Chapter One

Inverness 1750

Shawna MacRae stood at the entrance of the long driveway leading to her once majestic home. The road, now filled with potholes, once welcomed many a fine aristocrat from the three largest cities in Scotland. Once the mansion had been the seat of gaiety. Her father and mother entertained with food accompanied with the finest musicians. Bagpipes played non-stop into the wee hours of the morning. People danced until their slippers sported holes. When she closed her eyes, she could remember sitting at the top of the steps watching all the wonderful people. Bonnie, their cook would always bring her a treat then admonish her to go to bed before her mother discovered she was sitting on the steps in her night clothing peering out at the gaiety.

That was a very long time in the past. It was a past that would most likely never be recreated. She didn’t care about balls along with aristocrats. All she wanted was her home to find its way back to its previous grandeur. She wanted to live here the rest of her life.

Now when Shawna stared at the whitewashed exterior, she saw sagging posts, a roof that needed fixing along with a porch with many broken boards. When she looked to the second as well as the third floor, shutters hung loose banging against the house if there was a stiff wind. All over the home, inside as well as outside, paint was chipped and peeling. Even though time ravaged the main building along with the few outbuildings that remained standing, her home still seemed elegant to her. With a bit of help along with a massive number of groats, the dwelling could be restored. She knew exactly what she would do. There was a list in her head. She didn’t even need to write anything down.

Unfortunately, the same ravages the house underwent were also savaging her means to return the manor house to its splendor of days gone by. The fact of the matter was…Shawna was destitute, dirt poor, not a single groat to her name. She sipped in a tidbit of stale air hoping when she scoured the financial books again, she might find something positive in her endeavor. Feelings of despair overwhelmed her though. She understood she might find their monetary situation worse not better.

The feat would be impossible. If only money grew on trees, she would pluck the groats until she had enough to restore the home.

Over the last six years since her parents died, her grandfather found no interest in the home or the crofters who worked for them. He paid little attention to anything Shawna saw as important. The first year after his beloved son perished, he took solace in the fine Scottish whiskey distilled nearby. More often than he was sober, he was foxed. Seeing to the people who worked their land had been left up to her. She’d just turned twelve when that happened. Though with all her heart, she accepted the task.

Wiping her sweaty hands on her well-worn dress, she strode to the front of the house, passing by the aged oak trees that lined both sides of the driveway. Beneath the canopy of branches, the breeze was cool. Once these oaks stood tall, proud sentinels to the manor house. They welcomed the visitors who arrived from all parts of Scotland. Now, after the devastation of an ice storm two years in the past, many branches of the trees were broken, threatening to fall. Some that did fall littered the long, once elegant lane leading to her home. She’d not been able to hire men to clean the debris. Shawna did her best to haul the limbs that actually fell to the ground away from the road. Nonetheless, her small stature gave her meager strength to do much of anything.

The grass surrounding her was no longer meticulously cut nor were the flower beds trimmed. The flowers grew wild, encroaching on the grass while the grass invaded the gardens. Multitudes of colorful petals offered an enchanting sight. All she could manage along with her sister were the roses. Despite her meager efforts, even those beautiful blooms suffered from neglect.

As she stood on the porch, she looked over the land her family took pride in for generations. Everything around her crumbled. In time, if something didn’t change, she would lose all that was hers, her birthright, her dreams. She always assumed she’d live in this home her entire life. Now, that belief was threatened.

Somehow, she needed to figure out a means to stop her grandfather’s continuous spiral downward. Many a week he would go into Inverness to gamble as well as drink. He lost more than he won. Shawna wasn’t certain if he ever won. Figuring how to stop him was beyond her. David, her grandfather, cared nothing about the property, cared nothing about either of his granddaughters. Once, he wasn’t like that. She recalled better times, times before the accident.

Day in and day out, the man indulged himself. Shawna could never understand how his grief overwhelmed him to such an extent he was willing to lose his home, a home that had been in this family for generations.

Signs of neglect were everywhere. The sun bleached white of the house, the faded blue of the columns along with the shutters. To the eighteen-year-old Shawna MacRae, the heiress to all the dilapidated elegance, the appearance mattered little in the scheme of things. Oh, she’d love to restore the home to its earlier grace. Knew she couldn’t.

Not without a miracle.

With all its faults she loved the house. She was born here, lived all her life here. If she could, she would continue to do so. If she were to be so fortunate, she wanted her children to be born here. The Highland Manor was her home. Shawna couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. Being Shawna, she would have objected heatedly if anyone had ever attempted to remove her from her birthright.

Nonetheless in the summer of seventeen fifty all was not well with her beloved home. None knew that fact better than she—she’d kept the account books since she was twelve and the overseer of the crofters had been let go because her grandfather’s gaming debts ate up all profit the estate earned. She allowed for the crofters to send their goods to market collecting little to no fees for permitting them to work off their land. There was no one to sheer the sheep or to buy seed for the tenants to plant their crops. Without the crops and the wool, there was no money. Some of her crofters were starving. Without the groats, she could do little except feed the few people who still lived on the land her family owned.

Ah, bah! Shawna thought disgustedly as she slammed the door to the office where she spent endless hours in an attempt to devise a means to make money. With every step she took forward, her grandfather caused her to move back two more. Tears welled in her eyes, moisture she furiously pushed back. Tears were for children. She could barely remember ever being a child. She had too much to do to wallow in despair. Shawna needed to make changes. She just didn’t know how to do so.

Slowly, she sat behind the big desk before opening the account book that held only bad news for her. She was responsible for so much. Had been for so very long. Shawna was weary of the strain, exhausted from the need to make all work out when so much went against her meager endeavors. All she asked for was that her grandfather would become the man he was before his son died, before his wife passed. Didn’t he see he had two granddaughters who needed him? She didn’t need him to do the work. She needed him to stop gambling as well as drinking. Sins of the flesh he should be able to overcome.

Idly, she played with the gold cross that hung on a chain around her neck. For a moment she held the gold crucifix in front of her. The cross belonged to her mother. Now, she wore it every day, never removing the piece of jewelry that reminded her of a better time. All she had were vivid memories of a past that would always haunt her future.

If only…if only…seemed to her that her entire life now was made up of thoughts of if only. If only her grandfather would stop gambling. If he did so, she could begin to pay off his gaming vouchers. She rose, stared out the window while she tried to even her breathing. The land stretched forever in all directions, rolling in continuous waves of heather coated hills. Every now and then a tree would reach skyward extending, its limbs into the cerulean blue sky. While the landscape wasn’t barren, the ground could be rocky as well as treacherous. Unless nurtured with tender care, little grew farther into the hills. All this beautiful land was owned by her family. She no longer held the means in her slender hands to nurture anything. It was all she could do to put food on the table and clothes on the backs of the people she was responsible for.

Shawna understood she wasn’t a beautiful woman, not in the accepted fashion of the time. She knew she was pleasant to look at. Her hair was long, so very straight, not a single curl. It was golden like the sun with touches of fire within the length. Sultry, mysterious, and arresting more precisely described her, at least that is what she’d been told. She wasn’t at all certain about the adjectives. She didn’t see herself as sultry, mysterious or arresting. She was just a young woman trying to keep her home in tact.

Thinking, she laughed softly. Now…her sister was beautiful with delicately perfect features.

Before her father died, he warned her that she was a beauty and should take great care. But the words he used to describe her even as a twelve-year-old could not precisely convey the vivid impact of her alabaster skin, soft pink lips, laughing and slightly slanted deep blue eyes, eyes the color of perfect sapphires, at least that was what her sister told her.

To believe, or not to believe, she wondered for several seconds she should have used to think of a way out of their dilemma.

Her mouth was full, almost too full she thought when she looked at herself in a mirror. However, her lips were delicately formed. She smiled often, finding enjoyment in the smallest of things, the softness of a rose petal against her cheeks, the rippling of the long grass as the wind swirled down from the crags, the dance of yellow daisies or the way a hummingbird would hover over the honeysuckle plants sipping nectar.

She was small, which caused her to appear far more fragile than she actually was. Though wearing an outgrown cotton gown, the outline of her breasts could be clearly seen. While the high waist of the dress hid the slenderness of her hips and waist, it was apparent from the neat ankles and bare feet, which showed beneath the too-short hem as well as from the slender arms, revealed by the puff sleeves, that she was delicately built.

As her bare feet along with her faded yellow gown attested, Shawna cared little for the trappings of fashion. The one piece of jewelry she wore, the uniquely fashioned crucifix, had belonged to her mother. Shawna treasured the simple piece. In her mind, clothes were meant to cover nakedness. She held no need for fashions and fripperies though whenever possible, she loved to see her sister dressed in the newest styles. The fact was just as well since she couldn’t afford to spend an inordinate amount of time or coin at the modiste.

Ordinarily, she would set her immediate anger aside at the destitution of her home. If possible, she would find her grey mare, Tilda, then ride across the heather, the wind massaging her temples to alleviate the fury along with the pounding in her head that always came when she went over the manor’s accounts.

This time her grandfather returned late last night from another extended stay in Inverness. When she saw him in the morning, he casually informed her the groats she intended to use to keep them going for the next month he calmly gambled away. If that was not bad enough, he informed her that he signed more vouchers for the money he lost above what had been with him. When he told her, infinite seconds passed where it seemed to her that her heart forgot to beat.

They were far in debt, sinking fast unless she found some way to retrieve the vouchers. She would have to steal some of them. The long drink of air she inhaled did little to ease her fears. This was not the way she imagined her future or her sister’s. She could not get caught. Nonetheless, she had no other viable ideas.

Shawna was well aware of the fact their finances had not always been in jeopardy. Nevertheless, she could scarcely remember a time when they were not. Through most of her short life, her grandfather gambled and lost. So many times, she thought of her life as before her parents died then after their death. After their death was what she lived with now. If she stole the vouchers he lost last night, she was not stupid enough to not realize there would always be another time then another after that. Eventually, if not the first time, she would be caught.

Shawna was determined though. She would find some way to fix this, someway at least to get the most recent vouchers back. Unfortunately, while she might be able to retrieve some receipts, she would never be able to stop the man from gambling. Playing cards for possible gain was an obsession in his blood. Short of tying him to a chair in the townhouse to physically keep him from leaving there was nothing she could do.

All that was now left of the once elaborate household were the aging cook, Bonnie, her personal made, Lilith, and the also aging head groom, Abraham. They were all elderly, their health not what it used to be. Each and every one of them pledged their steadfast loyalty to her. In return, she vowed to take care of them. Her sister, Maisie, was part of the household and more beautiful than one could imagine.

Returning the home to its original splendor had always been a goal of hers. As time passed her hopes diminished. While Shawna tried to keep a brave front, doing so was becoming more difficult with each new bout of bad news. The carriage accident that swept her parents along with her grandmother over a cliff then into the raging waters of a rain swollen river was the catalyst that forever haunted her grandfather. Rescue came too late. All three were battered by the fall from the cliff. If they survived the fall, they drowned in the river. After that, David MacRae lost interest in everything, even his small grandchild. He started to drink heavily, gamble with a reckless disregard for the future. That horrible time was six years in the past.

She leaned her head on the windowpane inhaling long, slow deep breaths of air.

Now, in the wake of his failings, the estate was tumbling down around her shoulders. At first, as a child, she didn’t understand nor had she minded. Because of his utter lack of concern for anything, she grew up unfettered by rules. Simply put, she always did as she pleased. No one looked after her or scolded her if she stayed out too late riding on the many trails that surrounded their home. She grew up like a wild thing running over the heather clad crags. When Maisie arrived to live with her, the wild rides never appealed to her sister. Maisie settled down to the ways of a more proper young lady.

Shawna did not. Shawna was more at home walking the crags, drinking from the crystal-clear streams, or riding like the wind across the hills than sitting in a drawing room, sewing. She loved the feel of the coldness of the lochs when she stripped to her chemise to go swimming. Maisie always lectured her about the hazards when Shawna told her what she did.

David gave her little attention beyond seeing she was fed as well as clothed and that she had some education—not an extensive one. What would she need book learning for he told her? More than once he explained to her, he would see her properly wed. What gentleman would appreciate a woman whose head was stuffed with knowledge that only a man should ken? No, she didn’t need to understand the philosophers or learn new languages.

Despite her grandfather’s dictates, Shawna loved to learn. She was inquisitive. When she wasn’t riding her mare or walking the heather clad hills, she would curl up in the library with a book. Most of all she loved to learn about faraway places. Her mind would wander. When it did, she would find herself in Egypt riding a camel, observing the great pyramids. When she read of the great wall of China, she would think about walking the length. There were other wonders she wanted to see. However, she also taught herself how to keep the accounts for the manor house. When she asked for a governess or an instructor who could teach her more, David would have nothing to do with her request. Flatly and with an added hmpf, he turned her request down.

Between Shawna and her grandfather, a curious relationship blossomed. She cared deeply for him even though he thwarted her plans for the manor as well as herself at every turn. At sixty-eight David MacRae was set in his ways. He made no effort to change. Arrogance was obvious in everything he did as well as said. He would not be gainsaid by a female. Although his dark features were creased and lined from years of self-indulgence, he was still a handsome man. He possessed a full head of silvery hair and brilliantly blue eyes that cynically viewed his part of the highlands from under slender arching silver-gray brows. A slim man barely average in height, he lived all his life certain that his slightest whim would be instantly gratified. He expected his granddaughter to be unassuming as well as obedient. He was always disagreeably astonished by Shawna’s unpredictable actions. By the time she turned eighteen, David had thrown up his hands in surrender.

When she took over the account books, he’d been scandalized. Shawna simply shot at him a long thoughtful look and murmured sweetly. “If I don’t do them, who will, Grandfather, you? We can’t afford to pay someone.”

Those few words ended the short discussion before it barely had a chance to begin. David had always been appalled at the very notion of partaking any activity that was so common and mundane as trifling about with ink and ledgers. Men of his station didn’t work. She saw the books as a challenge to be won. Even though she had plenty of MacRae arrogance within her slender frame, she was far more practical about what would keep food on their table than her grandfather.

The brief argument over the accounts between them would not be the last. Over time, as Shawna grew more certain of herself as well as knowing what she wanted, they would have many more conversations that ended with yelling. When David made the decision to sell the prized horses in the stable, Shawna had been heartsick as well as furious. The only horse she was able to keep was the little gray mare she was fond of. Somehow, she was able to convince him that she needed her horse.

The fact true, they needed the groats from the sale of the horses. She had no argument to keep them even while she understood, that within the week, he would most likely gamble the coin away. If she could only find a way to keep the money from him. She could not. Over time, David became more determined to do things his way. He’d been affronted at the very thought his granddaughter would deign to argue with him. In David’s mind women were submissive beings. They would always obey the word of a man. He determined he would spend his money any damn way that pleased him.

Thinking of the magnificent horses that once graced the now dilapidated stable, moisture welled in her eyes while her hands tightened into fists. Her generous mouth thinned. For the briefest moment, she felt exceedingly fierce. At that time there was little she could do to stop the sale of the splendid creatures.

Catching sight of a slim figure much like her own walking beneath one of the old oaks near the house, her body eased and she smiled. Yes, her sister was very beautiful. Maisie was everything she wasn’t.

She skipped from the office then down the front porch to meet Maisie. “Hello, Maisie, how are you? I haven’t seen you this fine morning. What have you been up to?” She called out waving one hand above her head, eager to see her sister. In a whirl of skirts, she slid to a stop in front of her.

Maisie, born less than two years before Shawna, stopped on her journey to the hen house in search of fresh eggs waving a hand. “Hello, Shawna, where have you been? Your grandfather is looking for you. Sitting in his bed, he is muttering beneath his breath about things. I’ve no idea. In any case, you should find him. I’m certain he has something he needs to tell you.”

The sunshine she felt when seeing her sister faded. Yes, she was certain there would be words between them. Talking to her grandfather in her present mood would not go well. She was too furious at the man for gambling away next month’s income.

Shawna understood it was difficult for Maisie to think of David as her grandfather. She wanted to rail at her that David had responsibilities to her also. Nonetheless, there were times she wished to disown the man.

Softly, Shawna spoke, “The man is your grandfather too. I know you love him even after what he has been doing, he does deserve our love. Sometimes he’s an old reprobate.”

“Since he doesn’t acknowledge me in any way, I won’t call him kin, or grandfather.”

Maisie turned from her for a moment, her sunny greeting vanishing. Her lips thinned with her obvious agitation about this particular subject. “You should not call me sister either. How can you forget I’m the bastard daughter of your father? You should never forget that he deceived your mother with mine. I don’t. Your grandfather simply sees the reality of my situation. I’m fortunate that he allows me to stay here. Without that, I’d be homeless on the streets of Inverness or worse, I’d be some man’s mistress or living in a brothel. All I am, is thankful to your grandfather.”

“I will never discount you as my sister.”

Shawna clenched her teeth together tightly, determined to make Maisie see things her way. She was pleased to have a sister, someone to share her thoughts and fears with, sometimes even her dreams as unrealistic as they are. “You must make certain he understands you’re related to him. The fact of your birth on the wrong side of the sheets should not matter to the man. The notion makes no difference to me. You understand how much I love you.”

Maisie waved her small hand in the air, a look of sadness creasing her brow. “No, I’m not you. I’m nothing like you, Shawna. To be brave and resilient in the face of all this is impossible for me.” She turned in a full circle surveying the land. “Of all this despair, I cannot do that. I take what small measure of strength I possess from you. You can fight the battles that can’t be won, maybe not with a smile on your face but with grim determination.”

“Bah!” Shawna cried with displeasure. “You are wrong.”

With that said, she joined arms with Maisie in order to accompany her to the hen house. Yet, Shawna understood the truth of Maisie’s words. Her sister was more likely to always let fate take its course rather than step in to guide her destiny.

Shawna marveled at the beauty of her older sister. They were opposites in every way. While she was fair with striking blue eyes, Shawna always believed her eyes were her best and only truly remarkable feature. Maisie had long luxurious dark brown hair. Her eyes were the color of silver with a hint of mauve, such a beautiful blue they sometimes appeared lavender. Other than their coloring they were built much the same. Maisie was breathtakingly beautiful. Every feature she possessed was perfectly formed. Her disposition was crafted from so much sweetness, the fact stole Shawna’s breath. Sometimes Shawna believed there wasn’t one ounce of sweetness inside herself.

Shawna understood how important the duty to protect her sister was becoming with each passing day that their grandfather immersed them in more and more debt. Putting those thoughts aside for a moment, together they went about the collection of the eggs that would be given over to Bonnie for the evening meal. David would complain about the eggs. Since they could not afford meat, eggs along with the greens they collected from the garden were their main source of food. He could have all the meat he wanted when he was in the city spending groats they didn’t have.

Arm in arm, the two girls strode back to the house, Maisie swinging the small basket of eggs. The sunlight filtered softly across Maisie’s features making her seem even more beautiful. When Shawna looked up, she saw brilliant colors painted softly across the sky. Beautiful mauves surrounded by rich pinks and gilded with gold. She was acutely aware of the beginning day. The sunrise was always remarkable in the highlands as were the sunsets. For the rest of today, she would try to look on her life in a more positive way. Shawna wanted to look to her future, imagine the things it could become.

She grinned then turning to Maisie with an idea, excitement flooded her. “Will you come with me tomorrow morning? I want to go fishing. We might be able to catch a rainbow trout for dinner. That would be a nice change. We can both ride my mare. Do tell me you’ll come.” She clasped her hand tightly pinning them beneath her chin, hoping Maisie would agree to her proposal yet understanding the possibility wasn’t good.

Maisie hesitated, her beautiful features appearing strained, minute creases formed across her brow while her tawny eyebrows slanted closer together. Shawna understood Maisie was terrified of horses. She hated fishing, hated riding alone with no protection. Maisie would rather spend her day with her watercolors painting the landscape instead of experiencing the land first hand. This part of the highlands was safe though. Shawna had never been accosted. Indeed, she rarely saw anyone.

Tucking her bottom lip beneath her teeth, her eyes wide with the fact she was about to tell her sister no, Maisie finally said, her voice trembling a bit. “Truly, I don’t want to. You knew that before you asked.”

Disappointed but understanding her sister’s feelings, Shawna shrugged good-naturedly, not the least put out. Maisie was right. She didn’t expect her sister to accept the invitation. The easy amiability between the two girls might have been the fact they understood each other so very well.

They only met two years before.

Their introduction started when Shawna came across a piece of correspondence on the desk where she delved over the accounts. The letter was written to her grandfather, signed by a woman. While she understood opening the letter was wrong, her curiosity got the better of her that day. Ordinarily, she would have never opened something with her grandfather’s name addressed on the envelope. Normally, she would not have been in the rage she felt that day when she discovered the fact her grandfather borrowed money on the land. If anything had been customary that day, she would have never opened the letter. Oh, he borrowed from an old friend with the intent to pay back what was owed as soon as his fortunes reversed. His fortunes would never be reversed. Shawna thought this letter was another request for gambling debts to be paid. That day, she felt as if she needed to uncover more of David’s secrets.

After she opened the letter, her feet dropped out from under her. She fell into the large chair that luckily was behind her. Her mouth gaped open, astonished at what she read. She had a sister. A sister whose mother was dying. The woman requested help, not for her but for her daughter. For long moments, she stared at the fine flowing script. Shawna knew what she must do. Also knew her grandfather would be in a rage over her actions. Fine. He could be angry for a change.

Upon making the decision that would forever transform her life, she set out for Inverness with Abraham, the head groom, to accompany her. Within a short time, she arrived on the doorstep of Maisie MacRae’s residence. Maisie didn’t use the last name of MacRae, but her mother’s surname which was McKenzie. Nonetheless, Shawna decided that she would do so from now on. Maisie MacRae sounded like a fine name to Shawna even though Maisie was hesitant.

Maisie’s mother waited until the very last moment of her life to appeal for help. Maisie was the only one in the home when Shawna arrived. When she opened the door, the room behind her was dark. The mother had died the night before. Consequently, when Shawna arrived, she was greeted by a disconcerted, desolate Maisie unable to comprehend or believe that her mother would never hug or kiss her. Tears streaked her small delicate features when she cautiously allowed Shawna entrance.

Shawna was a bundle of energy directing the scene, so pleased to welcome her into her life. Before Maisie understood what was now happening to her, she was bundled up, her few possessions packed in a small valise. With Shawna grinning, feeling her triumph, they were on their way back to Highland Manor.

“You will be so happy,” Shawna told her all the while knowing the truth of the matter that she, Shawna, would be delighted to finally have someone she could share her life with. “I know I will be. You are exactly what I’ve been wishing for.”

“I don’t know about this,” Maisie told her softly while she turned to look back on the city, her fingers wound tightly within themselves. “I suppose I should be grateful. What will your grandfather say? Mother never spoke of him.”

While Maisie knew her father was Damian MacRae, she had no idea her mother wrote to the grandfather requesting help for his bastard daughter. While Damian lived, he kept Maisie along with her mother in fashionable style. They lived in a respectable neighborhood. There was always plenty of food along with gowns for his paramour as well as for his second daughter. For a few years after their father’s death, David sent them a weekly stipend. When his gambling debts began to overwhelm their finances, the money stopped. Maisie had no idea what her mother did to put food on the table. At least she didn’t speak of what she did.

The confrontation with David some two months later went just as Shawna expected, not well. Initially, David thought the woman was meant to be a companion for Shawna. He never thought for a moment this young woman now suddenly living in his home was his granddaughter. After all, Shawna was growing older, would, at certain events need chaperoning. The flaw in this train of thought was that Maisie was only a little bit older.

Shawna considered lying to her grandfather when he finally asked her just who exactly Maisie was. She did not lie. Instead, she cleared her throat, “Maisie is my father’s daughter just as I am. You are her grandfather. You need to accept the fact your son cuckolded my mother. He loved another woman more than his wife. Now that it happened so long in the past this deed makes no difference to me. I will not deny her. She was loved by my father. None of this is her fault. What happened between her mother and my father, your son, has no reflection on Maisie.”

David’s face flushed with fury. The blue eyes glittered with anger under the silver-gray of his brows. “Good God! You dare speak to me like this? I should put you over my knee and tan your hide. She is a bastard! Will always be a bastard. Will never be a legitimate granddaughter to me. I will never recognize her in any way.”

Momentarily, she was taken aback by his harsh words. She smiled sweetly, in an attempt to cover the dismay in her heart. After all, she’d known he’d be angry. He was acting true to form. The words of violence though were something she never expected from her usually gentle grandfather. She rallied all the backbone she could find. Lifting her chin defiantly, in a soft dangerous voice warned, “I would not, Grandfather, if I were you. Don’t you dare lay a hand on my sister or me.”

David eyed her critically through slitted eyes. The scowl changing to a shrug of indifference, he told her, “Do as you wish. Don’t, however, ask me to acknowledge the creature. I shall tolerate her presence in my home, nothing more. Do you understand? She will have nothing of the MacRae estate.”

Of course, she understood. She won this round. Maisie now had a home along with a family who cared about her. Maisie would have food in her belly as well as clothing to wear. Shawna would have a sister.

A brief smile flitted across her mouth, “Yes, Grandfather!” Then, shocking them both she flew into his arms before pressing a warm kiss on his lined cheeks. “Thank you, thank you so very much. You won’t regret anything. If you try, you will come to love her as much as I do.”

“You are a minx, little one. I’m an old troublemaker who doesn’t deserve your love. Perhaps we are a good pair. Time will tell the true tale now, won’t it?”

For several long seconds he stared at her. Shawna discovered a strange sensation tingling down her spine. “What is it?”

“I believe it is time for me to begin thinking about your future. Soon you’ll need a husband to keep you in line.”

Gasping, she uttered the only word she could think of. “No!” The last thing she needed or wanted was a husband.

Nonetheless, his words haunted her. She would have to derive some way to keep him from procuring a husband for her then forcing a marriage. If she did ever marry, she wanted to marry for love.

The next morning David MacRae was gone again. Shawna understood he would be back in his old haunts in Inverness. He would gamble away more money than they had. He would sign more vowels. Her heart sank to the pit of her stomach. Seemed this was a never-ending cycle.

Prospects for their future were bleak. Her grandfather was in Inverness. She could think of nothing to do except sell some of their land. She didn’t have the authority to do so. As of this moment they had sold all their fine blooded stock of horses. She kept her mare. David kept the magnificent horses he used for his carriage.

There was nothing left to do except sell the most fertile acreage. Their crofters would be devastated. Nonetheless, perhaps the new owners of the land would be able to better provide for them.

~ * ~

This new morning, however, having returned last evening from Inverness with renewed hope for his granddaughter’s marriage, David sat in his bedroom; plush, plump pillows set against the headboard. He sipped strong hot tea thinking about what needed to be done to secure Shawna’s future. The state of Highland Manor was his fault. He readily admitted to that fact. When he thought on the last six years, he didn’t believe he would do anything different. Losing his wife along with his son devastated him. Even to this day he didn’t care if he lived or died. That long ago day saw the end of his life as well as all he held dear. Luckily, his precious and very precocious granddaughter was not with her mother and father on that unlucky carriage ride. With any chance, she would manage to hold the manor house together. When he was gone, she would find doing so would be much easier.

A good marriage would ensure that she live the rest of her life as she deserved. He would have to find the best possible match for her, a man who could handle her hoydenish ways. Their neighbors, the eligible ones would never agree to a marriage with Shawna simply because they all understood the deplorable financial state they were in.

Before his son died, Damien left money for Shawna’s dowry, five thousand English pounds. The groats were placed in a special account, one that couldn’t be touched until she turned eighteen and married. David sighed softly. Dear God, he most likely would have spent the money if he could have found a way to get his hands on the groats.

No, tomorrow he would go back to Inverness. He met a man the other day; handsome, rich, polite. He liked politeness in a young man. When he discovered how very beautiful Shawna was, he would undeniably fall head over heels in love with her. His eyes were silver-blue. He seemed to calculate everything around him. The man would be a solid match for his flighty daughter who loved to dash madly across the crags. She needed a man who would be stern with her, a man she would obey, one who could tame her wildness. Running wild the rest of her life would not be possible for his wayward granddaughter. He would see to that fact.

Shawna would not be pleased at this new orchestration of her life. Thinking of her anger, he let out a long slow breath of air. His granddaughter would be furious. A husband was the only way she could hold onto this land. When the truth was explained to her, she would have to come to understand. She loved the old manor house along with the land more than just about anything. To lose this place would be devastating to her. She would have to marry money if she wished to hold on to what was so dear to her.

He needed to take care of this little problem soon. His doctor told him he might not have more than a year to live. His heart wasn’t doing well. Every now and then he felt pain rip down his arm. David knew that for the truth. He was tired more often than not. Though the doctor also told him he would live longer if he would quit drinking as well as smoking.

At his age he didn’t care. He wasn’t about to stop doing something that gave him what little enjoyment he had left in this life. The sooner he died, the sooner he would be with his wife and son in heaven. Sipping the tea, he set his head on the backboard. When Maisie brought him his morning tea, he’d asked Maisie to find Shawna. Tell her he needed to talk to her.

This particular conversation he wasn’t looking forward to having with her even though several months ago he alluded to what he was going to tell her. He drew in a long drink of air, his lungs filling while he waited. He supposed he should have told her specifically about his plans a long time ago. If he didn’t find a rich husband for her, he would have to sell off a few more parcels of their land. Even though she was most likely thinking the same thing, she would not accept the news with a smile or a warm heart.

The gentle tapping on the door stopped his musings. He hoped it was Shawna needing to get this conversation finished. “Come in,” he called out watching for her. When she poked her head inside the door, he smiled at her then patted a spot on the bed.

“You wished to speak with me?” she asked watching him with her sapphire blue eyes, glittering wearily as she walked to the bed.

She was such a suspicious little creature. He imagined she had every reason to act so.

“I do,” he murmured picking up her hand, holding it between his two larger ones.

She was so much like her grandmother. They were both small, delicately built. Her eyes were different, the hair the same. While she didn’t act fragile, David knew she was delicate. A stiff wind could blow her over. She needed the protection of a good man.

“What is it?” she asked, a tender tilt to her head as she waited seemingly patient for his explanation. “You wished to talk to me about something?”

David couldn’t help but chuckle. Just as her grandmother was never patient a day in her life neither was Shawna. He smiled as he remembered the wonderful times he spent with his wife. “I’ve been thinking,” he began, wondering just how quickly he should get to the point.

“That could be dangerous,” she murmured softly. “Can I get you more tea?”

She rose, filled his cup, adding some lemon then honey after that a spot of milk. Sat back on the bed.

Starting with the lesser of two evils, he smiled at her understanding the wrath that would come down even with this news. He searched her eyes as he began to speak, looking for her reaction. “I’m going to sell one of the parcels of our land.”

“The crofters?” she asked, sudden ice in her words. “They already have so little. What if their new landlord doesn’t treat them right?”

“I will make certain the contract for the sale will include the families. There are certain things we can do for them. I’m not evil. I will make certain they have all the rights they have now.”

“If you didn’t drink and gamble the small profits we make, you would not have to sell the land,” Shawna bit out angrily, her small fists tightening in her worn gown. “You’ve already taken and spent the profits meant for next month.”

Good that she didn’t mention the vouchers he owed though by the narrowing of her eyes, David understood she did not forget anything. For the moment, she was being kind to him. “I will try to sell to the neighbors to the north of us. Maybe I can negotiate a deal to buy the land back when we have the money.”

He was thinking that if he ever got the least bit lucky, he might have enough to purchase the land. Well, he imagined that would never happen. He always fantasized he would win. Mr. Walker lent him money. Told him he would not collect. Nonetheless, the interest compounded daily. Just as he was aging, Mr. Walker wasn’t getting any younger. They both had limited time on this earth.

“Does he hold some of your gambling receipts too,” she asked icily as she tugged her hands from his. “You can’t keep betting money you don’t have. You’re an easy mark. I will wager your friends drool with delight when you walk into the card room.”

David meant to ignore the scathing comments as he continued, “He does. Walker holds them in good faith. He is not asking for repayment…at least not right away.”

She turned from him starting to rise. He grasped her hand tugging her back to sit on the bed. There was still the matter of a husband to speak of.

“Let me go,” she said unwilling to look at him, moisture making her sapphire blue eyes shimmer.

“I have more to say. I’ll be gone after breakfast, back to Inverness. You are coming with me. So, you need to listen now.”

Closing his eyes in thought he searched for the words that would make all this seem right to his granddaughter. He knew there was nothing he could say that would cause her to look positively on his decree. She would marry soon. There was no other way for her.

“Get on with it.” Angrily, she waved her hand in the air appearing ready to bolt from the room. Her eyes blazed blue fury. “Have your say then I will leave.”

David didn’t want her to feel as if she had no choice. Nevertheless, in this matter she didn’t. Once he looked for and found a man to wed her, she would do so. She would cease to argue with him.

“We are going into inverness tomorrow first thing in the morning. I will seek out a man for you to wed, one who deserves you. In this matter, you will obey your grandfather. By the end of the month, sooner I hope, you will have a husband who will take care of all your needs.”

He waited for the explosion that was certain to rip from his granddaughter. She appeared ready to stomp from the room. He imagined she would attempt to defy him. In so many ways she was like him.

With eyes the color of blue ice, she stared at him. In the softest of tones, she simply told him, “No, grandfather, I will not wed except for love. You will not search for a man to give my land to. When I’m prepared to do so and if I find the right man, I’ll marry him. Not before!”

She sounded deadly serious to David’s ears. For a second, he was afraid for her.

While this wasn’t the explosion he expected, the calmness seemed far worse. The serenity unnerved him, grave him second thoughts. Just beneath the surface of her barely contained temper, he saw she seethed. “You will.”

His jaw set with determination unused to finding himself so thoroughly defied. He would win this game his granddaughter played. He would find a man for her. She would say, yes. Her life would be better for it.

As he expected from the beginning, now her anger detonated. She stared at him, her hands firmly clenched at her side. “No!” She started to turn from him her body tense. “You cannot force me!”

David was instantly infuriated. His lips thinned with rage. His voice shook with anger as he threatened. This was a threat she would never defy. “You will either marry the gentleman of my choice, or that bastard you so willingly call sister will find herself in the meanest brothel in Inverness!”

Shawna, leaping up and in one furious bound hovered over his bed and spat, “You would not dare!”

Feeling in control for the first time since she waltzed into his room, he smiled. Quietly, he told her again, his heart pounding because he understood she would continue to fight him. In the church she would say no, if he didn’t have something to hold over her head. With her sister’s life in jeopardy, he did hold the upper hand. He understood Shawna would give over to his wishes to protect Maisie. “I would see this through, Shawna. It is for your protection as well as your future security. Maisie will also benefit with your marriage. I promise you. I will find a man you can fall in love with.”

Her small bosom heaving with the force of the furious emotions tearing through her, she stared disbelievingly at him. Again, he smiled at her understanding she’d just given in to his dictate. In this she would obey him. She knew him well. The two of them fought as well as crafted truces before fighting again. David understood this was a battle he already won hands down. His feisty granddaughter was wise enough to imagine that she could not protect Maisie at all times, as he was incredibly crafty when he chose to be. When he told her Maisie would find herself in a brothel, he wasn’t speaking idly. He meant every word. LoraLee’s came to mind. Once inside, there would be no way for Maisie to escape.

Seeming to realize that at least for the present she had no recourse to fight him, she stared at his fixed features before telling him in a tight little voice, “Of course, I will do as you say. Why wouldn’t I?”

David nodded feeling elated that this went over as well as it did. He clapped his hands. “Good! Today you will come with me to Inverness to find you a husband. We will stay at our townhouse there.”

Shawna stared at him with an amazingly placid expression on her small face. She picked up the tea pot and asked sweetly, “More tea, Grandfather?”

Before David guessed her intent or could react, she quickly proceeded to pour the entire pot of hot liquid right over his very elegant white linen nightshirt.

Spluttering with rage, David called down a string of curses on her head. However, the door thundered closed behind Shawna.

~ * ~

Riley Stuart sat at a table in a well-established gaming house in Inverness. Cameron Fraser sat across from him while Hawk Fraser sat next to him. The three men were friends, had been for what seemed forever. He sipped the ale that was brought to him while he thought on his life. He wanted to find his mate, the woman who would travel through eternity with him. He also wished to move from his parents’ home on McKenna land. Land of his own was something he coveted. To build his empire with his hands was a dream for Riley.

He sat back to look over the gaming house. The establishment located in one of the better sections of Inverness was a gambling establishment as well as a brothel. When the patrons won money from the house, they would celebrate upstairs with one of LoraLee’s beautiful women. If the man lost money, he would drown his sorrows with a well-practiced lady of the evening. The proprietor employed one of the best chefs in Inverness. In either case, the business establishment won hands down. Riley wasn’t in the mood to gamble. Neither did he wish to be entertained by one of the whores.

He wished to find his mate.

His older brother, Kit, wandered from their home on McKenna land to the Black Hound Inn near the mysterious Kinnel Stones. He made the trip weekly. For some reasons the stones drew his brother. Kit firmly believed that was where he would eventually find his mate. At the moment nothing drew Riley. He spent far too much time gambling in this house of ill-repute. He imaged he wouldn’t find his mate here. So why? Fortunately, his luck was good. He won much more than he lost. While he wasn’t addicted to the game as some unlucky souls were, he did enjoy the win. If the odds appeared to be against him, he quit. Riley vowed he would never be like the elderly David MacRae who lost so much he resorted to vouchers so he could continue to play the games. Riley also never collected vouchers from a man who was down on his luck. Others were not nearly so polite.

The men sitting around the table with him were lifelong friends. Hawk was older, Cameron younger. The three men all stood well over six feet. They were both men of good size, broad of shoulder, lean of belly. Hawk was taller than he was, his hair dark, dark brown, his eyes the same silver-blue as all the McKenna’s, Stuarts as well. He was the eldest son of Elliott Fraser. Hawk was a doctor in Selkirk having bought the practice there from Riley’s older brother Houston. Undoubtedly, Hawk would return in a few weeks. His rare departure came about because he managed to get a second physician established in the town. He spoke occasionally of returning to McKenna land.

Cameron was about an inch shorter. As a Fraser just as Hawk was, he wasn’t related distantly or otherwise. Heather, Cameron’s mother was also mother to Wynnie who was Connal McKenna’s wife. The burnished blond of Cameron’s hair was unique to the Fraser clan. His eyes were a light powder blue that always seemed to shimmer icily when he was angry. Cameron was rarely angry. His sense of humor abounded. He seemed to be able to laugh at just about any situation.

They were all shifters; could change into black panthers, part of the Clan Chattan.

At the moment Riley’s mind revolved around the fact that his cousin, Callum Stuart, was sighted in Inverness. What deviltry was that man up to now? His cousin had been a thorn in his side most of his life. As an adult, he never failed to take advantage of their similarities. The two men were opposites in every way except in the way they looked. Where Riley was honest to a fault, if that was possible, Callum delighted in deceiving people, especially if he could do so in his cousin’s name.

“What are you going to do about Callum?” Hawk asked, tipping back on his chair, his grin showing perfect white teeth. He held a half full glass of ale in his hands smiling as he watched the bar maids sashay around the room. His gaze seemed to focus on one delightful redhead. “You know he will cause you some problems. Takes delight in getting to you.”

Riley shook his head trying to figure out exactly what he did intend. His cousin needed to be sent back to Edinburgh. He wished he could have him sent all the way to the colonies. His attention centered on the front door as if he expected to see Callum saunter into the gaming house. That wasn’t Callum’s way. No, his cousin would take pleasure in the surprise. By the time Riley would discover the ruse, Callum would be long gone.

“The man can’t stay in Inverness. Need to make certain he goes back to Edinburgh before he causes me grief. Don’t know how to go about that. Have to find him first,” Riley said as he thought on the possibilities.

It had been two years since their last confrontation. Callum’s father promised to keep his boy in line. It was an impossible promise to keep.

Callum was a bad seed. He was the son of his father’s brother. Since they were lads, Alistair warned the man over and over again he needed to watch his son more carefully. He needed to be stricter, to set down rules for the lad to follow as well as punishment if he disobeyed then perhaps a reward if he was good. Unfortunately, the two could pass as twins. Callum benefited from that fact numerous times as children. Now that they were adults, Riley would discover he owed people money he never did business with.

“The two of us will be pleased to help send him packing. If we can find him.”

Cameron laughed as he watched one of LoraLee’s girls flounce her pretty backside around them. Her bountiful breasts nearly overflowed the skimpy corsage she wore. Her waist was cinched in tight so the flare of her hips was more pronounced. “We can always find a diversion tonight.”

“Callum keeps to the seedier parts of Inverness as well as every other town he spends time in. We could take a stroll along the docks,” Hawk added as he too watched the women with a wistful eye.

“Don’t feel like a diversion or a stroll along the docks. We all know that Callum won’t be found unless he wants to be found. He’ll leave as soon as he’s tested the law or my temper,” Riley muttered.

No, what he felt was restless. The need to shift then run in his cat form was a powerful urge. In these times, shifting was never prudent.

“Not even one of LoraLee’s gals? Perhaps a little ecstasy tonight would put you in a better frame of mind.” Hawk smirked while he settled his large hands on his flat belly. “I could use a diversion of the female persuasion, a dalliance before I return to Selkirk.”

“Not tonight but you two can certainly seek out one of LoraLee’s women even though I’m not interested.”

Once again, he found himself assailed with thoughts of finding his mate. He recalled how his brother, Kit, was spending so much time at the Black Hound Inn near the Kinnel Stones, seeming to believe his woman would turn up there. Well, he had the same feelings here in this gaming establishment.

He didn’t understand why. All he knew was that for some ungodly reason he needed to be here.

He couldn’t stay forever. At the moment, though, he needed fresh air. His gaze shifted to the door.

“Back to Callum,” Cameron muttered seeming to watch his friend with a wary eye. “Heard he swindled you out of five hundred pounds two years ago. Did you ever get the groats back?”

Riley leaned on the rough wood planking that was the table. “He did. Not a pleasant thought that he’s able to sign my signature without a flaw.”

There was no getting around that fact. Whenever Callum wished it, he could swindle him.

“You should pay him back,” Callum laughed. “Can you sign his name?”

For the first time since they sat down Riley smiled broadly. “Yes. It’s a fine idea. If he ever uses my name for his purposes again, I might do just that. My cousin should get a taste of his treachery. The problem is…Callum is always short of funds.”

“Perhaps, you could recoup some of your losses,” Hawk added to the conversation.

Riley pushed back from the table, needing a breath of fresh air. While as far as establishments such as this one went, it still smelled of smoke along with too much perfume. “Think I’ll go for a ride. Either of you want to come with me. Heard there was land farther north for sale. Thought I would check out the estate. After that perhaps a swim in the loch. The day is perfect. We could set up a guard, shift, then take turns swimming.”

It wasn’t so much the land he wanted to look over. What he needed was some way to curb the restless energy that was so much a part of him these days. He began to understand why Kit continued his insane rides to the Kinnel Stones. He wondered if his visits to this establishment would continue. His parents would begin to believe him just as crazy as his brother.

When one of the girls brushed against Cameron, he wrapped his arm around her pulling her to sit across his thighs before giving her a quick, not chaste at all, kiss. Their lips met. Cameron’s hand pressed her close, his other hand rising to settle just below the swell her plump breast. She made a little purring sound from deep in the back of her throat. After they broke apart, “Not tonight, sweety. Though I’ll be back for you one of these days.” When he set her on her feet, he swatted her nicely rounded rump, an unholy grin on his well-sculped and handsome features.

Riley couldn’t stop the grin on his face as he witnessed the little tableau.

The three of them sauntered to the stable. The sun shone brilliantly overhead. Wispy white clouds dotted the sky. Riley was pleased to have his friends with him. He inhaled a quick breath of air, tinged with the scent of horses and saddles, liniment as well as all the smells that accompanied horses. Mounted, they slowly rode from the city. Once on a country road, they gave their horses free rein. Racing, they fairly flew over the barren landscape. At times like these he felt as if he had no cares.

Riley drunk in the heather scented air reveling in the bright sunny day, the brilliant blue sky, the heat of the sun beating down on them. After the first reckless sprint, they slowed their horses. He enjoyed the silence, the comradery.

Would have loved to feel that same heat as the sun caressed his panther form, the black fur soaking it up.

Stopping at the beginning of a long rutted out driveway, he pointed to a manor home at the end of the path. “I’ve heard the people who live there are floundering. The elderly man is said to have lost interest. Doesn’t seem to care any longer. I would love to revitalize the home. For some reason this place seems special to me. I’ve been looking at this property for over a year now. Keep hoping the land will go up for sale.”

“So, you’ve set your sights here?” Cameron asked as he leaned on the saddle horn appearing to study the landscape. “Take a bit of money to fix the place up. However, it’s beautiful acreage.”

“Has to be for sale first,” Hawk laughed. “Heard the owner is only selling bits and pieces. Some land farther north. At least that’s the rumor. I want all of the estate.”

“Hate to see it sold in bits and pieces,” Riley said as he was tempted to ride down the long driveway just to talk to the owner to make a reasonable bid for the property.

Perhaps he should do that very thing. He grinned a lopsided half smile before he set his horse toward the home. He didn’t know what he would do or say when he reached the place. Nothing came to mind.

“You’re going to talk to the owners now?” Cameron asked still laughing with Hawk. “Nothing like taking the bull by the horns.”

“If anyone is around, I certainly mean to put in a bid.” Riley kept his gaze focused on the house.

There didn’t seem to be anyone around. Then he saw a young girl walking around the outside of the house. His mouth dropped open just a bit. He gaped. Thought for a second he might drool. He stared. His heart skipped a beat at the breathtaking sight dazzling him. Cameron and Hawk did the same.

“Beautiful,” Hawk whispered in seeming awe.

She was beautiful, her features delicately created. Her cheekbones were high, her lips full. A pert little nose gave her a fairy-like air. When she looked up, she gasped then turned as if she meant to run from the men.

“Wait!” Riley called out slipping from his horse in the vague hope he wouldn’t intimidate her. “I don’t mean harm. Just want to speak with someone, with the man who owns the property.”

She stopped, eyeing him critically. Her slender shoulders trembled. Despite the fact he told her what he wanted, she still asked. “Who are you. What do you want?”

Her voice wavered on a thin note as she seemed to shift from one foot to the other, her long slender fingers weaving into the fabric of her worn gown.

The girl might be beautiful, nonetheless she was skittish. Obviously, she was afraid of him. “Just asking to see the owner. Is he around? If he is…?”

Riley wished he knew the man’s name who owned this place. He would find out soon, now if she would tell him.

The girl looked to the house then back to him. Trying to be patient, he waited. She swallowed hard. After that she ran the tip of her tongue across her lips. “N-no,” she finally stuttered. “He’s not home. Left for Inverness early this morning.”

“Was that so hard? What is your name? My name is Riley Stuart.”

He stepped toward her, holding out his hand to her, wondering if she was alone here. He assumed if he gave her his name, she might be more forthcoming.

She backed up, her light, silver-blue eyes wide. “M-Maisie.”

“I’m Abraham. What do you want?” His voice harsh, eyes blazing in anger, a tall thin man stepped from around the barn. He strode toward them. “You haven’t been invited onto this property.”

The man was old yet his back was straight and his eyes brilliant beneath white eyebrows that now arched in question. For his age, he was well-muscled. Everything he wore was old…worn, speaking of poverty. Indeed, not only was the home in disrepair the servant as well as the young woman he’d been speaking with were also wearing thread-bare clothing.

With his hands behind his back, Riley decided he needed to proceed with caution. “Just asked to see the owner. Heard he was selling sections of his land. I’m interested in purchasing the entire parcel. Would you have any idea if he would be interested?”

“The manor house is not for sale.” Abraham’s manner was still gruff, his voice harsh. “Don’t know about bits and pieces. If there are parcels up for sale, I haven’t heard anything about that. I’m the head groomsman. Not consulted on the financial details or the buying as well as selling of property. Miss Maisie wouldn’t know either.”

Riley rocked back on the balls of his feet, mulling over what the man told him. He needed to discover who owned this land he coveted. “Do you ken when the owner will be back?” He noticed with some amusement that the girl vanished. He was right. She was shy, beyond shy.

“No, he doesn’t tell me about his comings and goings either. All I know is that his carriage is gone. Probably in Inverness. That’s his usual destination.”

So far, he was hitting one dead end after another. “Well, when you see him again, tell him that Riley Stuart came to call. That I’m interested in buying the land, the house, everything… What is the owners name?” Riley waved his arm to encompass the entire place disbelieving the man would tell the owner anything.

“If I remember,” Abraham said softly, giving Riley the distinct impression, he would never convey the message. Didn’t seem he would apprise him of the owner’s name either. “Best you and your friends get yourselves gone.”

“Thanks,” Riley said begrudgingly before leaping onto his horse realizing he achieved nothing by stopping here except the delay of an afternoon of pleasure. Once again, restlessness took over his being. He spurred his horse forward, rode hard then slowed the gait recognizing his horse was winded. Abusing a horse because of his ill-temper was not something he intended. Easing back on the reins, he went over the details of the brief meeting.

Maisie was the girl’s name. She was beautiful. He didn’t feel the draw he expected. Indeed, she could never be the reason this country manor house called to him. Something about this home filled him with a blinding desire to own. He didn’t understand the emotion. Didn’t assume the hunger had anything to do with discovering his mate. His breath centered hard in his lungs as Riley willed himself to breathe deeply.

“This home mean something to you?” Hawk asked as he rode up beside him. “Thought the girl interesting. If you don’t mind, I’d like to pay her a call before I return to my home in Selkirk. Something about her…”

Riley looked back toward that old rutted out road as well as the dilapidated old house assuming for a moment he was as daft as his older brother. For several seconds he could do nothing except shake his head.

“The girl means nothing to me,” Riley said appreciating how much truth there was in his words. “It is not the girl who draws me to the manor.”

“Good, I’m pleased at that,” Hawk looked back down the road. “Possibly tomorrow I’ll ride back out here.”

“You’ll have to sneak up on her.” Cameron laughed seeming to imagine that both of them had gone mad.

“Back to the house, don’t know why I’m so interested, but yes, I want the home. Thought it might be the young woman. It wasn’t. There is, however, something very powerful here calling to all my senses. I mean to discover the identity of the man who owns this place.”

“That sixth sense we all have kicking in for you,” Cameron asked lightheartedly. “Think we should go for a swim in the loch, cool off all those sixth sense sensations the two of you are feeling at the moment. Lust for a beautiful woman can be all consuming. We’ve done enough gambling today on what might be as well as what might not be.”

“Shift then swim,” Hawk said once again in a laughing mood appearing to forget the beautiful woman they encountered earlier. “We can take turns while one of us stands guard.”

“Saw the way you were looking at the girl. What was her name?” Cameron asked looking pointedly at Hawk.

“Maisie. She intrigues me more than any woman I’ve ever seen. She is so delicate. I’ve never been attracted to fragile women. Wonder what it is about her. She haunts me though I don’t even know her,” Hawk admitted albeit seeming to begrudge the emotion. “As Riley said she is beautiful, delicate…perfect. Most likely what I’m feeling is centered in my loins. Pure lust.”

“Very shy,” Riley agreed good naturedly. “Not exactly your type. Doubt if she’d allow you to seduce her then leave her. Doubt if she’ll let you touch her.” Riley remembered Leah, Houston’s mate. His oldest brother seduced her then left her alone to suffer the consequences of a pregnancy. Houston usually behaved better than that.

Hawk hooted with laughter seeming to forget the woman, “Didn’t know I had a type of woman. Thought I loved all of the female persuasion.”

Riley lifted his shoulders in a half-hearted shrug thinking on all they’d said. “We all think we don’t have a certain kind of woman we are attracted to. Somehow our mates sometimes belie the fact and we end up with someone completely foreign to what we assume we are looking for.” He admitted that there were certain types of women he was attracted to more than others. Shapley, curvaceous, usually large breasts that would overflow his hands. Wide of hip, willing to give generously of themselves. Passionate. Intriguing. Even feisty willing to challenge him. For some reason, he found himself suddenly struck with the notion his mate might not be anything like the woman he imagined.

As beautiful as Maisie was, she didn’t attract him. She was delicate, fragile. Cautious. Shy. Riley didn’t think that was why. He admitted to himself he didn’t want any woman to shy away from him or fear him. Maisie was definitely afraid when she refused to look into his eyes for that brief moment he challenged her to do so. She held herself back, aloof. Nonetheless, the coldness wasn’t arrogance or the belief she was better than others. Riley had known his share of women who were just that way, imagining themselves better than other people.

Moments later, the loch loomed in front of them; crystal clear water, cold, inviting on this hot day. He didn’t have to close his eyes to imagine the delights waiting in the depths. Perhaps the frigid water would wash away the edginess consuming him the restlessness of his soul.

“You and Cameron go first. Believe I’d like to take a few moments to recall the young lady we encountered on our ride here,” Hawk said as he found a place on the cliff to sit where he could see for miles around. “I’ll whistle if I see anything.”

Hawk sat back apparently in thought, his dark brows furrowed.

Riley assumed Hawk would continue thinking about the girl, Maisie, until he could orchestrate a meeting. Such a tete-a-tete would not be easy. A small chuckle left his lips. Hawk seemed consumed by the girl. Hawk was older than all but Houston. He’d waited a long time to find his woman. Riley hoped Maisie was the one and that she wouldn’t be afraid to accept him into her life. Hawk would have to do a lot of sweet-talking in order to ease the young woman’s shy ways. She wasn’t very old. Maybe she wasn’t even of marriageable age. That was a dastardly thought. Hawk would have to wait even longer.

Cameron along with Riley disrobed then shifted. Stretching out over the water, they both plunged into the clear depths. Riley swam underwater until his lungs burned then he burst to the surface gulping in a huge breath of air. The two frolicked in the water, wrestling, testing each other’s strength as well as endurance. Finally, Riley swam to the shore leaving Cameron paddling to the opposite side. He shouldn’t go too far. It was still dangerous. Ah, but he could duck underwater, shift then swim back naked to retrieve his clothing. That would not be difficult to believe. Who, after all, would swim in their clothing?

Riley, still in his cat form stretched out on the rocks, his head resting on his paws. It was silent acknowledgement that it was now Hawk’s turn to swim. No one, no Sassenach showed up to ruin the day. They spent the next few hours at the loch frolicking as if they were still young boys with no cares in the world. The sun began to descend, shadows lengthening as all three men absorbed the heat of the sun on their black fur. Several hours passed before they decided to return to town.

It was with great reluctance that the they shifted back to their human form then donned their clothing. Riley meant to return to the gaming house after he bathed and changed. Given time, he would learn all that he wished to know. There were questions he could ask. Knowledge to be learned at that place of business.

“I’m going to watch the sun go down,” Riley mentioned still unwilling to ride back to Inverness even though he did have plans for the evening. At the moment, he had many things to go over in his head. He needed to be alone.

“Isn’t that something you should be doing with a wee lassie?” Cameron chuckled as he buttoned his shirt then tucked the tails into his breeches.

“If I possessed a wee lassie, I believe that would be preferable to the likes of you,” Riley barked his laughter, suddenly feeling better than he had all day. He would know her when he saw her. He was certain of that fact.

His mate was close.

In time he would find her.

Patience along with the necessary time would eventually bring her to him. He grinned. “Perhaps we should return before the time grows so late. We will be riding in the dark. Don’t need to watch a sunset.”

“Good idea. I’d like to see if the little lady in the gambling hall will partner with me tonight,” Cameron voice grew husky when he spoke. “Should have asked for her name.”

By the look of relief on Cameron’s face, Riley needed to laugh again. “Well, we know your type, Cameron.”

“Believe for the Fraser lad, any willing woman will do,” Hawk was laughing too. “For me, I’d like to find a way to see Maisie. Doubt if Abraham will agree that speaking to her would be a grand idea. Next time he’ll most likely meet me with a pitchfork.”

“You like Maisie?” Riley looked long and hard at Hawk searching his face for the truth. “You think she is the one?”

Hawk lifted his broad shoulders in a light shrug. “Let’s just say I sense something about her that I haven’t with any other women. Have the feeling though she isn’t easy to get to know. At the moment, she seems too young for a wife. Women grow up. I can wait.”

“How old do you think she is? Looks can always be deceiving. The lady wore no makeup, her hair was left undone to fall artlessly around her shoulders. If she were decked out in the finest of fashions her hair styled, she might appear older.” Cameron laughed softly, seeming to see the humor of the day.

“I’m hoping at least seventeen,” Hawk admitted as he mounted his horse.

“Should we ride back down the lane and find out? You could ask Abraham. I’m certain he would be more than willing to tell you anything you might like to hear,” Cameron asked as he pulled out a flask of whiskey. He drank from the flask before handing the whiskey to Riley.

The three men shared as they rode past the driveway. Hawk stared down the drive as if he wanted to see the woman. She wasn’t there. Even if she appeared, if she saw them, she would have disappeared into the house.