Highland Rising (The House of Pendray Book 4)

by Anna Markland

  Highland Rising

  Anna Markland

  HIGHLAND RISING

  The House of Pendray Book 4

  By

  Anna Markland

  © Anna Markland 2019

  Cover Art by Dar Albert

  “The best laid schemes o' mice an' men

  gang aft agley.”

  ~ Robbie Burns

  The secret to happiness is freedom...

  And the secret to freedom is courage.

  Highland Rising by Anna Markland

  Book Four, The House of Pendray

  © 2019 Anna Markland

  www.annamarkland.com

  All rights reserved. This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. It may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission of the publisher, except as provided by United States of America copyright law.

  For permissions contact: anna@annamarkland.com

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Cover by Dar Albert

  Contents

  More Anna Markland

  Dire Tidings

  Homecoming

  Nieces And Nephews

  The Heart Of The Matter

  Preparations

  Lost In A Fog

  Life Is Complicated

  Unexpected Visitor

  The Mission

  Tearful Goodbye

  Atholl

  The Tent

  Argyll Comes Ashore

  Declaration

  Lowlanders

  Muster

  Blisters

  Trek

  Kitchens

  Bute

  Fire And Fury

  Mission Accomplished

  Good To Be Home

  Unfamiliar Territory

  New Orders

  Alas, Unfortunate Argyll

  Sitting Ducks

  Ye Can Save Him

  Fever

  On The Mend

  Easily Replaced

  A Proper Scot

  Sgian Dubh

  An Unlikely Heroine

  Superstition

  Penny Bridal

  Sore Feet

  A Wedding

  Drunk On Love

  Shenanigans

  At Last

  Glorious Revolution

  Further Reading

  About Anna

  More Anna Markland

  The Montbryce Legacy Anniversary Edition (2018-2019)

  I Conquest—Ram & Mabelle, Rhodri & Rhonwen

  II Defiance—Hugh & Devona, Antoine & Sybilla

  III Redemption—Caedmon & Agneta

  IV Vengeance—Ronan & Rhoni

  V Birthright—Adam & Rosamunda, Denis & Paulina

  VI Star-Crossed— Robert & Dorianne, Baudoin & Carys

  VII Allegiance—Rhys & Annalise

  VIII Crescendo—Izzy & Farah

  IX Infidelity—Gallien & Peridotte

  X Jeopardy—Alexandre & Elayne

  XI Forbidden—Bronson & Grace; Rodrick & Swan

  The FitzRam Family Trilogy

  Carried Away—Blythe & Dieter

  Sweet Taste of Love—Aidan & Nolana

  Wild Viking Princess—Ragna & Reider

  Series featuring the stories of the Viking ancestors of my Norman families

  The Rover Bold—Bryk & Cathryn

  The Rover Defiant—Torstein & Sonja

  The Rover Betrayed—Magnus & Judith

  Novellas

  Maknab’s Revenge—Ingram & Ruby

  Passion’s Fire—Matthew & Brigandine

  Banished—Sigmar & Audra

  Hungry Like De Wolfe—Blaise & Anne

  Unkissable Knight—Dervenn & Victorine

  The Marauder—Santiago & Valentina

  Caledonia Chronicles (Scotland)

  Book I Pride of the Clan—Rheade & Margaret

  Book II Highland Tides—Braden & Charlotte

  Book III Highland Dawn—Keith & Aurora

  Book IV Roses Among the Heather—Blair & Susanna, Craig & Timothea

  The Von Wolfenberg Dynasty (medieval Europe)

  Book 1 Loyal Heart—Sophia & Brandt

  Book 2 Courageous Heart—Luther & Francesca

  Book 3 Faithful Heart—Kon & Zara

  Myth & Mystery

  The Taking of Ireland —Sibràn & Aislinn

  Clash of the Tartans

  Kilty Secrets—Ewan & Shona

  Kilted at the Altar—Darroch & Isabel

  Kilty Pleasures—Broderick & Kyla

  The House of Pendray

  Highland Betrayal—Morgan & Hannah (audiobook available)

  Kingslayer’s Daughter—Munro & Sarah

  Highland Jewel—Garnet & Jewel

  Highland Rising—Gray & Faith

  Dire Tidings

  Kilmer, Scottish Lowlands, May 9th 1685

  Morgan Pendray, Earl of Glenheath, paced the long gallery, perusing the letter he’d received a scant hour before. Sunlight poured in through the stunning array of tall, mullioned windows, warming the dark wood. It was his favorite room in the manor house, but today he took no pleasure in it.

  He’d always considered periwigs an affectation, but had recently been persuaded to wear the shorter, more modern style, gathered in a queue at his nape. It did a commendable job of concealing the reality he was losing his hair. Hannah assured him it complemented his looks, but the unseasonably warm weather was causing him to sweat beneath it. He brushed the irritating traces of white powder off his shoulders.

  He considered removing the waistcoat he wore under his fitted coat, but acknowledged it was too late when the swish of silk skirts indicated the women of his family had begun to arrive in response to his summons.

  He wished Munro, Gray and Garnet were already present, though the letter indicated his sons and son-by-marriage were on the way home from Edinburgh.

  The sound of his wife’s voice calmed him a little. Hannah was doing her best to keep the smile on her face as she chatted quietly with Sarah and Jewel, but she was already aware of the dire tidings he was about to impart.

  Four grandchildren and six foster grandchildren—ranging in age from two months to eighteen years—had filled their lives and helped them stay young, but the weight of what he had to announce made him feel like an old man.

  “Well,” he said, getting to his feet slowly once they were all seated in the upholstered chairs of maroon velvet. Dismayed by the anxious frowns that greeted him, he decided to begin on a positive note. “The good news is, Parliament has adjourned and Munro and Garnet are on their way home.”

  “Yes,” Sarah replied softly. “My husband said as much in the note you passed on to me. He mentioned a short detour to Glasgow to meet with supporters of our proposed reforms.”

  “Garnet said the same in his note to me,” Jewel confirmed. “But he gave no reason for the unexpected adjournment.”

  Morgan cleared his throat. “I’ll get to that but, firstly, your mother and I are very happy to announce Gray is also coming home from Edinburgh. He’ll arrive first, since he’s not going by way of Glasgow.”

  Jewel clapped her hands t
ogether. “At last. I’ve missed my brother. Three years is too long to be apart.”

  His daughter’s reaction didn’t surprise Morgan. Brother and sister had always been close. However, after their adventurous journey to the Highlands four years ago, she’d returned to Kilmer a married woman. Gray’s decision a year later to seek a position with the Privy Council was no doubt prompted in part by a desire to broaden his horizons.

  “True,” Morgan replied, “but he seems to have found his niche in Edinburgh. Quinn Guthrie speaks highly of his talents.”

  “And, apparently, so does Quinn’s eldest daughter, Meaghan,” Jewel added. “Beatris hinted at a tendresse between them in her last letter.”

  “But Meaghan’s a child,” Hannah protested.

  “She’s sixteen now,” Jewel replied testily.

  Hannah frowned. “Still too young. Gray’s twenty-three.”

  “I might not recognize him,” Jewel complained, seemingly undeterred by her mother’s remark.

  “I’m sure that’s not true,” Sarah retorted. “But can we get back to the reason you summoned us here?”

  Jewel pouted, but she should have expected her sister-by-marriage to be more interested in hearing about her own husband. Sarah hadn’t had the chance to really get to know Gray before he’d left.

  Morgan nodded. “As you may have surmised, the return of all our menfolk is no coincidence. The Privy Council adjourned Parliament after receiving reports from agents in Holland.”

  Jewel’s eyes widened. “Holland?”

  “Yes, but it has nothing to do with your husband’s previous misadventures there. Archibald Campbell, Earl of Argyll, set sail from Amsterdam on the second day of May with six hundred men.”

  Sarah clenched her jaw. “I’m none the wiser. Who is this man?”

  Morgan shrugged and looked to his wife for inspiration. “How to explain to an Englishwoman the long and checkered history of Archibald Campbell?”

  Hannah patted Sarah’s hand. “Suffice it to say, Campbell is an ardent Covenanter opposed to the rule of our Catholic monarch. He escaped from imprisonment in Edinburgh Castle a few years ago and fled to Holland where he joined forces with the Duke of Monmouth.”

  “The late King Charles’ illegitimate son?” Sarah asked.

  “The same,” the earl replied. “Monmouth plans to invade south-west England and recruit a rebel army to march on London. He’s popular in England and could gain enough support to overthrow King James.”

  Sarah frowned. “But what does this have to do with Campbell?”

  “His ships have been sighted in the Moray Firth. They’ll likely sail around the Orkneys and reach the west coast soon. He no doubt intends to reclaim his ancestral lands in Argyll and raise a rebel army in Scotland. Monmouth’s tactic is to force the king to fight on two fronts.”

  “But what does a purported rebellion have to do with us?” Sarah asked. “And how do you know all this?”

  Morgan understood her confusion. No one would fault Munro’s English-born wife for her lack of familiarity with Scotland’s geography. “We are concerned because Campbell’s hereditary castle is less than one hundred miles north of Kilmer. There are many Covenanter sympathizers here in Ayrshire who still seethe over the death of their outlawed leader, Richard Cameron, at Airds Moss several years ago.”

  Morgan inhaled deeply. Only his wife and children knew it was he who had alerted the dragoons to Cameron’s presence not twenty miles from Kilmer.

  “Good thing our own Cameron lasses aren’t here to listen to this,” Jewel said. “They dinna need to be reminded they are Richard Cameron’s nieces.”

  “Aye,” her mother agreed. “Though we’ll have to tell them about the threat. We could find ourselves in an untenable situation. Argyll fought alongside my uncle during the Rebellion against Cromwell and may expect our support.”

  “Well,” Jewel replied. “At least Faith Cameron will be pleased to hear Gray is coming home. ’Twas my brother finally rescued her from the terrible employer the orphanage sold her to. I think she fell in love with her hero on our journey back from Edinburgh.”

  Sarah nodded. “She blushes every time your brother’s name is mentioned, and I doubt she’ll be happy to learn of this Meaghan Guthrie.”

  “Speaking of Gray,” Morgan interjected. “Much of what we know so far comes from him. It seems he’s been gathering intelligence for the Privy Council.”

  Jewel laughed out loud. “You mean my little brother’s a spy?”

  Homecoming

  Gray had looked forward immensely to coming home to the place where he’d been born and raised, and his first glimpse of the distant chimneys and turrets of Kilmer nigh on took his breath away.

  “Good to be back, Mr. Pendray, sir.”

  “Indeed,” he replied to the soldier riding at his side, appreciative of the man’s deference.

  “Been away long, sir?”

  He swallowed the lump in his throat. “Too long.”

  Three years in Edinburgh working for Quinn Guthrie had resulted in his becoming a respected member of the Privy Council’s inner circle. It was unlikely the soldier knew of the clandestine activities Gray was involved in. However, his rank and reputation were well-known—and if there was a hint of mystery surrounding his role, so much the better.

  He wondered if he’d perhaps revealed too much in his letter to his father. The notion of her youngest son being a spy would worry his mother—ironic since she’d spied for the Royalists years ago during the Rebellion against Cromwell’s invasion of Scotland. In truth, he rarely considered the risky side of his duties. It was often a case of being in the right place at the right time and paying attention to rumor.

  Jewel would laugh herself silly—her baby brother a spy!

  The prospect of reuniting with his sister made him giddy. Her frequent letters had kept him abreast of what was happening at home. He knew all about his brother’s election to the Parliament of Scotland before Munro and Garnet even arrived in Edinburgh. Their attempts to introduce reforms for child laborers had been delayed by the early adjournment. Jewel was proud of her husband’s role in assisting his brother-by-marriage. Gray had sensed from the outset that the mathematically inclined Garnet was ideally suited for keeping Munro organized.

  He supposed it was unusual for a woman to share details of childbirth with a man, but Gray hadn’t felt so isolated from his family when he’d read about the births of Blair and Gemma. It wasn’t hard to imagine his sister as a mother. She and Garnet had taken on four foster daughters without blinking an eye when it became obvious the Cameron girls were otherwise doomed to a life of menial drudgery and abuse. She filled her letters with news of her foster daughters’ accomplishments. Maggie Cameron was apparently still the hellion of the family. Faith, Esther and Rachel had blossomed into what Jewel referred to as lovely young lasses.

  Gray felt particularly proud of rescuing Faith Cameron from an employer who clearly had abuse on his mind. They’d almost given up on tracking her down and were on the eve of leaving Edinburgh with only her three sisters. He shuddered to think of the terrible life she’d have been condemned to in that event. He had to admit her obvious hero-worship on the journey to Kilmer had been good for his male ego, if embarrassing. Jewel never failed to remind him of it.

  He’d relished the humor in his sister’s letters.

  Despite his busy schedule, Munro has managed to sire a daughter, a sibling for Marten, his sister had written after the birth of Mary Ward Pendray.

  She would probably berate him for not replying often enough, but what was there to write about? He couldn’t share the details of his duties, and she’d hardly be interested in the day-to-day life of the Guthrie family with whom he lodged. She corresponded regularly with Beatris in any case.

  He admired and respected Quinn Guthrie. He owed his mentor a great deal. Perhaps that was the reason he’d played along with Beatris’ overt remarks about his suitability as a husband for Meaghan. He liked the girl; sh
e was outgoing, kind and intelligent, but she was sixteen. She soaked up his attention and he enjoyed teasing her. However, he wasn’t the least bit drawn to her sexually. As he and his escort of dragoons rode into the front courtyard of the home he’d missed more than he realized, he wished he’d made it clearer to the Guthries that…

  “Gray,” Jewel shrieked, lifting her skirts as she ran to meet him.

  Dressed in her best frock of pale green tissue, Faith Cameron bubbled with excited anticipation as she followed the noisy crowd into the courtyard. At long last, Gray had come home.

  Esther linked her arm. “Dinna look too eager,” her judgmental sister warned as they watched Lady Jewel rush to meet her brother.

  “Ye’re overdressed,” Rachel agreed.

  “Rubbish,” Maggie retorted as she skipped off to greet Gray, Plato barking at her heels.

  Faith’s sisters were well aware of what they referred to as her infatuation with Gray Pendray. Only Maggie sympathized and repeatedly insisted there was no reason a lass whose father had been executed and whose mad mother had killed herself shouldn’t wed the son of an earl.

  Faith wished she had Maggie’s child-like optimism. When Gray eventually married, she’d have to leave Kilmer. It would be hard to abandon the adopted home she’d come to love, but harder still to live with the Pendray family and not be able to reveal her feelings. To watch Gray with another woman.