That was why his cruelty burned as deeply as it did. He meant what he said the morning of their wedding. Every word of it burned its way onto her heart, cauterizing it into an organ that no longer bled.
The quiet threesome made their way to a large, three-story stone and block house that, aside from the modern windows, could have been built in the 1600s. “This is new Kilmartin House?” Daisy asked.
“Aye. It is,” came Merry’s reply.
“Is there an old Kilmartin House?”
“There is,” Merry said, sounding amused and so cheerful, Daisy smiled with her. Merry nodded toward the tree-covered hill behind the house. “It’s up there, but it’s all in ruins now. I’ll take you there later, if you’d like.”
“I’d like that very much. Lauren may want to do some filming there if the ruins have a story attached to them.”
“Oh, there’s a story to be had, that’s for certain. Whether the MacBain will like it or not, well, that’s another cup o’ tea all together.”
Daisy let that go. She had enough to focus on learning all she could about the ancient cairns, stone burial mounds in the glen that predated the pyramids. Dolmens, standing stones, and stone circles also peppered the countryside, making it one of the richest areas of Scotland to find ancient structures and spiritual places of the Celts.
Merry led the way up the stone steps to the massive wooden door. No wonder the key was so big—the lock was enormous. Merry motioned Daisy up to open the door. She got a chill when she walked through. A fleeting memory came with the chill, then the déjà vu feeling left as quickly as it came. The house was cool. Probably all that stone.
Being the last one in, Magnus shut the door as Merry called out a greeting. “Are ye’ decent, MacBain? You’ve company, laird.”
Her words bordered on rude, but Mary’s tone was filled with laughter, so it was hard to take offense. That wouldn’t stop Lauren from feeling offended. He was way too rigidly polite for the kind of easy familiarity Merry seemed to wrap everyone else she met in.
Lauren walked into the large foyer lit in rainbow colors. The sun shone through the vividly colored stained-glass panels of various Scottish clan badges and totem animals, along with other symbols Daisy wasn’t immediately familiar with. He looked as put together as always, refreshed even, although he couldn’t have been there very long.
Lauren was dressed casually in a starched, long-sleeve French blue dress shirt, tucked into perfectly pressed khaki pants with edges so clean they could cut paper, lightweight worsted wool navy blazer with four gold buttons at the cuff, and soft hand-sewn black Italian oxfords. His nod to casual was the two open buttons at his collar. Daisy hadn’t seen Lauren dressed this casual in years. That alone was surprising.
The look on his face was downright shocking. Lauren was smiling. Full-face smiling. He looked years younger and strikingly handsome—Brad Pitt handsome. Daisy looked from Lauren to Magnus, who’d dropped his duffle and was staring at Lauren as if he’d grown a third eye, and back to Lauren.
Yep. Still smiling. With eyes only for Merry Peacock.
Daisy took a step back, closer to Magnus. If lightning struck, she didn’t want to be too close to Lauren and Merry. Daisy reached down and took Magnus’ hand in hers, in case they had to make a run for it. He didn’t pull away. His fingers closed around hers, but his gaze never left Merry and Lauren.
Merry put one hand on a well-rounded hip and smiled up at Lauren. It was a saucy smile that oozed a Mae West kind of sex appeal. “Well if it isn’t the laird of the manor, Mr. Starched and Perpetually Pedantic himself. Good to see you again, your royal pain in the arseness.” She curtsied.
Daisy closed her eyes, waiting for fireworks that didn’t come. When she peeked through one eye, she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Lauren had gone from smiling to full-fledged
The quiet threesome made their way to a large, three-story stone and block house that, aside from the modern windows, could have been built in the 1600s. “This is new Kilmartin House?” Daisy asked.
“Aye. It is,” came Merry’s reply.
“Is there an old Kilmartin House?”
“There is,” Merry said, sounding amused and so cheerful, Daisy smiled with her. Merry nodded toward the tree-covered hill behind the house. “It’s up there, but it’s all in ruins now. I’ll take you there later, if you’d like.”
“I’d like that very much. Lauren may want to do some filming there if the ruins have a story attached to them.”
“Oh, there’s a story to be had, that’s for certain. Whether the MacBain will like it or not, well, that’s another cup o’ tea all together.”
Daisy let that go. She had enough to focus on learning all she could about the ancient cairns, stone burial mounds in the glen that predated the pyramids. Dolmens, standing stones, and stone circles also peppered the countryside, making it one of the richest areas of Scotland to find ancient structures and spiritual places of the Celts.
Merry led the way up the stone steps to the massive wooden door. No wonder the key was so big—the lock was enormous. Merry motioned Daisy up to open the door. She got a chill when she walked through. A fleeting memory came with the chill, then the déjà vu feeling left as quickly as it came. The house was cool. Probably all that stone.
Being the last one in, Magnus shut the door as Merry called out a greeting. “Are ye’ decent, MacBain? You’ve company, laird.”
Her words bordered on rude, but Mary’s tone was filled with laughter, so it was hard to take offense. That wouldn’t stop Lauren from feeling offended. He was way too rigidly polite for the kind of easy familiarity Merry seemed to wrap everyone else she met in.
Lauren walked into the large foyer lit in rainbow colors. The sun shone through the vividly colored stained-glass panels of various Scottish clan badges and totem animals, along with other symbols Daisy wasn’t immediately familiar with. He looked as put together as always, refreshed even, although he couldn’t have been there very long.
Lauren was dressed casually in a starched, long-sleeve French blue dress shirt, tucked into perfectly pressed khaki pants with edges so clean they could cut paper, lightweight worsted wool navy blazer with four gold buttons at the cuff, and soft hand-sewn black Italian oxfords. His nod to casual was the two open buttons at his collar. Daisy hadn’t seen Lauren dressed this casual in years. That alone was surprising.
The look on his face was downright shocking. Lauren was smiling. Full-face smiling. He looked years younger and strikingly handsome—Brad Pitt handsome. Daisy looked from Lauren to Magnus, who’d dropped his duffle and was staring at Lauren as if he’d grown a third eye, and back to Lauren.
Yep. Still smiling. With eyes only for Merry Peacock.
Daisy took a step back, closer to Magnus. If lightning struck, she didn’t want to be too close to Lauren and Merry. Daisy reached down and took Magnus’ hand in hers, in case they had to make a run for it. He didn’t pull away. His fingers closed around hers, but his gaze never left Merry and Lauren.
Merry put one hand on a well-rounded hip and smiled up at Lauren. It was a saucy smile that oozed a Mae West kind of sex appeal. “Well if it isn’t the laird of the manor, Mr. Starched and Perpetually Pedantic himself. Good to see you again, your royal pain in the arseness.” She curtsied.
Daisy closed her eyes, waiting for fireworks that didn’t come. When she peeked through one eye, she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Lauren had gone from smiling to full-fledged
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