A Highland Folly Read Online Free PDF Page B

maid, who seemed to spend more time in the kitchens flirting with the lads than here. “Lucais, this is my cousin Neilli Kinloch. She—”
    â€œGood afternoon, Miss Kinloch,” he said in the terse tone he had used when they first had spoken on the hillside.
    That astounded her at first, because Neilli was a striking blonde of a rare height with voluptuous curves to match. Any lad in the valley would have been pleased to wed her, but she was interested solely in a match that would advance her prestige and mayhap gain her that London Season that her brother had no interest in.
    Anice understood Lucais’s tone when she saw the frowns on her family’s faces. “Thank you, Lucais,” she replied. “Thank you for bringing me safely home. I know you are busy.”
    â€œBusy ruining our valley,” came a rumble from the family by the door.
    Lucais seemed not to hear it as he bowed toward her. “My pleasure, my lady. I bid you good afternoon as well.”
    â€œGood afternoon.” She slowly stood, her hand on the arm on the settee as he turned to go.
    For a moment she thought her cousins would not step aside to let Lucais take his leave without creating some sort of uproar. Then, slowly, one, then another edged away from the door. Only when she saw him striding across the lawns beneath the room’s large window did she lower herself back onto the settee with a heartfelt sigh.
    â€œWhat happened, Anice?” several people asked at once.
    Her quick explanation sent her male cousins running out of the room, each determined to be the first to find the witless gunman. The heavy sounds of their footfalls and their eager shouts sent more pain through her head.
    Neilli came to kneel by the settee. “Anice, you are hurt.”
    â€œI bumped my head when we tried to avoid being shot.”
    â€œLet me have a bath brought for you, so you can get clean and rest.”
    â€œYes, that’s a good idea.”
    Neilli’s dark brown eyes narrowed. “A far better idea than bringing one of those English road engineers into Ardkinloch.”
    â€œI could hardly stop him when he was being a gentleman, could I?”
    â€œMayhap not, but you must make sure he finds no welcome here again.”
    â€œWhat makes you think he will be coming here again?”
    â€œHe will want to be certain that you are recovering well.”
    â€œI can assure him of that with a message to the road camp.”
    â€œWhen you send them on their way from Killiebige?”
    â€œNeilli, my head aches too much to think of anything but that bath at the moment.”
    Instantly apologetic, Neilli rushed to see what was delaying Fenella. Behind her, Anice swallowed her groan. Lucais MacFarlane was going to be even more trouble than she had guessed.

Three
    Neilli dropped across the bed and stared at Anice, who was unwinding the bandaging from around her head. Wiggling her feet that were hanging off the side of the bed, Neilli said, “That bruise looks better, Anice.”
    â€œIt does.” She peered into the glass, glad to see that the swelling had eased. Last night, the lump on her forehead had seemed to be the size of her fist. Now, although it was still an angry shade, the bump had almost vanished. She wished she could say the same about the searing pain in her hand. Gently, she touched her palm.
    â€œIf you would take the potion Mam made for you,” Neilli said in the stern tone she borrowed from her mother, “you would not be hurting so badly.”
    â€œWhen there is someone firing so thoughtlessly on the hill, we all must be at our most alert.” She turned cautiously and sat on the chair beside the glass. Her knees still had an odd inclination to wobble on every motion.
    â€œYou know you were not the target.”
    â€œI hope not.”
    â€œâ€™Twas that road engineer. They have brought nothing but trouble here.”
    Anice folded her hands in her lap.