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That sort of man?Davina struggled to hold back anotherhen cackle. Handsome, well spoken, with a sparkle in his eye and a dimple in his chin. Aye, she did like that sort of man. Any lass would be daft not to be intrigued by him.
But it was not just his square jaw, heart-melting smile, and handsome face that called to Davina. As an heiress to a small estate, she had on occasion received a small bit of male interest when Joan was otherwise occupied, especially now that she was a marriageable lass of seventeen. But there was something very different about James McKenna.
He had a confidence that she found reassuring rather than arrogant, a gentleness that belied his warrior’s frame and training, a sense of humor that was the most heightened when it was pointed squarely at himself. Though Joan would deny it with her final breath, Davina could well understand her cousin’s jealousy and was even able to summon up the charity to forgive it.
“James is a kind, polite man,” Davina said. “I find him interesting and enjoy being in his company.”
“Ye are spending far too much time with him,” Joan insisted. “Others are starting to talk of it.”
“Nay!”
“’Tis true. I’m only speaking of it to save ye from making any more of a fool out of yerself with this silly infatuation.”
Davina’s lips tightened. “I’m not acting like a fool.”
Joan shrugged. “Ye do know he is only showing interest in ye because he’s heard that yer family keep is part of yer dowry?”
Nay!The second protest sprang to her lips, but Davina remained silent, not wanting her cousin to see how much the words had wounded. For an instant her joy dimmed and the demons of self-doubt crept inside her heart. Was Joan right? Did James have an ulterior motive for showering her with so much attention?
“I cannae believe that a small holding like Torridon Keep would hold much appeal to a McKenna,” Davina said, with far more conviction than she felt.
“He’s a second son,” Joan replied with a malicious tilt of her chin. “They crave land like a man gasping fer air.”
The self-doubt intensified for a moment as Davina considered the possibility and then forcefully cast it aside. She glanced at her cousin, taking in the mulish set to Joan’s lips. ’Twas jealousy, pure and simple, that caused such spiteful words to fall from her cousin’s lips. It had to be.
Though she claimed to have no interest in him, Joan was irked because James was bestowing his favors upon Davina, not her. Davina knew her cousin possessed the ability to act callously, even cruelly when she was displeased.
Almost as if sensing he was the topic of their conversation, James glanced over his shoulder and looked at her. The moment their eyes met, Davina felt her breath catch and her stomach tighten. A shiver ran through her, but she wasn’t cold—nay she was flushed with a warm glow that radiated from deep inside her being.
’Twas a response that defied logic.
And it could not have pleased her more.
The following day, they passed onto Armstrong land. No one said anything, but James could tell by the relaxed shoulders of the soldiers and their frequent smiles that they were nearing home. He felt a sudden pang of regret, realizing his time with the sweet Davina would soon come to an end.
Then again, his father had not demanded that he return home quickly. If Laird Armstrong was amenable, he could stay awhile. Perhaps until late summer. Or fall.
He glanced at Davina, who rode beside him. She favored him with a shy smile, then licked her lips. James felt his belly clench with desire. He had not yet worked up the nerve to steal a kiss—yet another reason he needed to stay.
“Armstrong Castle is just beyond that hill,” she said, pointing toward the horizon. “We should arrive by nightfall.”
“Why do ye not smile when ye say that, lass? Are ye not weary of traveling?”
She tilted her head to one side as though considering his words. “A comfortable bed and a roof over my head will be most welcome. But life will seem very dull after this adventure. And what of ye, are ye anxious to return home?”
James shrugged. “I’ve spent many years at the McKenna castle. It feels good to escape for a bit.”
“I’ve heard tell that the McKenna castle is vast and formidable.”
“Aye, it looms over the valley below.”
“In a friendly manner?” she asked, a teasing lilt in her voice.
James boomed with laughter. “Nay,’tis menacing. Or so our enemies say. But ’tis a comfort to our clan. They know those strong walls, and the men within them, will protect and defend them.”
“It sounds like a fierce place.”
“It can be,” James answered, thinking of the high walls, battlements, four watchtowers, and large moat. “But my mother has worked hard over the years to soften the starkness. There are always fires burning in the great hall to keep out the dampness and she has replaced many of the weapons decorating the walls with finely woven tapestries. There is even stained glass in the windows of her solar.”
