My Heart's in the Highlands by Angeline Fortin (ebook reader screen TXT) 📕

Given the enormity of his new position andsituation and all that it entailed, Ian had been glad to see hergo. He had enough responsibility to bear without feeling as if hehad robbed another of their birthright. Nash had assured him thathis direct male lineage trumped Daphne Kennedy’s maternal link tothe title.

Since then, Ian had put the entire matterfrom his mind to focus on his new obligations. Given that Daphnehad thundered away vowing never to speak to him again, Ian had towonder what brought her to Cuilean now. “What did you want to speakwith me about, Miss Kennedy?”

“Is there somewhere private we can talk?” sheasked with a fiery look in her eyes that made Ian wary.

Nodding tightly, Ian offered her his arm andled her from the room, pausing at the duke’s chair. “You’ll be allright then, Harry?”

“More than all right, sir!” the duke assuredhim. “I’m about to take this young man for all he’s worth!”

A calculating expression replaced Kennedy’snormally cheerful one. “We shall see, your grace.”

“Best of luck to you both,” Ian said andcontinued from the room.

His study was just down the hall from thedining room at the rear of the castle with a small windowoverlooking the firth. The room was cast in deep shadows when theyarrived, lit by only one gas sconce. It looked entirely toointimate for Ian’s taste. When he and Hero had spent hours poringover the estate ledgers, he hadn’t minded the cozy ambiance at all.But now …

Leaving Daphne at the door, Ian rounded theroom, turning all the wall sconces up and returning the room to amore businesslike atmosphere. “So, what can I do for you,Daphne?”

“Can we sit, my lord?” she asked, moving tothe one small settee in the room, where she sat and patted thespace next to her invitingly.

Ian opted for leaning against the front ofhis desk. He crossed his arms over his chest and raised a brow.

“You’re still angry with me,” Daphne saidwith a pretty pout. “Please, my lord, you must forgive my actions.They were rash, emotional! You do have to admit, you gave me quitea surprise on your arrival.”

Not wanting to rehash what had been littlemore than an awful mess best forgotten, Ian conceded the point witha nod of his head.

Daphne smiled at that. “I’m so glad we canforgive and forget. I do so love Cuilean, you know. I just alwaysimagined that I would live here someday.”

“I am sorry that …”

“But wait, my lord!” Daphne interrupted,rising to her feet and moving forward until she was just an arm’slength away. “Before you say anything else, I just wanted to tellyou why I came. I’ve had the most wonderful idea!”

“You have?”

“Yes, I think that there is a way we can bothhave what we want from life.”

Ian raised an inquiring brow at that,wondering how this woman might possibly believe that she knew whathe wanted from life. For a long while, he had wanted nothing morethan to serve in the military. He had wanted to show his commitmentto Scotland and his Queen by doing so. Nash had changed all of thatwhen he’d taken Ian from Greece and supplanted him at Dùn Cuilean.No longer was life about what he wanted to do but what he mustdo.

Want and desire had been removed from hisgrasp … until Hero Conagham had come into his life.

“I think we should marry.”

With a blink, Ian gave his attention to hisguest once more. Surely, he hadn’t heard her correctly. “I beg yourpardon?”

“It’s a wonderful idea, don’t you think? Iwould be marchioness, just as I was always meant to be, and youwould have an accomplished wife to bear you the next marquis,” shefinished triumphantly, waiting for his response.

Ian looked at Daphne. She was a beautifullass with her strong facial features, wide sensuous mouth, andflashing green eyes. Her hair was a vivid red that suggestedstrongly at a passionate nature. Her figure was bountiful but trim.She would probably be a pleasing handful in bed. He could see thatDaphne was well aware of her physical appeal and of her cachet as apotential bride. Logically, there was no reason for her to doubtthat her proposal would be prized and accepted.

However, what Ian had told Hero wasn’t merelip service. He had known many extremely lovely women in his life.As an officer in the Queen’s army, he had been the object ofadoration for women of every walk of life, from ladies tomilkmaids.

Beauty was an attractive quality but itwasn’t everything. It wasn’t enough to bring Ian to his knees insubjugation before even the bonniest lass. For that reason, he’donce resolved never to marry. Never to be bound in a union thatwould wilt as that beauty faded.

Lately, however, Ian had come to realize thatthere were some things that would not fade. That beyond beauty anddesire, there might be something more profound.

“With my apologies, Miss Kennedy, I mustdecline,” he finally answered politely.

But, as he had suspected, Daphne was a lasswho was very certain of herself and her appeal. She had neverconsidered that her proposal would be rejected. A frown appearedand smoothed within seconds before it was replaced by a coy smile.“But, my lord,” she protested, taking another step forward untilshe was toe to toe with him. She ran her warm palms up hisshirtfront, eyeing him seductively from beneath her thick lashes asshe pressed her breasts against his chest. “A union between uswould be most … advantageous.”

Ian caught her wrists and held her away fromhim, wishing that Harry might appear for one of his usuallyinopportune interruptions, but wasn’t to be so blessed. “I’m sorry,Miss Kennedy, but I have given you my answer.”

All pretense fled Daphne’s face. “Whynot?”

“I don’t consider marriage a businessarrangement,” Ian prevaricated as he released her. The reason wastrue enough but it wasn’t the whole of it. However, there waslittle more he was willing to admit to Daphne Kennedy.

“This doesn’t have to be a businessarrangement,” Daphne argued, running her hands along his ribcage.“We could do well together, I think. Give me a chance to prove itto you.”

“Miss Kennedy, I truly do not anticipatechanging my mind on this.” Ian straightened away from the desk andtugged on his