Ever since Lady
Grace Walsingham discovered her uncle
and sister are spies for the
Crown, she has yearned for
adventure. She's counting the days until she
can leave
barbaric Scotland behind, even if she must endure Highland
captain Fagan Murray's company for weeks.
Fagan has a simple mission: escort the haughty Lady Grace
back
to England. But nothing is ever easy. The sharp-
tongued woman needles
him at every turn. But when a
menacing threat follows them on their
journey, Fagan's
grudging tolerance for Grace turns to respect...and
into a
perilous attraction that could seal their fate.
I loved this book!!!! I am drawn to books set in Scotland,
and even better when set in the past.
I Love the history aspect
to the story. It makes it that much better. This story is the 2nd
book in the series. and I was hooked from the first few pages.
Grace Hates the Scotts and if not for helping her sister
would be back in England with her betrothed. But for as
much as she protests, she keeps being drawn to Fagan. And
Fagan can not stop himself from Kissing Grace. They have
this love hate relationship, and it just keeps bringing them
closer. When grace is kidnapped to get at the spy the hired
mercenaries want. She assumes it to be her family, But boy
is she in for a shock of who it is. I will not say to much more
as to not spoil the book for you. But this is a must read.
But even though it can be read as a stand alone Get book
one and read it to as it is just as amazing.
My hop is you enjoy this
book as Much as I did.
And if you do like this
book, please consider leaving a review.
The Authors really
like it when you do, they value your opinions too.
Kilts and Daggers (Highland Spies, #2)
Chapter One
Sutherland, Scottish Highlands, 1610
“Scotland. The land of barbarian fools, and now my sister is
among them,” said Grace.
“What
is done is done, my dear. There’s nothing you can do
now except offer
your felicitations and place a smile on that
beautiful face of yours.
If you’ll pray excuse me, I’ll take my
leave to consort with the enemy.
May I suggest you do the
same? We cannot be rude to our gracious
hosts.”
If
Lord Daniel Casterbrook wasn’t her betrothed, she
would’ve chided him
right where he stood. He pulled her
close to his side, more than likely
to prevent her from fleeing,
and they walked together into the crowd.
Unlike the tall and
disheveled kilted men, Daniel sported a pair of tan
breeches
and wore a slashed doublet with paned sleeves. His tall
boots
turned over at the top, and his brown hair was pulled
back into a
lovelock that hung over his shoulder. His
shoulders weren’t nearly as
wide as those of the other men in
attendance, but his features were so
perfect that he was
almost too beautiful for a man.
As
Daniel stopped and huddled with Uncle Walter in deep
conversation,
boisterous sounds of laughter filled the air. But
Lady Grace Walsingham
couldn’t have been more miserable
as she pulled the laced bodice of
her emerald gown away
from her damp skin. The heat was so unbearable
that sweat
was dripping between her breasts and down her back. She
gazed around the room filled with men, women, and flowing
ale and
wondered if her sister had gone mad.
Kilts,
daggers, and men in the throes of battle—that’s what
she tried to
overlook while standing in the great hall of her
brother-in-law’s home.
Granted, the kilts and daggers
belonged to the Sutherland clan, but
she couldn’t understand
why her sister hadn’t taken down those dreadful
tapestries
before her wedding day. Why would someone want to depict
the ghastly scene of warriors on the battlefield, especially on
such a
celebratory occasion? That was not something she
would permit on the
day of her own wedding, but her sister
was blissfully happy, and Grace
supposed that was all that mattered.
When
the men paid her no heed, Grace turned and left them.
She could take a
hint that she wasn’t wanted. She stepped
around the bagpiper, placing
her hands briefly over her ears
to shield them from the dreadful
performance. The kilted man
tapped his foot while he played the ungodly
instrument,
which sounded a great deal like pigs in the midst of being
slaughtered. If his actions were any indication, he clearly
thought he
was engaged in some kind of lovely Scottish
melody. She didn’t want to
tell him that the music, if she
could even call it that, had given her a
headache as big as London.
God,
she felt like she was drowning in a sea of Sutherlands.
She said a
silent prayer of thanks when the bagpiper finally
ceased his incessant
piping. Her head was pounding. She
thought perhaps she could make an
early escape to her
chamber, but then a raised voice stopped her in her
tracks.
Although the man was rarely comprehensible, she’d
recognize
his voice anywhere.
“He
is such an arse. Ye do know when he tells the tale, he
was naught but a
mighty fine warrior. Anyone who knows him
recognizes the truth. I
donna even think he remembered to
grab his sword before he cowered and
ran away like a dog
with his tail between his legs.”
The
men around him laughed in response, and Grace chided
herself because
she couldn’t resist a peek. When her eyes
met Fagan Murray, the captain
of Laird Sutherland’s guard,
for some unknown reason, her heart
started hammering in
her chest and she found it difficult to perform
the simplest of
tasks—like breathing.
The
captain’s dark hair hung well below his shoulders, and
he had a smile
that grated on her nerves. Although he had
the craggy look of an
unfinished sculpture, he exuded
masculinity in a way that unsettled
her. He wore a kilt of
green, black, blue, white, and orange, the
Sutherland tartan.
When the man caught her staring, his eyes twinkled,
and
a smile played on his lips.
Grace
averted her eyes. The rogue made her feel like he
always knew her
thoughts, and she couldn’t stand that about
him. She jumped when a
familiar female voice spoke beside her.
“My apologies. I didn’t mean to startle you. I’m so glad you
decided to stay with us for a while.”
Grace
waved her sister off. “Ravenna, you have done so
much for our family.
Postponing my wedding was the least
I could do. Furthermore, this will
be a big transition for
Elizabeth and Kat. Living in the Scottish
Highlands will be a
lot different than what they’re used to, and I
cannot lie. I will
miss you all so terribly. Before I go, I want to see
my sisters
settled into their new home, and I’d really like to spend
some
time with all of you before I become Lady Casterbrook.
There’s
plenty of time for that later.” She bumped her sister in
the arm with
her elbow. “Truth be told, I’m counting on you to
tell me all the
secrets about married life, Lady Sutherland.
Although I had grown
rather fond of Lady Ravenna
Walsingham—or even ‘Mistress Denny’—I do
find your new
name suits you quite well.”
Ravenna
shook her head. “I’d rather not be reminded about
‘Mistress Denny.’
But how could I forget that you were the
one who traveled from
Edinburgh and gave my true identity
away? Everything turned out for the
best, but I certainly hope
you’ve learned a valuable lesson from your
careless actions.”
“Rest
assured, Lady Sutherland. Now that I know you’re a
spy for the Crown, I
will never be so foolish again as to place
you in harm’s way.”
“Lower your voice. And I told you… I’ve retired from service.”
Grace rolled her eyes. “So you and Uncle Walter continue to
say, but how does one simply retire?
Are you ever really
done trying to protect our king and country? Who
knows?
Perhaps Uncle Walter will give me my first assignment when
I go
back to England. With your instruction, I’m more than
ready.”
“Grace,” Ravenna said with impatience, “we never agreed
that you’d take my place.”
“I think what you mean to say is that you never agreed.”
Ravenna
rubbed her hand over her brow. “It takes far more
than a handful of my
words and guidance to be ready to work
for the Crown. And you’re
getting married in a few months.
What about Daniel?”
“What about him? He’ll never find out. I never knew you
worked for the king either.”
“Yes,
and look what good that did me,” her sister snapped.
“Do we have to
have this discussion right now, especially on
my wedding day?”
“You do look beautiful.”
Ravenna’s
smooth ivory skin glowed. Her red hair dangled
over her shoulders in
loose waves that hung down her back.
She wore a light-blue wedding
gown, and her skirts were split
and tied back to reveal the gold silk
brocade beneath.
“I
have to ask you this again. Are you sure you want to stay
at the manor
house and remain in England? I know Uncle
Walter will watch over you,
but—”
“Oh,
I’m quite certain. I’ll only live there until Daniel and I
wed.” Grace
didn’t miss how her sister had quickly changed
the direction of the
conversation. Looking around the great
hall at Ravenna’s new family
only further confirmed that
Grace’s decision was the right one. “I know
your husband’s
family… er, clan suits you, but this life is not for
me. My home
is in England, and frankly, I want to be around people I
can
clearly understand.”
A deep voice interrupted the conversation.
“Are ye keeping my wife all to yourself? ’Tis time to give her up for a wee bit, lass.”
“Pardon?” asked Grace.
Laird
Ruairi Sutherland was definitely not a man Grace would
like to
encounter in a dark alley in London in the middle of the
night. Her
sister’s head only reached the middle of the
massive man’s chest. His
brown hair had traces of red and
was fairly straight. He had a powerful
set of shoulders and
looked like a bloody mercenary, as though he
could kill
someone with only a stare. In Grace’s humble opinion,
Ravenna was more elegant and graceful when she was with
the brawny
Highland laird. Grace had a difficult time
understanding why her sister
couldn’t have found a more
suitable mate in England, but she had to
admit that Ravenna
looked quite content.
When
her brother-in-law lowered his head and devoured her
sister’s mouth,
Grace didn’t mind taking her leave to find a
solitary wall on the other
side of the great hall. That was until
someone found her and she
realized she should’ve sought
her chamber after all.
“’Twas a bonny day for a wedding, but ye donna look as
though ye’re enjoying yourself. Why is that?”
She
lifted her eyes to find the captain of Laird Sutherland’s
guard and
couldn’t stay the sigh that escaped her. Fagan
Murray, kilted barbarian
and Scottish miscreant, stood before
her with a gaze that was sharp
and assessing. The man was
just as big and imposing as Laird
Sutherland. The way he
stood there and continued to gape at her, Grace
supposed
he was waiting for a response. She held her head high
because
she didn’t feel like giving the brute the time of day.
“What is amiss, bhana-phrionnsa?” He spoke slowly, and she
knew he mocked her. “Do ye nae understand my words?”
“Oh, I heard you. I want to know what you called me.”
“The name suits ye. I called ye ‘princess.’”
“Don’t call me that.” She looked around nervously in the hope
that someone would rescue her from this man, and that was
a term she used very loosely because he was certainly no gentleman.
His
smile broadened when he realized he’d unnerved her,
which irked her
even more. If she was going to stay in
Scotland for the next few weeks,
she couldn’t let this
Highlander get the best of her. Grace carefully
masked her
expression because most of the time the rogue saw right
through her nervousness and used her weakness to his advantage.
She
spoke lightly and cast him a tight smile. “You know,
Mister Murray, I
seem to remember my fist fitting perfectly
into your eye. If you don’t
want me to blacken your other one,
I suggest you leave off. Please let
me know if you need me to
speak more slowly because I want to make sure
my words
are understood perfectly.”
~*~*~ Victoria Roberts ~*~*~
Award-winning author Victoria Roberts writes
Scottish
historical romances about kilted heroes and warriors from the
past. RT Book Reviews named her “one of the most
promising debut
authors across the genres,” and she was
also a 2013 RT Reviewers’
Choice award winner for X Marks the Scot.
Represented by Jill Marsal of the Marsal Lyon Literary
Agency, Victoria
is a member of Romance Writers of
America® and several local chapters,
as well as a
contributing author to the online magazine Celtic Guide.
Victoria lives in western Pennsylvania with her husband of
twenty one
years and their two beautiful children—not to
mention one spoiled dog.
When she is not plotting her next
Scottish adventure, she’s dragging
her clan to every Scottish
festival under the sun.
Email victoria@victoriarobertsauthor.com
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