Page 57 of His Highland Duchess
“See”! Graham said. “Isobel wants to play.”
“Very well,” Margaret’s father grumbled. “What shall we play, Your Grace! Seeing as it is yer home…”
Lysander looked between them, a sense of panic in his eyes. Margaret knew that he wasn’t one to play games, and that he certainly didn’t know of any.
“I da nae care what we play,” Graham said and again he slapped Lysander on the shoulder. “But if it is pairs, I am with His Grace. I sense he’s a man who likes ta win!”
“Who says I wish to be with you?” Lysander teased him, which made Margaret laugh loudly as she did not expect it.He is getting more comfortable with them. I can see it.
“I am hurt, Your Grace.” Graham touched his chest as if in pain. “Truly, I am.”
“Not nearly as hurt as I am, being called Your Grace as if I am some stranger. Call me Lysander, please. For we are family.”
Graham beamed. “Ha! This is true, this is true. Margaret…” He looked across the table and winked. “Do me a favor and don’t scare this one off. I like him.”
“The only one scaring anybody off right now is ye, Graham,” she said rightly.
“True!” he laughed.
“Enough, enough,” their father spoke over them. “Let us choose a game and be done with it. And as Graham wished to be with His Gr – Lysander,” he corrected. “I wish to nae be paired with yer mother.”
“Fergus!”
“Jokes, my dear, jokes.”
“Jokes are meant to be funny.”
“Which is why we are all laughing,” he boomed and laughed loudly, to which Margaret and Lysander both joined in. “See, I told ye.”
Margaret rolled her eyes but then smiled when she saw how much Lysander was enjoying herself. And that smile grew when Lysander threw an arm around her brother as if they were the best of friends. The feeling that was growing inside of her was unmistakable…we are a family. All of us, Lysander included.She knew it, and she could see that he was of the same mind.
Relief was what she felt most of all, as this to her was the final test. A test that they had passed, leaving but one thing left to do. She was falling in love with her husband, of that there wasno doubt. All that was required now was to see if that love was returned.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
“You must be feeling rather pleased with yourself,” Catherine said as soon as she and Margaret were alone.
“How do you mean?”
Catherine looked at her. “Oh, come now. Do not pretend that you were not worried about this little visit.” She laughed. “The lord knows that I was the first time our parents met, Sampson. Father, especially, we both know he can be a little…” She clicked her tongue. “Intense.”
“I think you mean loud.”
“In one’s face.”
“Nae kenning when to keep his big mouth shut.”
Both girls laughed together in that way that sisters often do. Memories they both shared, and thus had no reason to speak of, but knew well because they had grown up in the same house and under the roof of the very man whom they mocked.
“It is going better than I hoped,” Margaret agreed. “And Lysander seems to be enjoying himself.”
“I was going to say the same.” Catherine fixed her sister with a knowing look. “Far better than either I or Sampson were expecting.”
“What is that look!”
“What look?”
“Ye know to what I refer,” Margaret insisted. “Come now, out with it.” She put her hands on her hips. “Or do I need to force it out?”
