To Lucas’s great joy, over the next three days, with the additional freedom she’d been given, Ailsa continued to regain more of her happy spirit. The most amazing thing was that as her sunny nature reemerged, it seemed to rub off on everyone she encountered. The fact that she was a hated MacLennan seemed to fade into the background with everyone, just as it had with Silas.

In fact, aside from himself, the person who was most enamored with her was Silas. Ailsa adored horses and enjoyed going to the stables to see them. But it was her pure affection for Callie on her first visit that won Silas’s heart. Anyone who loved Callie was all right by Silas. But anyone Callie loved, Silas loved too. And Callie loved Ailsa as much as the lass loved her. When they were outside, Callie would follow her around. But Ailsa also loved sitting on the floor of the stable with Callie’s head in her lap, petting her and chatting away happily with Lucas, Silas, and anyone else who happened to be there.

Even when the weather turned foul again on the fifth day, Ailsa wanted to go to the stables to see Callie. This didn’t bother Lucas in the slightest. She was happiest there and more than anything else he wanted to see her happy.

He leaned against the stable wall, watching her. Seeing her like this, sitting in hay, cuddling Callie, he was entirely taken by her beauty. He tried to put his finger on what he found so attractive. Aye, she was well formed—slender but possessing womanly curves—but she wasn’t what most people would typically call a great beauty. In the low light, her chestnut hair was a darker auburn color and, as usual, some curls had escaped her braid. The cold, damp air had turned her nose and cheeks pink and the smattering of freckles suggested that she spent more time out of doors than in a solar working tapestries. Perhaps not a classic beauty, but he found her irresistible.

An image of Moira MacNaughton, porcelain skin, golden hair, and bright blue eyes came to mind. Suddenly the difference was clear. Moira’s beauty was only on the surface. And when it faded with age, as it most certainly would someday, she’d have nothing left.

Ailsa’s beauty shone from within. Her ability to take joy from small things and give love freely was what he found so desirable. It’s why his clansmen and women could look past the fact that she was a MacLennan. For this reason, she would be beautiful no matter how the ravages of time changed her features.

Seeing her now, love flowing from her as she gently stroked Callie who lay across her lap, he could imagine her with a child in her arms. His child.

His child? That could never be.

Or could it?

From a practical standpoint, she would be a good match. Not only would she have the sizable dowry William sought, marriage to her could end the hostilities between their clans. What more could William want?

But William had warned him against her. It wasn’t likely that he’d agree. Lucas just needed to get those thoughts out of his head. He turned his attention back to Ailsa. She was scratching Callie’s ears, her expression as pensive as he expected his own had been.

“Ailsa, what troubles ye?” Lucas asked.

She didn’t answer immediately, but leaned down and kissed the top of the dog’s head.

“Ailsa?” he prodded.

“I guess…well, Callie really is a wonderful dog and the last few days have been infinitely better having her to love. But I miss my Duff so very much. We were only to have been gone a little more than two weeks. Now it’s been over three weeks since I left Brathanead, I’ve been here twelve days and I have no idea when I’m going home. Has yer brother heard nothing from Fingal?”

“Not yet.” At least not that William had mentioned. “But the message was sent to Laird MacLennan in Edinburgh so it would take a few days to get there. And then he would probably have to travel home to arrange things. That would take some time too.”

That was all true, but they really should have heard something by now. For that matter, it was likely that a large contingent of MacLennan warriors would arrive today or tomorrow with the ransom money. And then Ailsa would be gone from him for good.

The thought that he might never see her again gutted him.

Lucas didn’t care what William thought of her. He wanted her in his life. He had to at least try to convince his brother to offer a betrothal contract, before the MacLennans showed up at their gates.

That evening, after supper, Lucas escorted Ailsa to her chamber. In spite of his brother’s aversion to him spending time with her there, not willing for their time together to end, Lucas had played chess or backgammon with her for a while each evening. However, tonight he needed to talk to William.

When they reached the door of Ailsa’s chamber she asked, “Will ye join me for a game of chess?”

He took both her hands in his. “Not tonight, sweetling. I have some things to discuss with my brother.”

She smiled and squeezed his hands. “That’s all right. It has been a lovely day. I’m tired anyway.”

He laughed. “It’s been a gray, wet, cold day.”

“Has it?” Her eyes sparkled with mischief.

“Ye know it has.”

“Aye, but that didn’t really matter. I spent it with ye and that made it lovely indeed.”

Nothing in heaven or on earth could have stopped Lucas from kissing Ailsa at that moment. Still holding her hands, he leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips. But that small taste only increased his desire. Letting go of her hands, he cradled her head in his palms and deepened the kiss.

To his utter delight, she opened her mouth to him, returning his kiss, as lost in the moment as he was.

“Ahem.”

Lucas became vaguely aware that they weren’t alone.

Her guard, Kyle, cleared his throat again. “Sir Lucas, the laird will not like this one bit.”

Lucas broke the kiss, sighing heavily.

Color rose in Ailsa’s cheeks and she became flustered. “I…ah…well, goodnight, Lucas.” She stepped away from him, opened the door and disappeared into her chamber.

Lucas scowled at Kyle. “It was just a kiss.”

Kyle shrugged. “Ye know yer brother’s orders.”

Aye, he did and he needed to go talk to William about them right now. He turned and stalked away.

~ * ~

Ailsa shut the door behind her and leaned against it.

Lucas had kissed her. And while she had daydreamed for years about being kissed by a man she adored, she could never have imagined what it was really like. Even now, she couldn’t possibly describe how it had felt. He had overwhelmed her senses. And she wanted him to kiss her again.

She glanced around her small chamber and was reminded of the fact that she was not a guest here, but a captive and while not uncomfortable, this was her cell and the man who had kissed her, was the one responsible for putting her here.

She had spent her first brokenhearted hours in this room loathing him and what he had done, as well as berating herself for falling for him in the first place. But as the days passed, he did more and more to make her comfortable and happy, in spite of her anger with him. And she believed once more that she loved him.

Some time ago, after she had told Gillian she was in love again—for the countless time—Gillian had asked her what she thought love was.

Ailsa had sighed and said. “It is an intense passion that blocks out everything else. When two people are in love, they are completely devoted to each other. They are consumed by love and want to spend every moment of every day together professing their great love for each other.”

Gillian smiled somewhat indulgently. “And what is this new love of yers built on?”

At the time Ailsa hadn’t understood the question. “What do ye mean, what’s it built on?”

“What is the source of this intense passion?

“Have ye seen him, Gillian? He’s strong and brave and so very handsome. I think he’s the most attractive man I’ve ever seen.”

Gillian nodded. “I, see. Then I think it’s fair to say yer great love is built on attraction.”

“Well of course it is.”

“Ailsa, pet, ye’ve described infatuation. While true love has some of the characteristics of infatuation, there is so much more to it and it must be built on a firmer foundation than mutual attraction.”

Ailsa had scoffed, “What could be more important than being appealing to each other?”

“Friendship, respect, selflessness, devotion. Oh, sweetling, the very least important thing is physical appearance. In fact, once ye’ve found all of those other things, appearance means nothing at all. That may draw two people together, but it isn’t enough on its own. Love exists as much in the ordinary as the extraordinary. Sometimes ye feel the strongest love in the littlest of gestures. But the truth is, until ye actually feel it, ye’ll never fully comprehend it.”

Now Ailsa believed she was finally beginning to understand what Gillian had meant. She was initially attracted to Lucas because he was handsome and had saved her. But after she arrived here—and she'd forgiven him for misleading her—other things grew between them. Friendship…respect…selflessness…devotion. As she thought about what she felt for him, it occurred to her that love was apparent in everything Lucas did for her and had been from the start. What’s more, she could imagine spending her life with him, showing him the same kind of love. She no longer imagined passionate embraces and grand gestures. Although his kiss had been wonderful. Now she dreamed of more. She envisioned a life together, a family, growing old together.

For a brief moment, Ailsa gave into despair. In spite of their love, how could they possibly have a life together? He was a Grant and she was a MacLennan. But Ailsa had never backed down from a challenge and she believed if what they shared was indeed true love, they would find a way.

That night, for the first time, she did not fall asleep worrying about when her ransom would be paid, or thinking about how much she missed home. She fell asleep imagining that she lay within the circle of Lucas’s arms once again—loved.