looking for Isabelle,” Mr. MacDonald said, the uncertainty ringing loudly in his tone.
“She’ll be with us in just a moment,” Lucian said as he shut the door behind him and joined Mr. MacDonald outside.
Isabelle smiled as she ran her hands over her wild hair and hastened to put it into a braid to keep it out of her face. Her curiosity got the better of her, and she went to the window and peered at the men through the crack in the shutters.
“Is she all right?” Mr. MacDonald asked.
“She is.”
Mr. MacDonald's eyes narrowed. “You have no’ harmed her, have ye? I might be getting on up in years, but I can still take a man down if need be.”
To give Lucian credit, he didn't laugh. Instead he smiled. “I’ve in no way harmed Isabelle, and as soon as she comes outside, you’ll see that for yourself.”
And then Lucian looked right at her.
Isabelle jerked away from the window and blinked. How could he really have known what she was doing? It troubled her more than the lie she knew she would have to tell Mr. MacDonald.
She walked to the door and found her hand shook as she reached for the handle. Mr. MacDonald's head swiveled to her as soon as she stepped outside. She gave him a smile and was relieved when he returned it.
“Isabelle, lass, we were worried about you,” he said as he came towards her.
“I'm sorry. I was just about to send word to you and Mrs. MacDonald.”
What few gray hairs he had on his head danced in the breeze. Though his face was wrinkled, his eyes still held an intelligent spark in them that said he could see past her lies.
“Just tell me that you're all right,” he said softly. “You're like a daughter to us, lass, and we worry over you.”
Isabelle looked over Mr. MacDonald's shoulder to Lucian, who stood petting Elad. She knew he heard every word. She wasn't afraid of Lucian, and if she asked, she knew he would leave.
She returned her gaze to Mr. MacDonald. “Forgive me. Will you and Mrs. MacDonald be able to handle the tavern today? I need some time to…think.”
He waved away her words. “Of course. We’ve little Timmy. We'll put him to work.”
Isabelle laughed as she thought of Timmy, the baker's son, who was always looking for something to do that would keep him away from the hot ovens. “Thank you.”
For a long moment Mr. MacDonald stared at her. “Be happy,” he said softly and turned on his heel to walk away.
Isabelle watched him go. His parting remark echoed loudly in her head. Happy. What would make her happy? Would staying here working and living in the tavern with the hope of finding a husband do it? She didn't mind the hard work, it was part of life, but the loneliness ate away at her, and Mr. and Mrs. MacDonald were advanced in years. It wouldn't be long before they too left her. Then where would she be?
Happiness. It was something she had always had as long as her grandparents had been there. Up until that moment she hadn't even thought of what would make her happy, and it was a hard question to answer.
Lucian would make you happy .
Would he?
She knew without a doubt that being in his arms and the passion that was so strong between them swayed her. Yet, was it enough for her to throw caution to the wind and leave with him? For all his words and their night together, he was still a stranger.
Chapter Five
Lucian watched Isabelle closely. There was no denying that Mr. MacDonald cared greatly for her and that she returned the emotion. It was a difficult decision she had to make, one that would have to be made very soon. He hated to press her, but he wanted to return to Drahcir as soon as possible.
“Isabelle?”
Her gaze snapped to him. “Everything is all right. I told him I needed some time to think.”
She hadn’t wanted to lie to the old man, so she managed to work it where she hadn't needed to.
“How much time do you need?”
“How much time do I have?”
Lucian stepped away from Elad and walked to
“She’ll be with us in just a moment,” Lucian said as he shut the door behind him and joined Mr. MacDonald outside.
Isabelle smiled as she ran her hands over her wild hair and hastened to put it into a braid to keep it out of her face. Her curiosity got the better of her, and she went to the window and peered at the men through the crack in the shutters.
“Is she all right?” Mr. MacDonald asked.
“She is.”
Mr. MacDonald's eyes narrowed. “You have no’ harmed her, have ye? I might be getting on up in years, but I can still take a man down if need be.”
To give Lucian credit, he didn't laugh. Instead he smiled. “I’ve in no way harmed Isabelle, and as soon as she comes outside, you’ll see that for yourself.”
And then Lucian looked right at her.
Isabelle jerked away from the window and blinked. How could he really have known what she was doing? It troubled her more than the lie she knew she would have to tell Mr. MacDonald.
She walked to the door and found her hand shook as she reached for the handle. Mr. MacDonald's head swiveled to her as soon as she stepped outside. She gave him a smile and was relieved when he returned it.
“Isabelle, lass, we were worried about you,” he said as he came towards her.
“I'm sorry. I was just about to send word to you and Mrs. MacDonald.”
What few gray hairs he had on his head danced in the breeze. Though his face was wrinkled, his eyes still held an intelligent spark in them that said he could see past her lies.
“Just tell me that you're all right,” he said softly. “You're like a daughter to us, lass, and we worry over you.”
Isabelle looked over Mr. MacDonald's shoulder to Lucian, who stood petting Elad. She knew he heard every word. She wasn't afraid of Lucian, and if she asked, she knew he would leave.
She returned her gaze to Mr. MacDonald. “Forgive me. Will you and Mrs. MacDonald be able to handle the tavern today? I need some time to…think.”
He waved away her words. “Of course. We’ve little Timmy. We'll put him to work.”
Isabelle laughed as she thought of Timmy, the baker's son, who was always looking for something to do that would keep him away from the hot ovens. “Thank you.”
For a long moment Mr. MacDonald stared at her. “Be happy,” he said softly and turned on his heel to walk away.
Isabelle watched him go. His parting remark echoed loudly in her head. Happy. What would make her happy? Would staying here working and living in the tavern with the hope of finding a husband do it? She didn't mind the hard work, it was part of life, but the loneliness ate away at her, and Mr. and Mrs. MacDonald were advanced in years. It wouldn't be long before they too left her. Then where would she be?
Happiness. It was something she had always had as long as her grandparents had been there. Up until that moment she hadn't even thought of what would make her happy, and it was a hard question to answer.
Lucian would make you happy .
Would he?
She knew without a doubt that being in his arms and the passion that was so strong between them swayed her. Yet, was it enough for her to throw caution to the wind and leave with him? For all his words and their night together, he was still a stranger.
Chapter Five
Lucian watched Isabelle closely. There was no denying that Mr. MacDonald cared greatly for her and that she returned the emotion. It was a difficult decision she had to make, one that would have to be made very soon. He hated to press her, but he wanted to return to Drahcir as soon as possible.
“Isabelle?”
Her gaze snapped to him. “Everything is all right. I told him I needed some time to think.”
She hadn’t wanted to lie to the old man, so she managed to work it where she hadn't needed to.
“How much time do you need?”
“How much time do I have?”
Lucian stepped away from Elad and walked to
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