The Laird's Reckoning

Just in time for the release of the fifth Pirates of the Caribbean movie Dead Men Tell No Tales, I bring you my latest Romancing the Pirate novel. This tale veers slightly into uncharted waters for me. I’ve mixed pirates with Scottish Highlanders. A great deal of research went into making The Laird’s Reckoning, including watching the entire two seasons of Outlander. Nope, no hardship there. I enjoyed writing this story so much, I’m considering writing more Scottish pirate books.

The Laird’s Reckoning goes on sale May 30th at Amazon, but you can pre-order your copy today!

The Blurb:

Pirate or Laird...?

Birk Bane was born the second son, the unwanted son, the unneeded son. Crossed by family and falsely accused of a crime, he flees Scotland to the sea where he’s recruited by a pirate. Five years later, he’s captain of his own ship and embraces his new life, though an ache for the woman he left behind remains. When he receives word of his father’s death and his clan is floundering, Birk begrudgingly returns home. Little does he know there’s more he left behind than a title…much more.

Sheena MacRae helped Birk escape to safety years ago, always expecting he’d return. Time passes and she believes him to be dead. With her clan being terrorized and slaughtered, she accepts she is the only one who can stop the suffering by agreeing to marry Laird Gordon, the man behind the assaults. The man who is also poised to rule Birk’s clan. Despite the crushing need to hold Birk in her arms once more, his reappearance changes nothing. Sheena has too much to lose if she reneges the betrothal to Gordon. And while Birk’s intentions are to return to the sea after reclaiming his clan, she didn’t count on her pirate lover’s plan for revenge…

The longer he’s home, the more betrayal Birk uncovers. There will be a fiery battle ahead for Birk and his brethren. If he survives, how will he choose between the life he loves and the love of his life?

Enjoy this excerpt:

“They’re coming!”

The panic in Sheena’s eyes matched Birk’s racing heart. Their breaths stirred the dust they had kicked up crouching behind the crates. Shouts carried down the alleys, drawing closer.

Sheena gripped his arms. “Go!” Her pleading command rushed out in a hoarse whisper. “Run, before they catch you.”

“Come with me.” It was a desperate attempt to keep Sheena by his side, a selfish one. But he was no fool. If the magistrate found out she helped him escape, his bonny lass would be imprisoned. He couldn’t protect her if he left her behind.

She shook her head, mahogany tresses slipping free from the knot at her crown. “I canna leave my father and Mallabroch Manor.” Gruff voices neared. Her eyes widened, begged. “Please, Birk. If ye are hanged, I’ll kill myself, I swear I will.”

He believed it. By the heavens, he loved his lass. Loved her more than anything this world had to offer. He’d give his life for her. But never would he allow her to give hers for him. Never. “I canna leave you.” He could hardly swallow, the lump of fear wedged tight in his throat. She was his air, the beat of his heart. He was terrified to be without her. Terrified and angry. Angry for the pain marring her beautiful effervescent smile. He swore whoever set him up, accused him of being a false coiner, would pay and pay dearly.

“Ye must go.” She grabbed his face with both hands. “Ye must. For me.”

The tears cresting in those moss green eyes, the tremble in her bottom lip, tore at his soul. What choice did he have? Sheena would not leave her father, her home. This he knew. Her love and loyalty for her da was fierce. Could he really expect her to leave Ramsay, the laird of Mallabroch, alone, as ill as he was? Would he be able to protect her any better on the lam? No. He had no choice. She was a mighty one. She’d be fine, if only he’d let her go. Let her go and run. Damn it, he never ran from anything. He tucked a wayward lock behind her ear. “For you,” he repeated.

A shaky smile accompanied her gusty breath of relief. “I love you, Birk.”

“And I you. More than the moon and stars.” He pressed a kiss to her mouth. “I will clear my name,” he vowed against her lips. “I will come back for you.”

Birk gripped the back of her neck and she deepened the kiss. For a moment, he lost himself with her. The accusations, the magistrate’s guard closing in, his damaged, jaded world faded into the light, musky, floral scent of heather and urgent caress of her lips.

“This way!” The strident shout broke the haze, yanking him back to the present.

“Promise me.” She choked on the words.

Footfalls pounded against the packed dirt.

He could take no more of her agony. Aye. He would see the man who framed him dead. “I promise, mo teine, my fire. I will return for you.”

“Back here! This way!”

Tears streamed down her creamy, flushed cheeks. She nodded once. Without a word, she spun to stand, ready to face the men chasing after him.

Birk took off at a run, dodging barrels and crates, cutting around the buildings on the leading edge the rest of the way through the town to the docks. Behind him, he heard her shrill scream. He pushed hard against the urge to hasten back to her. He had to believe she would be all right. She was a hellcat when provoked. Sheena would be fine. She had to be.

He jumped over a pile of ropes and looped through stacks of lumber. The stench of timber and pitch mixed with brine. Off to the left, a carpenter hammered, the thudding so familiar. Ahead, several stevedores unloaded cargo from a ship. Birk hadn’t thought beyond fleeing the cell which Sheena unlocked. He hadn’t thought to where he’d go. But Sheena had. He was to flee to the only place he’d known—his father’s shipyard. Now as he skidded to a stop in the middle of the yard, realization struck. He had trapped himself between the town and the men coming for him and the sea. Bloody hell. Aye, there was a boat waiting for him somewhere, but would he reach it in time?

Sheena’s plan. Take a skiff across the Sound of Sleat to the mainland. Find a horse in Mallabroch and disappear. It was his only option, though he would rather have her by his side. Running from all the injustices their young lives had suffered, together.

Birk slunk through the maze of planks, boxes, casks, and tools, weaving through the scaffolding beneath the hull of a brigantine. He set his sights to the end of the docks where fishermen cast out in their skiffs. Just as he cleared the last support beam, he came face to face with his father.

Bewilderment flashed across his haggard face but was soon replaced with a flare of venom.

Birk slid his gaze past his father to his cousin rounding the other side of the scaffolding and coming up short. Cam slowly took a step back, as if he hoped not to become entangled in a confrontation.

“Birk.” A sneer crooked his father’s mouth. “Let ye out, did they?” His tone belied he knew the better.

Shouts traveled through the shipyard. His pursuers were nearly upon him.

“Hmph.” The old man lifted his chin and sneered down his nose. “Suppose not.”

“I didna do it, Father.” Speaking truths, hell, speaking at all was lost on the man.

Since birth, Hugh Bane, laird of Creaganbroch Manor, the village of Tradale, and the surrounding lands, had shunned his youngest son—the weak, sickly child who wasn’t expected to live. But his mother refused to accept her little bairn could not grow happy and healthy. Through her love and nurturing, never leaving his side, Birk survived the infant months to become the favorite of her three sons. That didn’t change as he grew a few years older. Hugh had become resentful, claiming his wife mollycoddled Birk. He’d force Birk into harsh labor around the yard, harsher than he should have for a boy his age. This but angered his mother and many fights were waged over Birk. Until his mother fell ill with fever. Upon her final breaths, it wasn’t Hugh she called for, but Birk. And Birk had suffered for it ever since.

Except that he didn’t. He hadn’t let the old man get the better of him. Not after the last time he took a backhand across his face at the age of fifteen.

“Didna do it?” Hugh spat. “’Tis your fault I’ve buried James. Ye and your goddamned defiance.”

And there it was. The blame he’d been burdened with and the guilt that his father was right this time. But that was his cross to bear and he’d be damned to let the old man lay one more thing at his feet. He’d be damned to give him any such satisfaction.

A wicked grin crooked one side of Cam’s mouth. One day, Birk would bloody up that idiot’s face, the toady.

“I didna kill James.”

“Ye did, and ye sullied the Bane name with your thievery.” Hugh, quick as a viper, snatched Birk’s arm. “Cam.”

“Yes, uncle?”

His father’s expression hardened. “Alert the authorities in the yard,” he leaned within an inch of Birk’s face, his eyes darkened with hate, “we have the bastard here.”

Birk had never gotten along with his cousin, but something about the toothy grin splitting Cam’s face didn’t set right with him. ’Twas more than Birk facing certain death at the end of a rope. ’Twas something…triumphant. Cam spun on his heel toward the approaching men.

“May ye rot in hell,” Hugh spewed.

Birk wrenched his arm free and leaned in even further, a hair’s breadth from the man. “Ye first.”

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Fair winds and following seas, mates!

About the Author

                                                                             

Jennifer is the award-winning author of the Romancing the Pirate series. Visit her at www.jbrayweber.com or join her mailing list for sneak peeks, excerpts, and giveaways.

Castle of the Week: Dunrobin Castle

Dunrobin Castle --
view from driving in at the front gate

Welcome back to another rousing castle of the week! This week's castle is Dunrobin Castle in Scotland, which happens to be the setting in several of the books in the Stolen Bride series. I had a chance to visit the castle earlier this year, and I was mesmerized. It is GORGEOUS. And still a residence.

Dunrobin was built in the 13th century and has been home to the earls and dukes of Sutherland since. In THE HIGHLANDER'S REWARD, my hero, Magnus, Laird Sutherland, is created earl at the end of the book. Dunrobin is situated overlooking the North Sea on the east coast of the Highlands. The sound of waves lapping at the beach can be heard from atop the hill where the castle sits, and you can see the sea for miles. The original castle was a fortified square keep--in stark contrast to what you see today, a magnificent, enchanting stone chateau. In my series, the castle is being partially rebuilt from the square keep to a grander structure. In actual history however, the square keep stood alone for about 200 years until it was added to.

The castle boasts beautiful gardens and grounds that I could sit in for DAYS, literally, without moving.

In my upcoming release, THE HIGHLANDER'S SINS, Duncan kidnaps Heather Sutherland, youngest sister of Magnus, from the family chapel at Dunrobin...

Here are some pics from my visit earlier this year. Due to the date I was in Scotland, I wasn't allowed to go inside. That is #1 on my list of must sees when I return there sometime in the next couple of years.

LOVED this sign! Captured it while driving by, hence the blurriness.

This is the view of the castle from driving in. The castle is a residence, and continues to be the seat of Clan Sutherland. I found the mix of history with the present fascinating--gorgeous medieval castle with trash and recycling receptacles and vehicles.

The left tower, and what appears to be a main door.

Loved this clock tower. Just gorgeous.

Check out this weather vane complete with a mountain cat (wildcat), which is part of the Sutherland crest.

Look at the detail work in the stone.

I thought this picture capture well the front of the castle and the back, a mix of two different eras. The front is very much medieval and the back more chateau-like.

This is a pick of the back of the castle as I walked down the hill toward the beach.



A gate into a lush park where the castle practices falconry.

Another view of the back of the castle closer to the beach. You can see the road heading back up toward the front of the castle and entrance.

A view of the gardens of Dunrobin in winter. I've seen pics of it when in full bloom, and I imagine it is just jaw-dropping in person.

Loved these stairs leading up to a huge stone-walled patio in the garden.

More of the gardens. I love all the huge trees and pathways.

More of the gardens. Ignore the long orange extension cord :)

This is a tiny tower that sits at  corner of the wall around the gardens. It wasn't very high up, you can tell by the door.

A view of the north sea, and some of Dunrobin's wall in the distance. Immediately to the right was a building I'm assuming is home of the gardener or grounds' keeper.

Look at this view! This is the beach at Dunrobin.

Those black logs poking out of the shore are from an old pier that has since collapsed.

A view to the left of the beach. Love it!

More of the shore and the wall.

Me on Magnus' beach!!! I never felt a stronger connection to my characters then when I walked on their sand.

Captured the water lapping at the shore.

A close-up of a huge stone. Loved the way time carved designs into it.

My footprints in the sand at Dunrobin.

A pic of the gates upon leaving--cool arrows, right?

Hope you enjoyed the pics of Dunrobin Castle!!! Stay tuned next week for another enchanting tour of a castle!

Check out my Stolen Bride series!

Out now in ebook, print and audio from Amazon, B&N, ITunes/Books, Kobo, Sony, Audible:

The Highlander's Reward

The Highlander's Conquest

The Highlander's Lady

The Highlander's Triumph

The Highlander's Warrior Bride

and releasing later this month... The Highlander's Sin!

Visit my website, www.elizaknight.com to sign up for my newsletter and find out more about upcoming releases!

History Lovers Grand Tour!

Welcome to the History Lovers Grand Tour & Scavenger Hunt!

—International—

As the name implies, we’re a group of readers and authors who love both history and romance, especially when they’re combined in a delightful story. If you feel the same, you’re welcome to join us on our Facebook page and converse with us about historical romance fiction.

Below you’ll find authors of historical romances set in a wide variety of time periods. Perhaps by participating in our Grand Tour you’ll discover some new authors for your future reading pleasure. Hop around to your heart’s content, feel free to comment on the posts, hunt for answers to the authors’ questions, and perhaps you’ll be one of our 25 lucky prize winners (see contest details below)…although you’re already a winner if you find a new story to read, do you not agree?

The theme for this tour is Courting Rituals, and for my post, I’ve chosen to talk about the art of stealing a bride.

Highland Stolen Brides

For my Highland heroes, courting seems to begin unexpectedly. For Magnus in THE HIGHLANDER'S REWARD, he sweeps up his heroine in the middle of a battlefield. While physical attraction might have sparked from the start, neither were of a mind to get together. It just so happened that in order to keep her safe, Magnus determined he had to marry Arbella--a feat which took some manner of skill. In other words--his courting was a bit of a manipulation. However, Arbella found him charming, and while she agreed to marry him, she also vowed to run away. But then...he laid on the charm.

Magnus took Arbella for a ride through the Scottish Highlands atop his magnificent warhorse. They rode together, sharing body heat and sparks of desire. When he found out that she was a non-meat eating sort of lass, he went out of his way to be sure she had as many fruits and vegetables and bread as her belly could handle.

Sweetest of all, however, was that Magnus agreed not to consummate their nuptials right away. A request Arbella made in hopes of dissolving their marriage, but which soon becomes a feat unto itself. Especially when Magnus continuously flaunts his glorious physique. She wants him to kiss her. But kissing a man, making love to a man, that one does not plan to stay married to is wrong. Is it not? Maybe remaining married wouldn't be so bad after all...

And then we have Blane, Magnus' playboy younger brother. He's charged with locating Arbella's English sister Aliah and bringing her safely to the Highlands. A task he completes with flourish--and a wife. Blane tricks his love interest into thinking he's English so she'll go with him. 'Tis not until they are nearly to their place that she realizes he's a man she should be scared of--and so Aliah takes courting into her own hands, and shoots him. Ah, it was love at first blow.

Blane and Magnus' cousin Daniel has run away from his duties, and falls headlong into the charming arms of a dirty peasant. Er...wait a minute--a bit of soap and water reveals she's a noble lass through and through. Daniel helps Myra with her mission to find the Bruce, and helps unload her of an unwanted fiance. Why not trade a nightmare of a marriage for one filled with passion?

Vowing not to ever get involved with a simpering female and laughing at his male relatives for doing so, Ronan Sutherland doesn't court ladies--he beds them. Until Julianna continually challenges him in mind, body and spirit. She's kicking ass and taking names, and he wants in. What better way to court a lady then to help her chase down her enemies?

When Brandon Sinclair -- cousin to the afore mentioned heroes -- saves a beautiful temptress from a burning fire, he gets a heck of a lot more than he bargained for. The English king's mistress. But it isn't her prior position that puts a fire in his blood, but her intelligence, gentle heart, and the need to help her heal from past wounds. Brandon becomes her friend first, and then sweeps her off her feet. After all, a lady would rather be ravished by a handsome Highland warrior than a stinky old meanie.

The premise behind each book in the series is that the bride is stolen away from something--a fiance, a lover, the church, her family, etc... But why the stealing, you say? To me this ups the conflict and really makes it hard to get the characters to fall in love—but the journey is satisfying, powerful, addictive. Highlanders were sort of known for stealing their wives, whether from the English or a neighboring clan they were warring with. Women were a commodity that were used often in vendettas and to gain alliances. But of course, my series is romance, and I wanted to give everyone a happy ending. I also made sure that my heroines were able to stick up for themselves and fight back.

Now onto the prize!!!

The prize I am offering is a signed print copy of THE HIGHLANDER'S REWARD (Book One: Stolen Bride series) or an e-copy (vendor of choice), winner's choice--and this is how you qualify for a chance to win--leave a comment at this blog with your answer to the my question below. But that's not all--you can enter to win the grand prize as well, by visiting the other authors in the tour and our History Lovers Grand Tour page (see below).

Here’s my question for the scavenger hunt: What is Arbella's eating preference?

Click on the History Lovers Grand Tour page to fill in the answer, and you may continue on from there. Enjoy!

She belonged to another… But was destined to be his…

Lady Arbella de Mowbray abhors the idea of marrying an English noble occupying Scotland. When she arrives in Stirling, she is thrown into the midst of a full battle between the Scots and the English. Besieged by rebels, she is whisked from her horse by a Highland warrior who promises her safety. But when he kisses her she fears she's more in danger of losing herself.

The last thing Magnus Sutherland wants is to marry the beautiful English lass he saved. As the laird of his clan, he has a responsibility to his clan and allies. But when Arbella is attacked by one of his own men, he determines the only way to keep her safe is to make her his. A decision that promises to be extremely satisfying.

Magnus brings Arbella to his home of Dunrobin Castle in the Highlands. And that’s where the trouble begins… Their countries are at war and they should be each other’s enemy. Neither one considered their mock marriage would grow into a deeply passionate love. What’s more, they were both unhappily betrothed and those who've been scorned are out for revenge. Can their new found love keep them together or will their enemies tear them apart?

“Eliza Knight has crafted a wonderfully entertaining, emotional and sensual read. I loved the sizzling romance and the exciting adventures. Magnus, the hot Highland hero, stole my heart just as he did Arbella’s.” Vonda Sinclair, Award-Winning author of Scottish romance

Excerpt:

As Magnus raised the light around the space, he paused on the small bed in the corner.

“’Twill be a tight fit,” he said with a chuckle.

Arbella’s lips twitched in the semblance of a smile, but truthfully she was too nervous to smile genuinely. His words only brought to mind the fact they’d been married before the eyes of God and even with his promise to keep her virtue intact, he was legally her husband and if he chose to, he could demand his husbandly rights.

He set the candle down on the table and started to disarm himself. A large pile of various weapons formed on the floor beside the table. A rather messy heap. She had to stop herself from organizing the pile into a corner where it wouldn’t be in the way.

Then he sat down and started to unlace his boots completely pulling her thoughts from anything but his actions.

“What are you doing?” she asked, her voice a little shrill. They were supposed be pretending, not truly undressing.

He glanced at her briefly before returning to his task. “Taking off my boots.”

“Why?”

He exhaled loudly and sat back, his eyes narrowing on her. “What’s wrong?”

“You are undressing.”

“Aye.”

“But you promised.” She wrapped her arms around her stomach, trying to keep the soup down.

“And I intend to keep my promise. But that doesna mean I’m going to sleep in my boots with my sword strapped to my back.”

His words made sense and with the confused and annoyed expression on his face she understood she’d been overreacting.

She nodded and turned toward the bed. They would both never fit on the small mattress. Perhaps if he was a normal sized man, but Magnus was a giant. “Well I intend to sleep fully clothed.”

“Whatever suits ye, lass.”

He was so close his voice startled her. Arbella whirled around to see that he stood a foot away from her—nude.

Her eyes glued to the muscles of his chest, the light sprinkling of hair, his shoulders and she dare not look further.

“I prefer to sleep in my skin.” He walked around her and she caught a glimpse of his sculpted arse.

Her mouth fell open, breath caught. She’d never seen a man’s arse before…and never dreamed it would look so…look so…nice. Arbella snatched back her wayward hand that had reached out to touch him.

Magnus dove onto the bed, his head buried in the pillow, his arms beneath it. His face was turned away from her and she took a moment to observe his long legs, his strong back. But looking at him only made her blood burn hot. Her desire for him stronger.

She chewed her lower lip, her gaze focused on his god-like body.

“Will ye join me, lass?”

She jerked her gaze up to see his eyes on her and full of merriment.

“N—No.”

Eliza Knight is the multi-published, award-winning, Amazon best-selling author of sizzling historical romance and erotic romance. While not reading, writing or researching for her latest book, she chases after her three children. In her spare time (if there is such a thing…) she likes daydreaming, wine-tasting, traveling, hiking, staring at the stars, watching movies, shopping and visiting with family and friends. She lives atop a small mountain, and enjoys cold winter nights when she can curl up in front of a roaring fire with her own knight in shining armor. Visit Eliza at www.elizaknight.com or her historical blog History Undressed: www.historyundressed.com Twitter: @ElizaKnight and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elizaknightauthor

History Lovers Grand Tour Authors

Rue Allyn • Amylynn Bright • Collette Cameron • Téa Cooper • Beverley Eikli • Susana Ellis • Aileen Fish • Debra Glass • Amy Hearst • Evangeline Holland • Piper Huguley • Eliza Knight • Kristen Koster • Cora Lee • Georgie Lee • Suzi Love • Denise Lynn • Deborah Macgillivray • Barbara Monajem • Shelly Munro • Ella Quinn • Eva Scott • Shereen Vedam • Elaine Violette 

Prizes

1.      Each author will offer a prize for a contest, the specifics of which is set up entirely by her. The contest will be open to all participants, regardless of geographic location. For logistical purposes, authors may substitute a digital prize (gift card, etc.) of equal value for another prize that might prove difficult to mail to a distant location.

2.      The Grand Prize for the Scavenger Hunt will be awarded to the participant with the most correct answers to the authors’ scavenger hunt questions.  In case of a tie, the winner will be chosen randomly.

3.      The winners will be posted on the History Lovers Grand Tour page the following week.

Scavenger Hunt

·        Click on the above links to each author’s blog. The blog tour entry can be identified by the graphic in the upper right corner of the post. If it is not the top post, look for the graphic in a prominent location on the sidebar, and click on it to find the blog tour entry.

·        Read the blog post and the author’s short answer question at the end. Locate the answer to the question, then click on the link to the History Lovers Grand Tour page and type in the answer next to the author’s name. Be sure to fill in the your name and email address!

·        You may go back to same page and read more of the author’s post (excerpt, etc.) or you may click on another author’s name on the answer sheet and repeat the process.

·        When you are finished, check to make sure the spaces for your name and email address are filled in correctly, and submit your answer sheet to the tour coordinator. If you submit an incomplete answer sheet, you may come back later and make another submission with the remaining answers when you have more time.

·        Any questions about the scavenger hunt should be directed to the tour coordinator .

Marriage in the Highlands in the Early 1500's by Margaret Mallory

Welcome back to History Undressed, Margaret Mallory, the talented author of medieval and Scottish romance! Today she is going to tantalize us with talks of marriage! Read on, and don't forget to comment for a chance to win a copy of her new release!

Marriage in the Highlands in the Early 1500’s*

Margaret Mallory

Dunscaith, home of the Chieftain of the MacDonalds of Sleat

The most surprising thing I learned in my research for my THE RETURN OF THE HIGHLANDERS series was about the marriage practices of Highlanders in the Western Isles, particularly the chieftains, at that time my books take place. 

In the early 1500’s, these Gaelic-speaking Highlanders maintained their old Celtic customs alongside their Christian beliefs. Priests were not necessary to make a marriage, which was fortunate since priests were few and far between in the Highlands at this time. In Celtic secular marriage, it was common for couples to enter a trial marriage. At the end of a year, either party could leave the marriage. If the couple decided to stick with it, they could have their marriage blessed at the same time their first child was christened when the priest made his rounds.  Children born of these trial marriages were considered legitimate, and men generally claimed children born outside of marriage as well.  Divorce was permitted by either party on fairly loose grounds.

Chieftains, who were more than kings to their clans, disregarded edicts from Rome as freely as they ignored edits from the Crown.  For them, marriage was a means of making an alliance with another clan—and they changed alliances all the time.  Henry VIII had nothing on some of these chieftains when it came to multiple wives, though a chieftain could simply “set aside” a wife, rather than look for an excuse to have her killed.

Cawdor Castle

The chieftains did not ignore the Church rules entirely, but Rome was a long way away so they generally followed the principle that it was better to ask forgiveness than permission. Though a chieftain might seek an annulment, he was unlikely to wait the two or three years to get an answer from Rome before taking a new wife.  The petition for annulment was often based on the marriage being in violation of the rules of consanguinity, though everyone had been well aware of the issue at the time of the marriage.

As might be expected, a clan chieftain’s serial (and sometimes concurrent) marriages did not always lead to family harmony or good relations with other clans. The MacDonalds of Sleat, the clan of my fictional heroes, had their share of such conflict.

Hugh (Uisdean), the first MacDonald of Sleat and the grandfather of my fictional character Connor, was one of three sons that Alexander, the third Lord of the Isles, had by different women. Despite being admonished by the pope himself for putting away his true wife and “adhering” to Hugh’s beautiful and highborn mother, Alexander refused to part with her. His half-sons, however, got along well.

Hugh had six sons by six different women, all from prominent families. Unfortunately, his sons did not get along as well as Hugh had with his half-brothers. In fact, Hugh’s first son hated his half-brothers so much that upon his death he turned the clan’s lands over to the Crown to keep the others from inheriting them. Though later chieftains held onto the lands, their lack of legal title caused the clan problems for years. Two of Hugh’s other sons were murdered by their half-brothers, and another was murdered by Hugh’s grandsons. 

This family strife plays an important role in all four books in THE RETURN OF THE HIGHLANDERS. In THE SINNER, I also included as secondary characters two couples who were wed in order to make alliances between their respective clans—with wildly differing results.

Margaret Mallory at Eilean Donan

I drew on a well-known incident involving the Maclean chieftain, Lachlan Cattanach (Shaggy), and his wife Catherine, whose father and then brother were chieftains of the powerful Campbell clan. I won’t say here what happened, but when Shaggy was found murdered in bed on a visit to Edinburgh some years later, everyone assumed it was done by a Campbell in retribution.

Catherine’s brother John had better luck in marriage. When the Thane of Cawdor died leaving his baby daughter Muriel as his sole heir, clan chieftains all over the Highlands hoped to arrange a match that would result in one of their sons becoming the next Thane of Cawdor one day. When Muriel was still a toddler, the Campbell chieftain preempted the others by having his men snatch Muriel when she was outside the walls of Cawdor Castle taking in the fresh air with her nursemaid. Muriel was raised in the Campbell chieftain’s household and married to John as soon as she reached twelve, the age of consent. By all reports, this marriage, which was made solely for the purpose of gaining lands and wealth for the Campbells, was a very happy one.

Then as now, some marriages turn out well despite how they started.

* My primary source is “Marriage, Concubinage and Divorce in Gaelic Scotland,” by David Sellar, from Volume 51 of the Transactions of the Gaelic Society of Inverness. (Thanks to Sharron Gunn for referring me to the article.) I also found supporting information in clan histories from numerous sources.

~~~

I hope you’ll enjoy the slide show I put together of photos I took of some of the castles & other settings that appear in THE SINNER. To see the show, click here , then click on “show info” on the upper right for descriptions.

For Book Group Discussion Questions, blurbs, excerpts, and other information relating to my books, please visit my website: www.MargaretMallory.com.

I’d love to respond to your comments or questions! I’ll give away a signed copy of THE SINNER to one of the commenters.

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THE RETURN OF THE HIGHLANDERS: BOOK 2


Four fearless warriors return to the Highlands to claim their lands and legacies. But all their trials on the battlefield can't prepare them for their greatest challenge yet: winning the hearts of four willful Scottish beauties.

IRRESISTIBLE DESIRE

Alex MacDonald is known for his skill as a warrior, his prowess with women, and his vow to never take a wife. But now his chieftain has asked him to make the ultimate sacrifice: wed Glynis MacNeil, a lass famed throughout the Highlands for her exquisite beauty—and defiant ways.
Familiar with heartbreak, Glynis refuses to fall for another handsome scoundrel. Yet when Alex's past sins force an unlikely union, Glynis gives in to temptation and becomes his wife. Will their newfound passion be strong enough to fight the enemy that threatens their home, their clan, and their very lives?