Highland Master - By Amanda Scott Page 0,130
jousts, spectacular fireworks—the daily list of extravagant entertainments was mind-boggling. Party girls Princess Bagration and the Duchess of Sagan vied with each other to see who could attract the most influential men to their soirees. As for other pleasures, well, let’s just say they all were intent on having a good time. In fact, the Tsar of Russia—a notorious skirt-chaser—had to have a whole new wardrobe sent from St. Petersburg because he gained so much weight partying every night!
But why, you might ask, is Kate plunging into the midst of such frivolous festivities? And how is a rake like Marco going to help her get out of hot water? Well, you’ll just have to read TO TEMPT A RAKE to find out!
From the desk of Amanda Scott
Dear Reader,
Most books grow from the seeds of isolated ideas. One reads about an unusual historical incident, or finds an odd phrase that triggers a string of thoughts, or overhears a comment on a bus or plane that stirs an idea for a situation or a character.
I was seeking such seeds as I began to plot HIGHLAND MASTER. I’d started with a vague notion of Romeo and Juliet, simply because I always want to create a basic conflict between the hero and heroine. But I did not want the simple “Capulets think Montagues are dreadful and vice versa.” When I found myself wondering what would happen if a Montague were dropped into a nest of Capulets with a mission to accomplish, the gray cells began churning. That is the moment when a writer begins asking herself, “What if?”
What if my Scottish Romeo had sworn to kill Juliet’s father? In medieval Scotland, blood oaths and blood feuds were common. What if someone in authority over that Scottish Romeo, knowing nothing about his oath or the feud, sends him on a vital diplomatic mission to the Scottish Capulets?
Then, since one also seeks to raise the stakes, what if Romeo has somehow managed to swear a second oath in direct conflict with his oath to kill Juliet’s father? What if he cannot keep either oath without breaking the other?
What if he meets his Juliet and falls for her without realizing that her father is the man he has sworn to kill?
Research soon drew me to the great Clan Battle of Perth in 1396, which was to all intents and purposes a trial by combat between Clan Chattan and Clan Cameron, the two largest, most powerful Highland clan confederations. Thirty “champions” from each clan fought on the North Inch of Perth before the King of Scots and his court. When I read that only one (unknown) Cameron had survived, and did so by flinging himself into the river Tay, which swept him into the Firth of Tay and most likely on into the North Sea, I knew that I had found my hero.
In my story, Scotland’s finest swordsman, Sir Finlagh “Fin” Cameron, the last man of his clan standing against eleven men of Clan Cameron, escapes from the great clan battle, manages to avoid being swept out to sea and—calling himself simply “Fin of the Battles”—joins the service of Davy Stewart, the bedeviled heir to the Scottish throne. Seeking to ally himself with the Lord of the North and the Lord of the Isles against his scheming uncle, the Duke of Albany, Davy sends Fin of the Battles back into the Highlands to arrange for a secret meeting with the great lords, hosted by the powerful Captain of Clan Chattan, known to all and sundry as “the Mackintosh.”
Entering Clan Chattan territory, Fin is felled by a mysterious arrow and rescued by the lady Catriona Mackintosh, granddaughter of Clan Chattan’s captain and, yes, also daughter of the clan’s war leader, Shaw Mackintosh, the very man whom Fin swore to his dying father on the battlefield that he would kill.
I hope you enjoy HIGHLAND MASTER. In the meantime, Suas Alba!
Sincerely,
Contents
Front Cover Image
Welcome
To Love, Honor, and Deceive
Dedication
A Preview of Highland Hero
Map
Author’s Note
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
The Dish
Other Books by Amanda Scott
Raves for the Novels of Amanda Scott
Copyright
OTHER BOOKS BY AMANDA SCOTT
TEMPTED BY A WARRIOR
SEDUCED BY A ROGUE
TAMED BY A LAIRD
BORDER MOONLIGHT
BORDER LASS
BORDER WEDDING
KING OF STORMS
KNIGHT’S TREASURE
LADY’S CHOICE
PRINCE OF DANGER
LORD OF THE ISLES
HIGHLAND PRINCESS
THE SECRET CLAN: REIVER’S BRIDE
THE SECRET CLAN: HIGHLAND BRIDE
THE SECRET CLAN: HIDDEN HEIRESS
THE SECRET CLAN: ABDUCTED HEIRESS
BORDER FIRE
BORDER STORM
BORDER BRIDE
HIGHLAND FLING
HIGHLAND SECRETS
HIGHLAND TREASURE
HIGHLAND SPIRITS
THE BAWDY BRIDE
DANGEROUS ILLUSIONS
DANGEROUS ANGELS
DANGEROUS GAMES
DANGEROUS LADY
THE ROSE AT TWILIGHT
RAVES FOR THE NOVELS OF
AMANDA SCOTT
TEMPTED BY A WARRIOR
“4½ Stars! TOP PICK! Scott demonstrates her incredible skills by crafting an exciting story replete with adventure and realistic, passionate characters who reach out and grab you… Historical romance doesn’t get much better than this!”
—RT Book Reviews
“A descriptive and intriguing novel… Scott’s characters are most definitely memorable.”
—Rundpinne.com
“Captivates the reader from the first page… Another brilliant story filled with romance and intrigue that will leave readers thrilled until the very end.”
—SingleTitles.com
SEDUCED BY A ROGUE
“4½ Stars! TOP PICK! Tautly written… passionate… Scott’s wonderful book is steeped in Scottish Border history and populated by characters who jump off the pages and grab your attention… Captivating!”
—RT Book Reviews
“Another excellent novel from Amanda Scott, who just keeps producing one fine story after another.”
—RomanceReviewsMag.com
“Readers fascinated with history… will love Ms. Scott’s newest tale… leaves readers clamoring for the story of Mairi’s sister in Tempted by a Warrior.”
—FreshFiction.com
TAMED BY A LAIRD
“4½ Stars! TOP PICK! Scott has crafted another phenomenal story. The characters jump off the page and the politics and treachery inherent in the plot suck you into life on the Borders from page one. This is the finest in historical romance.”
—RT Book Reviews
“[Scott] instills life and passion in her memorable characters… Few writers have come close to equaling her highly creative and entertaining stories.”
—ClanMalcolm.com
“Fascinating… fourteenth-century Scotland’s rich history comes alive in this romantic novel full of intrigue.”
—FreshFiction.com
“Scott creates a lovely, complex cast.”
—Publishers Weekly
BORDER MOONLIGHT
“Features Scott’s trademarks: strong-willed women and warrior men, mystery and intrigue, dashes of humor and wit, deep characterization, complex plots, and, above all, historical and geographic accuracy in the days of ancient Scotland.”
—Sacramento Bee
“Fast-paced… An exciting Border romance with plenty of action… A terrific historical gender war.”
—Midwest Book Review
BORDER LASS
“5 Stars! A thrilling tale, rife with villains and notorious plots… Scott demonstrates again her expertise in the realm of medieval Scotland.”
—FallenAngelReviews.com
“4½ Stars! TOP PICK! Readers will be thrilled… a tautly written, deeply emotional love story steeped in the rich history of the Borders.”
—RT Book Reviews
“Scott excels in creating memorable characters.”
—FreshFiction.com
BORDER WEDDING
“5 Stars! Scott has possibly written the best historical in ages!”
—FallenAngelReviews.com
“4½ Stars! TOP PICK! Not only do her characters leap off the pages, the historical events do too. This is more than entertainment and romance; this is historical romance as it was meant to be.”
—RT Book Reviews
“Wonderful… full of adventure and history.”
—Midwest Book Review
KING OF STORMS
“4 Stars! An exhilarating novel… with a lively love story.”
—RT Book Reviews
“A terrific tale… Rich in history and romance, fans will enjoy the search for the Templar treasure and the Stone of Scone.”
—Midwest Book Review
“Enchanting… a thrilling adventure… a must read… King of Storms is a page-turner. A sensual, action-packed romance sure to satisfy every heart.”
—FreshFiction.com
KNIGHT’S TREASURE
“Filled with tension, deceptions, and newly awakened passions. Scott gets better and better.”
—NovelTalk.com
HIGHLAND PRINCESS
“Delightful historical… Grips the audience from the onset and never [lets] go.”
—Affaire de Coeur
“A fabulous medieval Scottish romance.”
—Midwest Book Review
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2011 by Lynne Scott-Drennan
Excerpt from Highland Hero copyright © 2011 Lynne Scott-Drennan
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
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First eBook Edition: February 2011
ISBN: 978-1-455-50354-4
Table of Contents
Front Cover Image
Welcome
To Love, Honor, and Deceive
Dedication
A Preview of Highland Hero
Map
Author’s Note
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
The Dish
Other Books by Amanda Scott
Raves for the Novels of Amanda Scott
Copyright
Table of Contents
Front Cover Image
Welcome
To Love, Honor, and Deceive
Dedication
A Preview of Highland Hero
Map
Author’s Note
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
The Dish
Other Books by Amanda Scott
Raves for the Novels of Amanda Scott
Copyright