To Marry McKenzie

rather than eating them.

'No.' she grimaced. 'I'm just not hungry.'

He frowned. 'You didn't eat the smoked salmon or the venison, either.'

Her cheeks felt suddenly warm at the realisation that, for all she had thought

him totally engrossed in the beautiful Francesca, Logan must have been

watching her for some time to be aware of the fact that she hadn't actually

eaten much of the food they had been served.

She shrugged. 'I'm just not very hungry.'

'You start your new job soon, don't you?' he enquired.

She was surprised he had remembered that. And, yes, she began work at the

kindergarten next week.

'Nervous?' One of his hands moved to cover hers.

She hadn't been—but she was now. What was Logan doing? More to the

point, what was Francesca going to think of him touching her in this way?

'You shouldn't be, you know,' Logan continued gently. 'I'm sure the children

are going to love you.'

She wished that he did!

She might as well wish for the moon, and Darcy knew that even more than

before after today.

She had been overwhelmed earlier this afternoon when she had arrived at

the castle with her father and Meg, not even the rugged beauty of the

countryside on the drive up from the airport in the hire car having prepared

her for the sheer enormity of Meg's family home. The drive up from the road

had seemed to take for ever, thousands of deer grazing in the fields, and as

for the castle itself...!

Built of a mellow stone that seemed to have a soft orange hue to it, the main

building itself was flanked by four huge turrets, genuine cannons from a

sixteenth-century ship flanking each side of the main entrance. It was like

something out of a fairy tale!

The inside was even more impressive, furnished with genuine antiques,

most of them of a warlike nature, admittedly, but then, in earlier centuries

Scotland had seen many wars. Mainly with the English!

Hugh McDonald had turned out to look like an older version of Logan,

giving Darcy an idea of what Logan would look like in forty years'

time—absolutely formidable!

Darcy had been allocated one of the bedrooms in the North Tower, choosing

to take Hugh McDonald's suggestion that she rest until dinner-time. Not

because she really needed to rest, but to give herself a chance to gather her

scattered defences in anticipation of seeing Logan that evening. The story

she had given Brice, of getting lost in the vastness of the castle, was a slight

exaggeration; she had simply delayed coming downstairs for as long as she

possibly could without missing dinner altogether. Delayed seeing Logan

with the beautiful Francesca for as long as possible!

But, in truth, it had made no difference to the pain she felt at seeing him with

the other woman, of having to accept Francesca's importance in his life.

Darcy gently removed her hand from Logan's grasp. 'I'm looking forward to

starting work,' she assured him. For one thing, it would give her something

else to think about besides him!

Logan's mouth had tightened at the removal of her hand, his gaze narrowed

now. 'Then why aren't you eating?' He frowned. 'Could it be that you're still

upset about Daniel and my mother?' he probed.

'No, it couldn't,' she denied instantly, her smile affectionate as she glanced

down the table at the engaged couple; there was no doubting her father and

Meg's genuine feelings of love for each other. 'They make a wonderful

couple, don't they?' she murmured wistfully.

'Wonderful,' Logan confirmed dryly.

She glanced back at him, frowning slightly. 'But you still have your

doubts...?'

'It's not really any of my business, is it?'

No, it wasn't. But his feelings towards marriage, any marriage, still

dismayed her.

She glanced over to where the beautiful Francesca was in conversation with

the man seated to her right. Was she aware of Logan's feelings towards

marriage? Darcy sincerely hoped so, otherwise the other woman had a

terrible shock coming to her.

Although the thought of Logan married to another woman made Darcy feel

faint!

She swallowed hard. 'I—'

'There's dancing in the main salon after dinner,' Logan told her abruptly.

Almost as if he had known she had been about to make her excuses and

escape to her bedroom...?

'Darcy has already promised the first dance to me, old chap,' Brice

interrupted brightly, taking a firm hold of Darcy's hand. 'But I'm sure she'll

save one for you later on in the evening!' he added tauntingly.

Darcy turned to give Brice a quizzical glance—only to have him give her a

conspiratorial wink!

Brice McAllister knew, had somehow guessed, that she was in love with

Logan!

The question now was—would he tell his cousin?

All thoughts of making a hasty escape to her bedroom fled as she knew she

couldn't allow Brice McAllister to do that. She would have to talk to Brice