The Highlander's Hope - A Contemporary Highland Romance Read Free Page B

Malcolm had involved himself with were the patient and understanding sort.
    As for Cat’s research... he gave it some thought.  His clan had always been small in number, even before Culloden further diminished their numbers.  Yet despite their clan size, they’d yielded a fair amount of influence in the highlands, and Iain had studied their history enough to suspect what Cat might be after.  She’d mentioned the funds destined for the revolution, and that was enough to tell him she was looking for the jewels. 
    Well, best of luck to her.  There was no reason to think his family was connected to the jewels, and others had certainly gone looking amongst the highland clans, only to come up empty-handed. 
    Finding any information on the necklace would be a long shot, but if she did find it, i t might turn out to be the lifeline he needed.  If found on their lands, the jewels would belong to his clan, even if it was her find. 
    A knock at his office door had him looking up.  “Da.  Are you off to bed then?”
    “Aye, in just a bit.”  He came in and sat down.  “Will you be meeting with the lass again?”
    Iain spun his chair around to face his father.  “She’s going to come by in the morning to review any information we have from before and after the time of Culloden.” 
    His father pinned him with a stern look.  “I hope ye’ll be nicer to her this time around.  If I hear ye’ve gone and chased her off, I won’t be happy, Iain.  Yer Ma wouldn’t have tolerated you disrespecting any guest of this house, and I won’t put up with it either.  Ye hear?” 
    “ Don’t go worrying yerself, Da.  I promise I’ll try to be on my best behavior and not antagonize her.”  Iain gave his father a reassuring smile. 
    Callum had clearly enjoyed Cat’s company.  Too often it was just the two of them knocking about the empty house, and Iain was usually busy with work to be of any real company. Luckily, he could get most of his business conducted from home, even if he did have to travel from time to time.
    Not yet done, Callum pulled him from his thoughts for another scolding.  “I hadn’t realized ye’d already met—and by all accounts you weren’t much nicer to her then, either.”
    Iain had to laugh, recalling the state of her covered in mud and dripping wet.  “Now that wasn’t entirely my fault, though ye’re right.  I could have been nicer.”
    Giving her a bit more thought, Iain continued.  “When she spoke to ye… did she say what she was looking for?”
    “ Nae.  Nothing more than what she said tonight.  Why?  What are ye thinking, lad?” 
    Iain shrugged.  “Nothing.  I was just curious is all.”
    Callum got to his feet.  “Just make sure ye keep yer curiosity honorable, aye?  I may be old, and ye may have been rude, but I’m not blind.  There’s heat between the two of ye, so be sure to behave yerself.”
    “She’s pretty, but definitely not my type.  Far too uptight and… scholarly.”  Iain waved away his father’s concerns, thinking of the proper sweater, her hair tamed up and out of the way with some fancy twist when it was desperate to escape and go wild.  All she needed was a pair of glasses and a string of pearls, and she could pass for a librarian. 
    His father scowled at him, his eyes narrowed in annoyance.  “Aye, ye wouldn’t want someone smart and pretty.  Ye’ve clearly chosen far more wisely in the past.”
    Iain shook his head with a smile.  “Good night to ye, Da.”
    With thoughts of highland treasure and pretty librarians bouncing around his head, Iain headed off to the library with Duncan lazily trailing behind him.  With two levels of books, a catwalk for ease of use, a comfortable sofa and a large stone fireplace, this room was easily Iain’s favorite.
    Duncan sat in front of the fireplace, and looked at him in question.
    “No, Duncan.  I’m not building a fire this late at night.”
    Duncan responded with a noise that