Free A Highland Folly by Jo Ann Ferguson

England and did not return.”
    Lucais bent his head slightly toward her. “I appreciate your honesty, Miss Kinloch.”
    â€œI doubt that.” With a sniff, she picked up her bonnet and hurried toward the house.
    Anice wished she could think of something to say. Apologizing for Neilli’s behavior would be silly. Neilli was not sorry she had said what she had. In fact, Anice suspected that her cousin rather appreciated the chance to air her opinions.
    â€œDo you appreciate everyone’s honesty?” she asked in lieu of an apology.
    â€œMay I?” He gestured toward where Neilli had been sitting.
    â€œOf course.”
    Settling himself comfortably on the rock, he bent to scratch Pippy’s ears. “I would appreciate everyone’s honesty if everyone was being honest.”
    â€œThat sounds like a riddle.”
    â€œIt isn’t.”
    Anice drew up her feet and wrapped her arms around her legs. When she saw Lucais’s astonishment, she did not shift. She liked to sit like this and enjoy the view of the valley. “Then I fear you will have to enlighten me.”
    â€œI had hoped that you would enlighten me .”
    â€œAnother riddle.”
    â€œNo, another attempt to persuade you to be candid with me.”
    â€œAbout the road project?” She laughed as Bonito trotted toward them. “It has unsettled everyone and everything on the Kinloch lands, even poor Bonito here. I believe he feared the very earth was shifting beneath him. He scurried into the barn, and for the first time since he arrived here left the sheep to their own devices.” She chuckled again. “Not that it mattered. They followed him at the best speed they could manage into the barn and then right back out when things started falling off the shelves.”
    â€œI sent a message to warn you.”
    â€œWe did not take you as seriously as we should have.” She shook her head. “We will heed the warnings more closely if you do additional explosive work.”
    â€œIf?” He regarded her with a frown. “Are you suggesting that you intend to stop us from further blasting?”
    â€œMust you take everything I say as a sign that I am seeking a way to halt the road?”
    â€œMust you take everything I say as an excuse for a brangle?”
    â€œWhen you use that sharp tone, yes, I must.”
    When Lucais laughed heartily, Anice stared at him. He was the most bewildering person she had ever met.
    â€œI will keep that in mind,” he said. “Before you ask, I came up here only to see how Ardkinloch and the old castle survived this morning’s blasting.”
    â€œIt appears that Dhùin Liath is stable. Inside the manor house there were some problems, but nothing that we can’t take care of before the next time.”
    â€œAre you sure the castle is all right?”
    She frowned. “It looks so from here.”
    â€œDo you ever go in it?”
    â€œI did some exploring when I first arrived here, but it’s not wise to spend too much time there.”
    â€œOdd.”
    â€œWhat is odd?” she asked, wondering why he was being incomprehensible again.
    â€œPotter mentioned some of the lads were sure they had seen lights up at the old castle last night.”
    She laughed. “No doubt they saw moonlight through the windows in the remnants of the inner wall. They aren’t the first to be bamblusterated by the illusion.”
    â€œKeep a watchful eye on the castle.”
    â€œI will, although I think it is unnecessary.”
    â€œYou consider many important things unnecessary.” He leaned toward her, his hand sliding behind her.
    Although he did not touch her, he seemed to surround her, teasing her to move the bare inch that would bring her into his arms. It took all her strength to move away and stand. When her gaze was captured by his, she knew she had only to put her hands on his wide shoulders and he would pull her close