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Now at age thirty-two, he regretted making that commitment, but he couldn't quit feeding the beast. Ian had dumped so much money into the place in the past seven years, he couldn't afford to stop now and let it fall into ruin after all. He maintained quarters in the one habitable wing of the hulking old palace but most of the time stayed in his small apartment on the estate where he operated the distillery. That way he didn't have to go to bed with his folly every night.

Caught up in his thoughts, Ian didn't see the woman until he collided with her in the darkness, almost knocking her down. Instinctively, he took her elbow. "So sorry. How clumsy of me. I wasn't watching where I was going."

When she turned her face to him, he recognized her instantly-the tall, extraordinarily good-looking redhead he had fancied had been watching him all day. This close to her, even in the dim light, he could see that she wasn't just good-looking; she was beautiful. The fine features of her face were accented with high cheekbones and flawlessly arched brows. Her nose, turned up ever so slightly, appeared dusted with faint freckles, her cheeks burnished by a day in the sun. Although he couldn't discern their color, her wide eyes seemed to reflect the luminescence of the aurora, and her hair spilled in sunset disarray from where she had it fastened on the crown of her head. She had an essence of freshness about her, like the wild wind in the heather, a radiance that seemed to shimmer directly into the darkest corners of his heart. He swallowed hard, confused at the inexplicable emotions she evoked. "Sorry," he managed again.

She offered a tentative smile from the fullness of her lips, but her eyes reflected alarm. "No problem," she replied, drawing her elbow away. "I should have been paying more attention, too."

The woman's lilting accent captivated him further. "You're a stranger in these parts," he said, awkwardly stating the obvious. "An American?"

Cocking her head to one side, she replied curiously, "American in residence, but Scottish at heart." She gave no further explanation, nor did she offer her name. She merely gazed steadily into his eyes for a long moment with a look that turned Ian's insides to molten ore. She blinked at last and smiled a little uncertainly. "I have to go."

Ian didn't want her to go. Women like her were few and far between in northern Scotland, nonexistent in his life. "May I escort you to your car?"

"Don't have one," she answered, turning again to the path. "I'm staying in the village. It's just a short walk." Her tone was dismissive, and Ian got the message. Thanks but no thanks.

Discouraged, he watched her go. Only then did it register that she wore the Macrae tartan draped over her slender frame, and he recalled that she'd been with the Macraes all day. So that was it. She knew he was a Sinclair, and she didn't want to be seen with him.

Ian shook his head in disgust and took a shortcut across the field to where his Land Rover was parked. This was the twentieth century, for God's sake. Almost the twenty-first. When were these people going to grow up?

Chapter Two

Meredith was breathing hard by the time she reached the cottage. She closed the door behind her and leaned against it, her heart pounding heavily, not only from the brisk walk in the thin Highland air, but also from her reaction to the tall, solidly built Scotsman with the deep, resonant voice and rich Scots accent. That accent still echoed in her mind, confounding her that she found it so appealing.

She'd known him immediately. Ian Sinclair. The man she'd watched intently all day. He had been handsome seen from afar. He was drop-dead gorgeous close at hand, with dark, piercing eyes and thick black hair tossed across his forehead by the wind. For the slender space of time that he'd held her by the elbow, she had taken in the breadth and squareness of his shoulders, the well-proportioned height of his body, and had been rendered nearly senseless by the raw power of his masculinity. It had taken several long moments and a lot of willpower to gather her wits and move on down the road. She would have liked to have lingered with him there in the darkness, but he was a Sinclair, and she hadn't wanted any of her clansmen to come upon them together. Being literally the new kid on the block, she didn't want to do anything that might jeopardize her new relations with her blood kin.

Removing the shawl and hanging it on a peg by the door, she admitted that she would love to learn more about Ian Sinclair. Maybe she could ask around about him, quietly, discreetly. For something in his touch and in his eyes had reached into the depths of her being, shaking her, awakening her, seeming to call her to yet another aspect of her Scottish destiny. She knew that was nothing more than a fanciful notion, but she was unable to shake it.

The hour was late and she was tired, but Meredith was too keyed up to sleep. She decided instead to examine the treasures she had inherited. Going to the small wooden chest that sat on a stool in one corner, she raised the lid. At a glance, the Macrae treasures didn't look like much. A battered pewter quaich, the traditional Scots drinking vessel. A dirk with a handle made of a stag horn. A scarred old belt buckle. A rag of a scarf in the colors of the ancient Macrae tartan.

At the bottom, carefully folded in tissue paper, was a tablecloth woven of rough wool reputed to be over two hundred years old. Meredith stroked it with the back of her fingers but did not remove it. She'd wait until bright daylight to take it out. An article of that antiquity was surely fragile, and she didn't want to damage it by over-handling. She gazed at the other items, sending a silent thank-you to her departed great-uncle, for he'd given her far more than these material things, more even than the walls that surrounded her. He'd given her a sense of belonging to the clan.

Looking around the small dwelling, Meredith felt more at home than in any other place she could remember. She'd been in Corridan less than three days, and already her Scottish roots were tickling the bottoms of her feet. She knew she must return to North Carolina, but she wished suddenly that she could just stay here.

It wouldn't be that hard, she mused as she heated water for tea. Other than the tiny Scottish specialty shop, she owned in her small mountain town, there was nothing for her in the States. Her parents had both died, her best friend had married and moved away. Although she had many acquaintances, primarily through her work organizing the Highland Games each year, she was close to no one. She'd had one love affair during college, but after graduation, he'd wanted the city life, and she couldn't bear to leave her beloved mountains. Since college, there had been no "significant other."

It wouldn't be that hard to just stay here, she thought, where the mountains were even more magnificent, her family ties stronger even though her kin were still unfamiliar. She was getting to know them better each day. Meredith poured hot water over a tea bag, her mind traveling eagerly down the path she'd cleared for it.

It would be easy, actually, she told herself. She could sell the business. She already knew someone who wanted it. The house where she lived was a rental, whereas she owned this cottage. She added rich local cream to the cup, along with a pinch of sugar. Sinking into the pillows of the worn sofa opposite the fire, she sipped her tea, thinking of possibilities. Unbidden, the image of Ian Sinclair popped into her mind. Meredith sat up with a start. He was not a possibility.

And yet…

She allowed her mind to wander in his direction. What if she hadn't taken off so quickly back there in the parking lot? She closed her eyes, feeling his closeness, remembering the intensity of his eyes gazing into hers. What if… Ian Sinclair had kissed her? An involuntary shiver of delight ran through her, and Meredith opened her eyes again with a sigh. Her thoughts of moving to Corridan had made her delusional. He was a Sinclair. She was a Macrae. Their families had fought each other for over two centuries. What made her think that things could be different between them? The feud was so ingrained in the minds and hearts of both the Sinclairs and the Macraes it might even be in their genes by now. Forget it, sweetheart, she scolded herself, and for God's sake, get those thoughts of Ian Sinclair out of your mind.