Clandara Read Online Free Page A

week.”
    James shrugged and said lightly: “He was not pleased. But you’ve no need to worry on his account. I have no mind to live at Dundrenan under his shadow when we’re married. I have a fine house at Kincarrig which is empty. It will make a bonny home for us until I inherit Dundrenan. Father is an old devil, but he won’t trouble us. As for my brothers, they’ll like you well enough.”
    â€œWhen they see that we are happy both families will be reconciled,” Katharine said. “But we may have to wait, James. Father won’t agree to any hurried marriage.”
    â€œAll I pray is that he’ll agree to a marriage at all. The time of it will come about of its own accord. And when I come to Clandara tomorrow I shan’t come empty-handed.”
    â€œWhat will you bring?” she teased him. “Some of our cattle that you drove off in the night?”
    â€œThey’ve been slaughtered,” he reminded her. “I haven’t raided your people since our cousin married your father. I must say I’ve been tempted once or twice. There’s little enough to do in the long evenings … How is Margaret? I’d half forgotten her existence.”
    â€œWell enough,” Katharine said. “I think she must find it dull.”
    â€œShe’s a dull woman, but a kind one. Sweetheart, shall we go back to France after we’re married? Why not visit the Marquise? She’d be delighted. I used to watch her watching us. She had all the sentimentality of the strumpet. I swear she hasn’t enjoyed herself so much for years as she did while you and I were there.”
    â€œShe was very sweet to me,” Katharine laughed. “She used to come into my room at night – do you know, James, she wore rouge and rice powder even in her nightgown – she looked so ridiculous, like a little painted doll – and asked me what we had done and what you had said and whether you had kissed me! I think she enjoyed imagining how furious Father would be. She was my mother’s cousin and she never liked Father.”
    â€œI’ll never forget the first time I saw you,” he said. “I was bored to death with my visit to the Château Delahaye. I knew I had to stay abroad for a while – there was that duel with Angus Mackecknie and the scandal got too much even for us – and then I went to the Marquise’s supper party and saw you. You were wearing a white dress and there was a little crowd of Frenchmen standing by you, all ogling as if their eyes were about to fall out of their heads. I remember how angry it made me.”
    She had been the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. She stood out in the crowd of overpainted, twittering Frenchwomen like a magnificent rose in her simple, white satin gown with lace at her breasts and elbows, and her glorious hair unpowdered. He had wanted her from the first moment, and then, when he had arranged an introduction, the sound of her name only aroused him more. A Fraser. What a triumph, he had thought, what a godsent means of dissipating the idle days of his exile. The vileness of his intentions made him shudder when he remembered them. But they had not lasted long.
    â€œI remember you,” she said. “And when I met you and knew who you were – oh, James, it doesn’t seem possible! When you think, if we’d met here in Scotland we’d have hated each other and turned away.”
    â€œWe would,” he agreed. “The only difference is, I’d have taken some men and lain in wait for you one night. I could never have forgotten you, Katharine, or let you go to someone else.
    â€œAnd if it had begun like that,” she murmured, “instead of going out together, hunting and dancing at the Marquise’s parties, I would have ended by loving you just as I do now.”
    â€œAnd always will, I pray to God,” he said.
    â€œI must get back.” She stood up, and