Highland Blessings
Read Highland Blessings Online
Authors: Jennifer Hudson Taylor
Highland Blessings
“Jennifer Hudson Taylor has a winner with her debut novel,
Highland Blessings
. What’s not to love about battling Scottish clans, a lady kidnapped, romance, intrigue, and a mystery that will keep you turning pages to the very end? This is the kind of book you can curl up with on a rainy day and forget all your troubles as you plunge into the adventure and romance of fifteenth-century Scotland. Highly recommended.”
—Bestselling author MaryLu Tyndall
“
Highland Blessings
is a surprisingly adept first novel from Jennifer Hudson Taylor. The book serves up a truly likable heroine, a satisfying romance, and all with a lush backdrop of castles, clans, plaids, and a Scottish brogue to boot. A good supporting cast brings depth to the story, and I can recommend this book for a good dose of blessings, indeed. I look forward to seeing more from this new author.”
—Linore Rose Burkhard, author of
The Country House Courtship
Highland Blessings
Copyright © 2010 by Jennifer Hudson Taylor ISBN-13: 978-1-4267-0226-6
Published by Abingdon Press, P.O. Box 801, Nashville, TN 37202
www.abingdonpress.com
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, stored in any retrieval system, posted on any website, or transmitted in any form or by any means—digital, electronic, scanning, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without written permission from the publisher, except for brief quotations in printed reviews and articles.
The persons and events portrayed in this work of fiction are the creations of the author, and any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.
Published in association with the Hartline Literary Agency.
Cover design by Anderson Design Group, Nashville, TN.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Taylor, Jennifer Hudson.
Highland blessings / Jennifer Hudson Taylor.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-1-4267-0226-6 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Forced marriage—Fiction. 2. Betrayal—Fiction. 3. Scotland—History—15th century—Fiction. I. Title.
PS3620.A9465H54 2010
813’.6—dc22
Printed in the United States of America 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 / 15 14 13 12 11 10
To my loving Father, who lifted me from my
knees more times than I can count,
who kept shining a guiding light in my heart
that wouldn’t let me quit,
and who gave me the desire to write, I pray that my work will glorify You.
Thank you for loving me, for not ever forsaking me, and for this special birthday gift.
You are the Great I Am—my everything.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.
(Ephesians 1:3)
Acknowledgments
This book couldn’t have been completed and published without the loving support of Dwayne, my husband, best friend, and soulmate. Thank you for all the meals, laundry, and dishes while I wrote. Your thoughtful input on every manuscript, your listening ears through the rejections, and your encouragement … you believed in me and loved me through it all.
To Celina, my daughter, who gave up more mommy time than she should have, thank you for being patient with me to finish “one more sentence” and for making our special times so full of quality. You have taught me so much about patience and understanding.
To my dad, thank you for giving me a love of history. To my mom, only a special mom would reread a twelve-year-old girl’s handwritten manuscript in a spiral notebook. Your wisdom and encouragement inspired me. Aunt Judy, thank you for giving a child a box of thirty novels.
To the rest of my extended family, I appreciate all your love and support. To my in-laws, Helen and Winston, thank you for being so understanding when I hauled my laptop with me everywhere.
To my agent, Terry Burns, at Hartline Literary Agency, you never gave up and you were persistent in sending out my work. You are a legend—a cowboy who has touched so many lives.
To my editor, Barbara Scott, you believed in me and took a chance on
Highland Blessings
. How can I ever thank you enough? When I met you in person, I knew I had an author’s dream editor. To the Abingdon staff, your help has been wonderful. To Anderson Design Group, your book covers are awesome!
To the ladies on the F.A.I.T.H. Blog, HisWriters, my critique partners, RWA, and ACFW, I needed your fellowship, prayers, and expertise. I’m a better writer because of you.
To my readers, I pray this novel and my future novels will bless you abundantly and inspire you with God’s love and joy.
Prologue
Scotland
C
edric MacPhearson knew he was going to die, but he glanced up at the low clouds brewing into a storm and raised a fist, determined he would last until one of his sons found him. The survival of his clan depended upon it. And as ornery and stubborn as he had been all his life, no one would believe he had agreed to a peaceful settlement with the MacKenzies if he died, least of all his sons.
Beads of sweat broke along his brow as he struggled to remain conscious, mentally listing every black deed he had ever committed and then muttering a whispered prayer for each one. As the MacPhearson chieftain, Cedric knew his word had been the unquestioned law. He had always thought himself a fair man with a firm ruling hand. Now as he prepared to meet his Maker, he wasn’t so sure. It was imperative that he complete one last goodwill before he closed his eyes forever.
The restless wind twirled faster, rustling scattered leaves around him. The cool air was a comfort, giving him a feeling of being lifted high and floating away as the pain in his chest faded to numbness. Lightning flashed silently, highlighting a lone rider approaching at top speed.
Rumbling thunder echoed in Cedric’s ears, drowning out the sound of a winded destrier pulled short and his son’s voice calling to him. Cedric’s head was gently lifted into the lad’s lap and tenderly cradled in youthful hands, strong with promise. Bryce, his middle son, peered down at him with intelligent, gray eyes full of concern.
“Da! What happened to ye?” He reached over and carefully lifted Cedric’s bloody tunic. Moisture gathered in his eyes at the sight of the large sword wound slightly below Cedric’s heart. “Likely, the villain got yer lungs.” His voice sounded like a man’s, but it shook with desperation. He looked deeply into Cedric’s eyes with painful certainty. “Who did this to ye?”
“A MacKenzie warrior struck me down. I came from signing the peace settlement with Birk MacKenzie, so I wasn’t expecting an attack.”
“I’ll kill the MacKenzie responsible!”
Cedric could hear the anger in his son’s voice and knew a century-old vengeance coursed through his veins. Pride swelled in Cedric’s battered chest, and he was pleased that he hadn’t missed this opportunity to give his final command and say good-bye. He clutched his son’s shirt in his fist.
“Listen, lad. Birk MacKenzie didn’t order this. Even now he doesn’t know.”
The effort to speak drained his energy and made his chest feel heavy. What blood had not drained from his body began to fill his lungs, and breathing became increasingly difficult. With a concentrated effort he motioned to his pocket and took a labored breath.
“Get paper.” His hoarse whisper brought blood to his mouth.
Bryce shuddered. Knowing time was of the essence, he frantically searched his father’s clothes and found a piece of paper. He unfolded it and scanned the signed documents.
Denial was on the tip of his tongue, when he looked at his father with defeat.
“Promise … ye’ll … make E-van … hon-or … my word.”
A flicker of apprehension pierced him. He was uncomfortable making a promise of a lifelong commitment for his elder brother, and even more afraid to spend these precious moments arguing with his dying father.
With the last of his strength, Cedric grabbed his wrist. “Promise!” More blood spewed from his lips as the clouds opened with rain. Lightning struck and thunder roared.
Bryce bent forward, hating the entrapment of death he saw in his father’s eyes, and cradled his father to him. “Da, don’t die!” Tears blended with the downpour of rain. Cedric’s cold fingers squeezed. Out of desperation Bryce yelled over the storm. “I promise! I promise!”
He couldn’t bear the thought of his father dying without granting his last request.
Cedric released his wrist, and Bryce knew he was gone. Tears were difficult to shed. He couldn’t ever remember a time in his childhood when he allowed one tear to slip from his eye.