“Is she always like that?”“Like what?” Sara asked absently, staring a^ the letter in her hands.“Floating about as if she was a blasted fairy.”

“Sophia stood staring blankly up the stairs for an entire minute before it dawned on her that he'd used the kiss to befuddle her. Blast it all! She fumed to herself as she walked to the front window and stationed herself there.Time went by. The clock ticked. A bee buzzed against the windowpane. Dust settled. After thirty minutes had passed, Sophia had had enough. She gave the empty lane one last glance, then went upstairs.”

“The weather is certainly unpredictable here,isn't it?""It's always unpredictable when the MacLeans are involved."She turned to look at him. "You've heard the rumors of the curse?""I've heard them and believe them." He moved beside her. "Don't you?"The pocket she needed to reach was on his other side, blast it. "Do you think one of the MacLeans might be angry now?"He looked over her head to the gathering clouds, a frown settling between his eyes. "Yes," he said quietly. "One of them is growing more furious by the moment."A fresh wind now tossed the treetops about, the grass rippled like an angry ocean, and the clouds filled the entire sky.”

“Blast it! Where is that letter?"Sophia pulled it from her pocket. "I have it here."Sir Reginald's voice lifted with amazament. "You took that from me? When we were-""Yes," she said, her color high. "I thought you'd sold my jewelry and that the envelope contained the payment. I wanted proof,so I took it.""By kissing me?"Outside, lightning cracked."You kissed him?" Dougal demanded."Only once.""Actually, it was twice," Sir Reginald said softly.Dougal punched him, sending the dandy flying into the wall, where he slid to the floor."B'God, that's a nice one!" Red cried. "MacLean, I'd like to see you in a real mill.""Aye," the earl agreed. "He's got a good solid left.""What do you know about boxing? Red asked rudely."I've seen every large match for the last-"Thunder crashed as lightning sent shards of light flashing into the great hall."That's enough," Dougal said firmly, noting Sophia's pale face.”

“Angus, when you're done with the brick, I shall add some oiled rags. That will make it smoke even worse."Angus turned an admiring glance at his partner in crime. "Miss,ye've a gift fer this,ye do."She chuckled,the sound just as seductive, except for the hint of mockery. "I'm becoming as adept at this as the new owner is at shirking his duty.""Now,miss,he might have a good reason not to rush here.""Like what?""I don't know.Perhaps he won several houses at the card game and has been visitin' them all.""It's far more likely he was waylaid by a lass with loose morals. From what I hear, the man's a lace-bedecked profligate."Blast the woman and her rude assumptions! He may have stayed in Stirling to sample the charms of a widow, but that did not make a lace-bedecked profligate.What burned the most was that she was correct in her assumption about what had kept him away from his new acquisition.”

“He couldn't have eaten that horrid soup!""He did,and he even pretended to like it.""Pretended?""No one could have liked that meal." She wrinkled her nose. "Mary was mortified.""Mary can be mortified all she wishes; we can't have MacLean da-"Sophia slipped the spoon into his mouth and dumped the contents.Red choked, his face contorting, and he looked around wildly."Do not spit that out."He glared at her, and after what appeared and sounded like a heroic effort, he swallowed the laudanum. "Blech! There! I hope ye're happy!" He grabbed up a hand cloth and began rubbing his tongue vigorously. She calmly replaced the spoon and recorked the bottle. "As I was saying, MacLean swore that he liked every dish at dinner, even the turnips. They were so hard it almost broke my knife to cut one.""Hm.That's very odd,it is.”

“What's the matter, MacLean? Are you afraid?"His brows snapped down, his eyes glinting dangerously. "What did you say?"She lifted her chin. "I asked if you were afraid. If that is why you're sneaking out like a thief in the night?""It's morning,and I'm no thief.""No,but you are afraid,aren't you? Afraid of me." Dougal's expression darkened even more. "You don't know what you're saying.""Yes,I do." She leaned close to say dismissively, "You are afraid of what our card games might cause you to lose."Dougal's body tensed at the words, making Poseidon jolt forward. How dare she accuse him of being afraid? The thought of it raged through him.Yet in the back of his mind, a small voice whispered, She's right. You are afraid of what you'll lose, only it's not about the house. It's about your self-control.Dougal slung himself down from the horse and faced Sophia. She refused to back away but stood her ground so that he was but a few inches from her.She glared at him. "I saw your face last night. You want me, MacLean. Admit it. You're afraid I'll offer myself for the house, and you won't be able to resist it.And then..." She smiled smugly. "And the you'll lose.”