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

me, my love,” he assuredher. Beaumont cleared his throat impatiently, and Ian threw him anexasperated glance. Turning back to Hero, Ian searched her wideeyes for some encouragement, but her usually vivid eyes were almostglassy with shock.

This was certainly not how he had envisionedthis moment.

Taking her hand between his, Ian smiled downat her. “I know these last couple of days have not allowed us anopportunity to speak of what I said in the caves. It might havebeen rash and unexpected but I do not regret saying it. I love you,sweet Hero. I know that our time has been short. I know some mightthink me insane, but I do, and you have said you love me as well…”

“When did this all happen?” Beaumontinterjected, but Ian just cast him another, more impatient, lookand the duke subsided, taking a step back and waving imperiouslyfor Ian to continue.

“I didn’t intend to do this under thesecircumstances … or with an audience.” A grin lifted the corner ofIan’s lips. “But I did intend to do it. It is the right thing todo.”

Hero knew that he didn’t mean only that itwas the right thing to save her honor but that it was also theright thing for them both overall. As if he knew that this hadalways been the inevitable outcome of their meeting. Still, she wasstill flabbergasted by his announcement. “I’m just sosurprised!”

“In my experience, doing the right thingusually has the tendency to astound some while it gratifiesothers,” her father intoned solemnly. “I am, of course, one of thegratified.”

“Harry, please,” Ian said with exasperation,“I can take it from here.”

The duke raised both hands defensively,taking another step away, but leaned in quickly once again to add,“You do have my permission to kiss her now, though … should itbecome necessary.”

“Thank you, Harry,” Ian said, and shook hishead as the duke walked away, smiling benignly.

Turning back to Hero, he saw that herwide-eyed expression was still firmly in place. “What say you, mylove? Are you going to keep me on pins and needles?”

“I’m just so …”

“Surprised. I know.” Ian grinned down at herthough some doubts had begun to worm their way inside. Not doubtthat she loved him, but doubt as to whether that love extrapolatedin her mind as it did in his. Into a life shared. Ian had neverbeen one lacking in confidence. He had spent a large portion of hislife literally standing in the line of fire. What was it about thiswoman that cast him into doubt?

Ian knew the answer even as he questionedhimself. It was because more than his life was riding on heranswer. It was something he had never known he could desire somuch, need so much. Hero might carry him to the highest mountainwith the joy of an affirmative answer, but a negative one …

“It is too soon,” he said, turning away.

“No! No!” Hero protested, grabbing him by thearm to turn him back. “I’m sorry, Ian! You did just take me by … Ijust never thought that you might … that you truly … oh!” Herothrew her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his.

Ian hesitated, but the heat of her kissrapidly dissolved his dismay and he wrapped his arms around herwaist, lifting Hero until her toes were off the ground.

“No pins,” she whispered against his lips.“No needles. I would love to be your wife. Everyone will think usmad, to be sure.”

“They can think as they please,” Ian said,then whispered more softly in her ear. “Should a hasty marriagealso find me as speedily in your bed, I can only wonder why I didnot think to compromise you earlier.”

“You were courting me, remember?” Hero teasedwith a smile, then her eyes widened with wonder. “Oh, you actuallywere courting me, weren’t you?”

Ian rolled his eyes with a mental groan. “Youare a most frustrating woman.”

“You really did intend to ask me all along?”she asked. “You weren’t just saying that?”

“Truly, Hero, how can such a brilliant womanbe so oblivious?”

Hero knew that Ian meant his mocking words asa jest, and while they did not sting with insult they did hurtafter a fashion. Pulling away from him, she leaned against the railoverlooking the stream, not seeing the dreamlike haven created bythe hanging willows and summer moss but the ballrooms of yearspast. “When you look at me, Ian, what do you see?” she asked softlywithout looking back.

“Is this a trick question?” Ian asked, andHero could tell by his tone alone that the crow’s feet by his eyeswould be just a fraction deeper, that his eyes would be aglow withlight humor, and the corner of his mouth would be lifted just anotch. There was just that touch of amusement that disguised atrace of concern.

Glancing from the corner of her eye, she sawit there just as she had suspected, and he must have seen somethingin her as well. He crossed his arms over his broad chest andconsidered her thoughtfully. “I see a lass of astonishing beautyboth on the surface and in her soul. The gold of her hair isoutshone only by her golden heart. I see a woman I desire and lovemore than I had ever dreamed possible.”

Hero’s heart warmed with his words. She knewthat romantic expression was new to Ian. His discomfort whenvoicing what Robert would surely have referred to as nothing buttwaddle painted a clear picture of how often Ian had spoken suchwords in the past. The words emerged in awkward tones but they weremore profound because of that lack of familiarity.

For all that Ian might consider waxing poeticemasculating, or believe that saying what was in his heart made himless of a man, he still said the words, just as he had that nightin the music room, to reassure her as she needed to be.

Little did the male species know that whatseemed to cost them so much enriched a woman even more. That wordsof love and admiration were a gift beyond measure that made many awoman think even more highly of a man.

“Hero?” Ian prompted, recalling her to thetopic at hand.

Staring down into the water below her oncemore, Hero watched her reflection waver