The Lost Laird from Her Past by Jeanine Englert
A second chance…With her first love!
Lady Brenna Stewart is grateful to be saved from her burning carriage—only her rescuer is Laird Garrick MacLean, the man she once loved and lost! He seems determined to protect her from the unknown enemy pursuing her across the Scottish Highlands. But, bitterly hurt by his past betrayal, she needs answers. Why did he abandon her? And how can she keep her heart safe now, when the connection between them is as strong as ever…
Excerpt from Chapter 3 of The Lost Laird from Her Past:
‘Care to tell me why a band of English mercenaries are hunting you through the Highlands? And where you learned to throw a blade?’ Garrick tugged the reins for his mount to set off for Westmoreland once more.
They were safe. For now.
‘As much as I don’t wish to admit it, the throw was luck. And mercenaries? How do you know that is who they were? There is no reason for them to be after us. Perhaps we were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.’
‘Mercenaries do everything with purpose. I’ve seen many similar scenes over the last year. It was intentional. You were targeted. I want to know why.’ His words were tight and clipped. Anger and upset at almost losing her bubbled in his gut.
‘I can’t imagine why. Arthur and his son were merely bringing me back home.’
‘Who are they? Why were you not travelling with your father’s men with proper protection? Those men didn’t look capable of protecting you. One of them was just a boy.’
Brenna squared her shoulders and shifted further away from him. ‘Father selected a husband for me. He sent me south to meet with him one final time to settle the terms of our engagement and pending marriage. A Mr Stephen Winters. He divides his time between London, Edinburgh and Oban. His driver, Arthur, and his son agreed to take me back to Glenhaven this eve rather than tomorrow. They worked for him, this man I am to marry.’
Every fibre of Garrick’s body tightened and ached.
Saints be. She was to marry another man and he was English? How much could a man take? He shook his head. While he knew he’d purposefully and willfully given up on the idea of marrying Brenna, knowing she was promised to another made jealousy bloom tight and full in his chest. And anger too. She had moved on quite easily from the idea of him once she’d believed he was dead.
‘And what of us?’ he asked. ‘What of our understanding?’
‘What understanding? We were not officially engaged. I waited for you, but you never came home. You never wrote. Nothing. It is as if you are a ghost returned from the dead. It’s been over a year without a word from you to anyone. Not me, nor your family. What else was I and everyone else to believe?’
‘As you can see, I’m not dead, nor a ghost.’
‘Aye, here you are,’ she added under her breath.
‘What does that mean?’ he asked, irritation sharpening the edge of his words once more.
Silence was his answer.
‘Why did you not wait for me?’ The words surprised even him as they fell from his lips. He’d intentionally let her go. He had no claim or demands he could make. Not really. Heat flushed his face. He sounded like old Garrick. Lovesick and hopeful.
It turned his stomach.
She scoffed, facing him. ‘Wait! I did. It’s been over a year. What were we all supposed to think, especially me? Should I have waited for ever?’
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While Away the Hours in Scotland Giveaway! (Open to UK / US)
Whether it's too cold, too hot, or too rainy where you are, you can while away the hours with the first two books in the Falling for a Stewart Series: Eloping with the Laird and The Lost Laird from Her Past! Your prize also includes two Scottish blessing bracelets, one for you and one for a friend, and some lovely book swag! Happy reading!
*Terms and Conditions –UK & US entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
