Page 75 of Some Like It Scot
“But she didnae belong, and we all knew it,” Maggie added, pointing toward her eyes. “Something in the eyes.”
“Now, ladies, she was a fine lass.” Mirren’s voice smoothed out the conversational ruffle. “But she didnae belong with Graeme in all the ways they both needed.” Mirren sent me a look. “Their worlds didnae fit.”
Neither does mine, I wanted to say, but swallowed a sip of tea instead.
“The high and mighty sort, she was,” Maggie continued, sniffing the air as if the very memory of this lady carried a bad smell. “She wouldnae have ever thought to wear plain and practical clothes like our Katie does.”
I looked down at my smudged jeans and yellow wellies. Plain and practical. Exactly what a girl wants to hear about her clothing choices. Not sure if that helped my confidence or not. But the “our Katie” part softened the comparison a little.
“You’ll be a fine match for him, Katie,” Maggie added with a stiff nod. “Even if you are a Campbell.”
I pinched my grin into submission. “Thanks, Maggie.”
“And he’s in need of a charming lass like you. Adventurous, kind, tall...” This from Bea.
Tall mattered in romance? I shrugged. Well, it certainly could make kissing a little easier. Heat leaped into my face, so I took another sip of tea.
“Wear blue on Sunday to ensure you catch his eye,” Lori said. “He’s right fond of blue.”
Did all these ladies know himthatwell? Small town took on a new definition, though I’d never truly experienced it since the first ten years of my life. Dad had us moving all over the world with his chaplain duties.
“Oh, and we’ll collect you some heather to wear to lure him in.”
Lure him in? With heather?
“It’s a potent flower and pure Scot.” Maggie winked, and I basked in the camaraderie, even if my cheeks were on fire.
Was this just a normal part of life for these ladies? The happy busybodying? The advice? The... care? My chest pinched a little.
“Dinnae fash, Katie-girl,” Bea added. Oh great, the nickname was catching on. “We’ve all been married long enough to know how to catch a lad.”
“Catch a lad?” The phrase tumbled out of me in a laugh.
I wasn’t even planning to stay in Scotland. I didn’t need to have needless ideas of catching a lad rolling around in my head or heart. But arguing with the matchmakers seemed futile.
The pleasure in my grin spread all the way through my chest. I hadn’t had people this invested in my life in... a really long time. And nothing quite like this. The feeling pressed in on me like a great and long-overdue hug.
So I gave in to the flurry. Just for now. Just to feel connected for the short two weeks I had left.
And as dangerous as the notion was to my heart, the idea of not embracing it for a little while hurt worse, because my lonely heart wanted to hold on.
Even temporarily.
And I’d deal with the consequences later.
Chapter 14
Graeme
“We will be eating an early supper tonight so you can get to bed early.” Lennox’s voice traveled through the ballroom, echoing off the oak-paneled ceiling and matching floors I’d spent part of the year repairing. “We leave by nine o’clock sharp for our surprise outing, and you are encouraged to wear modern clothing.”
Surprise outing? Ah, right. As part of the experience, each set of guests would have the opportunity of engaging in a special activity offered on Mull based on the time of year of their visit—Christmas festival, annual spring music festival, Mendelssohn on Mull, flower show, or whatever Mull had to offer.
But in July? My stomach dropped a little. The only real option had to be the Highland games. And with a little help from Dad, I’d gotten quick approval for a demonstration tent to show how my sculptures were made.
I didn’t have to leave Mull in this case.
But I was determined not to bury my life along with my sister. Mum and Katie’s words stuck like a splinter, and I had to work it out.
