“Aye, you’d see one another often now but as he ages, less and less for you, Iosbail. Only when you aged appropriately would you again see him.”
“Are you out of your mind?” she said.
“Or is he in his right mind,” Alexander murmured and took her hand. “We could age together, Iosbail.”
“Imagine that,” she muttered, face turning hot. “Once these initial years are over do you know how long I’d have to wait to see you in between? ‘Twould be torture for me!”
Alexander nodded, “Of course. I’m sorry. You’re right.”
But Adlin had well laid out an escape for them. One she wasn’t taking which made her seem horrible. Damn her brother! She narrowed her eyes at him. “Why is the Defiance so important? Is it Mildred?”
“Who?” Adlin asked.
“Oh, you know. You always know! Every single time,” she growled.
“Shh,” Alexander said, his hand squeezing hers. “I think you’re reading too much into this, my love. Your brother is presenting an idea, hard as it might be, that helps us all.”
“Not me!” she cried.
“That depends.” Alexander pulled her closer, his grip tightening. “This is a chance for us to age together.”
Iosbail ground her teeth and breathed deeply. “’Twill take me two hundred years to age. You far less.” Her eyes swung to Adlin’s. “And here I thought you dinnae know about us aging.”
“’Tis little I dinnae know,” Adlin responded evenly. “But your devotion to me didnae go unnoticed.”
To smack him upside the head would be a weak revenge. How was he given so much of the gift and she half the amount? Iosbail supposed that’d be a question she’d be asking the gods for a long time to come.
Here she was being given exactly what she’d mourned losing when she decided to be with Alexander. Aye, the years passing in between as they grew older might be a hardship but Iosbail realized that she had a new fear.
Alexander would not die having seen her young but old.
For a mere moment she contemplated backing away from the whole concept but where would she go? Her heart was well and truly with the Sinclair. She touched her cheek and looked at Alexander. “I will grow old. My beauty faded.”
A loving light warmed Alexander’s eyes. “I’d rather see the wrinkles on your face as I have them on my own. That we achieved them together somehow.”
“And who are we again?” she asked unsure.
Alexander laughed. “Kind, good, ever for the love of Scotland.” He pulled her close, put his hand to her heart and whispered in her ear. “We share great love, the sort that has little to do with what is on the outside, aye?”
Iosbail clenched his tartan. “But all great love fades.”
“How do you know?”
“I dinnae.”
“Aye.” He pulled her into an embrace. “You dinnae.”
“I’m so scared,” she whispered.
“As am I,” he whispered back. “But I’m far more eager than afraid.”
“Well, then you are as foolish as ever.”
“Nay, I’m done being foolish.”
Iosbail looked up into his eyes. There was no lie there. He meant every word. She cupped his face. “Are you as sure as you can be?”
“Lass, when it comes to you I make no mistakes.”
“Then we keep the Defiance alive over the years.”
“I suppose we do.”
“I do love you, Alexander Sinclair Donnchada .”
“And I you, Iosbail Broun MacLomain.”
When their lips met Adlin watched and smiled.
True love needs not a beginning or an end but everything in between. All the years in which a couple grows together, learns and ages are by far the most precious. That is the very best of romance.
No ‘The End’
Word from the author…
Dear Reader,
I’d like to thank you for reading Highland Persuasion.
Doing research for this book was very interesting and while a great deal of it is based on historical fact it also consists of much fiction. Scotland was a turbulent country at the start of the eleventh century. Máel Coluim mac Donnchada, also known as Malcolm III, was the rightful Scottish king. William the Conqueror, the first Norman king of England, invaded Scotland and ordered Malcolm to pay homage to him.
The Sinclair clan, originally Saint-Clair’s, came to England with William the Conqueror. William of Saint-Clair accompanied Saint Margaret of Scotland, daughter of Edward the Exile, to Scotland in 1068, where she eventually married Malcolm III of Scotland. In return for his efforts, the king supposedly granted Sinclair the barony of Roslin. It was through this affiliation between Margaret of Scotland’s marriage to the Scottish king and the Sinclair’s that this story took root.
Please note that the Sinclairs have no royal ties at this point in history. While Edgar was the third son of Malcolm III and reigned as king, then Alexander (fourth son) after him, my depiction of them is purely fictional.
However, research tied together all the loose ends to make this Highland adventure perfect. When we journeyed across Scotland it was with the aid of the Sinclair’s true allies, the Mason’s. And as it turns out once in the Hebrides we were with a clan tied to the MacLomains, the MacLeon’s.
I hope you enjoyed reading about Iosbail and Alexander half as much as I’ve enjoyed bringing them to life. What amazing, courageous, different characters they were.
In fact, they taught me something new about love.
If you’d like to read more of the MacLomain Series- Early Years, pick up Highland Defiance (Adlin and Mildred’s tale). Look for Highland Mystic (Caitriona and Alan Stewart’s tale) in May of 2013. Interested in what happened years later? Look for the original MacLomain series including The King’s Druidess, Fate’s Monolith, Destiny’s Denial and Sylvan Mist. Also available in a boxed set.
For those of you who have read Highland Defiance or intend to, I’ve provided a special epilogue on the next page. Happy reading!
Best regards,
Sky
Special Epilogue
A favored scene Iosbail and Alexander shared thereafter.
Every scene you thought Iosbail was with another man she wasn’t.
No matter where she went, the Sinclair was there.
The MacLomain Castle. One year later.
“Oh, I know Adlin has the right of it but I’m still not entirely pleased. How nice it must be to officially walk with the one you love for all to see,” Iosbail peered over the wall walk.
“Let him enjoy his newfound love.” Alexander spun her and kissed her soundly.
“She’ll be a frivolous thing. A lass from so far in the future? What will she know?”
The Sinclair chuckled. “Probably far more than us.”
“Nay.” Iosbail kissed him again, eager. “Are you sure you’ve got to leave?”
“Aye, but I’ll wait until you drive me away.”
“I’d never,” she murmured.
The Sinclair smiled and leaned close. “Remember when I told you over a year ago, “Let’s try to make a habit to not be in our right mind. I think we’ll get on better that way, aye?”
Iosbail felt a thrill run through her. “What are you up to?”
Alexander pulled her close and kissed her long and hard. “I’ve got to return to my time but now’s as good a time as ever to have a little fun with your brother.”
She gave a slow smile.
‘Twas no hard thing to reach out with her magic.
Adlin came with Mildred very soon.
“You are naughty, my husband.”
“And you love to make a scene.”
With one last kiss he dashed off.
Though it hurt to see him go there was fun to be hand.
Iosbail turned and peeked over the wall walk. Adlin was trailing after his new lass, Mildred.
She stopped several hundred yards before the gates and looked back at Adlin. She appeared
both incredulous and determined.
Was she then?
Iosbail grinned. Alexander was right. Time to have a little fun.
She watched as he ran over the bridge and passed them as though the devil was coming for his soul. Iosbail jumped on the ledge and yelled down, “If ye dinnae chop off his bloody ballocks now I’ll do it meself!”
Adlin shaded his eyes to the cresting sun, shook his head and yelled, “Just have him and be done with it, lassie. The whole clan kens your need for him!”
Iosbail chuckled. Leave it to her brother to play along despite his need to please the new lass.
Wide eyed, Mildred looked from Adlin to Iosbail standing far above.
The lass was clearly confused.
Then Iosbail best put on a good show. “Yer as bad as the rest of them!”
She grabbed a small stone and aimed it right for Adlin. He laughed and pointed at the lad gone by. “Seems you should be throwing it at him!”
Stricken, feet pounding fast over the bridge, Alexander kept running.
“Bloody bastard!” she yelled. “Run then!”
My love.
What great fun to see the bewildered look on Mildred’s face.
Little did she know a great Scottish king ran by her.
Adlin did his best to hide his laughter. It seemed her brother could take a good joke after all.
“What then?” Iosbail yelled down at Adlin. “I suppose ‘tis not a thing that a lad has a try at yer sister and then runs off?”
Adlin ignored her and ushered Mildred over the drawbridge.
Iosbail watched them vanish and waved at Alexander who now stood at the edge of the forest.
He mouthed, “Until next time, my love.”
She mouthed back, “Aye, my love, until next time.”
About the Author
Sky is the best-selling author of seven novels and several novellas. A New Englander born and bred, Sky was raised hearing stories of folklore, myth and legend. When combined with a love for nature, romance and time-travel, elements from the stories of her youth found release in her books.
Purington loves to hear from readers and can be contacted at [email protected]. Interested in keeping up with Sky's latest news and releases? Visit Sky's Website, www.skypurington.com to download her free App on iTunes and Android.
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