Why was she wearing something so revealing anyway? The damn neckline was pinned in such a way to accentuate her breasts and make nearly every man in the room stare at her. Jealousy tore through him as he glared around. He felt murderous towards anyone who even glanced at her as he fought to keep his composure.
“Huh,” Logan said as he stared in their direction, seeming rather mesmerized. “Who is the tall one?”
“Faith,” Graham said, hating that his voice sounded brittle. “Why?”
But Logan didn't answer. Graham noticed him staring at the middle sister, though he wasn't sure why Faith would catch his attention with Hope standing right next to her.
Logan quickly finished his wine.
“Excuse me.”
He disappeared somewhere into the crowd, heading in the opposite direction. Graham didn't quite understand his reaction, but he didn't really care. All he was interested in was Hope.
Her dark curls bounced slightly as she walked and he found himself mesmerized. Not only by her beauty, but by a deep appreciation of her character. She was straightforward in an unconsciously charming way, and he found that he only wished to be near her again, even if she ignored him or scolded him again for his cynicism.
He made his way through the crowd, befuddled by his own feelings. Belle had gone to speak with someone towards the edge of the room, leaving her nieces to answer dozens of questions from his inquisitive family members. Graham navigated through the sea of cousins, friends, and extended family to follow Belle.
It had been strange the way the McTavish clan had all but adopted the old woman into their family. For a king's mistress, she had blended in seamlessly with the McTavishes.
She certainly acted like a dowager lady of the stronghold. An elderly woman who had been speaking with her turned away, leaving Belle alone. Graham came up to where she stood, leaning heavily on her blackwood cane. She smiled at him.
“Ah, MacKinnon. How nice to see you.”
“Is it?” he asked, not bothering with pleasantries.
“Well, I think so. Have you thought any more about my offer?”
“The one where you trade your own flesh and blood for nothing?” he asked under his breath. “Yes, and the answer is still no.”
“Because you think she is too plain? Or too dull?”
“No,” he said, annoyed. “Because I can't wrap my head around why you want this. What's in it for you?”
“In it for me?” she repeated, incredulous. “I'm seventy-five years old, MacKinnon. There's nothing I want and nothing I need.”
“Then why push this match?”
“Becauseyouneed it, as much as she does,” she said earnestly. “I've watched you for years, seen the way you obsess about Lismore Hall, striving above all to get it back. It's not healthy to obsess about something like a building. And yet, now I give you a perfect opportunity and you are throwing it away.”
“By forcing me to marry for it?”
She rolled her eyes. “Such language. No one is forcing you to do anything.”
“Youarethough.”
“I simply don't understand your aversion to her,” Belle said, peering past him. He twisted to follow her gaze, landing on Hope. “What's wrong with her? She's as good as any young lady.”
“It's not that.”
“Then what is it?”
Graham opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn't. The words would not come. He had long held private beliefs about himself and if he spoke about them out loud, it would only solidify them.
“It's none of your concern,” he said finally.
Lady Belle's mouth flattened into a thin line.
“You're being terribly stubborn, MacKinnon, even for you,” she said, gazing over the crowd. “Lismore Hall would be yours if only you married her.”
