Page 32 of Highlander’s Dangerous Gambler

"Braw," said Scott.

She could see his eyes dancing, as if he was thinking about what to say to her. There was a silence in which only the wind whistled between them.

To bridge an awkward silence, Aileen continued.

"I ride every day mostly," she said with a side glance.

Scott nodded as if he understood. "Must have felt like ye were missing yer right arm," he said. Aileen said nothing but sat wondering how to steer the topic onto him.

Before she had a chance, Scott fixed her with his bright blue beam and smiled.

"So, lassie, yer sister's the lady o' the clan?" He shot her through with a surreptitious grin that warmed her inside. With no warning, Aileen found herself blushing. Worse still, she had no idea why.

Aileen grinned. "Aye, she's the bigwig. I'm no one; goodness kens why the laird thinks he wants his son to wed me."

She felt his eyes upon her, fastening tight and not letting go. Aileen shivered, and it was not all the cool fall air around them. She was not sure how she felt about being caught in his beam.

"Och, I can think o' a few reasons," said Scott.

Aileen nearly fell off her horse. She had not expected anything so direct. He smiled coyly. Aileen almost did a double take.

Did he just say this? It wasnae me just making it up?But when she looked at him again, he had grown serious.

"I mean, it's a canny chance for an alliance between the two clans, I expect," said Scott, with a glance. Then he continued riding.

"Aye," said Aileen, unsure what to think. Once again, she racked her brain for things to ask him. It was not as if she was short of questions. Of course, she wanted to know all about this mysterious man and his even more mysterious sister. She wanted to make sure for once and for all that he really didn't have any sweethearts tucked away somewhere. But where to start from?

"That's if my sainted sister agrees." She grinned at him pointedly, a glint in her eye. "I dinnae ken how badly she wants to build that alliance."

As she said this, Aileen could only hope fervently that Fiona would be against the laird's proposed marriage. Or, at the very least, that she would be malleable to any suggestion of matrimony.

But while she said this, she looked at Scott testingly. What about him? What did he think about her being married off to some man she did not know? Was there any way he was going to register his dismay? Or did he really not care at all?

"An' what do ye think she'll say?" Scott asked. By now, Aileen was feeling frustrated. She felt like shouting.

Who cares what she thinks? It's what I think that counts!But summoning the last vestiges of self-control, Aileen managed not to.

"I dinnae ken," said Aileen miserably. "But she will have a fight on her hands if she tries to make me!"

Finally, the real Aileen was free. Eyes sparkling, she turned to Scott, hoping to ignite him. She succeeded in making him smile, but little more.

"Sisters, eh?" she said, making eye contact once more. They rode on in silence as Aileen waited for Scott to say something.

He didn't.

Instead, he just nodded and fell silent as they rode on together for another half a mile. Aileen grappled with her thoughts, trying to find some way to get Scott to open up.

To try and ease him, she chatted gaily about her brothers and sisters. Scott listened politely, but Aileen noticed that pointedly, he did not say anything about his own sister.

Irritation growing, Aileen wondered how she was ever going to get the information from him. Instead, the conversation turned to Billie and how she had inadvertently competed against him in the McLeod horse race.

This was something that tickled Scott no end.

"What?" he said, his face alive with wry amusement. "Ye mean, ye raced yer own brother, an' he didnae even notice?"

By now, they were across the glenside in a windswept valley. The wind was picking up speed, sending Aileen into a spin of uncertainty.

"Aye." Aileen grinned, pushing the hair out of her face. They were neck and neck now, and the morning sun shone a light on Scott's dark brown hair. Its beam illuminated a rich red seam that Aileen had not hitherto noticed. "He's nae the brightest spark."