Kilts Ahoy!
Clash of the Tartans
Book Six
by
Anna Markland
Copyright © 2020 Anna Markland
Text by Anna Markland
Cover by Dar Albert
Dragonblade Publishing, Inc. is an imprint of Kathryn Le Veque Novels, Inc.
P.O. Box 7968
La Verne CA 91750
[email protected]
Produced in the United States of America
First Edition March 2020
Kindle Edition
Reproduction of any kind except where it pertains to short quotes in relation to advertising or promotion is strictly prohibited.
All Rights Reserved.
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
License Notes:
This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook, once purchased, may not be re-sold. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it or borrow it, or it was not purchased for you and given as a gift for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. If this book was purchased on an unauthorized platform, then it is a pirated and/or unauthorized copy and violators will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Do not purchase or accept pirated copies. Thank you for respecting the author’s hard work. For subsidiary rights, contact Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.
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Additional Dragonblade books by Author Anna Markland
Clash of the Tartans Series
Kilty Secrets
Kilted at the Altar
Kilty Pleasures
Kilty Party
Kilts in the Wind
Kilts Ahoy!
The Viking’s Gift (A Novella)
“Life is an ocean, Love is a boat,
In troubled waters, it keeps us afloat.”
~The Voyage (Johnny Duhan Songs)
Dedicated to men and women with saltwater in their veins.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Publisher’s Note
Additional Dragonblade books by Author Anna Markland
Dedication
More Anna Markland
Daft
Makes My Blood Boil
Coming Home
Best Laid Plans
The Plan Unfolds
White Flag
Rescue
Bossy Boots
Spark
Chatelaine Material
Dressed for the Occasion
Parley
Charge
Duty
Tide of Despair
Maccray Backbone
Challenges
At a Loss for Words
Strange Welcome
A Jest of God
Honor
Two Lairds Meet
Guided Tour
The Wave
For All the Tea in China
Chance Encounter
Afternoon Delight
A Son of My Blood
Conflicted
Perpetuating the Lie
Taking Tea
Lost At Sea
Polaris
Trust the Sea
Off Course
A Fishy Situation
Facing the Future
Homecoming
Celebrations
As the Sea is My Witness
Revelation
Power
Who is This Man?
What If?
Showdown
Sons of the Same Mother
A Bright Future
Borne Aloft
Patience
Very Unladylike
Dressing for Dinner
Toasts
Epilogue
About Anna
Historical Footnotes
More Anna Markland
Anna has authored more than sixty bestselling, award-winning and much-loved Medieval, Viking and Highlander historical romance novels and novellas. No matter the setting, many of her series recount the adventures of successive generations of one family, with emphasis on the importance of ancestry and honor. A comprehensive list can be found on her Amazon page with more complete descriptions at annamarkland.com.
Daft
Castle MacCray, near Wick, Scotland AD 1732
“Dinna go too far, Teagan,” Archie warned, frowning as he checked the bit of her horse’s bridle. “Our laird wants ye to stay within sight of the castle.”
She rolled her eyes. It always amused her that Archie referred to their older brother as “our laird”. Beathan was a scant year older than Archie himself and they were sometimes mistaken for twins with their long chestnut-colored hair and hazel eyes, features Teagan herself had inherited. Beathan might be a smidgen taller than Archie, but both dwarfed her, though she was considered tall for a lass.
The few months that separated the two brothers had preordained who would become chieftain of Clan MacCray when their father passed. Not that Archie had an envious bone in his body. She believed he preferred the role of lieutenant.
“Ye dinna need to remind me of it every single time I go riding,” she admonished, all the while nursing a deeply buried desire to venture beyond the clifftops and into the nearby village of Wick. But Beathan had forbidden it.
Flashing the beguiling smile all her brothers shared, Archie released Geal.
Mounted on the white horse, she trotted out of the cobblestone courtyard of Castle MacCray; the faithful Bo loped along behind. She crossed the narrow stone bridge connecting the castle to the mainland, confident the waves crashing on the jagged rocks below wouldn’t alarm Geal or the plucky hound. Accustomed to the roar of the surf and the dizzying heights, they never strayed near the unprotected edge. For as long as she could remember, there’d been talk of building a protective railing, a safety barrier of some sort, but nothing had ever come of it.
Once across, she leaned forward to pat her horse. “My brothers think I’m still a wee lass.”
When Bo tossed his head and woofed his agreement, she tugged the annoying snood net off her head, shoved it into her pocket and urged the horse to a gallop along the grassy headland.
Face raised to the early morning sun peeking through the low clouds, she relished the warm wind tangling her long hair. Her exhilaration soared when the spirited steed kicked up his heels. The salty tang of the sea on her lips filled her heart with the joy of belonging in this wild place. Laughing at the raucous seagulls dancing on currents of air, she reined to a halt when they reached her favorite spot overlooking the North Sea.
As usual, the panting wolfhound was there before her, wagging his tail furiously and expecting to have his ears rubbed. She dismounted and obliged, letting her horse eat his fill of the lush grass. Geal knew enough to stay away from the cliff’s edge.
> She’d chosen this place because of a flat outcropping of rock that provided a fairly dry seat. Bo lay on his back, paws in the air, wriggling in the dew-laden grass. Yawning his satisfaction with the daily ritual, he stood, shook himself off and slumped at her feet. Together, they looked out at the gray waves and the distant horizon shrouded in fog. She inhaled the refreshing aroma of damp grass and wet dog. She sorely missed her daily ride when wind and weather conspired to prevent it.
“I love it here,” she told Bo, stroking his head. “They say ye can see Norway on a clear day.”
It was an observation she routinely made, though, even on the rare day without a fine mist, she’d never managed to catch a glimpse of the distant shores from where, according to legend, her Viking ancestors had evidently set sail on their epic voyages.
Despite a resolve not to look north to Moss Head, she turned her gaze to the four-story high Castle Robson looming atop its own verdant green clifftop. The imposing structure always drew her eyes but it was a startling reminder of how close her clan’s enemies were. Maybe Archie was right to caution her. The possibility that members of Clan Robson were watching was an unsettling thought. She was probably visible from their vantage point.
Shivering, she turned her attention back to the bay, her heart lifting when she espied two birlinns heading for the port of Wick just around the headland. They looked like toy boats floating on a mirror as they made steady progress in calm seas. “Must be MacCrays,” she said. “Probably Ethan and Lachlan returning from Aberdeen. At least, that’s where they claim they sail to.”
Bo barked.
“Aye. They dinna fool ye, either,” she exclaimed with a chuckle.
The MacCrays’ home port lay just out of sight, but she’d never been permitted to venture into Wick. “This is the problem with having seven aulder brothers,” she lamented. “I love them to bits, but they dinna allow me to do anything. I expect they’ll be the ones to pick the mon I’ll wed when the time comes.”
She found the notion troubling. At seventeen, she was of marriageable age, but there wasn’t a single eligible member of Clan MacCray she found appealing or attractive in any way. Beathan had already dropped unsubtle hints about certain suitors, none of whom she would even consider spending her life with. “’Twould be better to marry outside the clan, in any case,” she declared. “Dadaidh always said so.”
But her father was dead and buried, as was her darling mother who’d long ago come from Clan Cheyne to wed Angus MacCray. She nuzzled the dog’s head. “’Tis a lost cause. I’ll ne’er meet anyone from another clan. Nay even our Robson neighbors are allowed to dock in Wick.”
They stared out to sea for a good while until the birlinns sailed out of view. “Can ye keep a secret, Bo?” she asked as she came to her feet. When the dog wagged his tail and looked up at her expectantly, she confided, “I think feuds make no sense. My brothers continue the standoff with the Robsons and deny them access to the only port for miles because of some battle that took place hundreds of years ago. Daft.”
Makes My Blood Boil
Glad of the familiar weight of the woolen plaid around his shoulders, Marshall Robson stood on a windswept promontory overlooking the wide expanse of Sinclair Bay. Beside him, the shivering laird of Clan Robson, his older brother, huddled into his plaid.
“Makes my blood boil,” Elgin declared as they watched their clan’s three birlinns fight the roiling surf. The crews were attempting to dock the boats in the wee village of Cèis—a task rendered challenging by ever-shifting sandbars.
“Aye,” Marshall replied. “If we had access to the sheltered port at Wick, we wouldna be obliged to bring our boats into a dangerous harbor so far from our own lands.”
He looked south to their imposing castle that dominated the distant skyline. So near, yet so far away.
“The ten mile trek to transport goods from Cèis to Moss Head is infuriating enough,” Elgin hissed. “But to pay fees to the greedy Sinclairs for moorage…”
Marshall bristled, drawing the plaid tighter. This was an all too familiar conversation. Clan Robson could operate more than three birlinns if they could dock in the easily accessible and nearby port of Wick, thereby increasing their revenues. However, their late father had always steadfastly refused to approach Clan MacCray with a view to discussing a treaty to end the feud that had gone on for hundreds of years.
Marshall feared Elgin was too much like their sire, from whom he had inherited his fondness for whisky. It was more than probable they’d be harping on these same complaints when they were ancient graybeards if doing something about it was left to his indolent brother. He took the bull by the horns. “’Tis time to parley with Clan MacCray.”
Elgin raked dirty fingernails through his wild red beard. “Nay. They’ll want some concession from us in return for using their port, and we have naught to offer.”
Marshall filled his lungs with the salty air. He was reluctant to give voice to his plan but it was past time to act. “Aye, we do. Ye can broker an alliance by offering to wed the MacCray daughter.”
He stiffened his spine, unsure what the reaction would be. In truth, he pitied any lass obliged to wed his brother. He deliberately stood well apart from Elgin who firmly believed in bathing regularly—once a year, needed or nay.
His matted red hair and unkempt beard reminded Marshall of drawings in a history book he owned, one of the favorites in his library. Elgin could be the reincarnation of Brian Boru, the medieval High King of Ireland. Except that, from what he’d read of Irish history, Boru had been courageous and decisive in his efforts to unify Ireland until his death at the Battle of Clontarf. His legendary exploits were even celebrated in Norse sagas.
It was difficult to believe the lazy Elgin was a descendant of Vikings. If he was remembered by future generations, it would be for…
Preoccupied with wondering why one of the incoming birlinns hadn’t yet taken down its sail, Marshall was unable to think of anything noteworthy his brother had achieved in the two years he’d been laird. Against his better judgment, he took another tack. “As chieftain of Clan Robson, ’tis yer duty to sire heirs.”
He gritted his teeth. Of late, his thoughts had often turned to finding a wife of his own. Castle Robson was a lonely place. Elgin didn’t share Marshall’s interest in history and literature. How pleasant it would be to have an intelligent wife who could discuss something other than food and whisky—the plays of Master Shakespeare mayhap. Ideally, she’d be a beautiful woman who enjoyed bed-sport. Noisy bairns would fill the empty castle nicely. Somehow, he just couldn’t see Elgin as a father, whereas he…
“MacCray had a daughter?” his brother asked, jolting Marshall from his reverie.
He fisted his hands and prayed for patience. “I believe so. Born after several sons.”
“Is she comely?”
This from a man whose appearance would frighten any maiden half to death. “I dinna ken. I’ve ne’er met her.”
He decided not to mention he surmised the lass who regularly rode a white horse along the distant cliffs was the daughter of the MacCray family. He’d taken to climbing up to the battlements every morning to catch a glimpse of her, disappointed when the weather kept her away. She always took off her headgear and let her hair fly free in the wind—chestnut colored, as far as he could tell. She seemed to be a spirited lass, and she loved the dog who sat beside her as they stared out to sea.
Aye, she’d make a fine wife for his laird, but the prospect gave him no joy.
His musings were cut short when the birlinn he’d been watching tipped alarmingly, its mast nigh on touching the water. “Why hasna he taken down his sail?” he shouted.
If the boat capsized, men and cargo would be lost, the long voyage to Scandinavia rendered a completely wasted journey.
He wasn’t sure who was in command of the birlinn in difficulty, but most of his captains were capable of righting this situation and bringing the boat in safely. He clenched his fists, still angry
he’d been prevented from sailing with the fleet to Norway. If he hadn’t had his hands full carrying out duties that were Elgin’s responsibility, he’d be the captain bringing the birlinn home safely.
He ground his teeth when men aboard the floundering vessel began jumping overboard. “Nay,” he bellowed, though there was no chance the crew could hear him. It was obvious they’d all abandoned the ship as the waves tossed their plaything about like a cork. One minute the boat was headed in the wrong direction entirely. The next it flipped over and was swallowed by the waves.
Marshall could scarcely believe his eyes. The cargo was one thing, but seasoned sailors might be lost infuriatingly close to home. They’d safely docked for years in worse conditions than today. When he got his hands on the incompetent captain…
There was no chance of saving the birlinn and his main concern was for the men. From his vantage point, he judged the outgoing tide could carry them onto the rocks at either end of the bay. If they made it to the beach, they’d be exhausted and in dire need of help.
He ran for his horse, mounted and galloped down the hill.
Coming Home
Teagan rode back home from the cliffs slowly, dismounting when she came within sight of the stone bridge. Conflicting emotions swirled in her heart as she contemplated Castle MacCray. The impressive fortification perched atop the cliffs had protected her family from the relentless power of the sea for generations. The place of her birth had been their stronghold against enemies. Yet, increasingly, she found herself reluctant to return within its sheltering walls after her rides. “I dinna ken what’s wrong with me,” she told Bo, hunkering down beside him. “I have my own spacious chamber that Beathan has allowed me to decorate to my own taste. My armoire is full of weel-tailored clothing. I belong to an ancient clan with a proud history. I’ve been provided with a tutor who is teaching me about the world. I should be content.”
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