Prologue

Castle Lennox, the Highlands of Scotland, April 1582

Tadhg MacTavish could hardly believe he was actually going to marry the woman he had been lying to for weeks.

It was a balmy April afternoon, and he and his beautiful fiancée Alana MacIver were seated on a stone bench in a secluded part of the gardens of Castle Lennox. More accurately, he was sitting on the bench, while Alana was sitting on his lap, her arms twined around his neck, her lips smiling against his as they exchanged a loving kiss.

"It seems like we've waited forever fer this day. I cannae wait fer us tae be wed at last. I've loved ye so long, tae be yer wife will be like a dream come true!" Alana told him when their lips finally broke apart, and they looked deeply into each other's eyes.

Tadhg gently brushed the backs of his huge fingers against her porcelain cheek, his heart overflowing with love for this outstanding woman who had just agreed to spend the rest of her life at his side. He marveled as always at her flawless beauty, the perfect geometry of her delicate features, the vivid blueness of her shining eyes, exactly the same shade as the periwinkles flowering nearby.

"I can hardly believe it mesel'," he murmured, holding her fragile form close to his chest and pressing soft kisses to her shining dark curls. "I must be the luckiest man alive tae have won yer heart, Alana. Ye ken I'll always dae me best tae make ye happy."

"Aye, I ken it, me darlin'." Her eyes full of love, she pushed his long dark locks back from his forehead and stroked his face, her small fingers alighting on his skin like butterflies, making it tingle.

Her touch was beguiling and spurred him to say, "I dinnae want tae wait too long before I make ye mine, Alana."

"I dinnae want tae tae wait either," she assured him, curling her fingers in his hair.

"So, when d'ye think we can have the ceremony?" he asked eagerly.

She thought for a few moments. "A month should be long enough tae prepare," she replied. "There are lots of things tae dae. I'll need tae have a wedding gown made, fer a start."

"That long?" he asked jestingly, adding a plaintive note to his voice. "I was hopin' ye'd say next week." She laughed.

"A month? Aye, all right, that's perfect. I'll ask Liam tae be me best man. He'll be happy tae oblige, I've nae doubt," he said, referring to his younger brother, the war leader of Clan Lennox.

"And then there'll be the weddin' breakfast tae arrange. A big cèilidh, with lots of feastin', music, and dancin'," she said excitedly, her face radiant.

He hugged her closely. "It'll be grand. The best day of me life," Tadhg told her, kissing her once more, glorying in the sensation of her heart beating against him like a small bird nestling close to his chest.

"The best day of our lives," she corrected him playfully, her soft, warm lips seeking his again.

Their clinch was suddenly interrupted when they heard a strange noise, a loud rustling in the nearby foliage. Alana stiffened with fright, clinging to Tadhg tightly.

"Ach, 'tis a rat or a mouse!" she cried. "Dinnae let it near me, Tadhg!"

"How can ye be so afeared of such a wee beastie?" he asked, unable to help laughing at her. "Dinnae worry, I'll be yer knight in shining armor. I'll always be here tae save ye." Unless I have another secret tae keep, that is, he thought. He stood up, with her in his arms, and set her on her feet on the bench. "Just wait there," he told her, still laughing as he unsheathed his sword and brandished it, "while I hunt down this wee hairy monster."

"What's all this about a monster?" Liam asked, suddenly appearing from an opening in the hedge surrounding them. "Why have ye got yer sword out, Braither? Are we under attack or somethin'?" he asked, his brows raised quizzically. The huge, muscular war leader, with his rugged good looks, tattoos, and battle scars, closely resembled Tadhg, though he was a little shorter. The brothers had the same long, wild, dark hair and dark eyes.

Tadgh sheathed his weapon and clapped his brother on the back. "Was it ye makin' all that noise?" he asked. "Alana was afeared ye were a rodent comin' tae get her." He turned to Alana, who was still standing on the bench, her hands clasped anxiously at her waist. "There's yer mouse, bonny lass, so dinnae worry, ye're safe now," he told her, putting his arms around her waist and lifting her down to the ground.

She smoothed her skirts, smiling up at them both a little sheepishly. "I'm awful glad 'tis ye, Liam, yet I feel a bit of a fool, I must admit."

"That's understandable," Liam replied, smiling at her. "Ye certainly dinnae want them runnin' up yer skirts and nibblin' at ye," he said teasingly, his eyes twinkling.

"Ach, dinnae say such things!" Alana cried with a shudder, which only made the brothers laugh more.

"So, Braither, ye've found our hidin' place. What brings ye here?" Tadhg asked, wondering if this was the right moment to tell his brother the good news about him and Alana.

"Ye did, ye fool. Ye told me ye need tae speak tae the Laird about somethin' important once he returned from huntin'. Well, he's back, and he's in his study right now. If ye wish tae go and talk tae him, now's yer chance," Liam explained.

"Right, thanks fer lettin' me ken," Tadhg replied, his smile fading. He did not relish an interview with Laird Murphy Lennox. He was a deeply unpleasant man at the best of times and best avoided. Unfortunately, Tadhg had no choice but to beard the lion in his den. He was employed by Laird Lennox as a scout for the clan, and he had recently returned from a field trip with important news to report to him. He had not told anyone else what he had learned during his last scouting mission.

He kissed Alana's cheek. "I'd best go," he told her regretfully. "But we'll see each other at dinner later, eh?"

"Aye, all right, I'm due back at the infirmary tae help me maither anyway," she replied. Her mother Ella was the castle healer, and Alana was her apprentice. Mother and daughter lived in a cottage that doubled as the infirmary in the castle grounds. She set off back to the infirmary, while the brothers began walking back to the castle.

"Looked like ye two were havin' a moment back there," Liam said good-humoredly.

"Ye could say that," Tadhg admitted, "I'll tell ye about it later when we're all together at dinner."

Liam grinned. "I cannae wait tae hear what it is. But tell me, why this urgency tae speak tae the Laird? Rather ye than me, Braither. The man grows more unpredictable every day."

"Aye, 'tis true he seems tae enjoy his reputation of bein' a bastard," Tadhg agreed grimly, deliberately avoiding answering the question.

"So, are ye gonnae tell me or what?" Liam persisted, clearly curious as they approached the doors of the castle keep.

Tadhg let out a sigh. "'Tis nae that I dinnae want tae tell ye, but trust me when I say I cannae right now, nae until I've talked tae the Laird."

"Fair enough," Liam told him, "but just remember, whatever it is, I've got yer back, all right?"

"Thanks, Braither, that's good tae ken."

They stopped by the keep doors. "Well, I have work tae dae, so I'll leave ye here," Liam told him. "Good luck with the bastard."

"I might need it. I'll see ye at dinner," Tadhg replied, dreading the forthcoming interview. The brothers parted, Liam heading to his office in the gatehouse, while Tadhg went inside the keep and took the hallway leading to Laird Lennox's study. He was not a man who was easily scared, but the Laird always made Tadhg feel uneasy. Arriving at the study door, he braced himself for the meeting before knocking.

Murphy Lennox was alone, seated behind his enormous desk, which was covered with parchments and books. He was writing something and looked up as Tadhg entered, fixing his scout with his cold, gray stare. He was a tall, burly man with the powerful physique of a hardened warrior. His dark hair was cut short and streaked with white, and his face and hands bore the traces of the many battles he had had fought.

He put down his quill ad leaned back in his seat, a carved, box-like structure

that was more like a throne than an ordinary chair. "Ah, 'tis ye. So, ye've returned from yer mission at last, I see," he said gruffly in his usual cold manner. He did not invite Tadhg to sit but kept him standing, as if to impress upon him that he was facing his superior. "I trust ye're bringing me the important information I asked fer from the MacIver lands, which'll soon belong tae me," he added with a triumphant smile devoid of warmth. "I need tae plan me attack on MacIver, so let's hear it. What have ye found out?"

Tadhg's wished he did not have to report back what he had found out because it affected the woman he loved and meant to marry. Besides that, he saw no reason to attack the MacIver clan, but Laird Lennox seemed to have an insatiable desire to expand his power. Now, he had set his sights on destroying Laird MacIver and his family and taking over the clan and all their considerable assets for himself.

"I found out that yer suspicions were correct," Tadhg began. "I managed tae find proof that Ella was indeed Laird John MacIver's mistress."

The laird gave another grim smile. "I thought as much. So, how come she ended up here, askin' me fer sanctuary all those years ago?" he asked curiously.

"It seems Laird MacIver's wife, the Lady Skye, found out Ella was carryin' his child. Unbeknownst tae him, she had Ella run off with threats tae have her and her bairn killed if she ever came back," Tadhg explained, hating himself for telling the tyrant what he wanted to hear when he knew he should be telling Alana all this.

Instead, he had been forced to keep it from her, praying she would never find out about it or that he had known about since his return from the mission. If she did, he feared she would see it as a betrayal and want nothing more to do with him. It was yet another reason to hate Lennox.

The laird rubbed his hands together, looking pleased. "So, the lassie Ella spawned, even though she's illegitimate, is none other than John MacIver's only living heir, eh?"

"Aye," Tadhg agreed reluctantly. "Alana is his heir. But how does that serve ye?"

The laird looked at him sharply, his smile vanishing. "That's me business, man, nae yers. Let's just say that when ye want somethin' from somebody, it never hurts tae have a bit of leverage up yer sleeve."

The man's devious air chilled Tadhg to the bone. He feared that by placing this information about Alana's origins in his hands, he might use it as a weapon that could put her in danger. He had no idea what the laird meant when he talked about ‘leverage,' but whatever it was, he did not like it one bit. Lennox was certainly ruthless enough to use Alana as a pawn in his games of conquest.

"So, MacIver has nay idea he has a living daughter, his true heir by blood?"

"None, as far as I could tell." Tadhg shook his head. "He's declared his adopted son Blaine MacIver as his heir."

"Good." The laird scrutinized Tadhg's face. "Have ye mentioned this tae anyone else?"

"Nae. I wanted tae be sure the information was correct before I reported back tae ye," Tadhg replied.

"And now ye're certain 'tis correct?"

"Aye, I'm certain."

"Then I'll make sure ye keep it that way. I dinnae want MacIver or this Blaine findin' out about Alana's existence. As it stands, only ye and me ken that the lassie, whether born out of wedlock or nae, is the true heir, which means she could legally lay claim tae the clan. Especially if Blaine is out of the picture."

"But why—" Tadhg began, growing more fearful by the moment about what this could mean for Alana.

But the Laird held up a horny hand to stop him and fixed him with a menacing look. "I cannae risk me plans getting ruined, man. I want ye tae get yer stuff and clear out of here before nightfall. And dinnae come back."

Tadhg was confused. "What? Ye're sayin' I have tae leave the castle?"

"Are ye deaf? Did I nae just tell ye I want ye gone by nightfall?" Lennox asked coldly, glaring back at him. "I dinnae need ye tae go blabbin' tae yer lover or her maither, or anyone else fer that matter."

"But—" Tadhg began, unable to believe what was happening. But again, he was cut off.

"And if ye dinnae dae as I say and leave here for good, then I'll have the lassie hanged. A dead heir will suit me well enough too, so dinnae question me. Now, get out."