“Is there anywhere safe?” Mariam asked. “I used to think I was safe at Ravenscraig Castle, but there will always be darkness and people who fear me. There will always be illness and fires, storms, and so many other things we cannot control.”
“You are right. There is much we cannot control.” The words had barely left Cameron’s lips when shapes appeared out of the darkness. The men they had left on the ship came closer, swords drawn.
Cameron helped Mariam to her feet, keeping his arm around her, supporting her until she regained her full strength. Beside him, Mariam’s mother raised her hands, ready to summon the water. “Hold,” Cameron demanded of the woman.
“You’re alive!” Alexander exclaimed as he sheathed his sword and hurried to Cameron’s side. The other warriors did the same. “Are you unharmed?” His gaze passed over Mariam, then Cameron, and finally the woman who he had known as Nessie. His eyes widened with surprise at the change in the old woman.
Orrin approached. “We feared the worst when that storm came out of nowhere and seemed to unleash itself right where you had gone.” He scanned the area. “But there is no evidence of any storm other than these stones strewn about.”
The others gathered around him and Mariam and Moira, their faces filled with concern more than fear. For that Cameron was grateful. His men were beyond brave. They had proven so many times in battle. “Men, what you have seen here is nothing short of a miracle. Though we may not understand the hows or the whys of it, Mariam and her mother, Moira, have gifts that have greatly benefitted us all by clearing the land of ash and ridding the air of sickness.”
Alexander’s gaze shifted between Mariam and Moira. “The wind . . . The waves that crested over the isle . . . My first response is to reject such an idea as nonsense and impossible. But then, after what we have just seen and experienced, it is hard to deny the truth.” He drew a ragged breath. “You did those things?”
Hesitantly, both women nodded.
“Magic,” Alexander said with wonder. “And you really are witches, aren’t you?”
In Cameron’s arms, Mariam tensed.
Seeing her anxiety, Alexander dropped to one knee before her. Orrin and the others followed his lead. “You have nothing to fear from us. We are honored to be your protectors. Your magic is a gift, not a curse. You have saved us all from many years of suffering by clearing the ash. We are grateful.”
“Thank you, Alexander, and all of you, for your loyalty,” Mariam said, her tension easing. “My mother and I are white witches. Our powers are to be used for good, not evil.” Mariam stepped out of Cameron’s arms and approached the men. “Please stand. We are all members of the same family who reside at Ravenscraig.” As each man rose, she placed her hand upon their shoulder. “What do you feel when I touch you?”
At first, they hesitated to answer but as she continued to touch each of them, they smiled and replied as a group, “Peace. Love. Hope. Life.”
Orrin’s eyes widened when she placed her palm on his shoulder. “I have never experienced anything like it. It’s as if I know you will make certain there is a positive outcome for my life.”
Mariam nodded. “As you protect me, I will protect you.”
“Does that mean you will return home with us?” Orrin asked.
Mariam looked back to Cameron. “If you will all have me.” The men cheered, their voices rising into the night.
Cameron moved to her side once more and took her in his arms. “Marry me?”
“But you are my guardian. Is such a thing possible?”
“About that, my heart.” He brushed his lips against her temple, pulling her closer still. “When I went to Falkland Palace, I asked the king to release me from that obligation and to grant me something more.”
“What was that?”
“You, as my bride.”
Her eyes widened. “Truly?”
He chuckled. “Why are you so surprised? You know I would do just about anything to keep you at my side. I wish to see you every morning when I get up and watch the waves curl against the shore with you each night before we go to bed. I want nothing more than to have you with me all the remaining days of my life.” As he said the words, the moon broke free from the clouds overhead, casting a silver light that encompassed them both.
“And I only want to spend the rest of my days with you.” Her smile was radiant. “Aye. I want nothing more than to marry you.”
Another cheer rose up from his men, and Moira’s face lit with pleasure.
Filled with joy, Cameron lifted Mariam off her feet and twirled her around until they were both breathless and laughing. As their laughter faded, Cameron’s hold loosened and he slid her down the length of his body to the ground. His gaze moved over her face, memorizing each curve, each nuance.
As she stared back, her joy seemed to fade as a hint of worry entered her eyes.
“What is it, Mariam?”
“Your men here have accepted my mother and myself and our magic, but what of everyone else at the castle? All it takes is one of them to speak out against us to the authorities, and we will be put on trial.”
“If you would feel more at ease, the three of us could move to Kinmount House with Quinn and Vivian. All who reside there are given immunity and cannot be charged. Would that bring you peace of mind?”
“You would leave everything at Ravenscraig behind for me?”
“I could put Ian in charge while I am gone. He would make certain all are cared for as I would care for them.”
Mariam looked beyond Cameron to the men who stood beside him. Their heads were bowed with disappointment. “Nay,” she said straightening. “I want to go back to Ravenscraig. That is my home and these men and their families are my people. I must trust that they will accept me for who I am.”
Happiness filled Cameron. “It’s settled then, let us set sail as soon as we have morning light.”
*
It was close to evening the next day when all who had sailed to the Isle of May returned to the castle. Mariam rode with Cameron as they made their way over the drawbridge.
Cameron pulled her against him. “Ever since you arrived here, I was always eager to see those gates, knowing you waited within.”
Mariam turned in the saddle to bring her gaze to his. “I never thought I would ever be this happy. Thank you, for giving me back my life, and hope for the future.”
He brushed her forehead with his lips as they made their way through the outer bailey. “Our life here and our children will fill these walls with not only hope, but also love.”
“Children?” Her hand came up to span her abdomen. “I had not considered a child.”
“Would you give me a child, Mariam? A magical daughter? A warlock for a son?”
“Or a typical baby with no magic at all,” she said with a teasing smile.
“Would you like that? To start a family?”
As they processed into the inner bailey. The sight that greeted wrought a gasp of surprise from Mariam. Cheers went up as she and Cameron rode through the crowd. Everyone congregated in the courtyard to greet them. All signs of influenza were gone. Men, women, and children all appeared hale and hearty.
Vivian and Quinn stood beside the open castle doors, holding their infant twins in their arms. Vivian waved as Cameron brought his horse to a stop. “Welcome home.”
Cameron dismounted, then reached up to lift Mariam to the ground. She looked about the courtyard that had not long ago been filled with ash. Not a trace remained. Even so, there were signs of what had happened here. The plants were withered and the grass had dried to a russet brown. But just as there had been for her, a rebirth would come as soon as the first rain fell.
Mariam slid her arms around Cameron’s waist and held on to him. Even though they were surrounded by people, it felt as if she and Cameron were the only two people in the world. Closing her eyes, she let the moment settle inside her so that she would always remember this, the moment she and Cameron had started their live
s as husband and wife. They had yet to take their vows, but a ceremony didn’t matter. This moment was the beginning of their new life together.
Cameron must have sensed her thoughts because he smiled down at her as he took her face in his hands and kissed her with the promise of forever between them. “You no longer have to be afraid.”
Mariam grinned and looked up at him with bright, shining eyes. “Nay, I no longer have to be alone.” She rose up on her toes and kissed him as exuberant shouts and whistles filled the courtyard.
She would never be alone again.
The End
Want more? Check out Vivian and Quinn’s story in Seven Nights with a Scot!
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Dear Readers,
Writing historical romances is one of the greatest joys of my life. I love creating new characters, new worlds, and experiencing the joys of falling in love over and over again. Writing novels set in times past also gives me an opportunity to explore history in a different, often more personal way. Then, with the story complete, and when my characters find that place where they belong, in each other’s arms, it feels only natural to share tidbits of knowledge I have gained along their journey with all of you.
In A Laird and a Gentleman, Cameron and Mariam experienced many events that were still shrouded in myth and superstition. When extraordinary events occurred in times past, they were usually explained away with lore, or blamed on magic or witchcraft. King James VI of Scotland began to take the idea of witches and witchcraft very seriously in 1591 when he authorized the use of torture of suspected witches. Dozens of people in the North Berwick area were burned at the stake in what would be the first and largest witch hunt in British history.
This book was written in the latter half of 2019, before anyone was aware of the COVID-19 pandemic that would soon arise. A Laird and Gentleman is a work of fiction and in no way means to minimize how a pandemic can affect the world around us. My solution for ridding Cameron and Mariam’s world of influenza was simplistic, but true to their story. For Cameron and Mariam, and those who lived in sixteenth century Scotland, influenza was their pandemic. Influenza was first identified in the fifteenth century as a respiratory disease attributed to the ‘influence of the stars’ and became a major cause of death as explorers carried it around the world from Asia to Africa and then to Europe. The disease led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people.
Earthquakes we also understand and can sometimes predict in modern times, but there was a time when learned men thought the earth trembled because of tension between the forces of water and earth. About 50,000 earthquakes large enough to be noticed without the aid of instruments occur annually worldwide. Some one hundred of these are large enough to cause substantial damage if centered near populated areas. Over the centuries, earthquakes have been responsible for millions of deaths and incalculable damage.
In A Laird and a Gentleman, an Icelandic volcano, Katla, erupts and is considered by those who witness its effects as an act of witchcraft. The volcano, located near the southern end of Iceland’s east volcanic zone, is one of Iceland’s most dangerous and active volcanoes, infamous for its large eruptions. Volcanic ash often makes its way to Scotland and into British airspace. For the purposes of this book, I used my own memories of the eruption of Mount Saint Helens in Washington State on May 18th, 1980 as a basis for the fear the villagers near Ravenscraig Castle would have felt, and the aftermath from such a devastating act of nature.
And for me, no Scottish story would be complete without a wee bit of myth or legend gracing the pages. In A Laird and a Gentleman, Mariam is descended from Brānwen, a daughter of Llyr. She was a goddess of love and beauty from Welsh mythology. Although she is often related to folklore, there is some evidence that suggests the goddess could have been based on a real woman from history. Brānwen was a major character in the book, Mabinogion, where she is associated with a magical cauldron that could bring the dead back to life.
Blending fact with fiction is this storyteller’s greatest privilege and one I hope brings hours of adventure, enjoyment, and love to your own lives.
Always,
Gerri
If you enjoyed A Laird and a Gentleman, you’ll love the next book in….
All the Kings Men series
Book 1: Seven Nights with a Scot
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Book 2: Romancing the Laird
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Book 3: A Temptress in Tartan
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Book 4: A Laird and a Gentleman
View the series here!
Book 5: Much Ado About a Scot
Coming October 2020!
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About the Author
Gerri Russell is the award-winning author of historical and contemporary novels including the Brotherhood of the Scottish Templars series and Flirting with Felicity. A two-time recipient of the Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart Award and winner of the American Title II competition sponsored by RT Book Reviews magazine, she is best known for her adventurous and emotionally intense novels set in the thirteenth- and fourteenth-century Scottish Highlands. Before Gerri followed her passion for writing romance novels, she worked as a broadcast journalist, a newspaper reporter, a magazine columnist, a technical writer and editor, and an instructional designer. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and four mischievous black cats.
Visit Gerri’s website at gerrirussell.net
Like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter @GerriRussell
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