by Amanda Scott
We also know that Fiona’s sister inherited their father’s title and estates, and that Lord Dunwythie died the day Fiona eloped, while he was angrily gathering men to go after her. Since we know little more about her, I decided that Fiona had fallen for her husband Will’s handsome face and false charm, and had ignored her father’s many warnings of the Jardines’ ferocity, lawlessness, and long habit of choosing expediency over loyalty.
To be sure, she soon recognized her error in marrying Will. However, when she meets Sir Richard Seyton, Laird of Kirkhill, she is not interested in romance and is anything but eligible to wed. Not only is she married to Will and very pregnant with his child but also her father-in-law is dying, her husband (the sole heir to the Jardine estates) is missing, and his father believes that Will must be dead. Worse, Old Jardine believes that Will was murdered and is aware that Fiona was the last person known to have seen him.
Old Jardine has summoned his nephew, Kirkhill, because if Will is dead and Fiona’s child likewise dies, Kirkhill stands next in line to inherit the Jardine estates. Old Jardine has therefore arranged for him to take them over when Jardine dies and run them until the child comes of age. Jardine also informs Kirkhill that he has named him trustee for Fiona’s widow’s portion and guardian of her child. Jardine dies soon afterward.
Kirkhill is a decisive man accustomed to being in charge and being obeyed, and Fiona is tired of men always telling her what to do, so she and he frequently disagree. In my humble opinion, any two people thrust into such a situation would disagree.
The reactions of a woman who unexpectedly finds herself legally under the control of a man she does not know seem consistently to intrigue writers and readers alike. But in a time when young women in particular were considered incapable of managing their own money, and men with land or money were expected to assign guardians to their underage heirs and trustees for their wives and daughters, it was something that happened with regularity. I suspect, however, that in many if not most cases, the women and children did know the guardians and trustees assigned to them.
In any event, I definitely enjoyed pitting Kirkhill and Fiona against each other. The two characters seemed naturally to emit sparks. I hope you enjoy the results. I love to hear from readers, so don’t hesitate to fire off a comment or two if the mood strikes you.
In the meantime, Suas Alba!
Sincerely,
http://www.amandascottauthor.com
