The Highlander's Irish Bride by Vanessa Kelly

Author:Vanessa Kelly [Kelly, Vanessa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Zebra Books
Published: 2021-05-21T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

Grant jumped the bay gelding over the low wall that separated Lochnagar lands from the road to Dunlaggan. He’d spent the morning riding through the more remote corners of the estate, where the rugged countryside of gorse-filled ravines, hidden glens, and deep caves all held potential boltholes for criminals. So far, he had found nothing. If the gang had a camp near the hamlet, they were doing a damn fine job of hiding it.

He was quite sure no locals were involved, since most were gainfully employed and intensely loyal to Clan Chattan. That was Sabrina’s clan, to which most people in the area were related by blood or marriage. He couldn’t imagine any of them creating such havoc in their own community.

A bit of smuggling was one thing, as recent history had shown. But holding up travelers, stealing cattle, and breaking into churches? Those were entirely different. The villains were professional thieves, and dangerous ones at that.

Why had they chosen this part of the Highlands for their mark? While Dunlaggan was both rural and remote, making it easier pickings, those pickings weren’t exactly generous. Grant wondered if the gang was always on the move, cleaning out one spot before moving on to the next. He’d already written to Nick for help. No one had more contacts throughout Scotland than his big brother, so Grant was hopeful that some piece of information might result.

Still, it was a faint hope. At the moment, he had only questions that kept him up half the night.

Thoughts of his Irish colleen were keeping him up at night, too—and in a state of sexual frustration. That day in the garden, he’d come within a whisper of finally taking her lush lips. Kathleen had been more than willing until the vicar’s obnoxious brother had rudely interrupted them. Although their conversation with Captain Brown had been short, it had thoroughly embarrassed Kathleen and destroyed any chance for a romantic interlude.

Even more frustrating, the lass had gone skittish, retreating behind a courteous and even shy façade or avoiding him entirely. Since Kathleen was anything but shy, he could only assume she was having second thoughts about the garden incident, as he’d come to think of it.

Not that there had been any opportunities for first thoughts. But that she was very conscious of him was evident when they encountered each other. Her lovely Irish complexion would fire up, setting her whimsical freckles aglow. She would then either flee the room or engage in a dementedly bright conversation about nothing at all—usually with Sabrina or Jeannie, if they happened to be there.

Of course, what Grant was hoping for, aside from the opportunity to discover every freckle on her sweet body, was still a bit of a mystery to him.

Solve one mystery at a time, lad.

Keeping everyone safe by ending the crime spree was his first order of business. Once he’d accomplished that, he could turn his mind to Kathleen and what the future might hold for them.

He trotted the bay along Dunlaggan’s single street, heading for the Deer and Hound.

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