Gavin came running into the kitchen. “What is it? Are ye all right? Are ye hurt?”
“My spoon!” She held up the common utensil that was no longer common. The handle was still black, but where it had been in the hot soup it had turned bright yellow gold.
“Holy Saint Andrew,” breathed Gavin and he inspected the strange spoon. “’Tis gold! Yer father must have painted it over with black paint. No wonder it was so heavy.” He looked at Colette in astonishment. “But why would he do it? Why give ye a fortune in gold when ye already were carrying a king’s ransom in the form o’ yer dowry?”
Tears sprang to Colette’s eyes. “He must have wanted to give me something of my own, something that would not be counted as my dowry to go to my husband, something that would not even be listed as my inheritance. It was his way of giving me something for myself. He was protecting me to the very end. My dear, sweet father, how I miss him.”
“Does this mean ye wish to return?” asked Gavin, his voice a rasp.
Colette merely smiled at him and shook her head. “I fear you are stuck with me.”
“Good.” He sighed in relief. “I fear I woud’na let ye go. Especially now that ye’re rich,” he teased with a wide grin.
Colette laughed, and they threw their arms around each other for a kiss, while the golden spoon dropped to the table, forgotten. Colette relaxed into the warmth of his embrace until her stomach growled in protest.
“Oh dear,” she said. “The stew is ruined, full of black paint.”
“No matter,” said Gavin with a hungry look in his eye. “I have a better idea of how to welcome ye home.” He scooped her up into his arms, carrying her to the small bedchamber. “I hope ye are in the mood for a warm Highland welcome. We are a friendly lot, we are.”
Colette laughed and Gavin joined her, their joy complete.
Author’s Note
During the fourteenth century, the Book of Hours was a relatively common book at a time when books were uncommon. An abbreviated form of the breviary, the Book of Hours was the ancestor of the more modern-day prayer book. It contained a form of the Divine Office, which was practiced in monasteries. It was so named because it held specific Scriptures and prayers for the different hours of the day and different seasons of the Church calendar. The hours followed the monastic division of prayer times, including Matins, Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sext, Nones, Compline, and Vespers. Though each Book of Hours was unique, most included a calendar of the Church feasts, excerpts from the gospels and the Psalms, the Litany of Saints, the Office of the Dead, the Hours of the Cross, and various other prayers.
Before the invention of the printing press, these books were each painstakingly created by hand, often by monks transcribing the texts on thin vellum pages. A Book of Hours might be commissioned by a member of the aristocracy or by a wealthy merchant. Many books were actually created for women, some given as a wedding present to a bride. These books came in many sizes, from huge volumes with multiple pages of brilliant illustrations, to pocket-sized volumes smaller than a modern-day paperback. Some had many full-page illustrations and many had an elaborately decorated first letter of the text. The language of the work was almost always Latin.
Though a fictional character, in The Highlander’s Bride, Colette’s mother, a member of the French nobility, would have been the type of fourteenth-century lady to own a Book of Hours. Further, it would not have been unusual for the book to be passed down from mother to daughter. Thus, it was fun to incorporate this beautiful book into the story.
Acknowledgments
No book is written without considerable help and support and A Highlander’s Bride is no exception. I greatly appreciate my beta reader, Laurie Maus, who has supported me and corrected all my numerous typos. Special thanks to my editor, Deb Werksman, and my agent, Barbara Poelle, who continue to support and encourage my growth as a writer. And to my husband I extend my most sincere thanks for giving me the time and support I need to be able to write. You remain my hero.
A Sword for His Lady
by Mary Wine
A Publishers Weekly Top 10 Pick for Spring 2015
He’d defend her keep…
After proving himself on the field of battle, Ramon de Segrave is appointed to the Council of Barons by Richard the Lionheart. But instead of taking his most formidable warrior on his latest Crusade, the king assigns Ramon an even more dangerous task—woo and win the Lady of Thistle Keep.
If only she’d yield her heart
Isabel of Camoys has fought long and hard for her independence, and if the price is loneliness, then so be it. She will not yield…even if she does find the powerful knight’s heated embrace impossible to ignore. But when her land is threatened, Isabel reluctantly agrees to allow Ramon to defend the keep—knowing that the price may very well be her heart.
Praise for Mary Wine:
“I always find the emotional and philosophical tugs of war interesting between Wine’s characters. Her main characters are always admirable and there are always some true baddies to root against.” —For the Love of Books
For more Mary Wine, visit:
www.sourcebooks.com
First Time with a Highlander
by Gwyn Cready
She needs a man—but only for one night
What do you get when you imbibe centuries-old whiskey—besides a hangover the size of the Highlands? If you’re twenty-first-century ad exec Gerard Innes, you get swept back to eighteenth-century Edinburgh and into the bed of a gorgeous, fiery redhead. Gerard has only a foggy idea what he and the lady have been up to…but what he does remember draws him into the most dangerous and exhilarating campaign of his life.
Be careful what you wish for…
Serafina Seonag Fallon’s scoundrel of a fiancé has left her with nothing, and she’s determined to turn the tables. If she can come up with a ringer, she can claim the cargo he stole from her. But the dashing man she summons from the future demands more than one night, and Serafina finds it easier to command the seas under her feet than the crashing waves he unleashes in her heart.
Praise for Gwyn Cready:
“Gwyn Cready does a marvelous job of creating strong and sexy characters that stand out.” —Fresh Fiction
For more Gwyn Cready, visit:
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About the Author
Amanda Forester holds a PhD in psychology and worked for many years in academia before discovering that writing historical romance was decidedly more fun. Whether in the rugged Highlands of medieval Scotland or the decadent ballrooms of Regency England, her novels offer fast-paced adventures filled with wit, intrigue, and romance. Amanda lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest. You can visit her at www.amandaforester.com.
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