A Spinster at the Highland Court: The Highland Ladies Book One Read online

  A Spinster at the Highland Court

  The Highland Ladies Book One

  Celeste Barclay

  Contents

  Dedication

  Preface

  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

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Epilogue

  Thank you for reading A Spinster at the Highland Court

  The Highland Ladies

  The Clan Sinclair

  Viking Glory

  A Spy at the Highland Court Copyright © 2020 by Celeste Barclay. All Rights Reserved.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

  Cover designed by Lisa Messegee, The Write Designer

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

  Celeste Barclay

  Visit my website at www.celestebarclay.com

  Printed in the United States of America

  First Printing: Feb 2020

  Celeste Barclay

  ASIN B084F7ZCHJ

  "Wherever I wander,

  wherever I rove,

  The hills of the Highlands forever I love."

  ~ Robert Burns ~

  To the bonny lasses and braw lads who hear the Highlands calling them home.

  Happy reading, y'all,

  Celeste

  Preface

  The Highland Ladies series is a spin off to my first series, The Clan Sinclair, and follows the lives of ladies-in-waiting at King Robert the Bruce’s court. If you are a fan of Highlander romances, then you’ve surely encountered the time period that spans the Wars of Scottish Independence, along with the rise and reign of Robert the Bruce.

  While I was intentionally vague about the time period and royal couple in The Clan Sinclair, there is little way to avoid the history of Robert the Bruce when this series takes place predominantly at Stirling Castle after he was crowned king. I have taken creative license in a number of areas, especially the creation of characters such as our hero, but the events and clan dynamics are true to history.

  Robert the Bruce’s family shared a claim to the throne with at least twelve others, and the most notable was John Balliol, who some historians have dubbed the “pretender king.” Initially, he was favored by much of the Scottish nobility, but once he ascended to the throne, he demonstrated an unforgivable, in the nobles’ estimation, tendency to do the English King Edward I’s bidding. The nobles argued that he was little more than Edward’s puppet. Longshanks, as was Edward’s moniker, had ambitions to rule all the British Isles and focused strongly upon the Scots intending to hammer them into submission. This earned him the other moniker The Hammer of the Scots. As his power and influence grew during the reign of John Balliol, so did the seeds of rebellion. Robert the Bruce came to the forefront of the rebellion and those claiming a divine right to the throne.

  The Clan Comyn was among the most powerful at the time and became one of the Bruce’s major impediments to ousting John Balliol. They had branches throughout the country and occupied many strategic castles. History tells that Robert the Bruce killed John “the Red” Comyn (there were many Johns and Douglases at the time, and many were give nicknames of “the Red” or “the Black”; it can be quite confusing) within the church at Dumfries. Shortly thereafter, Isabella MacDuff defied her husband John Comyn, the Earl of Buchan and cousin to the murdered John “the Red” Comyn, to crown Robert king, as was her hereditary right, at Sconce. The Earl of Buchan plays a strong role in His Highland Surprise, The Clan Sinclair book five. It was his title that I gave our fictions hero, the Earl of Lochaber and Badenoch. Robert ascended to the throne in 1306 and ruled until his death in 1329. It is during that time span that The Highland Ladies takes place.

  Queen Elizabeth de Bourgh was Robert’s second wife after the death of Isabella of Mar who was the mother to Robert’s oldest legitimate child, Marjorie (mentioned in the companion to the series, A Spy at the Highland Court: De Wolfe Connected World). She was the daughter of a powerful supporter of King Edward, and there are thoughts that she was married to Robert to serve as a spy. Three months after their marriage, in 1306, Robert sent his wife, daughter Marjorie, Mary and Christian Bruce (his siters), and Isabella to safety escorted by his brother Niall. Elizabeth was kidnapped by order of King Edward I and spent eight years under house arrest. Isabella (another popular name) was seized alongside Elizabeth but was imprisoned in a suspended cage exposed to the elements at Berwick Castle.

  The other women in their party were sent to various convents and castles while

  Robert’s sister, Mary Bruce, was imprisoned in a cage at Roxburgh Castle. During the attempted escape, Niall (also referred to a Nigel, a younger brother) was captured and later drawn and quartered. Elizabeth’s imprisonment is mentioned briefly in His Highland Pledge and His Highland Surprise but plays an important role in this novel. During this same period, two other brothers, Thomas and Alexander, were captured and executed.

  The Edward Bruce that is the hero of this story is an entire work of fiction. There is no historical record of an adopted distant cousin. But the actual Edward Bruce, mentioned in this story as a secondary character, did fight the English in Ireland and was crowned High King of Ireland shortly before his defeat and execution by the English. It had been the Bruces’ ambition to create a united Gaelic partnership to diminish the English power within the British Isles.

  The Clan Gregor, which plays a part in the political intrigue within this novel, originally sided with the Balliols but eventually came over to Robert the Bruce’s camp. However, Robert awarded a substantial part of Clan Gregor’s land to Clan Campbell as reward for their unwavering support of his cause. Clan Campbell was another immensely powerful and influential clan at the time and harried the Gregors off the land. The animosity grew over the next three hundred years, escalating to the point where King James VI, in 1603, abolished the clan entirely and made it a crime to associate with the Gregors or to bear their surname. An event the precipitated this banishment is mentioned toward the end of this story. While Clan Grant assisted Clan Gregor in reclaiming a castle from the Campbells, they were loyal to Robert the Bruce, complicating the alliances. They did little or nothing to defend the Gregors once they were pushed off their land.

  The MacAdams clan was a sept of the Gregors and originated from the larger clan. They did not grow in prominence until several centuries later when the Gregors were outlawed. They were not a powerful clan in comparison to the Comyns and Campbells, but they were well known at the time of this novel.

  Clan Baird he
ld sway in Lanarkshire County, and in 1308, three members were convicted and executed for conspiring to assassinate Robert. However, the clan returned to Robert’s favor when he granted them a barony. This is where I took some creative license in the timeline. While the story takes place after Queen Elizabeth’s release in 1314, elements of the event in question play a part in this story.

  The locations named in this story are, in fact, real and the estimated time for travel is based upon traveling by horseback along Medieval roads. The locations belonged to the clans mentioned, and some still exist, mostly in a ruinous or rebuilt state.

  I hope you enjoy A Spinster at the Highland Court and come to love Elizabeth Fraser and Edward Bruce as much as I have.

  Happy reading,

  Celeste

  Chapter One

  Elizabeth Fraser looked around the royal chapel within Stirling Castle. The ornate candlestick holders on the altar glistened and reflected the light from the ones in the wall sconces as the priest intoned the holy prayers of the Advent season. Elizabeth kept her head bowed as though in prayer, but her green eyes swept the congregation. She watched the other ladies-in-waiting, many of whom were doing the same thing. She caught the eye of Allyson Elliott. Elizabeth raised one eyebrow as Allyson’s lips twitched. Both women had been there enough times to accept they’d be kneeling for at least the next hour as the Latin service carried on. Elizabeth understood the Mass thanks to her cousin Deirdre Fraser, or rather now Deirdre Sinclair. Elizabeth’s mind flashed to the recent struggle her cousin faced as she reunited with her husband Magnus after a seven-year separation. Her aunt and uncle’s choice to keep Deirdre hidden from her husband simply because they didn’t think the Sinclairs were an advantageous enough match, and the resulting scandal, still humiliated the other Fraser clan members at court. She admired Deirdre’s husband Magnus’s pledge to remain faithful despite not knowing if he’d ever see Deirdre again.

  Elizabeth suddenly snapped her attention; while everyone else intoned the twelfth—or was it thirteenth—amen of the Mass, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She had the strongest feeling that someone was watching her. Her eyes scanned to her right, where her parents sat further down the pew. Her mother and father had their heads bowed and eyes closed. While she was convinced her mother was in devout prayer, she wondered if her father had fallen asleep during the Mass. Again. With nothing seeming out of the ordinary and no one visibly paying attention to her, her eyes swung to the left. She took in the king and queen as they kneeled together at their prie-dieu. The queen’s lips moved as she recited the liturgy in silence. The king was as still as a statue. Years of leading warriors showed, both in his stature and his ability to control his body into absolute stillness. Elizabeth peered past the royal couple and found herself looking into the astute hazel eyes of Edward Bruce, Lord of Badenoch and Lochaber. His gaze gave her the sense that he peered into her thoughts, as though he were assessing her. She tried to keep her face neutral as heat surged up her neck. She prayed her face didn’t redden as much as her neck must have, but at a twenty-one, she still hadn’t mastered how to control her blushing. Her nape burned like it was on fire. She canted her head slightly before looking up at the crucifix hanging over the altar. She closed her eyes and tried to invoke the image of the Lord that usually centered her when her mind wandered during Mass.

  Elizabeth sensed Edward’s gaze remained on her. She didn’t understand how she was so sure that he was looking at her. She didn’t have any special gifts of perception or sight, but her intuition screamed that he was still looking. Elizabeth recited the Lord’s Prayer in her head, but after a lifetime of reciting it, she didn’t have to search hard for the words to play across her mind and it did little to bring her attention back to the service. Try as she might, her mind refused to do anything but command her eyes to open. Once again, she was staring into the riveting eyes of Edward Bruce. He brazenly smiled at her. Elizabeth’s eyes widened and her nose flared. She allowed her head to move this time as she looked at the various members of the congregation. No one there seemed to be looking at either Elizabeth or Edward, but when she looked at the priest, his scowl was aimed directly at her. Instead of bowing her head as she should, she shot her own scowl at the impudent man who continued to distract her. The queen would undoubtedly learn of her impudence from the priest, which meant Elizabeth would be making up for lost time, forced to spend the afternoon in prayer on the prie-dieu in the queen’s salon. The difference would be that the other ladies-in-waiting would watch her in her shame.

  Edward, who had seen the priest watching Elizabeth from the corner of his eye, couldn’t hide his smirk when the beautiful young woman scowled at him. His jaded sense of humor made him smile, while his last shreds of decency caused a moment of contrition. Edward realized what Elizabeth obviously did: she’d be spending time repenting before his sister-by-marriage, the queen. He considered whether speaking on behalf of Elizabeth would do more harm than good. He looked back at her once again; he couldn’t keep himself from doing so. He was sure he’d seen her before when he’d been to court. Edward had seen all the queen’s ladies-in-waiting, since they were always in attendance. But there was something different, yet so familiar, about this woman with the mysterious green eyes. His intuition hammered that he might have met her before. A memory niggled, fighting its way into his consciousness. Edward had bedded a number of ladies-in-waiting over the years, but he was sure she wasn’t one of them. He was quite certain he’d remember such an encounter, and as his eyes feasted on her figure, he was also certain he wouldn’t have let her go. His mind flashed to his mistress, Sinead, who lived in Ireland. His stomach soured as he remembered his last night with her. As far as he was concerned, she was now his former mistress, but he wasn’t convinced the fiery-haired, fiery-tempered woman would agree with her new status. Edward pulled his mind to the present, since looking at the chestnut haired, green-eyed beauty was more enjoyable than thinking of the explosive argument that ended his arrangement with Sinead.

  Edward continued to stare at Elizabeth until the memory finally surged forward. It was his turn to have his eyes widen and his nose flare. It was also the same moment the young woman looked at him. His flash of recognition earned him a reciprocated smirk. She clearly remembered who he was and had more easily remembered their first and only encounter. Elizabeth Fraser. That was her name, and he remembered how she’d felt for the brief moment she’d been in his embrace. His fingers tingled and his palms itched. He now recalled in detail how they met. The young woman spread an intriguing rumor that she was his newest lover. When he overheard the whispers during the evening meal, he sought out the woman who was willing to demolish her reputation by linking herself, voluntarily, to him. He learned she had a sharp mind and was loyal to a fault. She jeopardized her position at court to create a diversion for her friend Ceit Comyn and her then betrothed, now husband Tavish Sinclair. When they met on a terrace in the dark, he couldn’t resist the temptation to taunt and, hopefully, tempt her. That was when Edward realized her reserved demeanor was a façade. Elizabeth matched words with him, then slipped away. He followed her into the ballroom, but she entrenched herself with the other ladies-in-waiting, making it impossible for him to claim a dance.

  Edward was determined to rectify that situation. If only it weren’t Advent, the second-most solemn season at court. He was thankful he’d come home now, rather than during Lent. At least he had the Christmas festivities to look forward to. That, and a woman to woo.

  Elizabeth worked her way through the mass of people leaving the chapel. She tried to be unobtrusive since she had no interest in lingering. She wove around one group, then another, as people stopped to greet each other. She never understood why people liked to mingle when Mass ended, as if they wouldn’t see each other during the next three meals of the day. Elizabeth intended to make her way to the queen’s salon, anticipating not only Her Majesty’s arrival but her own inevitable punishment. If she readied the chamber and had ev
erything as the queen preferred, then her attempt at contrition might lessen the time she’d be ordered to spend in prayer. She had no remorse, but her knees rebelled at the idea of another three hours spent bearing her weight.

  Elizabeth stepped through the chapel doors and took a sharp right directly into a broad, muscled chest. Her nose landed in the small dip in the man’s sternum. Strong but gentle hands cupped her shoulders and helped her to take a step back. The look of shock on the man’s face surely matched hers, except when his morphed into a smile, hers turned to horror. She jerked away and turned in a complete circle as she tried to determine if anyone had seen them.

  “No one has looked this way,” the deep baritone murmured, wrapping around her like a fur cloak. “If I’d known I’d meet you so quickly, I might have paid more attention to where I waited.”

  The humor in his voice rang in Elizabeth’s ears, but she failed to find anything funny about the situation.

  “Excuse me, Lord Badenoch. I should have looked where I was going.” Elizabeth dipped a curtsy and tried to escape.