by Bree Wolf
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Acknowledgments
About the Book
Free gift
Prologue
Chapter One – A Highlander in London
Chapter Two – A Moment in Time
Chapter Three – A Changed Woman
Chapter Four – A Hand Dealt
Chapter Five – An Addled Mind
Chapter Six – Retrieving a Memory
Chapter Seven – In the Dark of Night
Chapter Eight – A Watchful Man
Chapter Nine – A Lady and a Highlander
Chapter Ten – The Prancing Pony
Chapter Eleven – Those Who Are Lost
Chapter Twelve – Behind a Name
Chapter Thirteen – The Journey North
Chapter Fourteen – A Wall In-Between
Chapter Fifteen – The Memory of a Kiss
Chapter Sixteen – Unspoken Words
Chapter Seventeen – Suspicions
Chapter Eighteen – A Silent Vow
Chapter Nineteen – Return to Gretna Green
Chapter Twenty – A Fateful Night's First Revelation
Chapter Twenty-One − A Stroll Down Memory Lane
Chapter Twenty-Two – A Fateful Night's Second Revelation
Chapter Twenty-Three – Nothing But the Truth
Chapter Twenty-Four – A Message
Chapter Twenty-Five – Port Glasgow
Chapter Twenty-Six – The Meaning of Family
Chapter Twenty-Seven – Across the Sea
Chapter Twenty-Eight – A Mother's Words
Chapter Twenty-Nine – Meant to Be
Chapter Thirty − Faith
Chapter Thirty-One – Duncan MacKinnear
Chapter Thirty-Two – The Voile Noire
Chapter Thirty-Three – A Chance Encounter
Chapter Thirty-Four – The Other Side of the Story
Chapter Thirty-Five – Lost Hope
Chapter Thirty-Six – Faith Rewarded
Chapter Thirty-Seven – Risks Worth Taking
Chapter Thirty-Eight – Until We Meet Again
Chapter Thirty-Nine – On the Open Sea
Chapter Forty – Questions Asked
Chapter Forty-One – Answers Given
Chapter Forty-Two – Coming Home
Epilogue
Also By Bree
Overview Love's Second Chance Series
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Prologue
Overview A Forbidden Love Novella Series
About Bree
Tamed & Unleashed
The Highlander’s Vivacious Wife
(#13 Love’s Second Chance Series)
by Bree Wolf
Tamed & Unleashed - The Highlander’s Vivacious Wife
by Bree Wolf
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, brands, media, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner.
Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Cover Art by Victoria Cooper
Copyright © 2019 Sabrina Wolf
www.breewolf.com
All Rights Reserved
This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
To my son
Conquer the world
and make it yours
Acknowledgements
A great, big thank-you to my dedicated beta readers and proofreaders, Eris Hydras, Michelle Chenoweth, Monique Takens and Kim Bougher, who read the rough draft and help me make it better.
Also a heartfelt thank-you to all my wonderful readers who pick up book after book and follow me on these exciting adventures of love and family. I love your company and savor every word of your amazing reviews! Thank you so much! There are no words!
About the Book
A forgotten night. A stolen child.
And a stranger who feels all too familiar.
Waking up alone after a drunken night with a stranger in Gretna Green, CLAUDIA DAVENPORT, sister to Viscount Ashwood, finds herself still unmarried…and with child. In order to preserve her reputation, her brother sends her to a remote estate so she can give birth in secret and then return to society, unscathed…but heartbroken.
However, when her child is kidnapped, Claudia can no longer deny the bond that connects her to her son. Alone, she sets out to discover his whereabouts…and her path crosses that of a stranger, who feels all too familiar.
After marrying an English lass in Gretna Green, GARRETT MACDRUMMAND returns to their room at the inn the next morning only to find her gone. Duty-bound to return to his clan in the Scottish Highlands, he counts the days until he can travel to England to find her. However, when he finally does discover her, he is shocked to realise that she does not remember him.
Determined to remind him of the fateful night they shared, Garrett refuses to leave her side, following her across England without knowing why.
Will Claudia ever remember him? Will Garrett ever learn that he has a child? Will they recover their son or lose him without ever having had the chance to know him?
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Prologue
Gretna Green, Scotland, Summer 1808 (or a variation thereof)
Upon waking, Claudia Davenport, sister to Viscount Ashwood, found her head throbbing with such intensity that she feared it would split in two. Groaning, she rolled onto her side, her hands reaching up to cover her face in a futile attempt to shield her from the blinding sun penetrating even her closed lids. Had the world gone mad?
Never in her life had Claudia awoken to such pain. Never had the sun been her enemy. Never had she felt sick to her stomach.
Not quite like this.
Pinching her eyes shut, Claudia buried her face in the pillow, slowly forcing one deep breath after another down her throat and into her lungs. To her relief, she found that holding her head still eased the pain somewhat, and so she simply lay there for a long while, breathing in and out.
After a small eternity, her ears began to pick up on various sounds drifting in through the closed windows as well as the door to her room. The sounds of people going about their business. And yet, the sounds were not quite as she remembered them.
As they ought to be.
Something was different, and a frown emerged on her face.
Slowly, she cracked open an eye and peered at her surroundings.
A moment later, Claudia bolted upright in bed.
Instantly, her head rebelled at such treatment, sending jolts of pain through her being that would have brought her to her knees had she been standing. Her hands flew up, pressing hard onto her temples in the hopes of easing the pain. Still, it took a long while before she dared open her eyes again.
Squinting, Claudia took in the small chamber, the simple and sparse furnishings, the lack of luxury. “What happened?” she whispered to herself. “Where am I?”
For this was definitely not her bedchamber back at Farnworth Manor.
This was a room she had never seen before.
Swallowing the panic that began to rise, Claud
ia closed her eyes once more, trying to remember how on earth she had ended up in this place. The last thing she could recall was attending Lord Campton’s ball.
Once more, she heard the soft notes of the music drifting through the large rooms. Again, she found herself standing with the other young debutantes, eyes gliding over the gentlemen in attendance until−
“William,” Claudia gasped as his face took form before her inner eye. “We danced. We laughed. We−” Again, a gasp tore from her throat, and one hand fell from her temple covering her mouth in shock. “We ran off.”
Trying to swallow the lump in her throat, Claudia once more glanced about the room as though William might have been hiding somewhere in plain sight all along. But he was not. She was alone.
Careful not to move too much, Claudia inhaled a few deep breaths, allowing her mind to wander back to the night before. Slowly, images returned of her taking William’s hand and following him outside into the dark night. She remembered him helping her into his carriage, the way he had held her in his arms as the horses had pulled them toward their destination, his assurances that all would be well.
“We eloped,” Claudia mumbled, her eyes drifting around the room. “This is…this is an inn…in Gretna Green. It must be.” The breath caught in her throat, and she slowly turned her head to the left, her eyes focusing on the other side of the bed.
It was empty, and yet, someone had lain there. There was an unmistakable indentation, and…a warmth lingered that sent a shiver down her back. “What have I done?” Slowly, she pulled back the thin blanket and her heart slammed to a momentary halt.
In the bright morning sun, a few droplets of blood shone on the white linen like rubies.
The air rushed from Claudia’s lungs, and the nausea in her stomach sent her flying from the bed. Her body tensed, revolted, and she sank to her knees, one arm reaching for the chamber pot. Then her insides contracted expelling last night’s dinner−and drink! −into the small bowl.
When it was over, she sank down, head resting against the side of the bed, her mind momentarily focused on drawing fresh air into her body. Her hand pushed the chamber pot away as the stench of its contents threatened to overwhelm her delicate hold on her body once more.
In her weakened state, Claudia felt numb and strangely detached. Her mind moved slowly as though it did not have the strength to provide her with what she sought: answers.
Still, despite an almost desperate desire to curl up into a ball and hide in a corner, Claudia knew that she could not pretend this had not happened − whatever this was!
Had she married William? Had they arrived in Gretna Green, sought out an anvil priest and−?
Claudia froze as an image drifted to the front of her mind, an image of William hanging his head in defeat, his eyes downcast and apologetic…as he had stepped away from her…and followed his elder brother, Viscount Crowemore, to their waiting carriage.
Again, panic welled up as her memories cleared.
Yes, they had come to Gretna Green, but they had not gotten married. William’s brother had found them first, ending their adventure by ordering his brother to return with him.
And William had complied.
He had bowed his head.
He had left her.
Shocked beyond words, Claudia stared across the room at the plain wall, reliving the moment disillusionment had set in. She remembered her feeling of betrayal when William had abandoned her, complying with his family’s wishes and a long-standing contract. He was to marry a duke’s daughter.
Not her.
Despite his promises, he had abandoned her.
Left her behind in Gretna Green.
Alone.
A distant part of Claudia’s mind tried to remind her that she had refused to accompany them back to England, cursing and yelling at the top of her voice. However, that part was soon shushed by the sense of betrayal and disappointment that washed over her.
Closing her eyes, Claudia wept for a dream ruined, for a life that was not to be, for the harshness of the world. Still, her emotional turmoil only managed to keep her mind silenced for a short while. Before long, it piped up once more, asking questions Claudia now feared to know the answer to.
If William had indeed returned to England with his brother, then who had slept beside her? Who had spent the night in her room? In her bed? Who had she been intimate with? A complete stranger?
It had to be, for what other answer could there be?
Gritting her teeth, Claudia pushed to her feet, doing her best to ignore the throbbing pain behind her temples as well as the slight swaying of the room. She glimpsed her clothes hanging over the back of a chair and slowly hobbled toward them.
Dressing proved to be quite a challenge in her state, and yet, it provided a momentary relief from the panic that threatened to consume her. Once that was taken care of though, her thoughts immediately refocused on that which she did not know.
And panic returned.
“No!” Claudia snapped, forcing herself not to succumb to this line of thinking for it would lead her nowhere.
What was to be done? Now that was a productive question. A question that needed an answer. Here and now.
“I need to get home,” Claudia said, feeling her mind clearing as she spoke. “I need to get back.” For no matter how angry her brother would be once he learnt what she had done, he would never turn from her. He could be a cold-hearted and unfeeling bastard, but he would not forget his obligation to her, his duty to see to his family.
Of that she was certain.
How to get home, on the other hand, was a different matter. After all, they had come here in William’s carriage, and as far as Claudia was aware, she did not have any money on her.
A frown drew down her brows, sending fresh pain through her head. How had she paid for the room? Or had−?
Loud footsteps echoed up the stairs outside her chamber, and Claudia froze. Her eyes were fixed on the door, and her mind was reeling with the thought that she was about to come face to face with whomever she had shared her bed with last night. Would she remember him? Or would he still be a stranger?
The echo grew louder as the man stormed down the corridor…and stopped outside her door.
Inhaling a deep breath, Claudia braced herself for what was to come when the door finally swung open…and her brother stormed in.
Seeing his face, Claudia almost sank to the floor as the air rushed from her lungs. Utter relief filled her, but only at first for the dark look on her brother’s face would have sent anyone running for the hills.
For a long moment, they merely looked at one another, speechless. Claudia could see the tension holding him rigid, the way his chest rose and fell as he tried his best to contain his anger, his outrage…his disappointment.
Her brother was not prone to losing his temper−never had been−but the quiet darkness that rested in his eyes sent chills down her back.
“What have you done?” he finally asked, his voice low and menacing as his silver eyes took in the room, the bed, her dishevelled state, the implications that hung in the air. “What were you thinking?”
Claudia felt her chin begin to quiver and tears sting the back of her eyes, and yet, she would not give him the satisfaction of seeing her defeated. Raising her chin, she met his eyes. “It was my choice, not yours. You have no right−”
“That it was,” he interrupted, raking a hand through his hair. In two large strides, he was in front of her, his hands gripping her by the upper arms. “This is without a doubt the most foolish thing you’ve ever done, and whether you like it or not, this time you’ll have to pay for it.”
Claudia gritted her teeth against the pain thudding behind her temples. “What did you expect when you all but locked me away? I am not free to do anything I want. I−”
“Don’t blame me for your mistakes!” he hissed before he stepped back and held the door open for her. “We shall discuss everything further at home.”
�
�If you insist,” Claudia snapped, relieved to at least have an answer delivered to her with regard to how she was to get home. Glaring at her brother, she stomped past him, along the corridor and down the stairs, all the while berating him, doing her best to ignore the pounding in her head.
“Be quiet!” he hissed once they’d reached the taproom. His eyes took in the many travellers coming and going before he took her by the arm and all but dragged her outside.
Despite digging in her heels, Claudia had no hope of delaying him. “You’re the most awful brother in all of England,” she retorted, wondering why on earth she was blaming him. And yet, she could not stop. She was not yet ready to face the mess she had made, and at present, he was the only one she could blame.
It was a distraction−nothing more−and one day she would have to face reality.
But tomorrow was soon enough.
Never would she have expected for the one adventure she had ever dared to embark upon to end in this way.
Never.
Chapter One – A Highlander in London
London, January 1809 (or a variation thereof)
Six months later
Garrett MacDrummond of Clan MacDrummond, who rarely travelled far from his home in the Scottish Highlands, stood in a corner of a London ballroom. His eyes swept over the throng of people dancing, chatting, laughing−enjoying themselves. If only he could join them, he thought with a snort.
“Anything?” Lord Tynham asked beside him, his kind brown eyes turning to look at Garrett. An Englishman himself, Lord Tynham had familial ties to Clan MacDrummond and had graciously invited Garrett to be his guest for the duration of his search.
Garrett shook his head. “I dunno understand this,” he said, unable to look away. “From what people say she’s always here at the beginning of the Season.”