Page 22 of The Lady of Her Highland Clan

6

It was a whole day before she saw him again.

In that time, Fiona had had serious words with herself. It was not just the talk with the elders that had made her think carefully about her position. She had had time to think since their encounter in the library.

And she was ashamed at how easily she had been swayed. Now, beneath the drizzling Highland skies, things were rather different. As Fiona mounted her favorite horse, Lizzie May, she realized how easy she had been for Clyde.

A little sweet talk, a smile, and she had gone to pieces. She had listened to wild talk about treasures and then some. More than that, she started to think wild thoughts.

About him.

But now, with the cool winds blasting through her, Fiona began to feel differently. Now, she realized she should be thinking with her head first. Talk of this treasure was madness. However, just on the off-chance there was something in it, she had to make sure she got hold of it for the clan's sake.

Chiding herself for letting Clyde in on so much, Fiona resolved to be cooler in her dealings with him from now on.

She was just grooming Lizzie when a call from across the yard stopped her. It was Clyde.

"Hoo, Fiona!" he yelled enthusiastically.

She could tell without looking that he was coming over to her. Settling her face down, Fiona tried her best to compose herself.

It was not easy, but she managed it.

Until she looked. There was Clyde, cantering astride his obstreperous dark gray stallion. As ever, the wild horse was flailing about, looking even more fearsome than usual that morning.

She had been mounting her horse, but Lizzie May was oddly jumpy that day. She was possibly unsettled by the exuberant gray stallion coming toward them.

Fiona certainly was.

"Fiona!" he called again, and the horse went flying.

Fiona smiled, trying to maintain her composure.

"Och, am I glad tae see ye! I missed ye yesterday." Clyde smiled in his easy way, even though the horse he was attempting to ride seemed determined to unseat him. "I really missed yer bonny smile at supper last night. Where were ye?"

Clyde's green eyes glistened in the morning light. Despite the damning harsh daylight and the maleficent clouds, he still looked as splendid as ever.

Fiona's gaze was drawn to the dark blue of his plaid and his long, lustrous black locks. She could not resist staring at him.

"Och, I had clan business, I am sorry," muttered Fiona, her own voice sounding echoey and strange in the early morning air.

There was no one else around at all in the stables. It was just the two of them. Gingerly, Clyde and his bucking horse came closer.

"Well, I am glad tae catch ye," he smiled, coming nearer. Now they stood side by side, near enough to touch. The edge of his scent wafted in on the air around them. "Maybe we could take a ride an' discuss things about the trip tae find the treasure?"

Stand firm, Fiona,she chided herself. Dinnae let him sweet-talk ye, an' definitely dinnae go anywhere wi' him ane yer own!

Fiona smiled. She opened her mouth to tell him that she needed to put the issue to the elders. Or, at the very least, to her sisters to discuss.

But the look on his face stopped her dead. His jade-green eyes flickered amusedly at her. He was flirting, and she was powerless to stop him.

"I, um, alright. Just wait a minute," she heard her voice say. And just like that, she was mounting Lizzie May and following Clyde's gray stallion into the wild Duncan countryside, her resolve melting.

So, that lasted all of five minutes.

They rode in silence, Fiona's face pressed to the east, being buffeted by the gusty winds. Fiona tightened her grip on the horse's reins, clinging closely to Lizzie May. The winds were coming hard and fast, threatening to unseat her.

Every now and then, he looked around, sending a little glance her way. His eyes narrowed against the wind, Clyde checked her over, just making sure that she was still following. Then he nodded, and they carried on, riding higher and harder still into the wind.