Page 45 of What a Highlander’s Got to Do

As she turned a corner near the Serpentine, he was gone. Swallowed up into a stand of trees, or he’d turned off the path, or something. But he, and his tantalizing laugh, were gone.

Her chest hurt with the exertion, but also, with some bitter brand of regret.

So close.

So close.

But of course it hadn’t been him.

Of course it was her imagination running riot.

He was a stable hand.

From Newcastle.

He wouldn’t be in London.

And even if he were, he wouldn’t be riding at this hour. Not a man of his standing.

She was a fool for thinking so.

Wasn’t she?

Cat caught up to her and hissed, “Isobel Dounreay Lochlannach, what on earth was that all about?”

She sucked in a breath, brushed her hair from her face, and sighed. “Nothing.”

“Nothing?” Her tone made clear, Cat knew her better than that.

“I just . . . thought I saw someone I knew.”

Och. Isobel knew that expression. The narrowed eyes, the persimmony mouth, the twitch at the end of her nose. Cat would not easily let this go. “And who might that be?”

Isobel turned away and lifted a shoulder. “No one.”

Cat reached over, took Isobel’s reins, and led them into a secluded copse. “Nae,” she said. “Enough of that. You’ve been behaving strangely since Newcastle. It’s time for you to tell me what happened. Because I know something happened.” And when Isobel didn’t respond, she added, “Well?”

Ach. Cat was impossible to resist when she was like this. Aside from that, Isobel had been torn. Part of her wanted to keep this secret close to her heart. But the other part of her longed to tell her friend. They’d never kept secrets. Certainly not the juicy ones. Remaining silent almost felt like a betrayal of their friendship.

Aside from that, there was a part of her bubbling over with the desire to tell all.

Cat had proven more than once in the past that she would discover Isobel’s secrets eventually, whatever they were, and now was as good a time as any.

She steeled her spine and sucked in a breath. “All right. I met someone.”

Cat frowned. “Someone?”

“Aye.”

“Male, I am assuming.”

“Of course male.”

A snort. “And there you were lecturing me about enjoying lads.”

“I was hardly lecturing. And he wasna a lad.”

“Nae? What was he then?”