Chapter 1
Melissa kept her eyes on the young man her mother was talking to from across the room.
There was no doubt in her mind that the man was her mother’s latest endeavor to force her into a ‘suitable’ marriage.
Taking her mug of ale, she quickly made her way across the crowded room, looking back to ensure that her mother was not aware of where she was heading.
Her path was however quickly blocked when she bumped into a wall, spilling the contents of her mug. She looked up to see that the wall was indeed a person and the worst one she could bump into.
“Watch where yer going,” Daniel Forrester grumbled as he angrily dabbed at the stain on his neat black coat.
“It’s just some ale.” Melissa rolled her brown eyes with a tired sigh. The last person she had wanted to run into at the Ceilidh was her brother-in-law’s best friend. The man was infuriating at the best of times.
“Of course, ye would say something like that,” he answered back in annoyance, signaling for one of the maids to bring him a cloth. “Will ye never learn to be more careful?”
“Will you ever learn to stop fussing over your silly clothes?” she shot back, mimicking his voice in an unkind manner, and stuck out her tongue. Daniel Forrester was the single most annoying man on the face of the earth.
“Have ye nae heard that yer face will stay like that if the wind changes, lass?”
“I have, actually,” she retorted confidently, having heard the old wives’ tale as a child. “I do hope it stays that way, then I can follow you around for the rest of your life with this face, reminding you of what a miserable git you are.”
Daniel rolled his eyes until the pupils nearly disappeared in the back of his head. “I’m begging ye, please never make that face again, I cannae stand ye for the short periods of time I see ye already.”
Melissa scoffed at him with her nose thrust in the air, sauntering off triumphantly before he could say anything back. Making her way to her sister, who was holding her youngest child, she quickly glanced back to see the anger on Daniel’s face as he dabbed at the patch of ale on his chest.
“Oh, boy.” Avery laughed as she bounced her youngest child on her hip. “What have you done to Daniel now?” she asked, highly amused by the angry way he was cleaning his jacket and muttering under his breath.
“Why did you automatically assume it was I that did something wrong?” Melissa sighed. “Could it not have been Daniel that did something to me? He’s an insufferable jerk, I’m not sure why you have to have him around all the time,” she complained, almost insulted by her sister’s accusation.
Avery threw her long blonde hair over her shoulder and shook her head in amusement.
“Daniel is Darragh’s best friend,” Avery explained, as she had done countless times in the past two years, her light brown eyes twinkling in the bright light cast by the torches on the wall.
Her slightly darker blonde hair was pinned to the back of her head in a bun.
“He’s going to be around for a very long time, we can’t just not invite him to the castle from time to time.
I wish the two of you would learn to get along.
” She stopped to readjust the child on her hip before continuing. “For my sake, if not for yours.”
“I’ll learn to be nicer to him when he learns to stop being such an insufferable perfectionist.” Melissa rolled her almost golden-brown eyes again, straightening the folds of her light pink dress as she flipped her long blonde hair over her shoulder.
She was slightly shorter than her sister, with a far more rebellious spirit.
Avery often commented that her sister’s penchant to go against the rules would someday get her into trouble.
A fact that made Melissa the polar opposite of Daniel, who lived by his rules.
“Never mind that now. Are you going to dance this evening?” Melissa’s spirits perked up as she looked around the room at the many guests drinking their ale and laughing or asking their partners to dance.
“You know how much I love these Ceilidhs.” She craned her neck to get a better look around the room.
“I’m sad to say that I don’t think I will.
” Avery pinched the chubby cheek of her youngest child.
“This one is being a little fusspot this evening.” She looked up and frowned before quickly turning back to her sister with a serious look on her face.
“Dancing is the least of your worries right now,” she said under her breath.
“What?” Melissa looked at her with a frown but quickly began to panic when she spotted her mother making her way toward them with the man from earlier by her side. “Oh, no, what should I do?” she hurriedly asked her sister, her eyes searching for an escape route through the throng of guests.
“It’s too late,” Avery hissed under her breath just as Melissa was about to push past her. “You’ve already been spotted.”
Melissa looked up to see the angry expression on her mother’s face as they approached.
“Don’t you dare move,” her mother angrily mouthed the words as Melissa resigned herself to her fate, taking her stance at her sister’s side and plastering a smile on her face.
“Here you are, dear,” Daphne Young said in a pleasant tone as she reached her daughters with the mystery suitor at her side. “We were just talking about you.” She turned toward the young man with a smile. “This is Ethan McGregor, a very pleasant young man that I happened to bump into this evening.”
“How do ye do?” The young man with jet black hair and light blue eyes bowed as he greeted both Young sisters, keeping a keen eye on Melissa. “I’m pleased to make yer acquaintance.”
“The pleasure is all mine,” Melissa greeted back with a curtsy and a nod. The young man was handsome enough with tanned skin and a tall muscular frame.
“Avery, dear,” Daphne suddenly said with a fake look of surprise that nobody would buy. “I completely forgot that there was something I needed to show you in your room. I’m afraid it can’t wait.” She winked at her eldest daughter when Ethan looked away.
“Can it not wait for a little later, Mama?” Avery tried to divert her attention and signal to her mother that Melissa was not interested in the young man.
“I’m kind of busy with our guests right now.
” She cocked her head to the side, making a slight gesture with her eyes before smiling at the young man again.
“Nonsense.” Daphne waved the idea away with her hand as if she were swatting a fly. “A new mother should never be charged with keeping an eye on the guests at a ball.” She linked her arm through that of her daughter’s, gently guiding her away.
Avery looked over her shoulder and gave her sister an apologetic look.
“Looks like it’s just the two of us,” Ethan said with an oily smirk that instantly set Melissa’s teeth on edge.
“I guess so.” Melissa gave him a polite smile before turning her attention back to the crowd and watching the couples dance. Her eyes quickly fell on Daniel, who was still dabbing at his coat with a displeased scowl on his face. Rolling her eyes, she shook her head.
Only he would still be furious over some spilled ale!
“Ye seem distracted,” Ethan noted with a pleasant smile.
“Not at all, I was just watching the dancing.” Melissa remembered her manners, turning back toward her company. “Do you enjoy dancing?” she attempted for the sake of propriety if nothing else.
Ethan shook his head with a scowl on his face. “Nae much, I prefer hunting an’ feasts with far less frivolity,” he added with a pointed look.
Oh, great. Another manly man who thinks women should be seen and not heard.
“If I were ever to marry, I would expect me wife to be waiting at home for me with the bairns when I return from a feast.” He thrust his nose in the air. “Nae dancing. It’s a complete waste of time if ye ask me.”
Melissa sighed heavily at having her suspicions confirmed in such an overt manner. She understood that her mother was concerned with her making a good match, but it would be nice for once if she put in a little more thought instead of cornering the first bachelor she laid her eyes upon.
“Did I say something to offend ye?” Ethan asked quickly. “I only meant that for married women. It’s perfectly reasonable for an unwed young lass to dance at a Ceilidh.” He shot Melissa a dashing smile that made her stomach churn. “How else are they supposed to find a good man?”
“Through conversation perhaps?” she felt her frustrations growing at the arrogant way he spoke of women.
Ethan let out a derogatory laugh that made those around them turn their heads and stare.
Melissa quickly smiled at the people to let them know that nothing was being said that she didn’t approve of. The last thing she needed was for her mother to hear that she’d caused a scene with her latest candidate.
Daniel Forrester smirked at her from across the room and raised a mug in salute, to her great annoyance, as if he were enjoying the fact that she found herself in less than pleasing company at present.
He’d often teased her about her mother’s eagerness to marry her off and had undoubtedly seen the scowl on her face.
“An’ what would women possibly have to say that would gain a man’s interest?” Ethan asked with one eyebrow raised when he’d eventually stopped laughing.
“I don’t know,” Melissa replied with a biting tone in her voice. “Perhaps one could talk of the weather or books?” She raised her eyebrow in a challenge to match the infuriating arrogance he was exuding. “Or perhaps even the latest hunt?”
“I can see that yer maither has trained ye well in the art of conversation.” He nodded his approval. “Yer feistiness will have to be tamed ‘afore we marry, but ye will make a fine choice for a wife.”
Her jaw fell open as she stared at the man who calmly assumed she would even consider him for a future spouse. “I beg your pardon, Sir,” she said as sweetly as she could, mustering all her strength not to slap him across the face. “I think you may be laboring under a false assumption.”
“Oh?” He gave her a look of genuine confusion.
“My mother may have given you the impression that I am available for marriage, and while that statement is true, it will still be up to me whom I choose to marry.” She narrowed her eyes and glared at him.
“Furthermore,” she added as he was about to speak.
“I would brush up on my conversational skills if I were looking for a wife amongst the English. I’m not sure how things are done here in Scotland, but I can assure you that Englishwomen do not like to be spoken down to by men seeking a wife. ”
Ethan McGregor seemed shocked as she turned to leave without giving him the chance to reply.
Lifting the hem of her dress, Melissa politely pushed her way through the throng of guests, making her way to the back of the room, where a giant wooden door led to the privacy of a courtyard.
Taking a deep breath, she placed her hands on her hips and surveyed the empty area to ensure that she was finally alone.
The flagstone yard with its pots of heather and open ceiling presented her with the much-needed privacy and fresh air. The early summer air was cool enough to enjoy without being too cold or overly hot.
Walking over to a wooden bench, she tucked her dress beneath her legs before taking a seat. The music from the Ceilidh was pouring from the main hall, mingling with the voices of the guests who were having more than a merry old time.
Melissa sighed again as she thought of her mother and the throng of suitable matches she kept shoving in her face.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to marry, she rather liked the idea of romance and passion.
It was only that the ordeal with her father two years prior had left her with a fear of trusting men, especially those who made it clear that their intention was to marry a suitable lady.
Her thoughts were quickly drawn back to the present when the sound of doors being closed made her look up.
Ethan McGregor came walking into the middle of the courtyard with a dark look on his face, looking around in a manner that suggested he was looking for someone.
She hurriedly stood and turned to face him when she realized that they were completely alone in a dark corner of the yard.
“I thought I saw ye coming this way,” he said, all traces of gentleness gone from his face.
“I don’t think you should be out here,” she politely said. “If you do not mind, I wish to be alone.”
His eyes darkened as a nasty grin spread across his face, transforming his handsome features into something entirely unpleasant. “I dinnae think we will be disturbed, lass.” His grin broadened until nearly all of his teeth were visible.
Taking a step back, Melissa looked for an escape, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end at the borderline evil way the man was looking at her as if she were a piece of meat.
“I think I may have made a mistake in thinking yer marriage material, lass.” He advanced on her while licking his lips in a hungry manner. “But I guess ye can always be good for something else.”
“I don’t understand.” She felt her heels hit a wall as she tried to back away from him. “I really think you should be going inside now,” she said as her heart began to race with panic, causing her palms to sweat.
Ethan once again let out a laugh that made her stomach churn. “I think ye shouldnae have so many opinions on everything, lass.” He suddenly lunged at her.
Melissa screamed and tried to dodge his advances, but his fingers caught her bodice, ripping the fabric in two. Gripping her bodice with one hand, she swung at him in defense.
Quickly stepping aside, he dodged her attack and pinned her against the wall with one hand holding her arm above her head.
She tried to scream again, but he quickly placed his hand over her mouth, nearly cutting off her air in the process.
“Scream all ye want, lass, but naebody will come to yer rescue,” he hissed in her ear, his ale-soaked breath almost making her gag. “They are all having a grand old time in there with the Ceilidh.”
Melissa’s eyes shot past his shoulder to a window overlooking the yard. Nobody had heard her scream, all of the guests were laughing and drinking, completely oblivious to what was happening just beyond the doors.
“Ye an’ I are about to have some fun of our own.” His hot breath made her sick as his lips brushed against her neck.
Shutting her eyes, she tried to fight him off, realizing with sickening panic that her strength was not enough to keep him at bay.