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Now Graeme looked downright thunderous. “Sabrina—”
“I’m not abandoning my people, and I am certainly not abandoning you.”
“Honestly, Graeme,” Ainsley said, “I hope you realize how lucky you are to win such a splendid girl.”
“I do. Which is why I’m trying to keep her alive, so I can marry the splendid girl instead of burying a bloody corpse.”
“That is a revolting image,” Sabrina said.
He switched his glower back to her. “It certainly is, which is why you’re leaving this damn place today.”
“I will do no such thing.”
Graeme stood, drawing himself up to his full height, like a Highland warrior about to go on a rampage.
“Sabrina Bell, you are going to be my wife, which means you’d best start obeying me when I decide something is in your best interest.”
Outraged, Sabrina jumped up, struggling to find the words to respond to that piece of masculine idiocy.
Royal snorted. “You’ve stepped into it now, laddie boy.”
“With both feet,” Ainsley added.
“Graeme Kendrick,” Sabrina said, “this ismyhouse andIam in charge here. Not to mention the fact that I’m rich and can do what I want.”
“What the hell does money have to do with it?” Graeme demanded.
Since she had no idea why she’d said such a silly thing, she ignored his question. “The pertinent fact is that I have as much right to order you around as you have to order me.”
“It might be helpful if nobody ordered anybody around,” Royal put in.
“Darling, stop being so reasonable,” Ainsley said.
“This is a ridiculous conversation,” Graeme snapped.
“I agree,” Sabrina retorted.
He turned on his heel. “I’m going—”
Sabrina shoved past him. “You stay there. This time, I get to storm out of the room.”
* * *
From his vantage point overlooking the loch, Graeme had been scanning the large shed, the nearby pier, and the surrounding glen for almost an hour.
He’d finally caught a damn break.
The smuggling actuallywastaking place on Lochnagar lands, and most likely from this small loch. It butted up against one tiny corner of the estate, and eventually emptied out into Loch Laggan. From there, casks of illegal whisky could be transported to Inverness, Islay, and even Galway. The surrounding landholdings were too fallow for anything but a few crofters and sheep, so the remote location was perfect.
Just this morning, he’d stumbled across the entire operation, including a distillery setup in a well-hidden cave only a half hour’s walk to the loch. That had been the only bit of good arising from his fight at breakfast with Sabrina. Graeme had been so furious he’d stormed out of the house and gone on yet another search of estate lands, to get away from everyone as much as to do more sleuthing.
Once again, he’d been a thundering idiot to his darling lass and undoubtedly owed her another apology. But since his splendid albeit frustrating fiancée was determined to stay at Lochnagar, it was imperative to make the place safe for her.
The shed appeared well maintained, which suggested the Barrs used it as a hideout. The small fishing boat tied up to the pier was probably used to move supplies in and whisky out.
Graeme straightened up from behind the shelter of the large blackthorn bush. Since there were no signs of life, he would scout the shed and, with any luck, find some clue as to when the Barrs would return. Then he’d set a trap and roll the bastards up once and for all.
After checking that his horse was securely tied to a nearby bush, he headed along a narrow, gorse-filled ravine that ran almost to the shed. Aside from the ravine and the patch of bushes at the top of the hill, there was little cover. So far he’d not seen a soul, but there was no point in taking a chance.
