Read Online Love Me Forever by Johanna Lindsey - Free Book Online
Authors: Johanna Lindsey
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only Megan had that ability, and he would have been appalled if he knew her reason for wanting him to stick around. The same reason had prompted her to have the servants remove half the chairs at the long table, so that when Lachlan arrived, the only seat available was next to Lady Kimberly.
Kimberly and Lachlan noticed the shortage of chairs at about the same time. She blushed profusely at what she considered rotten luck. If she had been the one who had just come in to find the only chair empty would force her to sit next to the Scot, she would have made an excuse not to stay, no matter how hungry she might be.
But it would be too rude of her to make an excuse to leave now, too obvious that her exodus was a result of the Scot’s arrival, no matter how good an excuse she could have mustered. Not that she wouldn’t have hesitated to do so if only she and the Scot had been present. But Their Graces were both there, as well as the rest of their family, and she wasn’t about to embarrass them just because she found one of their other guests so odious.
Lachlan could have spared them both, but he gave no thought to doing so, not with Megan in the room. Instead, he flashed their hostess a brilliant smile, kissed his aunt on her cheek as he passed her, then plopped down in the only empty chair. There was an uncomfortable moment when Margaret, unaware that they’d already had bad feelings and words between them, introduced them to each other.
Kimberly survived that, but as soon as protocol allowed, she proceeded to ignore the man next to her and started up a discourse with the nice LordWright, whom she’d met the night before and who now sat across from her. That didn’t last long, however, since some remark by the duchess drew Lord Wright’s attention to her.
Before Kimberly could follow that conversation enough to join it, she sensed MacGregor leaning toward her just before he whispered, “I owe you an apology, for disturbing your sleep last night.”
She was surprised, surprised enough to glance toward him. Considering that he’d frightened her back to her room and threatened further rudeness of that kind, an apology had been unexpected. And considering that she had paid him back in kind—at least she hoped she had and that he wasn’t such a sound sleeper that she’d stayed up the rest of the night for nothing—his apology was unwanted too.
He sounded sincere, yet she had to wonder about that, as badly as he and his friends had behaved. And he seemed to be waiting for a like apology from her. Not bloody likely, she thought to herself.
To him, all she said as she looked back at her plate was, “Yes, you do,” in an equally hushed tone.
She didn’t have to glance at him again to know she’d caused his cheeks to flush with color. Whether in anger or embarrassment, though, was undetermined, nor did she particularly care. His apology, after the fact, did not erase the sleepless night she’d suffered through. And she sincerely hoped that he was just as exhausted as she was this morning, though to look at him, that couldn’t be determined either.
“I had my kinsmen on my back, lass,” he said by way of explanation, “due tae a decision I’vemade that they dinna like. What was your excuse?”
It was Kimberly’s turn to flush with heat again. Of course, he was referring to the noise she’d made as soon as his side of the wall had quieted down. And she had no excuse for making that noise, other than pure retaliation. Yet she still wouldn’t apologize.
He and his kinsmen could have taken their arguments elsewhere, after they had become aware that they were disturbing her peace. But no, they hadn’t done that, they’d continued to keep her awake…and she did not have to justify her own behavior. She was the one who was still sick and could barely keep her eyes open to finish the meal set before her, while he had come in seemingly in great good spirits and in perfect health.
“Trying to justify your
Kimberly and Lachlan noticed the shortage of chairs at about the same time. She blushed profusely at what she considered rotten luck. If she had been the one who had just come in to find the only chair empty would force her to sit next to the Scot, she would have made an excuse not to stay, no matter how hungry she might be.
But it would be too rude of her to make an excuse to leave now, too obvious that her exodus was a result of the Scot’s arrival, no matter how good an excuse she could have mustered. Not that she wouldn’t have hesitated to do so if only she and the Scot had been present. But Their Graces were both there, as well as the rest of their family, and she wasn’t about to embarrass them just because she found one of their other guests so odious.
Lachlan could have spared them both, but he gave no thought to doing so, not with Megan in the room. Instead, he flashed their hostess a brilliant smile, kissed his aunt on her cheek as he passed her, then plopped down in the only empty chair. There was an uncomfortable moment when Margaret, unaware that they’d already had bad feelings and words between them, introduced them to each other.
Kimberly survived that, but as soon as protocol allowed, she proceeded to ignore the man next to her and started up a discourse with the nice LordWright, whom she’d met the night before and who now sat across from her. That didn’t last long, however, since some remark by the duchess drew Lord Wright’s attention to her.
Before Kimberly could follow that conversation enough to join it, she sensed MacGregor leaning toward her just before he whispered, “I owe you an apology, for disturbing your sleep last night.”
She was surprised, surprised enough to glance toward him. Considering that he’d frightened her back to her room and threatened further rudeness of that kind, an apology had been unexpected. And considering that she had paid him back in kind—at least she hoped she had and that he wasn’t such a sound sleeper that she’d stayed up the rest of the night for nothing—his apology was unwanted too.
He sounded sincere, yet she had to wonder about that, as badly as he and his friends had behaved. And he seemed to be waiting for a like apology from her. Not bloody likely, she thought to herself.
To him, all she said as she looked back at her plate was, “Yes, you do,” in an equally hushed tone.
She didn’t have to glance at him again to know she’d caused his cheeks to flush with color. Whether in anger or embarrassment, though, was undetermined, nor did she particularly care. His apology, after the fact, did not erase the sleepless night she’d suffered through. And she sincerely hoped that he was just as exhausted as she was this morning, though to look at him, that couldn’t be determined either.
“I had my kinsmen on my back, lass,” he said by way of explanation, “due tae a decision I’vemade that they dinna like. What was your excuse?”
It was Kimberly’s turn to flush with heat again. Of course, he was referring to the noise she’d made as soon as his side of the wall had quieted down. And she had no excuse for making that noise, other than pure retaliation. Yet she still wouldn’t apologize.
He and his kinsmen could have taken their arguments elsewhere, after they had become aware that they were disturbing her peace. But no, they hadn’t done that, they’d continued to keep her awake…and she did not have to justify her own behavior. She was the one who was still sick and could barely keep her eyes open to finish the meal set before her, while he had come in seemingly in great good spirits and in perfect health.
“Trying to justify your
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