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“I can see your reasoning,” she went on, s the cloth so that she did not have to look at him “You want Glen Dhui, and in this way you can have it A painless exchange of land ownership No fighting, no bloodshed A stroke of the pen, and you are laird again And my father will be happy This eases his conscience, and he is fond of you You are like the son he never had So, you can be the Laird of Glen Dhui once more All sewn up very neatly, all the loose threads tied off Everyone will be happy”

“You, too, Meg You will be safe froht, then I will protect you That is part of the bargain, and I will honor it, I will fight for you, be in no doubt”

“Do you really think that is all that concernsthe cloth of her skirt “How can I trust you, or anything you say? Can you not see that everything is open to question, now that I know your true aim?”

“My true aim?”

“To have Glen Dhui back All your words, all your…your kisses You are no different from the others, Captain Grant”

Ah, so her sensibilities were hurt She believed he had attempted to seduce her for his own ends He remembered how she had spoken once of the suitors who had been e They had swar at love No wonder she was suspicious No wonder she found it almost impossible to believe that any man could want her for herself That any man could see past her father’sMackintosh

And she believed him no better than those other ht him a predatory creature who kissed her for no other reason than to gain her trust, and manipulate her to his own ends

Her pain reached out to hi out what caution was left

“Tell your father that I will sign a docu If I marry you, the land stays with you”

He blurted the words out Even as he spoke the at hied to hiive away all that should be his, just to soothe Meg’s feelings?

At least he had made her look up

Shock caused her freckles to stand out on her white face, and her lips parted to show that enchanting gap between her teeth In another moment she had masked it, her pale eyes full of a fierce concentration, as if she were trying very hard not to let him see inside

“The people would still believe you their laird, whatever docuned”

“But you and I would know the truth, Meg,” he insisted “Isna that what counts?”

He had her He could see the wavering in her eyes now, the confusion She had never expected him to do this How could she, when he had not expected it hior wondered bitterly, that he could not resist playing the hero? It see feminine lip into a smile, and to dry a wo, and she was special