Read Online Sarah Gabriel by Highland Groom - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Highland Groom
Ads: Link
time?”
“Sorry, just the usual sort,” he answered.
Fiona looked up, curiosity piqued. “The fairy sort of what?”
“Whisky,” he murmured. “But that, I assure you, would be quite illegal.”
“I want nothing to do with it,” she said, and hurried ahead of him.
“Kinloch whisky of any kind is always welcome.” Mary MacIan smiled, hands folded in front of her, face crinkling and pleasant. She was a tiny woman with a froth of white hair spilling out from her white cap; a dark dress hung loose on her small frame, and she wrapped a plaid shawl close around her bony shoulders. She stood back as Fiona stepped inside, and MacGregor followed, bending a little to clear the lintel as he entered the house.
Fiona set her knapsack on the floor, and Dougal MacGregor deposited the small keg on a table beneath a window. Standing in the small, simply furnished front room of the cottage, he seemed large, imposing, handsome, and magical. He looked at Mrs. MacIan and bowed his head.
“I am sorry, Cousin Mary, I cannot stay for long.”
“Aye, there’s gaugers about tonight,” Mary said. “The lad was here earlier, and he told me about some officers on the road. Did you meet them?”
“We did. All is well. Give my best to the lad.” He stepped toward the door.
“The lad?” Fiona asked.
“My grandson, the reverend,” Mrs. MacIan said. “He promised to take you around the glen tomorrow afternoon, Fiona.”
“How wonderful,” Fiona said, looking at Dougal. “I am so looking forward to it.”
“A pity, as Miss MacCarran will be leaving the glen in the morning,” he said, gazing intently at her. Fiona narrowed her eyes in defiance.
“But she just got here!” Mary MacIan looked astonished.
“I did, and I just know I will enjoy my stay here.” Fiona walked to the door and opened it wide. “Good night, Mr. MacGregor.”
“Miss MacCarran.” He inclined his head politely, then leaned to kiss Mary MacIan on the cheek. When he stepped outside, Fiona shut the door firmly behind him.
“I wish he could stay longer,” Mary MacIan said. “Such a pleasant lad, is Dougal.”
Fiona sighed, willing her heart to slow, her hands to stop shaking. The attraction she felt toward him was strong, insistent; yet she told herself it was only the result of an unexpected adventure in the Highlands with a handsome man, and the aftereffects of a tender and dangerous kiss. He was arogue, she reminded herself, and she would do well to avoid him during the time she spent in the glen.
“Och, the dog is barking outside!” Mary said. “She will have heard the laird and come running home again. She loves that lad fierce enough to follow wherever he goes. Has gone all the way to Kinloch House, she has, and he’s brought her back. We must get her in for the night, as it may rain again.”
Fiona heard Mary’s dog faintly barking out in the yard, and she opened the door again. “Maggie!” she called. Peering through the darkness, she saw the black-and-white spaniel in the yard, tail wagging like a quill feather as she greeted the man who walked away from the house.
MacGregor paused then, bending to pet the dog. The mist swirled around him, and as he straightened and shooed Maggie home again, for a moment he stood, gazing toward the house.
Fiona grew still, too. She could almost feel his gaze upon her, and she wondered if he felt her watching him as well. Then he strode away, vanishing into the fog.
She lifted her chin. I will not leave , she thought. She did not want to go—already she felt a powerful bond to the glen, despite her strange encounter with the laird.
And no matter what he wanted, she had tasks to accomplish before returning to Edinburgh.
Maggie arrived then, jumping onto the step and over the threshold, her damp tail brushing Fiona’sskirts. Stooping to pat her head and welcome her home, Fiona closed the door.
The silvery sheen of dawn woke her, and soon Fiona was pouring steaming cups of tea for
“Sorry, just the usual sort,” he answered.
Fiona looked up, curiosity piqued. “The fairy sort of what?”
“Whisky,” he murmured. “But that, I assure you, would be quite illegal.”
“I want nothing to do with it,” she said, and hurried ahead of him.
“Kinloch whisky of any kind is always welcome.” Mary MacIan smiled, hands folded in front of her, face crinkling and pleasant. She was a tiny woman with a froth of white hair spilling out from her white cap; a dark dress hung loose on her small frame, and she wrapped a plaid shawl close around her bony shoulders. She stood back as Fiona stepped inside, and MacGregor followed, bending a little to clear the lintel as he entered the house.
Fiona set her knapsack on the floor, and Dougal MacGregor deposited the small keg on a table beneath a window. Standing in the small, simply furnished front room of the cottage, he seemed large, imposing, handsome, and magical. He looked at Mrs. MacIan and bowed his head.
“I am sorry, Cousin Mary, I cannot stay for long.”
“Aye, there’s gaugers about tonight,” Mary said. “The lad was here earlier, and he told me about some officers on the road. Did you meet them?”
“We did. All is well. Give my best to the lad.” He stepped toward the door.
“The lad?” Fiona asked.
“My grandson, the reverend,” Mrs. MacIan said. “He promised to take you around the glen tomorrow afternoon, Fiona.”
“How wonderful,” Fiona said, looking at Dougal. “I am so looking forward to it.”
“A pity, as Miss MacCarran will be leaving the glen in the morning,” he said, gazing intently at her. Fiona narrowed her eyes in defiance.
“But she just got here!” Mary MacIan looked astonished.
“I did, and I just know I will enjoy my stay here.” Fiona walked to the door and opened it wide. “Good night, Mr. MacGregor.”
“Miss MacCarran.” He inclined his head politely, then leaned to kiss Mary MacIan on the cheek. When he stepped outside, Fiona shut the door firmly behind him.
“I wish he could stay longer,” Mary MacIan said. “Such a pleasant lad, is Dougal.”
Fiona sighed, willing her heart to slow, her hands to stop shaking. The attraction she felt toward him was strong, insistent; yet she told herself it was only the result of an unexpected adventure in the Highlands with a handsome man, and the aftereffects of a tender and dangerous kiss. He was arogue, she reminded herself, and she would do well to avoid him during the time she spent in the glen.
“Och, the dog is barking outside!” Mary said. “She will have heard the laird and come running home again. She loves that lad fierce enough to follow wherever he goes. Has gone all the way to Kinloch House, she has, and he’s brought her back. We must get her in for the night, as it may rain again.”
Fiona heard Mary’s dog faintly barking out in the yard, and she opened the door again. “Maggie!” she called. Peering through the darkness, she saw the black-and-white spaniel in the yard, tail wagging like a quill feather as she greeted the man who walked away from the house.
MacGregor paused then, bending to pet the dog. The mist swirled around him, and as he straightened and shooed Maggie home again, for a moment he stood, gazing toward the house.
Fiona grew still, too. She could almost feel his gaze upon her, and she wondered if he felt her watching him as well. Then he strode away, vanishing into the fog.
She lifted her chin. I will not leave , she thought. She did not want to go—already she felt a powerful bond to the glen, despite her strange encounter with the laird.
And no matter what he wanted, she had tasks to accomplish before returning to Edinburgh.
Maggie arrived then, jumping onto the step and over the threshold, her damp tail brushing Fiona’sskirts. Stooping to pat her head and welcome her home, Fiona closed the door.
The silvery sheen of dawn woke her, and soon Fiona was pouring steaming cups of tea for
Similar Books
