To Catch a Highlander by Karen Hawkins

warm hands about her neck.
    Her heart thundered her lips parted. He stepped back, the backs of his fingers grazing her breast as the necklace slid loose from her neck to drop into his hand.
    He tucked the necklace into his pocket. "I believe this is mine."
    Sophia's euphoria evaporated in an instant. "I forgot I was wearing your necklace."
    He lifted his brows. "It's not an issue now." He walked to the door and swung it open. "Shall I escort you to your room?"
    Ha! As if she'd allow him. She lifted her chin and sailed past. "No, thank you," she said over her shoulder. "I know the way quite well."
    He followed, his boots loud on the stairs behind her. "I merely thought to enjoy your company a few moments more."
    She halted on the top step, forcing her lips into a smile. "I don't think I could handle any more enjoyment this evening."
    He grinned, his eyes twinkling wickedly. "Very well. I suppose it's too much to ask for that tour of the house in the morning?"
    "I thought we'd take a look at the lands first and then the house later in the afternoon. It will be easier on the horses if we ride when it is cooler."
    "Until morning, then." He gave her a long look of triumph, amusement, and something else that left her strangely breathless. "Good night, Sophia."
    A moment later, she was standing alone in the hallway, looking at his closed door.
    ----
Chapter Seven

     
    The moment ye think ye've got a man tight in the palm o' yer hand, he'll slip out 'twixt yer fingers and leave ye wonderin' what happened.
    Old Woman Nora from Loch Lomond to her three wee granddaughters one cold evening
     
    "MacLean did
what
?" Red struggled to sit upright in bed.
    It was early the next morning, and Sophia sat with her father in his bedchamber. She picked up the laudanum bottle and uncorked it. "Yes, MacLean did exactly that. And would have smacked his lips the entire time, if he'd been less well bred."
    "That—that—that—" Red sputtered, his white nightcap slipping to one side. He forcefully plopped it back in place. "And he seemed like such a refined fellow!"
    Sophia picked up a spoon from the side table and filled it with laudanum. "I was shocked, too."
    Red eyed the spoon of laudanum. Every time he moved, he winced, but except for that, he was fine. "I don't want any laudanum. A man can't think when he's dosed up with that stuff."
    "You had two spoonfuls last night, which is why you were so muddled. The doctor said you'd only need one today."
    "I won't have any." Red sent her a hard glance. "Tell me more about MacLean. I still can't believe that he—lass, are you certain? He couldn't have eaten that horrid soup!"
    "He did, and he even pretended to like it."
    "Pretended?"
    "No one could have liked that meal." She wrinkled her nose. "Mary was mortified."
    "Mary can be mortified all she wishes; we can't have MacLean da—"
    Sophia slipped the spoon into his mouth and dumped the contents.
    Red choked, his face contorting, and he looked around wildly.
    "Do
not
spit that out."
    He glared at her, and after what appeared and sounded like a heroic effort, he swallowed the laudanum. "Blech! There! I hope ye're happy!" He grabbed up a hand cloth and began rubbing his tongue vigorously.
    She calmly replaced the spoon and recorked the bottle. "As I was saying, MacLean swore that he liked every dish at dinner, even the turnips. They were so hard it almost broke my knife to cut one."
    "Hm. That's very odd, it is." Red's sharp gaze rested on her face. "What about after dinner? Was he willing to play cards?"
    Sophia began to clean the small table beside the bed. "Yes. We played for Mother's necklace."
    Red rubbed his hands together. "I knew you could handle him, Sophie! You'll have him eating out of your hand in no time. You let him win, didn't you?"
    "Let" wasn't quite how she'd put it. She
should
have "let" him win, but she hadn't been able to fight off a tremendously competitive impulse, one that had surprised her. "Of course he won. He was quite pleased