Taken Captive By The Highlander (Scottish Highlander Romance)

by Kaley McCormick

  Within moments, his clansmen arrived with the carriage in tow. They gathered everything from the cabin that was worth taking, and packed into the carriage to leave. She made sure to take all of the food that would travel, since they now had an entire group to feed.

  Elizabeth made sure to politely acknowledge the gentlemen that were going to escort them away. As she climbed into the carriage, she knew she offered them a full view of her ample cleavage, and smiled to herself when one of them winked at William.

  The trip to William’s home was completely uneventful. After all, no one would suspect this nobleman and his “wife” to have been a rogue kidnapper and his willing victim. Elizabeth was thrilled to find herself welcomed into his household, complete with wedding ceremony and family blessings.

  She was not sure what William did during his days, but she knew exactly what he did with his nights. Every night, they dined together in the estate hall. She loved the way William treated his servants with kindness even though it made her miss Olivia terribly.

  And every night after dinner, and perhaps a little wine, Elizabeth would walk over to William’s chair and whisper in his ear. “Will you share the bed with me tonight?”

  It always made him grin and he never refused her request.

  About a year after Elizabeth’s grand escape from Henry, the family was out traveling and Elizabeth suddenly realized that her father-in-law was headed to make some sort of deal with Henry for horses or trade or some sort of business.

  William felt her gasp next to him when she recognized the hills and ponds, and tightened his arm around her shoulders in unconscious protection. They dropped his father off at Elizabeth’s old estate, along with protection just in case, and headed into town for the afternoon.

  As they strolled arm in arm over the cobblestone paths, Elizabeth ran into Olivia. She could not stop herself from hugging the older woman, and Olivia marveled at the change in Elizabeth’s life.

  “I’ve missed you, child. There’s no one to share my tea and cheese and bread with.”

  “Perhaps William can strike a bargain with Henry,” Elizabeth whispered conspiratorially.

  Olivia smiled sweetly. “I’m just glad you are okay, Ma’am.”

  Elizabeth and William returned to the estate to retrieve his father, and Henry walked him to the carriage.

  William stepped out to formally meet the man, and made sure to help Elizabeth down from the carriage.

  None of the group was certain that Henry would have recognized William as the Highlander raider but Henry’s mouth gaped open when he recognized Elizabeth. Her dresses looked finer than anything he had provided for her, she stood straighter than he remembered, and her skin absolutely glowed. Elizabeth thought he was going to actually faint when his gaze finally swept down to her swollen belly.

  She grinned at William and then at Henry. With a smirk, she leveled her gaze at Henry and told him. “Guess all I needed was good strong Scottish blood in me.”

  THE END

  The Highlander’s Mail Order Bride

  Chapter one

  My family has always given me nothing, but the best. I don’t know any way to live that doesn’t include all the privileges that come from having a wealthy background. England is on the cusp of becoming a great nation onto itself. We have several boats that go out frequently to do trading and find the necessary resources to make this growing community better than what it was. I wanted to be a part of that. The Kensington name was synonymous with greatness. We were known, as humanitarians, business owners and those that were willing to make the tough decisions.

  “Elizabeth, as your brother, I forbid you to go out with him. He is uncouth, he doesn’t shave and his family are farmers. What are our parents going to say when they find out that you are slumming it with a farm boy? I don’t want to do this, but I think that it’s my right, as your brother to put my foot down. Stop this madness, before it goes any further. We are aristocrats and we do not sully our good name with those that are commoners.” My brother Richard has always had my back. I think deep down he knows that I’m the one that is going to give this family a baby to carry on the name.

  “Just because you had a string of disastrous relationships, doesn’t make you an expert on love. In fact I think it’s just the opposite. How am I supposed to trust your judgment, when all you can do is find some young thing and defile her? What makes you an expert on my love life? If it’s all the same to you, I would like you to stay out of my business. If you even hint at telling our parents, then I’ll have no choice, but to blab your little secret.” He knew exactly what I was talking about and it didn’t look like he wanted any part of that.

  “If you don’t want to do it for me, then do it for our parents. They will be a laughingstock if it gets out that you have been having relations with those that are below you.” I could understand his reasoning, but I couldn’t stop, even if I wanted to. He was underneath my skin and Henry had a way of making me feel like a natural woman. I didn’t have to put on airs and I could be myself. I wasn’t sure that it was love, but it was something.

  “I know that you’re worried about me, brother, but there isn’t anything to worry about.” I think he didn’t want me to make a mistake and have it come back and bite me where the sun didn’t shine. We never admitted it to each other, but we had heard the stories of how marauders from Scotland had brought their Highland ways to our shores.

  “I just think that there’s a need to be cautious. I don’t think I have to tell you the reason why.” Those highland warriors were getting closer and each town that they decimated had this English community on high alert. There were soldiers stationed at the edge of town, taking up guard and making sure that there were no undesirables. The stories that I had heard were repulsive. It made me almost sick to my stomach.

  There was a letter in the back of my brother’s pants and I motioned to it with my head. He grabbed it and put it in my hand. When he left, I used the letter opener to strip away the paper. I opened it and I began to read and the smile on my face turned to a frown. I thought that it might be from Henry, but it wasn’t.

  “You don’t know me, but my name is Patrick Mcdowell. I am a highland warrior of the highest degree. I have been charged to take this land and pillage and plunder whatever I can find. I have recently been to your town and I’ve seen you from afar. I’m going to make a proposition and I do hope that you don’t take offense. I want you and if you don’t consent to be mine, then I will have no choice. I will not only destroy your town but take you by force. This is very serious and I hope that you will take this in the spirit that it was given.” For an uncouth and uncivilized gentleman, he had shown a remarkable understanding of our language.

  His letter was forthright and to the point. He wanted to make it well known from the very beginning that he was not going to be denied. I decided to chalk it up to one of those things. There was no way that I could pay this any mind. It had to be some sort of joke that was being perpetrated at my expense.

  Over the next few weeks, I continually got these sweet and very condescending letters. Each one was getting a little more on the scary side. I decided to share it with my brother and Richard was not exactly happy that I had kept this from him and the family. Our parents were off on the other side of the world in America. They were not going to return for several weeks, which left him the one in charge in their absence. We were not royalty, but we did have the ear of the magistrate.

  “I can’t believe that you never told me about any of this. I understand that you may have thought the first letter was some kind of hoax. I’m standing here with five separate letters and they make some bold claims that are hard to ignore. We know that these highlanders are consummate warriors. They take what they want and they leave nothing behind. I’ve heard the stories from several soldiers that have seen this first hand. We need to fortify and be ready for them, but even then it might be in vain. I need to take this to the magistrate.” I was going to accompany him, but it
seemed pointless to gain up on the man that held this town in the palm of his hand.

  “I thought that he would never leave.” The voice made me smile and I turned to see Henry with a bouquet of wildflowers that he had probably picked on the way here. “I haven’t heard from you in a while and I was getting slightly worried that something happened. I heard what you were talking to your brother about. Is it true?”

  He was wearing his Sunday best with a vest and his hair made up. I was in my proper attire as a lady of the Kensington Empire. People saw me and they bowed politely, even though we really didn’t have any kind of say in judicial matters. I was afforded nothing but the best and I don’t think that I would want it any other way.

  “It’s true that this Patrick Mcdowell wants me, but I can assure you that that’s never going to happen.” I don’t know who I was trying to convince him or myself. If the leaders thought that it was the only way to prevent certain disaster, then they might take his proposal to heart. “My heart has always belonged to you.” I wasn’t sure if that was true and I might’ve been just doing this to get the goat of my brother. It was nice to see him sweat for a change.

  “I don’t know if my opinion matters, but I would really like you to stay away from this.” Unfortunately, his opinion didn’t hold much water. This decision would have to be made higher up, but I couldn’t believe for a second they would even consider such an option.

  “There’s nothing to worry about, Henry. You really shouldn’t be here and I told you that the only that we could see each other was if I came to you and not the other way around. I know that this is hard for you to understand, but people may not understand what we mean to each other.” I thought that I was in love with him, but maybe I was just in love with the idea of sticking it to my brother. Henry was a strong and confident man, but he did not have that edge that I was looking for. I wanted somebody that was going to stand up in the face of overwhelming odds. I wanted a man that could treat me like a real woman.

  “I know that I’m taking a risk, but I just couldn’t get you out of my head.” That was sweet, but it was also a little on the sickening side. I didn’t want him to become obsessed and that would only take away the purity of what we had. I couldn’t help, but to notice that Henry was looking at me with thoughts that would have made a lady blush.

  He grabbed me and pulled me towards him. He kissed me and made me feel desired. He wanted me and it was in his eyes that told me that I was all that he thought about at every waking hour. I had gotten to him, but he wasn’t the first one that had fallen underneath my spell.

  I had to literally push him away. I pointed and made it quite clear that it was time for him to go. When he was gone, it wasn’t more than a few minutes later that my brother was standing in front of me with this expression that told me more than I wanted to know.

  Chapter two

  “I know that you don’t think that this is fair, but it’s the only way. If we don’t do this, then those highland warriors are going to come here and desecrate our land. I have been charged by the magistrate to talk on their behalf with this Patrick Mcdowell.” It had been two weeks and we had just received a letter that Patrick. He was willing to talk.

  “I think that you’re having way too much fun and underneath this caring brother act is a man that is hoping that I will never come back.” I’d gone over this several times with the magistrate and they were quite insistent that this was the way that it had to be. They didn’t give me much of a choice. If I didn’t go willingly, then they would have the guards take me by force to the location that was mentioned in the letter. It was agreed upon that only one guard and my brother would accompany me.

  “Don’t blame me; I take no pleasure in handing you over like some sort of cattle. Unfortunately, you and I both have to abide by the rule of those that hold court over the rest of us. We may have their ear, but the ultimate decision falls in their hand. I got this feeling like he may have had some part in the decision-making process. There was something insidious about that smirk that I had perceived on Richard’s face.

  We arrived on horseback on the outskirts of town away from prying eyes. The public didn’t even know about this arrangement and it was agreed upon that they would never find out. I was tempted to scream it from the rooftops, but I knew that it would make no difference.

  I dismounted the horse and waited in this clearing, until we could hear the hooves of horses that were coming this way. The Scottish flag was in this man’s hand and he was wearing a green and white tartan. It covered one shoulder and the other one was bare. I thought that my heart would stop, as he jumped down and approached with his sword in hand.

  “Aye, I did not believe that you would be a man of your word. It appears that this distasteful part of negotiations is something that you can live with. I don’t think that I could be, so cavalier with my own sister’s life. It is not my place to question you. Let’s dispense with all of this and get down to business.” It was agreed upon over a lengthy discussion that I would remain his for two full years. They would agree that they would leave our town alone for 10 years. After that, negotiations would commence once more.

  “Sister, you better go, before I change my mind and fight this man to the death for your honor. I know that I would lose and I don’t even know how to hold a sword, let alone use it in the most effective way. Please, don’t make this any harder than it has to be.”

  The year was 1695 and I felt like we had turned a corner, but apparently we were still barbarians underneath the expensive clothing. My dress covered me from head to toe and I think that was actually more appealing to him than seeing what was underneath.

  “I promise that nothing will happen to your sister. I have made this agreement in good faith and with that comes the word of a Scottish highlander. That may not mean much to you, but it does to me and my brethren. Our honor is the only thing that we have that is worth a damn.” Patrick Mcdowell took my hand and I thought that he was going to hurt me, but he was gentle, as a lamb.

  He helped me onto his horse, but I think that he took a little bit of liberty in holding my ass in the palm of his hands. He had actually squeezed the cheeks, which made me blush two shades of red. I wanted to tell him that it was not appropriate to touch me like that, but it did feel good. He was uncivilized, barbaric, but there was something strangely erotic about the way that he looked at me.

  He climbed up behind me and I could feel something poking me in the back. As we road away, I glanced over my shoulder to see that my brother seemed to be smiling. I think that I might have been right. He wanted to get rid of me. When this came around, he did everything in his power to make it, so that the magistrate felt that this was the right decision for all parties.

  “I do hope that you like the place that you are going to be living for the next two years. I want this to be a second start for both your people and ours. I take no pleasure in killing and pillaging your land. It’s just who we are and we could not change our nature, even if we wanted to.” I felt his hands raising my dress. The rustle of the material was followed by the cool breeze on my naked backside.

  “I don’t know what you think that you’re doing, but this is no way to treat a lady. You should be ashamed of your… ahh…self.” I lost my train of thought, as his cock rubbed up against my ass in a very profound way. I liked the feel of his hot flesh and I was tempted to reach back and grab him, but I didn’t think that I could actually go through with it. “You need to stop…doing that.” It felt good and I felt a certain wetness on my skin that indicated his arousal. There was no doubt that he was excited and apparently he was happy to prove it.

  When I felt his manhood, I thought that I was imagining it, but the evidence was in the rock hard presence that was now touching me from behind.

  “What I’m doing, Lassie is laying claim to my possession. Your mine now for two years and I plan to make good use of that time. You have a beautiful body and I’ve always wanted to do it on a horse. You can’t tell me
that you’re pure. The way that you are rubbing up against me tells me otherwise.” Despite my misgivings, I raised myself from the horse and let him stick in just the tip. I didn’t exactly let him do anything. He had taken what I did, as an open invitation.

  “I don’t want to…do this.” My words would have had more conviction, had I not moaned in between words. I was losing my breath and that knob was bigger than the rest of the shaft. “You should not be…treating me like this. I deserve…RESPECT.” I was trying to deny myself that pleasure, because I knew that it wasn’t right, no matter how much it felt that good.

  “What you deserve, lassie is a good Scottish fucking from a man that knows how to make a woman scream his name. What you deserve is a hard cock and the warrior that it’s attached to. Don’t forget that essentially you are mine and with that comes a responsibility to make me happy. Now, I suggest that you enjoy it, because this is going to happen.” He punctuated that point with a gentle jab of his hips. This of course buried half of his mighty long sword that had to be around 9 inches. He pierced my womanhood and I was glad that we were in the back of the pack.

  “You are barbaric, despicable and you should never have…any part of me.” I protested, but my body was betraying the words that I was speaking. “I will not take part…and if you insist on doing this…then you’ll do it without my permission.” I thought that might pull his horns in, but apparently it fed his desire for more

  That garish kilt had been raised over his cock and it gave him the freedom to attack me. It wasn’t like he was forcing me to do anything. I think that I could have stopped him, but I liked that he could be rough around the edges. He did not wait for permission. He took what he wanted. It made me feel overwhelmed and my body was now craving his touch. He reached around and manhandled the ladies. He squeezed them tightly, pinching the nipples through the fabric of my white dress.

  “If I didn’t know any better, I would think that you were a virgin. You are very tight, but I’m sure that I can stretch you open.” He was doing that and then some and then he made me lose my breath with that final lunge. He drove into my unsuspecting body with my lips quivering around his invading force. I was feeling completely full for the first time in my life. I don’t think that there was any room for more, as he had taken up all the space.