The Highlander’s Hellion Read online

  The Highlander’s Hellion

  Eliza Knight

  Contents

  More Books by Eliza Knight

  About the Book

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Excerpt from The Highlander’s Temptation

  About the Author

  Copyright 2018 © Eliza Knight

  THE HIGHLANDER’S HELLION © 2018 Eliza Knight. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part or the whole of this book may be reproduced, distributed, transmitted or utilized (other than for reading by the intended reader) in ANY form (now known or hereafter invented) without prior written permission by the author. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal, and punishable by law.

  * * *

  THE HIGHLANDER’S HELLION is a work of fiction. The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional and or are used fictitiously and solely the product of the author’s imagination. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, places, businesses, events or locales is purely coincidental.

  Cover Design by Kim Killion @ The Killion Group, Inc.

  Edited by Heidi Shoham

  Published by:

  More Books by Eliza Knight

  The Sutherland Legacy

  The Highlander’s Gift

  The Highlander’s Quest — in the Ladies of the Stone anthology

  The Highlander’s Stolen Bride

  The Highlander’s Hellion

  The Highlander’s Secret Vow — Spring 2019

  Pirates of Britannia: Devils of the Deep

  Savage of the Sea

  The Sea Devil

  A Pirate’s Bounty

  The Stolen Bride Series

  The Highlander’s Temptation

  The Highlander’s Reward

  The Highlander’s Conquest

  The Highlander’s Lady

  The Highlander’s Warrior Bride

  The Highlander’s Triumph

  The Highlander’s Sin

  Wild Highland Mistletoe (a Stolen Bride winter novella)

  The Highlander’s Charm (a Stolen Bride novella)

  A Kilted Christmas Wish – a contemporary Holiday spin-off

  The Conquered Bride Series

  Conquered by the Highlander

  Seduced by the Laird

  Taken by the Highlander (a Conquered bride novella)

  Claimed by the Warrior

  Stolen by the Laird

  Protected by the Laird (a Conquered bride novella)

  Guarded by the Warrior

  The MacDougall Legacy Series

  Laird of Shadows

  Laird of Twilight

  Laird of Darkness

  The Thistles and Roses Series

  Promise of a Knight

  Eternally Bound

  Breath from the Sea

  The Highland Bound Series (Erotic time-travel)

  Behind the Plaid

  Bared to the Laird

  Dark Side of the Laird

  Highlander’s Touch

  Highlander Undone

  Highlander Unraveled

  Wicked Women

  Her Desperate Gamble

  Seducing the Sheriff

  Kiss Me, Cowboy

  Under the name E. Knight

  Tales From the Tudor Court

  My Lady Viper

  Prisoner of the Queen

  Ancient Historical Fiction

  A Day of Fire: a novel of Pompeii

  A Year of Ravens: a novel of Boudica’s Rebellion

  About the Book

  Lady Greer was a hellion from the moment she could walk. So, when the young woman is forbidden by her father, the Earl of Sutherland, to sail, she steals a boat and rows it out into the firth anyway. But her relaxing jaunt turns into so much more when a storm ravages the chill waters and the prospect of death is soon upon her.

  * * *

  The last thing Roderick MacCulloch, Laird of Gleann Mórinnse Castle, expects to find while out scouting his property is a soaked lass upon his shores. When she demands he take her back to her clan, he recognizes her as the mischievous lass who taunted him at a festival when they were children. Roderick realizes this might be his chance to have a bit of fun and give Lady Greer a taste of her own medicine

  * * *

  But Roderick’s chance at revenge turns into a merry chase across the Highlands that leads them both to unexpected passion, perilous danger…and maybe even love.

  Prologue

  Scottish Highlands

  Gleann Mórinnse Castle

  1320

  The laird’s sister was dead.

  Roderick MacCulloch cradled his sister’s cold body in his arms, sobs wracking him. He’d failed her. He’d failed his parents.

  All the life had drained from her broken body, leaving her skin an ashen color. The visage of her eyes closed as if in sleep tormented him.

  He shouldn’t have left her alone.

  In one of her spells, she’d managed to sneak up to the castle ramparts, climb between the crenellations and then toss herself into the wind. It was not the first time she’d attempted to put an end to the demons that tormented her. But Roderick had always been there before to coax her down.

  With her still held tightly in his arms, he leaned his head back and let out an unrelenting battle cry, until his throat hurt from the effort. But there was no one to fight, save for the Devil himself.

  Jessica had been a special lass from the moment she’d screamed her way into this world, in a birth that had taken the life of their mother. When he’d first seen her, pink and wrinkled and squalling, Roderick had known it would be his sacred duty to protect his wee bairn sister, for she’d been a gift from God to his parents who’d lost so many children in the time between his brother Jon’s birth and Jessica’s twelve years later.

  She was barely sixteen, with so much more life to live. But internal torments had haunted her for years, luring her to the brink of madness.

  Pushing the hair away from her brow, he studied the peaceful face, so like his mother’s in the dim light. The wounds she’d suffered upon impact had not marred her beauty.

  “Why?” Roderick asked softly. “Why, Jess?” He turned his gaze to the heavens, as if expecting the clouds to part and give him the answers he sought.

  But she didn’t answer, and neither did God.

  When their da had been killed in a raid just a few months ago, Roderick had been given the lairdship and full responsibility over everyone. Why did he have to lose so much in such a short span of time?

  An intense urge to leap from the ramparts filled him—to join her in death so he might protect her in the afterlife. A firm hand pressed to his shoulder, and he glanced up to see their clan priest, Father Robert, sorrow etched in the lines of his face. “She is at peace, my son.”

  Roderick stared up at the man, incredulous. This was a man of God saying that his sister was at peace when one and all knew that to commit the sin of taking one’s own life was to condemn oneself to the eternal flames. What could Father Robert possibly mean by mocking him this way?

  “Lady Jessica,” Father Robert started, then he shook his head and pressed his lips together as if
caught up in emotion. “She was a troubled lass.”

  “Ye think I dinna know that?” Roderick shouted. “I have been there for her every day of her entire life, and the one time I was not—”

  “Dinna blame yourself.” Father Robert’s sincere gaze never wavered.

  “Who else will I blame?”

  “The Devil’s work has surely been accomplished today.”

  Roderick would have gladly called the Devil out to battle if he could. Destroy the evil that had cut his sister’s life short.

  “I dinna accept this.” He shook his head, trying to feel any bit of warmth left in her body.

  A flash of pity crossed over the priest’s countenance, which only made Roderick angrier. He clutched his sister tighter, willing with everything in him to bring her back to life.

  “I willna accept this.”

  This was a nightmare from which he couldn’t wake. How many men had he seen fall on the field of battle? He’d lost his mother, his father, and yet, the death of his sister brought him to his knees in iron-weighted denial.

  Father Robert let out a great sigh, but not one filled with irritation, rather one that said he knew how Roderick felt. “Death is hard to accept, my son. We will miss her. She was loved greatly by all. The vibrant memories ye have of her will keep her alive in spirit.”

  Roderick gritted his teeth. He didn’t want memories. He wanted her in the flesh—her smile, her songs, her dancing. Those good moments when she was happy heartily outweighed the moments when she was so deep in despair that not even her most favorite things could bring her back. “She’s gone too soon.”

  “A sentiment we feel often when we lose those we love.”

  “I didna lose her,” he shouted. “She was taken from me.”

  Again, that soft, reassuring hand rested on his shoulder. “Aye. I think ye can only take comfort in the knowledge she is no longer tormented by demons.”

  “Ye keep saying that. But ye know verra well where she is.” Roderick couldn’t even say the word. He didn’t want to give voice to that very fiery place where he was certain his sister must have been sent.

  “Nay, my son. Nay, nay.” Father Robert choked on his words. “I want ye to know that I have blessed her, for she didna… This was not entirely her doing. God knows that. He would not want her to suffer more. She will be buried in consecrated ground. She is with Him now in Heaven, and with your parents.”

  Roderick sat back on his heels, his hold on his sister momentarily lightening as first confusion and then gratitude overwhelmed him. Not in Hell. She was not being burned for eternity. She was where she belonged, in a place filled with peace and love. His chest swelled, and when he spoke, his voice was choked with emotion. “God, I would fight every battle for her if I could have.”

  “She knew that, my son.” Father Robert pressed a piece of paper into Roderick’s hand. “And she wanted ye to know it, too.”

  Roderick slowly opened the parchment to find his sister’s words scrawled.

  Ye are free, and so am I.

  Chapter One

  Sutherland Castle

  Scottish Highlands

  1323

  Lady Greer, daughter to the Earl and Countess of Sutherland, was a hellion. If one were to jumble up all the deeds in her life and make a fair assessment, one would see it was true.

  Greer preferred to think of herself as spirited. After all, to be called a hellion was not very flattering, now was it?

  Spirited on the other hand was quite a compliment. It meant she wasn’t an utter boor, and that she could always be counted on for a smile and an entertaining story. If one needed help with a little reprisal, Greer always seemed to know just what to do.

  So why was she sitting here in the corner of the salon glowering at her mother, who sat embroidering beside her younger sister, Blair? None of them really enjoyed embroidering, but they wouldn’t admit to such.

  Greer was here because she’d just received the dressing down of all dressing downs from her father—and in the great hall within earshot of everyone. She wasn’t willing to admit that what she’d done was wrong. Why was everything so black and white with her father? Her older sister, Bella, had been able to get away with murder! Everyone knew Bella snuck out to shoot arrows at all hours. She probably still did, even now as a married woman. So why couldn’t her parents see that Greer was old enough to marry, and that her hobby wasn’t nearly so dangerous as sending deadly weapons through the air?

  Greer stood abruptly, enough so that her mother and Blair both startled. Matching, questioning gazes fixed on her, and suddenly Greer felt self-conscious.

  “What is it?” Lady Arbella’s eyes were wary, those of a mother waiting for an explosion.

  The air in the solar crackled with tension, echoing the fire in the hearth as it popped and a log split in half, falling through the grate, forcing a cloud of ash to whoosh around their ankles. Was that a sign she should sit back down? Keep her thoughts to herself and swallow the words she was about to say?

  Greer chewed her lip while her mother watched her expectantly.

  Normally one to shout at the least cause, Greer decided to temper herself. If she was to prove she was who she believed herself to be, she needed to start somewhere, didn’t she?

  Greer cleared her throat, wringing her hands in front of her. When she noticed the nervous habit, she forced her fingers to unwind and swiped her sweaty palms over her thighs, but one of her rings caught on her gown. She could feel the thread stick before she even looked. There was nothing to do but to ignore the string now attached to her ring and simply say what needed saying in the calmest manner possible. “Mother, I am disappointed in Da’s decision.”

  With a great sigh, Lady Arbella put down her embroidery and crooked a finger for Greer to come closer. She had long white fingers that used to stroke Greer’s forehead when she was sick, and still now braided her hair. Despite the sigh that said she was preparing herself for conflict, Lady Arbella’s eyes sparked with interest. Greer always thought her mother held a soft spot for her. That was probably because they were so alike in nature.

  Her mother carefully removed Greer’s ring from where it was hooked and cut the thread.

  At last, her mother said softly in her English accent, “What has you so nervous?”

  This was her chance. She had her mother’s full attention. “I’m one and twenty. A woman.” Her mother’s brow raised, and Greer feared if she didn’t hurry, her mother might assume she was telling her she wanted to wed, which was the furthest thing from her mind. “I’m a skilled boatwoman, and I can swim faster than any man in this clan. I think ’tis only fair with my skillset that I be allowed access to the currachs like any man.” She didn’t add that her sister had been allowed to compete in archery competitions plenty of times, which was also known as a man’s sport. If she brought that up, then her mother might only mention the incident from a couple of years prior where Greer had been in a competition that didn’t end as well as they’d hoped. Besides, she’d argued that point enough previously, and right now, she needed her mother’s support in debating with her father.

  A flicker of amusement flashed in her mother’s gaze, mixed with what she thought might be relief. “I understand, sweetheart, but your father has told you he does not want you to go alone. The sea is dangerous, and the Highland weather can change with the wind. What would happen if you were alone, not close enough to land to swim, and a storm hit? We would not be able to find you. You could drown. Do you not see that what he is insisting isn’t that you not be allowed to use your skill, but that you not go alone?”

  I am drowning here, cooped up in this castle.

  “The men dinna want to escort me, Mother, and I also dinna want to wait for when they are available.” She was fully aware that some part of her petulance was showing, but she couldn’t help it. What she said was true. She’d heard the men complain. They drew straws over who would have to join her. Half the time, they pretended to be seasick when they retur
ned, swearing she wanted to kill them all. It was offensive, and it hurt her feelings, but she wasn’t about to complain about it. Not if she wanted to be taken seriously. “What if I didna go as far as I usually do? What if I stay closer to shore?”

  Lady Arbella pressed her lips tight, a sign she was getting close to shutting down the conversation as mothers were wont to do when their children argued for a sweet. But this was no sweet. This was Greer’s life. Her passion.

  “Your father has made his choice, my dear.”

  “And how many times have ye convinced him to change his mind?”

  “That is none of your business.” There was a sharpness to her mother’s voice that was offset by the twinkle in her eye. What did that mean?

  “But it is a fact. Ye can change his mind. Mother, please.” Greer rushed forward, dropping to her knees in front of her mother. “Soon I shall wed, and then I will be doing nothing but running my husband’s household and having his bairns.” Her mother raised her brows at that. Greer waved away her comment. “I mean no offense, or to imply the duty of mother and wife are anything less than what a lady should aspire to. Only please, Mama, allow me this one last season of freedom.”