Standing in the middle of the muddy road was the colorfully dressed man with a lyre slung on his back. Damn hunters had left him with a bunch of thieves. Morrigan cursed them once again along with their offspring and their poor mothers for general completeness. She was nothing if not thorough.
Despite being surrounded by thieves, the man appeared surprisingly calm, though perhaps after their pathetic display of incompetence he rightly felt he had nothing to fear.
“Allow me to introduce myself,” the stranger said with a seductive French accent and an equally appealing smile. “I am Jacques, poor traveling minstrel, at your service.” He gave a polished bow that put Archie’s attempts at gallantry to shame. Morrigan caught her brother’s eye to make sure he knew she had noted it.
“And what brings ye to be traveling with such cowardly companions that they would leave ye at the first sight of trouble?” Morrigan asked.
“The hunters I met on the road, and they invited me that I may walk behind them to their hunting lodge.” Jacques gave an impish grin. “I can only assume my services are no longer required.”
“Ah, then they are doubly fools, for a minstrel is a rare prize indeed,” said Archie.
“You mean for me to be ransomed?”
“Nay, nay, ye are our guest. We are but humble thieves, but we shall take ye to…” Archie swallowed what he was going to say and coughed. “We shall take ye to the doorstep o’ the great Laird McNab. We dare no’ cross the border o’ his domain for he has no tolerance for our kind, but I am assured he will welcome ye. And he can pay for yer services,” said Archie McNab jingling his ill-gotten gains.
Acknowledgments
A very special “thank you” goes out to the following people:
To Sabrina Jeffries, for making me realize it’s never too late to try something new.
To Hannah Howell, for her support while I was bogged down in synopsis hell.
To Eliza Knight, for giving me the courage to put myself out there.
To my agent, Jill Marsal, for her endless support and encouragement.
To my editor, Deb Werksman, for giving me a chance.
To my production editor, Rachel Edwards, for trying to make me “perfect.”
And finally to my critique partner, Mary Grace, there are really no words to express the tremendous amount of gratitude I hold for you. All those times I ruffled your feathers about having your nose planted in a book, even when you walk…
For your brutal honesty and endless reads, your unwavering support and encouragement, these Bad Boys came to life. Thank you for believing in me.
About the Author
Victoria Roberts writes sexy, Scottish historical romances about kilted heroes and warriors from the past. An avid lover of all things Scotland—simply, she writes what she loves to read. Prior to ever picking up a single romance novel, she penned her first young adult novella (never published) at sixteen years old. Who knew her leather-studded motorcycle hero would trade in his ride and emerge as a kilt-donning Highlander wielding a broadsword?
Victoria lives in western Pennsylvania with her husband of nineteen years and their two beautiful children—not to mention one spoiled dog. When she is not plotting her next Scottish romp, she enjoys reading, nature, and antiques. For more information about Victoria, visit her website at www.victoriarobertsauthor.com.
A Booklist Top 10 Romance Fiction of 2011
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