My Heart's in the Highlands by Angeline Fortin (best english novels for beginners .TXT) 📗

Mikah nodded numbly and stood when he pulledout her chair, clinging to his arm as he escorted her from thedining area, through the main hall, and up the stairs to the firstfloor. Though a pair of doors was left open to welcome them intothe Long Drawing Room at the head of the stairs, Ian instead guidedher around the landing to the Round Drawing Room and across thecircular salon to one of the five sets of glass French doors thatcovered the curved wall. Beyond the doors was a rounded balconythat hung out over the 150-foot cliff below. It was one of herfavorite places at Cuilean. The moon shone on the calm waters ofthe firth, and Mikah inhaled deeply, feeling an inner peace. Asalways, the stiff breeze blowing in from the loch buffeted her,blowing away her worries.

As always? The thought ratcheted upMikah’s blood pressure for a moment before she let the serenity ofthe view wash over her. No need to panic, she thought. It wouldsurely be all right in the end. She just needed to, as they said inEngland, “keep calm and carry on.”

That shouldn’t be too difficult, but shecouldn’t have Ian thinking she was crazy either. “I’m so sorry tohave interrupted your meal,” Hero offered, resting her hands on therail and leaning forward against it, letting the cool evening windfrom the firth caress her fevered cheeks and soothe away the lastthreads of concern. “Perhaps my injuries were simply greater than Ihad thought.”

“Think nothing of it,” he assured her, thoughhis brow was still creased with worry. “I was just finishing up.There’s no loss to one’s waistline by missing dessert.”

“I don’t think you need to worry aboutthat.”

Mikah gave a mental snort. She glanced at himfrom the corner of her eye as he leaned back against the rail withhis arms crossed over his chest. Ian was a fairly large man incomparison to her five foot six, perhaps an inch or two over sixfeet. He was athletically built, muscular without being too bulky.Like a baseball player. She would bet that he looked pretty good ina pair of running shorts and little else or in a Brewers uniformplaying left field like Ryan Braun. She would bet he never struckout and usually scored a home run.

Smiling inwardly at her baseball analogy,Mikah felt much better. Slow and easy. It would work out in theend.

“Better?” Ian asked softly, as if he sensedher calm.

“Much. Thank you,” she said and leanedagainst the balustrade once more. “This is one of my favoriteplaces in the castle.”

“Mine, as well,” he said sincerely beforefalling silent. Mikah could feel his eyes on her, assessing her.She wondered what he thought when he looked at her so seriously.Was he looking merely at the surface or for something deeper? Orwas his study more abstract and his mind on something elseentirely?

“You know, I had been wondering aboutsomething but hadn’t thought to ask anyone as yet, and you might bejust the person to help,” he offered in a light, conversationaltone, answering her unspoken query.

Like Mikah, Hero didn’t know whether sheshould be disappointed or not. Clearly though, Ian was trying todistract her from her worries, and Hero felt a wave of growingaffection and gratitude warm her. “What is that?”

“This castle is incredibly old, right?” heasked. “I found a book in my study about the history of the castle.It’s several centuries old, but these interiors just don’t emulatewhat one would consider medieval.”

“You’re right, of course,” Hero agreed,grasping his diversion thankfully. “One of the old earls abouteighty years ago hired Robert Adam to redesign the castle. Are youfamiliar with him?”

“The famous Scottish architect? I am.”

“He redid the entire floor plan of theinterior. Added rooms and took some away. The original castle wasU-shaped. Adam capped the end with this tower as well as the tworooms flanking. The center staircase was added to fill the formercourtyard space. There used to be just a narrow front and rearstaircase, but he added that entire hall just for the grandimpression it lent. It took more than fifteen years to complete.With these rounded additions, he turned the exterior into aromanticized homage to medieval architecture with all the turrets,but the interior is, thankfully, pleasantly Georgian.”

“It seems that every wall, ceiling,doorframe, and mantelpiece is covered in plasterwork, friezes, andtablets. They are all Adam?” he clarified with a nod of dawningcomprehension. “I should have recognized his style. He did goodwork.”

“He did,” she agreed. “It’s one of the mainthings I love about Cuilean. Why, it is my home …” Hero trailed offas if she had said too much.

“No, it’s all right,” Ian assured her. “Itfeels like a true home to me as well, though I’ve been here only amonth. It has an aura about it, does it not? Of perfection?” Whenshe nodded, he continued, “So you like this balcony and theplasterwork. What are your other favorite things aboutCuilean?”

“The gardens,” Hero said instantly. “I couldwalk in them for hours at a time, and through the park also. Andthe embattlements. The history that one feels when standing uponthe ramparts is very moving.”

“Are you interested in history?”

“Yes, I am. Particularly art history.” Thiswas an interest shared by Mikah as well. It was what Mikah’soriginal degree in college had been in, before she had gone on todo her Master’s and then her Ph.D. She had aimed toward becoming amuseum collections curator, as she was now in Milwaukee. Hero hadstudied with a tutor only but her love of art was deep.

“Really?” he asked with brows raised. “Areyou well versed in art?”

Pretty well, Mikah and Hero thought inunison, but Hero just shrugged modestly.

Ian watched the color return to Hero’s cheeksin a becoming blush and was glad that his conversation had beenable to wash away whatever had troubled her. He worried for her, herealized. Head injuries were troublesome things that could lead toany number of problems. There wasn’t much Ian wouldn’t do toprovide her comfort or solace. If light conversation and friendshipwere the keys to allaying her fears, he would happily offerboth.

“Do you know anything of the pieces in theLong