explaining things to a hunk of meat whose sole purpose is moving blood around? Impossible!