An American in Scotland

by Karen Ranney

  Rose smiled and wondered if it would be true this time. For now, she would hold her secret until she told Duncan. Would he be as nervous as Lennox? She hoped not, but ­people had been telling her how much Duncan had changed in the last months.

  He and Lennox argued—­loudly—­and it seemed as though both of them enjoyed the exchanges. When he lost his temper, he didn’t hide his anger behind a polite smile. He laughed a lot more, according to Mabel, and Lily said that he was forever giving her compliments. He always came home for lunch and sometimes they ate together in the garden and sometimes in the dining room. The time always passed so swiftly, but whatever she was doing with Eleanor, she always made sure she was home when Duncan arrived.

  Every day was like a present, a gift she hadn’t expected.

  Eleanor smiled at her with fondness. Perhaps her news wasn’t all that secret. She wouldn’t mind if Eleanor had guessed. She’d come to love her mother-­in-­law, and respected her as well, and helped her in projects for the poor.

  They’d told her the whole story of Rose’s masquerade when they returned. Eleanor had enfolded her in a hug and wept a few tears, which had further endeared her to Rose.

  She and Duncan hadn’t told anyone about Glengarden. Not the true and awful story of the place. Perhaps history would treat it better. If the plantation survived the war and time, perhaps strangers would hold a fondness for it.

  She’d take the lessons she’d learned there and use them for the rest of her life. Those who have little often gladly share what they have. Taking away a man’s dignity does not alter his character. Those with power who abuse others who have nothing—­not even their freedom—­are the spawn of the Devil himself.

  In the meantime, she would be about living her life in Glasgow, with the husband she loved and the child soon to come.

  Duncan turned to look at her. In his eyes was a question. She answered it with a smile and a reassuring touch on his arm. She was fine. Better than fine. She was truly happy.

  One day in the next few weeks, she’d take the path from the house down to the riverbank. The Clyde flowed fast there, off to the Atlantic. Like the women whose men went to sea, she’d give up something that mattered to her: a silver-­backed mirror Claire had given to her when they lived in New York.

  Not as a sacrifice, but in gratitude for all that she’d been given.

  Author’s Notes

  Writing a book featuring slavery was a delicate task, to say the least. I hope I was true to the times, as much as research and a certain degree of sensitivity could make me.

  Rose was born for me after I read two articles. The first was an account of an abolitionist society’s meeting in New York City, held in 1860. I wondered what it would be like to be actively against slavery and then plunked down on a plantation. The second was the description of a wedding between a Connecticut woman and a graduate of the Military Academy, a resident of Georgia in 1859. One could only imagine how the war affected them.

  Charleston didn’t fall to the Union forces until February, 1865.

  Many ­people, viewing the ruins of the city, thought the destruction was caused by the war. In fact, the fire of 1861 did more damage to Charleston than the war. Major rebuilding didn’t begin until after the war ended.

  The first luxury hotel in the Bahamas was the Royal Victoria, on which the Viceroy was modeled. It was built in 1861 and closed 110 years later. Although the hotel burned down in the 1990s, and was replaced by a parking lot, the original gardens of the hotel remain. I don’t know what happened to the silk cotton tree on which the original tree house was built. The silk cotton tree is also known as a Ceiba. Oh, and they actually had a bar called the Blockade Runners Bar in the hotel.

  Several photographs of the Royal Victoria are here: http://www.oldbahamas.com/id11.html

  I confess to having a fascination with nineteenth-­century plumbing, no doubt because I’m so grateful for twenty-­first century plumbing. The accommodations described in the Viceroy were taken from the Davis family home in Natchez, Mississippi, where they not only had hot and cold running water in 1850, but a luxurious flushing toilet and a rain shower head.

  The Bahamas were made wealthy by the blockade of the southern ports. Factors like Fraser Trenholm, who purchased the Raven originally in Book 1, In Your Wildest Scottish Dreams, realized just how much money independent ships were making. They set about buying their own ships and hiring their own captains to run the blockade. Percentage wise, they were more successful at evading capture than independently owned ships.

  Determining how long it took to get from point A to point B has always been a challenge for me. This time, I tracked letters sent from the Bahamas to London. The longest travel time was nine days, which I thought was amazing.

  The war tax was real. According to Masters of the Big House: Elite Slaveholders of the Mid-­Nineteenth Century South, by William Kauffman Scarborough (Louisiana State University Press, April 1, 2006), in September 1863 one of the large plantation owners, George W. Mordecai, paid the Confederate government seven thousand dollars in taxes on 87,000 pounds of cotton he’d purchased on speculation during the war.

  A great many politicians maintained that, without Scotland’s involvement in the Civil War, it would have ended in 1863. Blockade runners built on the Clyde brought in ammunition from the Bahamas that supplied the Confederacy and allowed them to keep fighting.

  A fact that I discovered—­and had never before known—­was that America billed the UK for its part in continuing the war. The initial bill was eight billion dollars. The federal government reduced the bill to 3.5 million, and the UK paid the bill in 1871.

  Welcome to the World of

  Karen Ranney.

  Keep reading to find out what other wonderful romances Karen Ranney has in store for you.

  Scotsman of My Dreams

  Once the ton’s most notorious rake, Dalton MacIain has returned from his expedition to America during the Civil War wounded and a changed man. Instead of attending soirees, he now spends his time as a recluse. But Dalton’s peace is disturbed when Minerva Todd barges into his London town house, insisting he help search for her missing brother Neville. Though Dalton would love to spend more time with the bewitching beauty, he has no interest in finding Neville—­for he blames him for his injury.

  Minerva has never met a more infuriating man than the Earl of Rathsmere, yet she is intrigued by the torrid rumors she has heard about him . . . and the fierce attraction pulling her toward him.

  Dalton does not count on Minerva’s persistence—­or the desire she awakens in him, compelling him to discover her brother’s fate. But when danger surrounds them, Dalton fears he will lose the tantalizing, thoroughly unpredictable woman he has come to love.

  In Your Wildest Scottish Dreams

  Seven years have passed since Glynis MacIain made the foolish mistake of declaring her love to Lennox Cameron, only to have him stare at her dumbfounded. Heartbroken, she accepted the proposal of a diplomat and moved to America, where she played the role of a dutiful wife among Washington’s elite. Now a widow, Glynis is back in Scotland. Though Lennox can still unravel her with just one glance, Glynis is no longer the naive girl Lennox knew and vows to resist him.

  With the American Civil War raging on, shipbuilder Lennox Cameron must complete a sleek new blockade runner for the Confederate navy. He cannot afford any distractions, especially the one woman he’s always loved. Glynis’s cool demeanor tempts him to prove to her what a terrible mistake she made seven years ago.

  As the war casts its long shadow across the ocean, will a secret from Glynis’s past destroy any chance for a future between the two star-­crossed lovers?

  Return to Clan Sinclair

  A Novella

  When Ceana Sinclair Mead married the youngest son of an Irish duke, she never dreamed that seven years later her beloved Peter would die. Her three brothers-­i
n-­law think she should be grateful to remain a proper widow. But after three years of this, she’s ready to scream. She escapes to Scotland, only to discover she’s so much more than just the Widow Mead.

  In Scotland, Ceana crosses paths with Bruce Preston, an American tasked with a dangerous mission by her brother, Macrath. Bruce is too attractive for her peace of mind, but she still finds him fascinating. Their one night together is more wonderful than Ceana could have imagined, and she has never felt more alive.

  But when the past reaches out in the form of an old foe, Ceana’s life is in danger. Now Bruce must fight to become her savior—­and more—­if she’ll let him.

  The Virgin of Clan Sinclair

  Ellice Traylor has a secret. Beneath her innocent exterior beats an incredibly passionate and imaginative heart. She has been pouring all of her frustrated virginal fantasies into a scandalous manuscript. But when her plans for her future are about to be derailed by her mother’s matrimonial designs, she takes matters into her own hands.

  Ross Forster, the Earl of Gladsden, has spent his life creating order out of chaos. He expects discipline and calm from those around him. What he does not expect is a beautiful, thoroughly maddening stowaway in his carriage.

  But when Ross discovers Ellice’s secret book, he finds he can’t stop thinking about what other fantasies the disarming virgin can dream up. He has the chance to learn when a compromising position forces them to wed. But can the uptight earl survive a life with his surprising new wife? And how will the hero of Ellice’s fantasies compare to the husband of her reality?

  The Witch of Clan Sinclair

  Logan Harrison is looking for a wife. As the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, he needs a conventional and diplomatic woman who will stand by his side and help further his political ambitions. He most certainly does not need Mairi Sinclair, the fiery, passionate, fiercely beautiful woman who tries to thwart him at every turn. But if she’s so wrong for him, why can’t he stop kissing her? He’s completely bewitched.

  Mairi Sinclair has never met anyone like Logan Harrison, the perfect example of everything she finds wrong with the world. He’s also incredibly handsome, immensely popular, and impossible to resist. His kisses inflame her and awaken a passion she can barely control.

  Can two ­people who are at such odds admit to a love that would bind them together for life?

  The Devil of Clan Sinclair

  To Dance with the Devil . . .

  For Virginia Traylor, Countess of Barrett, marriage was merely the vehicle to buy her father a title. Widowhood, however, brings a host of problems. For her husband deliberately spent the money intended for Virginia and her in-­laws, leaving them penniless—­unless she produces an heir. Desperate and confused, Virginia embarks on a fateful journey that brings her to the doorstep of the only man she’s ever loved . . .

  He’s known as the Devil, but Macrath Sinclair doesn’t care. He moved to a tiny Scottish village in hopes of continuing his work as an inventor and starting a family of his own. He bought the house; he chose the woman. Unfortunately, Virginia didn’t choose him. Macrath knows he should turn her away now, but she needs him, and he wants her more than ever. Macrath intends to win—­one wickedly seductive deed at a time.

  The Lass Wore Black

  Third in line for an important earldom, Mark Thorburn is expected to idly wait to take up his position. Instead, he devotes himself to medicine, a life’s work that leads him to the door of famous beauty Catriona Cameron.

  The victim of a terrible accident, Catriona has refused to admit even the most illustrious physicians to her lush Edinburgh apartments. But what if a doctor were to pose as a mere footman, pretending to serve her every need . . . would she see through such a ruse?

  Entwined in the masquerade, Mark manages to gain Catriona’s trust, only to find that somehow she has captured his heart at the same time. But when their passion becomes the target of a madman bent on revenge, Mark will have to do more than heal her body and win her love . . . he’ll have to save her life as well.

  A Scandalous Scot

  One scandal was never enough . . .

  After four long years, Morgan MacCraig has finally returned to the Highlands of his birth . . . with his honor in shreds. After a scandal, all he wants now is solace—­yet peace is impossible to find with the castle’s outspoken new maid trying his patience, challenging his manhood . . . and winning his love, body and soul.

  Jean MacDonald wants to leave her past behind and start anew, but Ballindair Castle, a Scottish estate rumored to be haunted, hasn’t been the safe haven she envisioned. Ballindair’s ancestral ghosts aren’t as fascinating as Morgan, the most magnificent man she’s ever seen. Though their passion triggers a fresh scandal that could force them to wed, Jean must first share the secrets of her own past—­secrets that could force them apart, or be the beginning of a love and redemption unlike anything they’ve ever known.

  A Scottish Love

  Shona Imrie should have agreed to Gordon MacDermond’s proposal of marriage seven years ago—­before he went off to war and returned a national hero—­but the proud Scottish lass would accept no man’s charity. The dashing soldier would never truly share her love and the passion that left her weak and breathless—­or so she believed—­so instead she gave herself to another. Now she faces disgrace, poverty, and a life spent alone for her steadfast refusal to follow her heart.

  Honored with a baronetcy for his courage under fire, Gordon has everything he could ever want—­except for the one thing he most fervently desires: the headstrong beauty he foolishly let slip through his fingers. Conquering Shona’s stubborn pride, however, will prove his most difficult battle—­though it is the one for which he is most willing to risk his life, his heart, and his soul.

  A Borrowed Scot

  Who Is Montgomery Fairfax?

  Though she possesses remarkable talents and astonishing insight, Veronica MacLeod knows nothing about the man who appears from nowhere to prevent her from committing the most foolish and desperate act of her life. Recently named Lord Fairfax of Doncaster Hall, the breathtaking, secretive stranger agrees to perform the one act of kindness that can rescue the Scottish beauty from scandal and disgrace—­by taking Veronica as his bride.

  Journeying with Montgomery Fairfax to his magnificent estate in the Highlands, Veronica knows deep in her heart that this is a man she can truly love—­a noble soul, a caring and passionate lover whose touch awakens feelings she’s never before known. Yet there are ghosts in Montgomery’s shuttered past that haunt him still. Unless Veronica can somehow unlock the enigma that is her new husband, their powerful passion could be undone by the sins and sorrows of yesterday.

  A Highland Duchess

  The beautiful but haughty Duchess of Herridge is known to all the ton as the “Ice Queen.” But to Ian McNair, the exquisite Emma is nothing like the rumors. Sensual and passionate, she moves him as no other woman has before. If only she were his wife and not his captive . . .

  Little does Emma know that the dark and mysterious stranger who bursts into her bedroom to kidnap her is the powerful Earl of Buchane, and the only man who has been able to see past her proper facade. As the Ice Queen’s defenses melt under the powerful passion she finds with her handsome captor, she begins to believe that love may be possible. Yet fate has decreed that the dream can never be—­for pursuing it means sacrificing everything they hold dear: their honor, their futures . . . and perhaps their lives.

  Sold to a Laird

  Lady Sarah Baines was devoted to her mother and her family home, Chavensworth. Douglas Eston was devoted to making a fortune and inventing. The two of them are married when Lady Sarah’s father proposes the match and threatens to send Lady Sarah’s ill mother to Scotland if she protests.

  Douglas finds himself the victim of love at first sight, while Sarah thinks her husband is much too, well, earthy for her tast
es. Marriage is simply something she had to do to ensure her mother’s well-­being, and even when her mother dies in the next week, it’s not a sacrifice she regrets.

  She cannot, however, simply write her mother’s relatives and inform them of her death. She convinces Douglas—­an ex-­pat Scot—­to return to Scotland with her, to a place called Kilmarin. At Kilmarin, she is given the Tulloch Sgàthán, the Tul­loch mirror. Legend stated that a woman who looked into the mirror saw her true fate.

  Douglas and Sarah begin to appreciate each other, and through passion, Douglas is able to express his true feelings for his wife. But once they return to England and Douglas disappears and is presumed dead, Sarah has to face her own feelings for the man she’s come to respect and admire.

  A Scotsman in Love

  Running from their pasts . . .

  Margaret Dalrousie was once willing to sacrifice all for her calling. The talented artist would let no man interfere with her gift. But now, living in a small Scottish cottage on the estate of Glengarrow, she has not painted a portrait in ages. For not even the calming haven in the remote woods can erase the memories that darken Margaret’s days and nights. And now, with the return of the Earl of Linnet to his ancestral home, her hopes of peace have disappeared.

  From the first moment he encountered Margaret on his land, the Earl of Linnet was nothing but annoyed. The grieving nobleman has his own secrets that have lured him to the solitude of the Highlands, and his own reasons for wanting to be alone. Yet he is intrigued by his hauntingly beautiful neighbor. Could she be the spark that will draw him out of bittersweet sorrow—­the woman who could transform him from a Scotsman in sadness to a Scotsman in love?