England and did not return.â
Lucais bent his head slightly toward her. âI appreciate your honesty, Miss Kinloch.â
âI doubt that.â With a sniff, she picked up her bonnet and hurried toward the house.
Anice wished she could think of something to say. Apologizing for Neilliâs 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.
âDo you appreciate everyoneâs honesty?â she asked in lieu of an apology.
âMay I?â He gestured toward where Neilli had been sitting.
âOf course.â
Settling himself comfortably on the rock, he bent to scratch Pippyâs ears. âI would appreciate everyoneâs honesty if everyone was being honest.â
âThat sounds like a riddle.â
âIt isnât.â
Anice drew up her feet and wrapped her arms around her legs. When she saw Lucaisâs astonishment, she did not shift. She liked to sit like this and enjoy the view of the valley. âThen I fear you will have to enlighten me.â
âI had hoped that you would enlighten me .â
âAnother riddle.â
âNo, another attempt to persuade you to be candid with me.â
âAbout the road project?â She laughed as Bonito trotted toward them. âIt 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.â She chuckled again. âNot 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
âI sent a message to warn you.â
âWe did not take you as seriously as we should have.â She shook her head. âWe will heed the warnings more closely if you do additional explosive work.â
âIf?â He regarded her with a frown. âAre you suggesting that you intend to stop us from further blasting?â
âMust you take everything I say as a sign that I am seeking a way to halt the road?â
âMust you take everything I say as an excuse for a brangle?â
âWhen you use that sharp tone, yes, I must.â
When Lucais laughed heartily, Anice stared at him. He was the most bewildering person she had ever met.
âI will keep that in mind,â he said. âBefore you ask, I came up here only to see how Ardkinloch and the old castle survived this morningâs blasting.â
âIt appears that Dhùin Liath is stable. Inside the manor house there were some problems, but nothing that we canât take care of before the next time.â
âAre you sure the castle is all right?â
She frowned. âIt looks so from here.â
âDo you ever go in it?â
âI did some exploring when I first arrived here, but itâs not wise to spend too much time there.â
âOdd.â
âWhat is odd?â she asked, wondering why he was being incomprehensible again.
âPotter mentioned some of the lads were sure they had seen lights up at the old castle last night.â
She laughed. âNo doubt they saw moonlight through the windows in the remnants of the inner wall. They arenât the first to be bamblusterated by the illusion.â
âKeep a watchful eye on the castle.â
âI will, although I think it is unnecessary.â
âYou consider many important things unnecessary.â 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