Page 86 of In the Highlander's Bed

Constance pulled up short. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t belong there any longer, Constance. I’m damaged goods.”

“Not through any fault of your own,” Constance replied with fierce protectiveness. “Do you hear me? Please, Fiona, reach inside of yourself and be proud of who you are. Let that sustain you instead of some nonsense about being untouched. The man who loves you will not care.”

“How little you know of men,” Fiona said.

The garden was much larger than Constance had suspected. They were walking in the silver moonlight toward the garden wall. A line of trees and shrubs provided privacy as well as foreboding shadows.

Constance stopped near the wall, protected from the sight of those on the terrace by a sheltering of evergreens. “I know enough to believe that any man worthy of your love will respect you for the person you are.”

“If that was the case, courtesans would be wives,” Fiona said.

Constance took her by the arms. “Please, Fiona, never give up hope. Never lose faith in love. Life makes no sense without it. And as soon as I find the garden gate, I’m goingto your brother and I will never leave him again—”

A shadow against the shrubberies moved. Hands grabbed her shoulders, effectively cutting off anything else she was going say. Before Constance could make a sound, Gordon whirled her around and planted a kiss on her lips.

Nineteen

He was alive.

With a soft, glad sigh, Constance leaned against Gordon, reveling in the solid, very real feeling of him.

This was the man she loved. The only man she could ever be with. What had made her think she could marry another, even to give their child a father?

And he was happy to see her. Just when the kiss should break off, he’d come back for more. If she could have swallowed him whole, she would have. He wore coat and breeches—and this time even a neck cloth. The Sword of the MacKenna was on a belt around his waist. It bumped herhip as he gathered her close and kissed her more deeply. He smelled of the Highlands, the fresh, clean air and the magnificent forests.

At last they became aware of Fiona tapping them on the shoulder.

“Are you mad?” she whispered furiously. “Do you not realize where we are? Gordon, why didn’t you stay over in the park?”

He ignored his sister’s frantic questions. “I missed you,” he said to Constance, a wealth of meaning in every word.

“I love you,” she answered.

Gordon brought his head down for another kiss.

Fiona stopped him by placing her hand in the path between his lips and Constance’s mouth. “Do you not hear me? We must leave now,” she said, enunciating each word. “Ardmore is inside.”

“Ardmore? That bastard—” Gordon let go of Constance. Placing his hand on the hilt of the sword, he said, “And what is this about you and another?”

“After that kiss, Gordon, do you truly think I could consider another man?” Constance said, pulling him back to her.

He would have kissed her again, but Fiona tugged on his coat sleeve. “Please, Gordon, don’t be foolish. You must leave.”

“I’m not going anywhere without Constance.”

Constance melted in his arms. “Nor will I let you.”

“So there is no duke waiting to marry you?” he asked.

“Even if there was, I’d let him wait,” Constance said. “I’ve loved only one man in my life, Gordon Lachlan, and it’s you.”

“Please,”Fiona begged, “donotkiss. We need to leave now.”

But what truly helped her case was the sound of scratching close by and a whimper. “Tad,” Gordon said. “Grace is holding him but he’ll start barking if we don’t go to him.”

“Grace is here, too?” Constance asked happily.