Elaine Coffman - [MacKinnon 04] by So This is Love Page B

desire for success and fortune. He’s one of the wealthiest men in
California, with vast timber holdings. But he doesn’t know beans from buckshot
when it comes to women, and that’s a fact.”
    “Darling, don’t frighten Maggie with comments like that.
Leave Adrian’s letters with her. Let her read them, as I have.” Annabella
leaned forward, the vivid green of her dress bringing out the rich black of her
hair as the firelight danced across it. Looking at his wife, Ross forgot what
he was about to say. How different her rich raven’s coloring was from Maggie’s
wood thrush red and brown. When Maggie glanced at him, he thought, She does
have the loveliest eyes —a point he reminded himself to mention in his
letter to Adrian.
    There were also a few other things he reminded himself not to mention, namely Maggie’s marriage and her children. That wasn’t a decision
Ross had reached easily. It was only after much thought that he had decided to
withhold the information from Adrian. It wasn’t as if Ross was trying to
represent Maggie as something she wasn’t. It was simply that Ross knew Adrian,
and he knew the fact that Maggie had been married before—married and borne
children—would not sit too well with his brother, at least not at first. There
was little doubt in Ross’ mind that Adrian had envisioned a woman who had never
been married when he wrote his letter, and that was understandable. Not many
men would consider being married—for the first time—to a widow with children,
that is, unless he had fallen in love with her. And that was what Ross
was banking on.
    Ross knew that even as a boy growing up, Adrian had always
felt he was in second place, running just a little behind his twin, the more
sociable, outgoing Alex. As he reached manhood, it became apparent that Adrian
was the ambitious one, the one determined to show the world that he could, and
would, master his past. And he had done just that. Over the years, Ross had
seen, through Adrian’s letters, that Adrian was a man who expected and accepted
only the best of the best. It was only a hunch, but a strong one, that made
Ross feel that Adrian wouldn’t be so much upset over the fact that Maggie had
been married before as he would be to discover he had, once again, come in
second.
    Only last night, he had lain in bed, talking to Annabella,
who was, at first, shocked to hear Ross would even consider such deception.
After a lengthy discussion, Annabella said, “I suppose you’re right, but I
can’t help worrying about Maggie. What do you think will happen if Adrian finds
out about her before he falls in love with her?”
    “He will know what he has in Maggie the moment he meets
her.”
    “You aren’t answering my question.”
    Ross chuckled. “He won’t shoot her, if that’s what you
mean.”
    “It’s not, and you know it. Now, do be serious, Ross. This
is, after all, Maggie’s future we are discussing.”
    “You’re right, love,” Ross said, then with a serious tone,
he added, “Adrian will be disappointed, and even quite angry, when he learns of
her past, but he’s no fool. It won’t take him long to realize he could never
find a woman to compare with Maggie—married or not.” Ross rolled over in the
bed and kissed Annabella. “Besides, it’s me Adrian will be angry with.
Now, if I was there, he would probably choose pistols at ten paces, but I won’t
be there, and my brother isn’t a cruel man. He will know Maggie is innocent of
all this.”
    Annabella lifted a skeptical brow. “Are you so certain?”
    “Aye. Certain enough to put your pretty mind at ease. I
promise I will write Adrian—in due time, of course—and I will confess, fully,
to my sins of omission. Satisfied?”
    “Only if you let me read the letter first.” Annabella
frowned. “I don’t know,” she said. “Perhaps you should at least tell Maggie.”
    “No. I’ve thought about that, but I’ve decided it would be
best to keep Maggie in the dark about