Read Online Her Highland Fling by Jennifer McQuiston - Free Book Online
Authors: Jennifer McQuiston
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he’d certainly been a pleasure to look upon, he’d proven a poor conversationalist, reverting to grunts and fumbles. He didn’t resemble anything close to the silver-tongued man who’d kissed her senseless and made her believe in fairies two nights ago.
But Pen was an expert in the matter of tangled responses, and she was beginning to understand that more than dim wits lay beneath MacKenzie’s mumbles.
He hesitated only with her. She’d observed him carry on a pleasant enough conversation with her sister, Caroline, and he’d spoken easily and warmly with Georgette. When his opinions were directed to the table at large, they were well formed and educated.
In fact, Pen was ashamed of herself for reaching such a quick judgment of his intelligence before. She, of all people, understood what it was like to be measured by the ease of one’s words and found wanting.
“How do you find the town, Miss Tolbertson?” Georgette smiled, holding out her hands for her daughter.
Pen dutifully passed the babe on to its mother, leaving the child with a quick kiss on the top of her fair head and a discreet inhalation to preserve the precious scent. “ ’Tis lovely, though in truth I’ve only seen a b-bit of it.” She hesitated. “B-both times I’ve come to Moraig, I’ve stayed with Caroline, you see, so my forays into town have been limited.”
“Perhaps you ought to stay a night or two in town,” James suggested, smiling down at his wife and daughter. He reached out a finger, which Lizzie grabbed, gurgling happily. “After all, there’s a room still held at the Blue Gander, waiting to impress our reporter up from London.”
Pen blinked in confusion. “Why would they still b-be holding the room?” she asked. She’d been very clear on the matter of her lodging.
There was a moment of awkward silence. Everyone in the room looked at each other, as though gauging the moment and the appropriate response. And then Georgette sighed, almost apologetically. “William personally had a room in the inn refurbished for the reporter we expected and then paid in advance for a week’s use of it. The innkeeper is still holding it.”
Pen sidled a surprised glance toward MacKenzie, who looked irritated by the disclosure. She recalled his stumbled confusion the day she had met him, how she’d presumed his insistence on walking her to the Blue Gander to have been the result of misplaced masculine superiority.
She regretted being so quick to dismiss his idea now.
Her impressions of the town were clearly very important to him, but he had bowed to her wishes and not breathed a word of his efforts. Her respect swelled another notch.
“I might enjoy staying at the B-blue Gander during the games,” she admitted. “In order to get a more authentic feel for the town, as a tourist would.” She looked up at her sister. “Would you mind, Caro? Only for a night or two?”
Caroline smiled. “No, I know how important this story is to you.” She curled a hand around her growing belly and shared a warm look with her husband. “You should do whatever you need to get it right.” And by the look they exchanged, it seemed Caroline and her husband might make the most of the bit of privacy.
Pen turned to MacKenzie, suddenly aware that out of everyone in the room, they were the only ones without a match. Her stomach did a queer flip at the thought. Did he feel it too, this sense of destiny? “Will you show me the room there tomorrow?”
He swallowed and cast about his eyes, as though in search of a savior.
“You d-did offer to show me anything I wished,” she reminded him, a bit peeved he had to think so hard about it.
Brown eyes met hers slowly. “Aye. I did.” He nodded gruffly. “Tomorrow, then. Six o’clock. I’ll arrange it with the innkeeper.”
Pen smiled her thanks and then stood up, her skirts falling decisively about her feet. The picture of perfect gentlemen, the men stood dutifully as well. She knew what she was
But Pen was an expert in the matter of tangled responses, and she was beginning to understand that more than dim wits lay beneath MacKenzie’s mumbles.
He hesitated only with her. She’d observed him carry on a pleasant enough conversation with her sister, Caroline, and he’d spoken easily and warmly with Georgette. When his opinions were directed to the table at large, they were well formed and educated.
In fact, Pen was ashamed of herself for reaching such a quick judgment of his intelligence before. She, of all people, understood what it was like to be measured by the ease of one’s words and found wanting.
“How do you find the town, Miss Tolbertson?” Georgette smiled, holding out her hands for her daughter.
Pen dutifully passed the babe on to its mother, leaving the child with a quick kiss on the top of her fair head and a discreet inhalation to preserve the precious scent. “ ’Tis lovely, though in truth I’ve only seen a b-bit of it.” She hesitated. “B-both times I’ve come to Moraig, I’ve stayed with Caroline, you see, so my forays into town have been limited.”
“Perhaps you ought to stay a night or two in town,” James suggested, smiling down at his wife and daughter. He reached out a finger, which Lizzie grabbed, gurgling happily. “After all, there’s a room still held at the Blue Gander, waiting to impress our reporter up from London.”
Pen blinked in confusion. “Why would they still b-be holding the room?” she asked. She’d been very clear on the matter of her lodging.
There was a moment of awkward silence. Everyone in the room looked at each other, as though gauging the moment and the appropriate response. And then Georgette sighed, almost apologetically. “William personally had a room in the inn refurbished for the reporter we expected and then paid in advance for a week’s use of it. The innkeeper is still holding it.”
Pen sidled a surprised glance toward MacKenzie, who looked irritated by the disclosure. She recalled his stumbled confusion the day she had met him, how she’d presumed his insistence on walking her to the Blue Gander to have been the result of misplaced masculine superiority.
She regretted being so quick to dismiss his idea now.
Her impressions of the town were clearly very important to him, but he had bowed to her wishes and not breathed a word of his efforts. Her respect swelled another notch.
“I might enjoy staying at the B-blue Gander during the games,” she admitted. “In order to get a more authentic feel for the town, as a tourist would.” She looked up at her sister. “Would you mind, Caro? Only for a night or two?”
Caroline smiled. “No, I know how important this story is to you.” She curled a hand around her growing belly and shared a warm look with her husband. “You should do whatever you need to get it right.” And by the look they exchanged, it seemed Caroline and her husband might make the most of the bit of privacy.
Pen turned to MacKenzie, suddenly aware that out of everyone in the room, they were the only ones without a match. Her stomach did a queer flip at the thought. Did he feel it too, this sense of destiny? “Will you show me the room there tomorrow?”
He swallowed and cast about his eyes, as though in search of a savior.
“You d-did offer to show me anything I wished,” she reminded him, a bit peeved he had to think so hard about it.
Brown eyes met hers slowly. “Aye. I did.” He nodded gruffly. “Tomorrow, then. Six o’clock. I’ll arrange it with the innkeeper.”
Pen smiled her thanks and then stood up, her skirts falling decisively about her feet. The picture of perfect gentlemen, the men stood dutifully as well. She knew what she was
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