Page 19 of The Lady of Her Highland Clan

For a moment, the two of them stood, cheek to cheek, as if they were about to dance. But then he backed away, and with an awkward grin, looked at her closely.

"Dinnae fash," he said cheerfully, but his eyes were serious. He indicated the letter she was holding. "Anything?"

Fiona shook her head. "Nay," she began to say, but suddenly, her eyes scrolled down to the bottom of the letter. Then, she stopped.

Silently, Fiona unfurled the letter, reading and rereading it. He must have been able to tell from the pale look on her face that something was the matter.

"What is it?" Clyde asked in a low whisper. Fiona shook her head, unable to process what she was reading.

"I dinnae believe it," she said, folding the parchment in two absentmindedly. Clyde's watchful eyes were upon her fully. "This letter, from my father to my mother... I mean... I thought it had been lost...but there's more..."

Fiona wiped away a tear. Finding the hiding place cache of letters had been a surprise enough; she had just assumed they were destroyed in the fire several years ago. But to her astonishment, they were just there, tucked inside a book on the bureau.

Taking it, Fiona unfurled it a second time, as if she expected the writing to have disappeared. Somehow, she could not believe that it was real. But taking a second look, not only was it real, but there was something more. Open-mouthed, Fiona handed Clyde the second sheet of parchment.

Taking it in his hands, Clyde's mouth fell ajar.

"A map...?"

In front of him, Fiona smiled slowly. Her face now composed, she nodded.

"Aye...an' nae just any map...but the missing treasure map!"

"Ye’re, ye’re having games wi' me." Clyde's face was completely still. His green eyes intensified as he stared at her.

Actually, that was not true. Clyde's light eyes were not upon Fiona at all. He was staring straight at the parchment in her hand.

"Fiona, och, let me look!" Clyde's gaze intensified, but not for her. Fiona could see with no doubt that he only had eyes for the parchment.

No longer interested, Fiona handed Clyde the parchment. Inside, she felt her heart plummet to her boots. She watched as his face flickered into life.

"Och, Fiona! This is it! This is everything I came for!" Clyde erupted in a grin, displaying a perfect set of white teeth. He looked so excited, but Fiona could not share any of it.

"We dinnae ken it's right," said Fiona, pouting. A rush ran through her of thwarted passion and crushing disappointment. And yet, she still desired him.

But from the look on Clyde's face, he had forgotten all about her and was solely focused on the map.

"I still cannae believe it," said Clyde, studying the map more closely. He hadn't even listened to her. "After all this time, well, it was certainly worth coming here!"

Fiona looked away. Swiftly, she took the parchment from him, folding it and unfolding it again.

Suddenly, she wished she had never agreed to look for it. Glancing down at the letter again, she felt a stab of pain. The letter she had uncovered from her father to her mother was worth more than any treasure map. At least, to her, it was. Thumbing through the letter she had thought was lost, Fiona felt a rush of sadness. It was still hard to think that both of them were gone.

But Clyde did not notice. He had got what he had come for. As if it needed spelling out any further. He had very much not come here for her. In fact, she supposed she was not even a poor second to the treasure map.

"So, it wasnae a visit to the neighboring clans, then?" Fiona asked crisply. She had regained composure and now was looking him straight in the eye.

The look of him there in the dusty half-light was delicious. The few sparks of sunlight illuminated his brow, bringing his light-green eyes to life. Clyde looked more animated than she had ever seen him. And it certainly wasn't over her or a dull trade agreement between the clans.

Fiona's brown-green eyes viewed his unwaveringly. All of a sudden, she wished to be away from there.

"What?" said Clyde, distracted. It was clear that he didn't have a clue what she was talking about.

Fiona looked away. "I said, och, dinnae fash," said Fiona, her eyes reaching around the darkened room and looking everywhere but Clyde's eyes.

Now Clyde was watching her. Perhaps sensing that something was wrong, he frowned.

"Are ye nae excited?" he asked her searchingly. "About what this means?"