Her Highland Rogue
Violetta Rand
Genre: Historical romance, Highlander
Publisher: Random House/Loveswept
Date of Publication: June 21, 2016
ASIN: B00XG9BWZE
Number of pages: 170
Word Count: 52,000
Cover Artist: Random House
Book Description:
Errol MacRae’s days of gallivanting across the Highlands are nearing an end. His father’s health has taken a turn for the worse, and rumors are swirling that the crown intends to transfer ancient lands into the hands of the MacKenzies, the clan the MacRaes are sworn to defend. Errol expects to lead his men into battle soon. So he isn’t pleased when his father instead sends him to retrieve a beautiful flame-haired lass who has fled into the mountains.
Orphaned as a young girl, Aileana vividly remembers how the MacRaes rescued her and welcomed her into their clan. For ten years, she has served them loyally—until the night she’s nearly despoiled by one of the laird’s captains. Aileana risks her life and her reputation to seek refuge in the snowcapped peaks of the Five Sisters, the one place that has always felt like home. But after the strong-armed, strong-willed Errol tracks her down in a blizzard, she finds herself tempted to risk something even more dangerous: her heart.
Excerpt:
Aileana opened her eyes, confused
by her surroundings. She’d fled the MacRae stronghold after Broc cornered her
in the kitchen, long after the other women had gone abovestairs to sleep. She’d
stupidly volunteered to keep watch over the remaining men in the hall in case
they required more bread and meat—or in Broc’s case, more ale. Once she’d
refilled his cup, even leaving a full pitcher behind for the great beast to
finish off, he stumbled after her, smelling of sweat and spirits, and drooling
on her neck.
She’d known him
nearly all her life—at least for the time she remembered being alive. Before
her tenth year, she held no clear memories. The occasional flash of a face or
spoken word, but nothing that could connect her to a family or place. So she
wandered through life nameless, though the MacRae laird had offered to
recognize her as part of his clan. But whenever she considered it, something
inside her warned not to do it. For once ye denied your name, whether you knew
it or not, your fate might change. And she didn’t want to lose her only chance
at true happiness. Deep down, Aileana knew there was more to her existence than
being a bastard.
That’s what half
the women within the MacRae keep called her. Behind her back mostly, but
sometimes directly if she was blamed for burning the bread or spilling wine.
She kicked off
the fur covering her from neck-to-foot, cold air sending a chill down her body.
A fire burned at the opening of the rock enclosure, and she padded over to it,
desperate for warmth. She stared beyond the flames, the world outside covered
in white. Winter had come early to Kintail. And only by God’s grace had she met
a woman last night in the hills. How could she turn down an offer of hot stew
and a pallet to sleep on? So she’d walked quietly with the stranger to her
cave.
As soon as she
finished eating and drained her cup of wine, sleep overwhelmed her. That’s all
she remembered. And now she woke up alone. But there was a loaf of bread and a
cup of milk on the table by her pallet, hopefully meant for her to eat. Her
stomach growled with hunger.
“Good morning,”
Aileana heard as she reached for the cup.
She turned and
met the woman’s smile. “Thank ye for allowing me to stay here last night. I’m
afraid I have nothing to offer you, no money or goods to trade.”
The woman joined
her, picked up the loaf of bread, then tore it in half. “I don’t remember
asking for payment, child.”
“But your
generosity must be rewarded in some way.”
“Aye,” she
agreed. “Your company will do nicely.”
Aileana took a
bite and it melted in her mouth, as tasty as what she cooked every morning in
the MacRae kitchens. “Whatever you wish,” she said. “I prefer staying here. I
wasn’t prepared for the snow. If ye hadn’t found me, I’m afraid I would have
perished in the cold.” Though she had a fur cloak and thick-soled boots, she
hadn’t had time to gather anything else before she ran away.
The woman sat
down. “My name is Sgùrr.”
“Aileana.”
The woman
studied her in silence, her dark gaze wandering more than once to her hair.
“Who is your father?”
Aileana took
another sip of milk, then put the cup down on the table. The idea of admitting
to a stranger that she had no family was as humiliating as what Broc had done
to her. “I don’t know.”
“And why were
you roaming the hills alone? Surely someone will miss ye?”
“Laird MacRae is
my guardian.”
“Your mother has
passed?”
“I’m afraid I
know nothing about my birth.” She walked the couple feet to her pallet and
picked up her cloak. “Eight years ago a MacRae guard found me in the forest,
cold and hungry, close to death I’ve been told. He bundled me in a blanket and
took me home with him. I’ve lived there ever since.”
“Has the laird
been kind and generous?”
“Laird MacRae is
not only kind, but treats me as his own daughter. A day never passes without
him greeting me. Sometimes I wonder what would have become of me if the
MacDonalds or MacLeods found me instead.”
The older woman
nodded. “Don’t put much stock in the affairs of men. Clan feuds are the last
thing a lass needs to worry about. ’Tis your heart and charitable acts that
define your character.”
About the Author:
Raised in Corpus Christi, Texas, Violetta Rand spent her childhood reading, writing, and playing soccer. After meeting her husband in New England, they moved to Alaska where she studied environmental science and policy before attending graduate school. Violetta then spent nearly a decade working as a scientist, specializing in soil and water contamination and environmental assessments.
Violetta still lives in Alaska and spends her days writing romance. When she's not reading, writing, or editing, she enjoys time with her husband, pets, and friends. In her free time, she loves to hike, fish, and ride motorcycles and 4-wheelers.
Website: http://www.violettarandromance.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ViolettaRand
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