McGillivray's Mistress - By Anne McAllister Page 0,28

next to him at the end of the table. She’d thought that Lachlan would be at one end of the table and Suzette, his assistant, would be at the other. But somehow David had contrived to have her at the end so that she could stare straight down the table at Lachlan. Turning to her right and smiling at David was a far less stressful prospect.

Besides, Lord Grantham—“Dave,” he corrected her the first time she used his title—was as charming and easygoing as Lachlan was not.

Tall and lean, with blond floppy hair, Viking good looks and a muscular build, David Grantham would have made an excellent nude model himself. But the thought of David’s no doubt glorious naked body didn’t make Fiona’s heart skip a beat at all.

Still, his jokes made her laugh, his flirtatious teasing made her feel like an attractive woman but not simply a sex object, and his genuine interest in The King of the Beach and her other sculptures made her feel as if she hadn’t been just cranking out holiday souvenirs, but had actually accomplished something worthwhile.

Even Lachlan’s throwaway comment about Grandma Moses couldn’t diminish her pleasure.

But David’s request over their last cup of coffee that she consider giving some talks to his tour groups flabbergasted her. They had moved from casual flirtation to earnest discussion of art, and she’d found herself espousing theories that sounded right but which surprised even her. His request surprised her even more.

“Me?” Fiona thought perhaps that Silas the bartender had put a little too much Irish in her Irish coffee. “But…I’m not a teacher. I’m not even a professional sculptor.”

“Of course you are. You sell your work. That makes you a professional.”

“I have no training.”

“Neither did Grandma Moses.” David grinned.

“I don’t know…” Fiona said, glancing down the table toward where Lachlan seemed to be listening to Nathan, all the while glaring at her. “He might think I’m interloping.”

David followed her gaze. “He has nothing to do with this. Or does he?” The question was quiet, but there was something intent in the way he turned his gaze on her. “Does he have a claim on you?”

“No,” Fiona said hastily. “Of course not. I just—he’s the one who invited me to come to dinner.”

“I invited you to come to dinner,” David said. “I wanted to talk to you.”

“Oh.”

Oh. So it hadn’t been Lachlan’s idea, after all. Of course. She should have realized that. Everyone here was someone David had wanted to talk to. Lachlan had just made the invitation.

“Of course,” Fiona said, still smiling, but at the same time she felt oddly hollow and bereft.

“So we’ll talk further,” David said briskly. “How about if I get you a few tapes of other artists and artisans who have worked with my tours. Then you’ll see how well you’d fit in.”

She could tell he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. Not yet anyway. And if privately she thought he was a little too optimistic, she couldn’t argue unless she knew more, could she? “All right.”

“Brilliant!” David leaned over impulsively and kissed her cheek.

“Check!” Lachlan’s harsh voice as he called the waiter made Fiona jump.

And David pulled back, surprised. “But—”

But Lachlan was already halfway to his feet, snapping his fingers and beckoning their waiter.

“Time we got moving,” he said briskly, glancing at his watch. “Skip and Nadine have to head over to the Grouper for the first set. Nine-thirty, you said?” He looked at Skip.

“Well, it’s not cut in stone,” Skip said. “We can—”

“We’ll go now. No sense in keeping the crowd waiting,” Lachlan said. “You said you wanted to hear them, right, Dave?”

“That’s right.” David was getting slowly to his feet now, too, and held out a hand to Fiona. “Fancy a little music before we head home?” he invited her.

Fiona smiled. “That would be lovely. I—”

“—don’t think so,” Lachlan said firmly. “Fiona’s got some work to do.”

She stared at him. Work? What work?

But Lachlan didn’t spare her a glance. He went right on speaking to David as if she weren’t even there. “Just follow Skip and Nadine—” who were already heading out the door “—Suzette will go with you. She’s very knowledgeable about music on the island. She’ll be able to give you an overview. Afterward the two of you can talk more with Skip and Nadine if you want to.”

“Great idea,” Suzette said right on cue. “And I can help you find your way back to the Moonstone in the dark,” she offered with a light laugh. “It’s