“Nay, I drew from your description of how your people acted, and from what I observed at the courtyard. I then pretended to be under MacNauld’s influence.”
She looked at him in wonder. “When I recounted the descriptions tae ye, I was convinced that ye didnae believe a word I said. But ye retained everything and used it tae fool Fingal.” She paused. “Ye said that ye helped the guards come out of the enchantment?”
“Aye,” he said. “Earlier I had mixed the rest of the potion into the flask of whisky that I carried —”
“’Twas that nasty brew that ye offered me,” she said with a start.
He nodded. “While riding with the guards, I offered them the drink. Nay warm-blooded Scotsman can refuse a draught of whisky nay matter how nasty,” he said grinning. “With one sip of the drink, they came out of their stupor. And when I questioned them about MacNauld, they corroborated with all the things that ye have told me about your clan’s dilemma.”
Something else on the floor caught his attention and he bent to retrieve it.
“Here,” he said. “I believe this brooch belongs tae ye.”
Adrina took it from him and curled her fingers over the jewelry. When she was Fingal’s captive, she desperately wanted it. But now that she had it in her possession again, she wasn’t sure if she needed it. Perhaps if it didn’t exist, no one would have been tempted to wield its power, and her parents wouldn’t have died. The only thing she could do was to store it and the signet ring away. Perhaps over time, she would forget about all the trouble that they caused, all the things that she had lost.
“Thank ye for your help, Duncan,” she said, forcing a smile to her lips. “I might have died had ye nae come along. But now that Fingal and his evil domination are finished, Dunnvie can return tae normal and thrive once again.” She squeezed the brooch in her hand until the metal dug into her palm. “And now that my father is dead, I’ll have tae take leadership of the clan.”
“I’m certain that your clan will survive well under your leadership, however I willnae leave ye.”
She looked at him, startled. Did she hear him correctly?
“Dinnae look sae shocked, lass,” he said, chuckling. “After meeting a courageous lass like yourself do ye think I can walk away?”
Her heart began to accelerate, and the worries she had a moment ago were suspended. If Duncan stayed to help her restore Dunnvie, then the welfare of her clan would be assured.
“I ken that ye have a war tae fight,” she said cautiously. “But if ye want tae stay at Dunnvie Castle for a time, then ye are welcome. Dunnvie Castle may nae have the luxuries that Tancraig —”
“That isnae what I mean,” he said, his chuckle deepening, and the warm resonance of his amusement washed over her. He drew closer to her. Suddenly the humor in his countenance disappeared, and the expression on his rugged features turned serious. Lifting his hand, he traced his fingertips along her jawline. “I’ll make it plain tae ye. Adrina, my lass, I want tae marry ye.”
“Marry me?” she said, stunned. “Ye told me yourself that ye werenae interested in marriage…”
“That was before I got tae ken ye.” His gaze dropped to her mouth, lingering there briefly before he raised his compelling green eyes to hers. “Since then I’ve changed my mind.” He paused. “Ye have bewitched me, lass —”
“But —”
“Nay, let me finish,” he placed a finger to her lips, shushing her. “Ye have placed a spell on me the moment I saw ye at Tancraig Castle. But ‘twas nae magic that caused it. I can assure ye that I’ve never felt this way before for any other woman. ‘Twas your inner beauty, compassion and fire that caught me.” His deep brogue rumbled with love and warmth. “Sae I’ll ask again, Adrina. Will ye be my wife?”
“Aye!” she said, the tears starting to blur her vision. Never did she believe that she would wed the man of her dreams. “I love ye, Duncan.”
“I’m glad.” He brought his thumb and forefinger to her chin, and gently tilted her face up. “Because my heart, body and soul belongs tae ye — for all eternity.”
And with those words, he bent his head, and sealed his oath with a kiss.
Thank You Gift
I hope you enjoyed the Highland Curse. As a thank you bonus, I’d like to give you a free e-copy of my novella Heart of a Knight.
The two characters featured in this story are very close to my own heart. Others have generously rated this story on Amazon, and I hope you enjoy it too.
Simply visit my website at the link below, and you can be reading this book in the next few minutes.
Many thanks,
Dana D’Angelo
Dedication
For my lovely friend A.K.
Acknowledgment
Love and gratitude to my husband for all you’ve done. Also, many, many thanks to all my friends and fans who believe in my work. I’m so blessed to have your enthusiasm and support.
About The Author
Dana D’Angelo is the only girl from a family of nine children. As a teenager, there was a constant battle for the T.V. remote, which she lost, so she was forced to find her amusement in books. A friend got her into romances, and soon she read as many as ten romance novels per week, spending hours with her nose pressed between the pages, skipping meals and cutting out sleep. Life, it seemed, wasn’t as exciting or interesting as in the Medieval or Regency eras.
It wasn’t until she was married with two young kids that she decided to take a stab at writing her own historical romance novels.
She is intrigued with the idea of writing romantic stories that could bring hours of enjoyment to readers, help them escape from reality, and perhaps remind them how sweet love is and should be. These are the things that she enjoys as a reader, and these are the things that she wants to give back as a writer.
Dana lives in a city east of Toronto, Canada. When she’s not writing or reading, she’s dining at local restaurants with her husband and kids and enjoying spectacular foods of the world.
Website: www.dana-dangelo.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Dana-DAngelo-Historical-Romance-Author/1401184486768369
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Glossary
For your reference, I’ve compiled a short list of Scottish terms and words that I used in this story:
Aiya - Ouch
Arisaid - A Scottish woman’s dress that is similar to a highlander’s great kilt.
Bairn - A child.
Bean Nighe - Dubbed the washer woman at the ford, this fae is said to be the spirit of a woman who died while giving birth. She was doomed with the never-ending task of washing the blood-stained clothing of those who were about to die. Under special circumstances, she also granted three wishes.
Beastie - An animal, beast or critter.
Black Donald (The) - Highland slang for the devil. He had cloven feet, and no matter how he tried to disguise himself, his feet always gave him away.
Braw - Beautiful, fine or handsome.
Broken Men - Clansmen who were no longer allied with or had the protection of their original clan. In some cases, they were outcasts or outlaws.
Claymore - A double-edged sword that Highland warriors used.
Kirk - A church.
Leine - The undershirt worn underneath a kilt or kirtle.
Sept - A branch of a Scottish clan.
Sessenach - A foreigner, English person, or a Lowland Scot.
Sporran - A pouch or purse worn around the waist, and hangs at the front of the kilt.
Oatcakes - A form of flatbread that consisted mostly of oatmeal. They are similar to crackers or biscuits. The bread is also known as bannock.
Och - oh
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The Highland Curse (Scottish Strife Series Book 2) Page 16