Read Online Let Me Be Your Hero by Elaine Coffman - Free Book Online Page B

love he felt for her and, when it ended, he discovered how very difficult it was to leave her and walk away.
    “I will write ye, lass.”
    She smiled weakly. “And I will write ye back, Fraser Graham.”
    While Jamie waited a discreet distance away, Fraser found he was not as strong as he thought. “One last kiss,” he said, and drew her into his arms. “I love ye, Claire.”
    She started to cry then, but only for a moment before she got control of herself. “’Tis sorry I am that ye had to see me in a moment o’ weakness. I love ye, Fraser, and it kills me inside to say farewell, but I have to stay strong, and I ken I will see ye again. I dinna want to come to the boat. I will stay here, in the spot where I first laid eyes on ye, and like I watched ye sail into my life, I will watch ye sail oot o’ it.”
    “It willna be forever, lass.”
    She watched him walk up the track to join his brother, MacTavish and Maddy loping ahead of them. She gave Lord Duffus a pat. “Ye are always with me, are ye not?”
    Duffus thumped his tail and raised a cloud of dust, then followed Claire down to the spot where she would wait for the boat.
    When it came, she waved and kept on waving until the boat was absorbed into the bright reflection of the sun upon the loch. She wiped the tears drying on her cheeks and smiled at the look of sad understanding she saw in the eyes of her beloved dog.
    “Come on, Lord Duffus, let us go home and see how we fare facing our future.”
    Claire fully expected Isobel to be as wicked as the Countess of Seaforth who had poor Coinneach Odhar, the Brahan Seer, pitched alive into a barrel of boiling tar. Yet, when Claire returned to the house, Isobel came to greet her warmly.
    “My dear niece, it grieves me that I did not hear about yer loss right away. Had I known, I would have rushed to yer side immediately. I ken I canna take the place of your dear father, but I will strive to be a friend, and a loving aunt.”
    She took Claire by the hand. “Come, your sisters and I are going through some beautiful fabrics that I bought in Paris. They are of the latest colors and prints. I want each of ye to choose a fabric ye favor, an’ we will have a dress made of it.”
    “We canna have new dresses, unless they are black. Have ye forgotten, we are in mourning?”
    Isobel looked at Claire’s somber black gown andsmiled. “No, I have not forgotten that, dear. Hout! With so much black about, this place looks as cheerless as a winter day. However, by the time yer mourning period is over, I want ye to have new wardrobes. Therefore, I think we should start with making each of ye a new dress or two now, and we will add a dress, here and there, until we have ye suitably attired.”
    Claire agreed to join her sisters. There were dozens of fabrics spread all over the long table in the great hall, the likes of which Claire had never seen.
    “Claire, look at the one I have chosen,” Briana said, and held up a soft yellow muslin. “Aunt Isobel said the color would be perfect for my hair. Do ye think so?”
    Claire smiled to see Briana’s face so happy. “I think it will make ye the prettiest lass in kirk. The color is beautiful, and the muslin will make a lovely dress.”
    “Look at the one I like,” Kenna said, and held up a dark green velvet. “I want a dress for the wintertime out of this. I feel the dark green color is especially good for red hair. What do ye think?”
    “With yer hair and yer eyes, ye should have nothing but green, and how regal the velvet looks.”
    “Aye,” Kenna said while she ran her hand over the softly napped velvet. “It will be a welcome change after so long in somber colors.”
    Claire looked for Greer and saw her at the end of the table. She wandered toward her, taking a few moments to stop whenever a fabric caught her eye. “Have ye decided on yer fabric?” she asked.
    Greer sighed and spoke softly. “I like them all. This brown wool would be warm for wintertime.” She put