He swallowed and then offered her a weak smile. “Yes, we will and it will be all thanks to you. A gift that is almost as good as the gift of your love,” he assured her.
Mary suddenly wanted to kiss him again, but they were nearly running now to try to catch up to Lucian.
Later, she told herself as she smiled back at him. There was no rush. They had all the time in the world now. She had all the time in the world now . . . thanks to the strong, sexy, and sweet man running beside her. He might think her love was a gift, but she thought his was too, and Mary intended to enjoy every minute of it.
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FALLING FOR THE HIGHLANDER
Coming 2017 from Avon Books
“I can’t believe the bastard tried to sell his sister fer a couple horses.”
Dougall grimaced and glanced at his brother Conran at those bewildered words. After the debacle at Danvries, they had ridden to the village inn for a meal ere starting the long trek home. The conversation there had been focused on who they might sell the mare and stallion too now and to wonder how they would find things at home. Not wanting to shame the sister in her own village, no one had even got near the topic of Danvries and his offer . . . until now as they left Danvries’ land.
“Aye,” Dougall acknowledged quietly.
“Ye do no’ seem surprised.”
“People rarely surprise me anymore,” Dougall said grimly, and then added in a lighter tone, “The only thing that surprises me is that ye were kind enough no’ to discuss it in the village and waited so long to bring up the subject.”
“’Twas no’ kindness,” Conran denied quickly. “I just did no’ want to ruin me meal. Was like to give me indigestion.”
“Oh, aye, o’ course it was,” Dougall agreed with amusement. He knew that wasn’t true. Conran just didn’t like to appear soft. Although, Dougall thought, talking about it now was making his own lunch roll in his stomach.
“Ye ken that now the idea’s occurred to him, he’s going to sell her off to his friend fer coin,” Conran said heavily.
“Aye. He’ll use her to make what money he can to make up fer his gambling,” Dougall said with distaste, recalling the glowing woman.
“If she allows it,” Conran said with a shrug. “Mayhap she’ll refuse.”
“Hmmm.” Dougall muttered, but thought she might not be given the choice. Danvries was obviously her guardian, although she was of marriageable age. “Why is she still unwed?”
Conran shrugged. “As I said, talk is he gambled away her dower.”
“Aye, but how? It should have been protected,” Dougall said with a frown. “And she should ha’e been betrothed as a child and collected long ere this.”
“Mayhap her betrothed died,” Conran suggested, and then added, “And I’m sure the King would have stepped in and no’ allowed Danvries gambling away her dower . . . had he no’ been the one who won the wager.”
“So she’ll ne’er marry,” Dougall said thoughtfully.
“And be at the mercy of her brother all her days,” Conran commented, shaking his own head.
“Dear God,” Dougall breathed and almost felt bad that he’d turned down the man’s offer. At least he would have been kind to her, and mayhap had things worked out . . . Well, he had grown quite wealthy through his horse breeding. The only reason he hadn’t already purchased himself an estate was that their older brother Aulay had needed his aid raising their younger brothers and sister when their parents had died. A dower wasn’t an absolute necessity in a wife for him. On the other hand, he didn’t know the woman. She was pretty enough, but her brother was a weak man with a few bad habits, drinking and gambling among them. He also apparently had little in the way of moral fiber to him. For all Dougall knew, the same was true of her. But that gasp from her when her brother had offered her . . .
Dougall pushed away the memory. He had nothing to feel guilty about. He didn’t even know the lass.
“’Tis a shame,” Conran said quietly. “She’s a lovely lass.”
Dougall merely nodded. She was indeed lovely.
“She looked sweet and demure,” Geordie commented from his other side when he remained silent.
“Aye, she did,” Dougall said on a sigh. “Mayhap me refusal to sell him horses no matter whether he has the coin or no’ will stop his plans.”
“For now, maybe,” Conran said dubiously. “Though I suspect he’ll go ahead with it in hopes ye’ll change yer mind when he presents the payment. On the other hand, he could buy horses elsewhere . . . were he to get the coin.”
Not wanting to encourage this line of conversation, Dougall didn’t comment. He had no desire to think the woman would still be sold off like a cheap light skirt. Besides, he could see something on the path ahead and was distracted by trying to sort out what it was.
Noting his sudden stillness in the saddle, Conran glanced ahead and squinted. “It looks like someone on horseback, but . . .”
“But ’tis a very strange horse,” Dougall murmured. It looked short and wide, a squat creature that moved with a somewhat awkward gait.