Page 43 of Claimed Highland Brides

RAPPROCHEMENT

Fiona blinked up at Daividh, shocked that he would speak directly of these things. So far, all their feelings had gone unacknowledged, at least she’d thought so. Now he was asking her to...what? Declare herself? Was that not his job? She did not know much about courting, but she did know that it was the man who came forward.

“I…” She was at a loss for words and did not know what to tell him.

“Ye…? What, Fiona? If’n I declare myself to yer uncle, would ye be my bride? Or am I too lowly a man for ye?”

She narrowed her eyes, glaring at him. “I’m here am I no?”

His lips widened as his eyes lightened with laughter. “Aye, ye are.”

“Weel then? D’ye think I court scandal for just anyone?”

His smile grew. “I suppose not.”

“But…”

His smile dropped as soon as he saw her face change.

“I dinnae want ye tae say anything...yet. Ye were right. Laird Hunter is a dangerous man. Ye cannae tangle wi’ him. Ye mun’ leave him tae me.”

Daividh immediately narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to protest.

“Listen to me! I heard ye. D’ye ken? I heard ye and if’n I can, I willnae marry that man. But I cannae just break off the engagement. It doesnae work like that. I mun’ convince my uncle. Ye must stand back and let me deal wi’ this.”

Daividh pursed his lips and sighed, looking unhappy, but he didn’t say anything so Fiona took it as a sign of acquiescence.

“Ye mun’ trust me.”

He nodded slowly, lips still pursed. They caught, and held each other’s gazes, eyes soft and open, hiding nothing. Daividh leaned forward, his long dark lashes dropping, hiding his eyes from her gaze as his own latched onto her lips. She poked out her tongue and ran it over her bottom lip, wetting the suddenly dry skin. She swallowed as his head dropped lower, his lashes flicking upward, showing her the question in his eyes. She tilted her head up in answer and finally, his lips met hers. She was expecting him to plunder her mouth, to taste her as if it would be his last meal for a while.

Instead, he was soft, exploring, questioning. His mouth moved against her as if he would learn every dip and crevice of her mouth and memorize it in his skin. She whimpered, hands snaking around his neck as she stood on tiptoe, pulling him closer.

His hands closed around her waist, a steel band holding her flush against him as if he might never let her go. She relaxed against him, quite ready to live there for the rest of her life.

I am so glad that the old laird was not my first kiss.

She was tempted to urge Daividh to go further, as far as he could, but she knew that would not be fair on him. If her scheme did not work, she would end up the laird’s wife, and inadvertently, break his heart. She pulled back, gazing intently at him, trying to tell him with her eyes what her lips could not say.

He nodded, as if he heard her, before stepping back. “Let’s find yer sisters.”

* * *

Daividh knew that Fiona meant well. He knew she was perfectly capable of breaking her own engagement. But he was not one to sit back and watch a woman struggle without trying to help. Especially not a woman he loved. He decided to go to his laird and tell him what he knew.

Surely McCormick will act?

He had to. If the Douglass girls were truly his only heirs, he had a stake in their futures too. He had a responsibility to ensure that they made good marriages in which they could thrive.

The next morning he woke up and dressed carefully before heading out to the castle. At this time of day, the laird was usually in his cowshed, supervising the milking. It was an important task and he liked to make sure the milkers did not steal from him. He was always a little paranoid about his dairy.

The sun was just peeking over the horizon as he came into the cowpens, his body immediately relaxing as the peaceful sounds of cows chewing cud as steady hands pulled on their teats, splashing warm nourishing milk into the waiting buckets surrounded him. He cleared his throat in case the laird had not heard him enter. McCormick looked up, his face intent, eyes far away. They sharpened as they fell on Daividh, and the laird smiled.

“Campbell. I dinnae usually see ye around this early.”

“Aye weel, I couldnae sleep. I have something tae discuss wi’ ye.”

McCormick went back to staring at the milkers. “And ye couldnae wait tae see me in my office?”