Free Highland Destiny by Laura Hunsaker Page A

suddenly felt the need to bite her tongue. "What of my travelling companions? What happened to them?"
    Connor registered the subject change with a slight narrowing of his eyes, but let it go. "They were set free, of course. By now they should be back at the Campbell's keep. I assume they have reported of their failure to deliver you, and I assume the Campbell will no' be happy." He sounded smug.
    "You assume a lot." Mackenzie muttered.
    "You doubt me?" Connor sounded incredulous, as if anyone would dare doubt his word, let alone Mackenzie, a mere woman.
    Mackenzie paused to gather her thoughts. "No, I just meant that you don't know for sure what has happened to them, so how can you be so certain that your little plan has worked?"
    "And what do you think happened?" the sarcasm was heavy, with an implied as if I care about your opinion tacked on to the end.
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    "Well, what if they never made it back? Or what if this Campbell guy doesn't really care that his fiancee went missing? If you're hoping to pick a fight with him, am I really the way to do that? I mean, he's never even met me, for crying out loud. And I've heard the rumors; I'm supposed to be one of the most beautiful ladies at court. I'm pretty enough, but I'm no Helen of Troy."
"Doona underestimate your worth to him." Connor said this softly.
    "What does that mean? How is he supposed to value someone he has never seen or met? You said before that you insulted his honor, but I still don't understand any of this. Is it because of the rumors? Because from what I've heard, I'm not exactly your average blushing bride; I've stood a man up at the altar, I'm too old, and I've romped around Europe for the last couple of years. Doesn't that 'de-value' me, so to speak?" She used her fingers to make air quotes, and the frustration was making her tone sharper than necessary, but Mackenzie didn't really care. None of this made any sense to her. And it was time someone explained this all to her. Now.
    "It means, that for reasons known only to your father, he has made a devil's bargain with the Campbell to wed you by the end of the month. This will appease the Mackenzie clan, and your father is probably just happy you are still wed-able."
    Mackenzie folded her arms across her chest and glared, but otherwise ignored the jibe. "Now through that bargain, you are his, and I have stolen something of his. Were I in his place, I would retrieve what was rightfully mine, and seek justice against him."
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    "You mean vengeance."
He shrugged, "Whichever."
    "So I could be ugly, but he wouldn't care, because you are both testosterone-fueled men who would rather fight it out, than resolve this peacefully, or let me choose what I would like to do?"
    "And what is it that you would like to do, Mackenzie?"
    It was the first time he'd called her by her given name, and the sound of her name rolling off his tongue sent chills through her. That smoldering fire in her belly flared at the seductive burr caressing her name. She noticed that he'd ignored her first question.
    "I would like to know if I would matter to either one of you if I were an ugly old hag," she stubbornly refused to let it drop. She wanted to stamp her foot, but figured that it would be way too childish.
    His smile was patronizing, as if he were speaking to a child. "Of course no'. Your appearance does not matter, your position does. Now answer my question; what would you like to do?"
    Her eyes widened at the implication, but thought she wanted to look away, she held his gaze. "I would like to go eat." Mackenzie said it slowly, and he smothered a smile as she glared up at him.
    "Then by all means, my Lady, let us go down to supper."
    And he chivalrously, if not a bit sarcastically, held his arm out for her.
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    Chapter Six
Dinner was a much larger event than Mackenzie expected.
    The whole clan was here, Connor had told her. It was an occasion; Connor had returned the victor. He had the Campbell's