Page 10 of The Lady of Her Highland Clan

"It's nothing," assured Grace, seated near them. From the look she sent Fiona, it was clear she had seen everything. "Here, would ye like some more cranachan? The cook has just whipped some more up."

"Oh, nay," said Clyde, his lips smiling at Grace, but his eyes on Fiona the entire time. "I dinnae need anything more sweet right now."

Fiona felt a crimson blush envelop her ear to ear. She pretended not to hear Aileen's muted sick noises in the background.

Then, as the dishes were cleared away, and the fiddlers in the chamber struck up a note to begin their play, Grace turned directly to Clyde.

"So, sir, what brings ye tae our clan?" Grace smiled, but the look of bemusement that Fiona sent her stopped her in her tracks.

There was a deep silence. Even the fiddlers seemed to cease in their playing. Laird Greenock looked a little abashed.

Fiona scowled at Grace. Inside, she was furious. She had been working up to asking this, and suddenly, Grace just leaped in!

"Well, there are many things for us to discuss, now, both as new leaders o' our clans," said Clyde diplomatically, with a smile.

Fiona smiled, dampening down a sudden and heartfelt desire to smite Grace. Her heart scurrying quickly beneath her corsets, Fiona struggled to get herself back under control. It was not like her to be so quick-tempered. But there was something about Grace jumping in and speaking over her that had really grated on her nerves.

Sensing she had crossed a line, Grace murmured something and made her excuses. For a moment, she left the table to attend to something, leaving Clyde and Fiona face-to-face.

"Please excuse her," said Fiona, as soon as they had a chance. Now they were alone, together, in a corner of the room that Fiona could not remember walking to.

"Dinnae fash," said Clyde in his easy way. The sun had faded now, and his pale-green eyes shimmered beneath the candelabra. Suddenly, the rest of the room had grown distant, and she felt completely alone with his eyes.

"No, it does matter, an' I'm sorry," said Fiona, flustered. She felt her cheeks filling up with heat. Inside she was choked, full to the brim of nerves and emotion. To try and see it off, she took another, deep sip of the crimson wine.

Bad move.

It was not wine at all, but whiskey hidden inside the metal goblet. In surprise, Fiona nearly spat it out, but of course she didn't. However, when the heat hit her cheeks, she almost exploded. Seeing her face, Clyde looked concerned.

"Here, a wee dram," he said, with a slight smile. He came nearer to her, another goblet in his hand. His skin brushed across hers as she took it.

"It is water," said Clyde, with a reassuring nod. "Ye look a wee bit warm, lassie."

"Thank ye," said Fiona, taking the drink. She certainly was warm. Being this close to Clyde was doing unexpected things to her. In fact, she was like a big block of butter left out in front of a roaring fire.

"My sister didnae have any right tae ask ye what ye were doing," said Fiona, simultaneously apologetic but also agog with curiosity to discover the reason herself.

Of course she was. The entire estate was too.

"Dinnae fash, o' course she did," said Clyde good-naturedly. He must have known that the Duncan clan was talking. "Well, it's simple. I am here, on business..."

Fiona felt her heart both rise and then fall at those words. On the one hand, stupid as it was, she had hoped he might have been coming to visit her. Of course, she dismissed the idea as soon as she had it. That was ridiculous, she knew. But then, the flirty little smile he gave her as he said the word business gave her immediate hope.

Her heart pounding, Fiona tried her hardest to look a bit blasé.

"That's braw. I hope we can be o' some kind o' help," she said.

She hoped she looked as if she knew what she was doing. In truth, she did not yet know much about the agreements that her father had had in place with other clans. She relied on advisors for that sort of thing.

"Oh, I am sure ye will be," said Clyde, smiling in his amused way. To Fiona, he always looked as if someone had cracked an extremely good joke. The long, beatific smile that accompanied his every word was utterly seductive.

Then, just as she was beginning to wonder what to say next, Grace appeared.

"I thought I would find ye here, Sister." She smiled and nudged Fiona, and with an apologetic glance to Clyde, she led Fiona to one side until they were just out of earshot.

Twin sensations of annoyance and relief coasted through Fiona. Inside, her emotions prickled. Truth was, since the minute Clyde had walked in, she did not really know what she was doing.

Everything seemed to have gone so strange. Her usual calm coolness was replaced with, well, this.