Quade spoke up. “May I make a suggestion?” He gave Logan a pointed glance.
Alex barked. “Aye, please!”
“I do no’ want any randy lads dancing with my sister either.” Avelina’s face fell, as though she were imagining an evening empty of dances.
Logan broke through the gathering and held his hand out to Jennie. “Would you care to dance, my lady?” He gave her his best courtly bow.
The girl’s face beamed as she waited for her brother’s approval.
Quade interrupted. “Seems like a perfect solution to me, Alex. I have two brothers to dance with Jennie and you have two brothers who can take turns dancing with Avelina. It should suit everyone.”
Alex searched the group of faces before giving a gruff, “Aye.”
His wife stood up from her chair and stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “Very wise decision, dearest. Now would you care to escort your wife for one dance?”
Brenna squeezed Quade’s arm as her brother’s chest puffed out a wee bit more, if that were possible. “I so enjoy watching my brother tamed by a wee lass. He would do anything for Maddie.”
Epilogue
A small piece but one of readers’ favorites. Alex at his best.
Lady Brenna Ramsay stood at the base of the stairs in her brother’s great hall, a sense of happiness and peace suffusing her body. She and her sister, Jennie, had delivered her brother’s wee daughter the previous night. She had just checked on Maddie and she was sound asleep in her chamber with her maid, Alice, fussing over her.
The scene that greeted her eyes was beautiful. Thanks to the snowstorm raging outside, practically the whole family was gathered together. Jennie and Avelina sat at the table planning the garments they would sew for the wee lass while Brenna’s two nephews ran circles around the perimeter of the hall.Lily, Torrian, and Growley scrambled at the boys’ heels, their combined laughter bouncing off the rafters.
Brenna’s brother, Alex, pumped up like a peacock after the birth of his daughter, paced the hall with his wee one, who was strapped to his chest with his plaid, cooing in the softest voice she had ever heard him use. She couldn’t help but giggle. Alex had stayed by his wife’s side during the birth, and he was so excited to finally have a daughter to love that he wasn’t even disappointed that the lass had arrived with a shock of dark hair instead of Maddie’s beautiful blonde curls.
Love Letters from Largs
Book 3
The Battle of Largs drew me in because so little was written about it. But there were tales of a Scottish warrior in a golden helm.
Logan Ramsay became the star of Book 2. The star of this book?
A lad known as Lucky Loki.
Chapter Five
Alex and Brodie at court with an obnoxious baron and a cruel jarl, both wanting to control Celestina. Alex is the one with the king’s favor in the chaos.
Celestina’s father moved to strike her again, and she brought up a trembling hand to protect her face. “You are a whore, just like your mother before you. I knew it.” Her eyes closed, but the blow never connected.
A low growl ripped through the haze of her fear. Her eyes flew open in time to see Brodie lift her father into the air and slam him against the wall. Her father’s eyes protruded from their sockets in shock, or so she thought. Then she realized Brodie was holding him by the throat, choking his windpipe so that he gasped for air.
Her father swung his fists at Brodie, but his captor never once flinched. Celestina fell back against the opposite wall, paralyzed by the sight in front of her.
Brodie slammed her father against the wall over and over again, easily avoiding the older man’s attempts to pummel him. “You filthy swine! How dare you hit your own flesh and blood!You slapped your own daughter for nothing. No reason. You will rot in hell, you slime. If you hit her again, I will kill you with my bare hands. You should be protecting your daughter, no’ hurting her.”
Brodie’s bellows rang out in the corridor. Celestina heard a flurry of activity headed their way, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away from her father and the look on his face. He was demented, beyond furious that Brodie had interfered with his punishment of her. While a part of her cheered for her hero, another part of her wanted to run, afraid of what would happen if her father ever managed to free himself from Brodie’s grasp.
“Guards, guards! Save this man from the wild savage who’s attacking him!” Her betrothed stood watching the scene unfold from the end of the corridor, spewing lies for all to hear. “The Highlander has gone mad. Stop him!” Hatred and fear poured from him as he stared at Brodie.
The hall soon filled with the king’s guards. Her betrothed continued to screech, but she was unable to distinguish any more words in the sound. Three guards surrounded Brodie and the swift sound of metal scraping against metal filled the air as the guards pulled their swords from their sheath, all three aiming their sharp edges at Brodie’s neck. Still, he did not release his hold on the baron.
Once Brodie was contained, Ivarsson sauntered toward the group of men. “Now kill him.”
“Nay!” Even Celestina surprised herself with the power of her vehemence.
