“Well?""Well, what?""Damn it, Nathan, tell me what you think.""About what?""Lady Sara," Colin persisted. "What do you think of her?""The truth, Colin?"His friend gave a quick nod.Nathan's smile was slow, easy. "She'll fit through the window.”

“What are you doing?""What I've wanted to do for a long time."She couldn't move, couldn't think. She was lost in his dark eyes, and as he slowly lowered his head toward hers, she whispered, "Are you going to throttle me, then?"He was laughing when he kissed her.”

“Are you going to keep her?""Yes.""Does she know it?""Not yet."Ramsey overheard the conversation and laughed heartily. "I assume you've considered all the problems, Brodick.""I have.""It won't be an easy life for her living with—" Ramsey began. Brodick finished his sentence for him."Living with the Buchanan clan. I know, and I worry about her adjustment."Ramsey grinned. "That's not what I was going to say. It won't be easy for her living with you. Rumor has it, you're a difficult man to be around."Brodick didn't take offense. "Gillian's aware of my flaws.""And she'll still have you?" Winslow asked."As a matter of fact, she has refused to marry me."Knowing Brodick as well as they did, both Ramsey and Winslow began to laugh again."So when's the wedding?" Ramsey asked.”

“It's a shame you know," he called over his shoulder."What's a shame?" Duncan asked."That I didn't capture her first."Duncan smiled. "Nay, Edmond, it was a blessing. God's truth, I would have taken her from you.”

“He shrugged. "I was...thinking.""About what?""The fires of purgatory."She had to sit down. He wasn't making any sense now. "What does that mean?" she asked."Patrick told me he would walk through the fires of purgatory if he had to in order to please his wife."She went over to the bed and sat down on the side. "And?" she prodded when he didn't continue.He stripped out of his clothing and walked over to her. He pulled her to her feet and stared down to her."And I have only just realized I would do the same for you.”

“Then it stands to reason that love doesn't make a man less than what he already is.""It makes him vulnerable.""Perhaps it does," Ramsey agreed."And if his mind is constantly consumed with thoughts of her, then he becomes weak. Is that not so?"Ramsey smiled. "I'll tell you what is so. You love her, Brodick, and that scares the hell out of you.""I should have broken your nose.”

“Whatare they doing?"Brodick glanced at the women. "Chasing Ramsey," he answered very matter-of-factly before returning to his task of scanning the field."Why? "Why what?" he asked as he continued to search.She sighed. "Why are the ladies chasing him?"The question startled him, for what should have been obvious to Gillian appeared not to be obvious at all. With a shrug, he said, "It's what they all do.""All the ladies chase him?" she asked, still not understanding.He finally gave her his full attention. "Yes, they do," he said quietly."But why?""You don't know?""I wouldn't ask if I knew, Brodick," she said, thoroughly perplexed."They find him… handsome," he finally said for lack of a better word. "That's what I've been told anyway.”