Free Highland Destiny by Laura Hunsaker Page B

betrothed, and everyone was celebrating that.
    Mackenzie sat next to Connor, and on his other side was an empty seat. She idly wondered who it was saved for. He wasn't married, she was sure of that; he wouldn't have kissed her if he was married. Of course what did she know? Connor could have a wife and ten kids and she would never know, it's not like he confided in her. It didn't matter, though, because she was going to pretend to marry someone else, and then go back to her time (and reality). Hopefully. Right now, she wasn't really sure of anything. If Connor was right, and this Campbell guy came for her, would Connor give her up? Or would he fight to keep her? And then what? Mackenzie's imagination was getting away from her, she was imagining staying here with Connor. She knew he wanted her, but she also knew that was all he wanted, and for her it wasn't enough. He didn't really even like her, she thought. She knew that desire and lust were very different emotions from caring and affection. But that was a dangerous train of thought. So she let her eyes wander around the room.
    The meal was in the Hall and it was set up with long tables and chairs. There were humongous oil paintings of men with swords, women in gowns, battles, which were spaced every few feet around the hall. She and Connor sat at a table raised 77
    up on a platform which reminded her of the seating arrangements at a wedding. They would be at the head table, with the other more important guests. And the whole clan was part of the audience. Mackenzie felt that audience was a good word, seeing as she felt like an actor in a very strange fantastical play.
Her musings were interrupted by the music. The loud wail of a bagpipe caught her attention, and she turned her head until she could see the piper. Being that Granny Mackenzie had always played her folk records whenever Mackenzie had visited, she was used to the sound of bagpipes...her brother however, couldn't abide the sound for the same reason; Granny always had Scottish music on. She sighed wistfully.
    How Granny would have loved to see this.
    Connor was staring at her, and she hadn't noticed, until she looked at him.
    "Are you enjoying yourself, lass?" He sounded as if he genuinely wanted to know. She put a smile on her face.
    "Yes, thank you." She picked up her fork, noticing that someone—-Connor?—-had filled a plate for her. Some foods were recognizable, beef, potatoes, bread, others, not so much. Ever brave, Mackenzie tried one of everything on her plate.
    "And the food's to your liking?"
    "It's really good, thanks." Had she forgotten her manners?
    He was really staring at her. What was he waiting for?
    "What?"
    "You seemed sad, a moment ago."
    "Oh."
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    He pressed on. "What were you thinking about?"
She sighed again. This was still a sore topic. "My granny.
    She would have loved this. After she moved to America, she never got the chance to visit her home again. We were supposed to go together, but she died recently and we never got the chance. I was thinking that she would have appreciated the music better than I."
    "You doona care for the pipes?" He sounded so astounded that she smiled.
    "It's not that. It's just that she loved them."
    He gave her a long look, that to her felt as if he could see straight to her soul. As she got more and more edgy, he stared harder and harder. What? What did he want? What did he see? But he turned back to the entertainment and she let out a long, unsteady breath.
    Mackenzie was feeling very alone in a room otherwise full of people. She glanced shyly at some of the other tables in the Hall. Everyone was staring at her; it was a repeat of the earlier scene when she'd entered the courtyard that afternoon. Many stared with awe at Connor, and then when they'd look at her it would be with anger or hate or even disgust. The best she could figure on that aspect was that they were disgusted that she would agree to marry the Campbell. Maybe they all thought she wanted to