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Authors: Jennifer McQuiston
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about to do might be viewed as forward, but she hoped the others in the room would presume her request was for the article she planned to write.
She’d wrangled this invitation to Kilmartie Castle in the hopes of procuring a few moments alone with MacKenzie, but so far it had been an ordinary—and crowded—sort of dinner party. In fact, he seemed determined to put an even greater distance between them, and she was determined to see it reversed. She only had a few more days in town, and she didn’t want to waste them dancing around what could be. “And would you also show me the view from the front lawn tonight, Mr. MacKenzie?” she asked, pulling her notebook from her reticule as a sort of cover. “It seems as though it should be a spectacular s-sunset.”
“Sunset?” MacKenzie said hoarsely, not moving toward her in the slightest.
She inclined her head and waved her notebook. “Research, you know.”
There was a beat of silence, where he seemed to be considering how to tell her no.
But then James grabbed William by the arm and propelled him toward the door. “He’d be happy to, Miss Tolbertson.” James grinned. “Capital idea, a bit of research.”
MacKenzie scowled as he shook his brother free and then grimly offered her his arm. She accepted it and then tried to temper the tilt of her heart as he escorted her from the room. They walked down an endless hallway where their footsteps echoed and scores of Earls of Kilmartie stared down from the wall. She’d thought he would say something. Anything. After all, he’d kissed her, only two nights ago. They were something past mere acquaintances.
But he seemed determined to show her the sunset and not a single thing more.
Finally they stepped out of the front doors on to the lawn, and Pen drew in a startled breath, her fingers curling into the solid strength of his arm. This afternoon, when McRory had pointed out the castle to her, she’d imagined the view from its lawn would be magnificent.
She considered now whether staggering might be a more appropriate word choice.
The lawn swept down to the edge of a cliff, shimmering against a kaleidoscope sky. The clouds seemed set on fire and all too happy to burn. She could see white-capped surf in the distance and, as the coast curved out of sight, magnificent stone cliffs plunging to the sea.
“It’s . . . incredible,” she whispered, shading her eyes with her notebook and trying to take it all in. She was a confident writer, but how on earth could she be expected to describe something like this in the space of a newspaper article?
“Aye,” he agreed stiffly. “I never grow tired of it.”
“I c-can’t imagine you would.” She tried to write a few notes down but found the wind was too strong, fluttering the pages under her hand. Moreover, she found she didn’t want to take her eyes from the view a second longer than was necessary.
Sighing, she shoved the notebook back in her reticule.
Perhaps she was spending too much time with it anyway. Wasn’t the point of the experience to see things as a tourist would?
“I’ve been thinking more about the things McRory told you today,” MacKenzie said, his voice a rumble over the wind. “ ’Tis fine if you mention the castle as a historical site, but I’d appreciate if you dinna mention me your article.”
Pen shifted her eyes to him and found the view every bit as moving as the one on the horizon. He was staring out at the cliff as though seeing it for the first time. The amber light softened his features, and the breeze tumbled strands of dark hair about his forehead. She could see hints of silver at his temples, and she imagined having the freedom and the permission to run her fingers through it.
What would he do if she kissed him again, this time with the sun on their faces?
“But . . . why?” she asked, truly curious about his answer. She was beginning to think MacKenzie was quite possibly the most important piece of it all.
“I dinna take
She’d wrangled this invitation to Kilmartie Castle in the hopes of procuring a few moments alone with MacKenzie, but so far it had been an ordinary—and crowded—sort of dinner party. In fact, he seemed determined to put an even greater distance between them, and she was determined to see it reversed. She only had a few more days in town, and she didn’t want to waste them dancing around what could be. “And would you also show me the view from the front lawn tonight, Mr. MacKenzie?” she asked, pulling her notebook from her reticule as a sort of cover. “It seems as though it should be a spectacular s-sunset.”
“Sunset?” MacKenzie said hoarsely, not moving toward her in the slightest.
She inclined her head and waved her notebook. “Research, you know.”
There was a beat of silence, where he seemed to be considering how to tell her no.
But then James grabbed William by the arm and propelled him toward the door. “He’d be happy to, Miss Tolbertson.” James grinned. “Capital idea, a bit of research.”
MacKenzie scowled as he shook his brother free and then grimly offered her his arm. She accepted it and then tried to temper the tilt of her heart as he escorted her from the room. They walked down an endless hallway where their footsteps echoed and scores of Earls of Kilmartie stared down from the wall. She’d thought he would say something. Anything. After all, he’d kissed her, only two nights ago. They were something past mere acquaintances.
But he seemed determined to show her the sunset and not a single thing more.
Finally they stepped out of the front doors on to the lawn, and Pen drew in a startled breath, her fingers curling into the solid strength of his arm. This afternoon, when McRory had pointed out the castle to her, she’d imagined the view from its lawn would be magnificent.
She considered now whether staggering might be a more appropriate word choice.
The lawn swept down to the edge of a cliff, shimmering against a kaleidoscope sky. The clouds seemed set on fire and all too happy to burn. She could see white-capped surf in the distance and, as the coast curved out of sight, magnificent stone cliffs plunging to the sea.
“It’s . . . incredible,” she whispered, shading her eyes with her notebook and trying to take it all in. She was a confident writer, but how on earth could she be expected to describe something like this in the space of a newspaper article?
“Aye,” he agreed stiffly. “I never grow tired of it.”
“I c-can’t imagine you would.” She tried to write a few notes down but found the wind was too strong, fluttering the pages under her hand. Moreover, she found she didn’t want to take her eyes from the view a second longer than was necessary.
Sighing, she shoved the notebook back in her reticule.
Perhaps she was spending too much time with it anyway. Wasn’t the point of the experience to see things as a tourist would?
“I’ve been thinking more about the things McRory told you today,” MacKenzie said, his voice a rumble over the wind. “ ’Tis fine if you mention the castle as a historical site, but I’d appreciate if you dinna mention me your article.”
Pen shifted her eyes to him and found the view every bit as moving as the one on the horizon. He was staring out at the cliff as though seeing it for the first time. The amber light softened his features, and the breeze tumbled strands of dark hair about his forehead. She could see hints of silver at his temples, and she imagined having the freedom and the permission to run her fingers through it.
What would he do if she kissed him again, this time with the sun on their faces?
“But . . . why?” she asked, truly curious about his answer. She was beginning to think MacKenzie was quite possibly the most important piece of it all.
“I dinna take
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