The Highlanders Heart: Clean Highlander Historical Romance Novel

By Addison Evans

When Leith Àite Sìthe is summoned home after being away for five years, he does not expect to have to take the throne so quickly or to have to deal with the icy cold Eleanor. Nor does he expect to have someone after his blood.

 

Eleanor's deep grey eyes are a telltale sign of her cool disposition. She finds herself shackled with highlander Leith who pushes each of her buttons without hiding his rakish-tendencies.

 

A roughish highlander and an English woman resistant to emotion do not make a very likely pair. It certainly does not help that Leith is steadily pursued by a woman desperate to own him. The two must find a way to tolerate each other and come to an understanding. But everything is more complicated than it seems and Eleanor holds a secret that is shocking and too dangerous to reveal. Leith must fight a battle against unseen forces and Eleanor must discover and protect this highlander's heart.

 

This is a standalone romance novel ending HEA!

• Language: English
• Publisher: PN.Books
• Release date: Jun 5, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393433361

Book preview

Copyright © 2019 by Addison Evans

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Some characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

Thank you very much for reading this book.

Title Page

Title: The Highlanders Heart

Subtitle: Clean Highlander Historical Romance Novel

Author: Addison Evans

Table of Contents

Copyright

Title Page

The Highlanders Heart

Description

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

Chapter 23

Epilogue

The Highlanders Heart

Description

When Leith Àite Sìthe is summoned home after being away for five years, he does not expect to have to take the throne so quickly or to have to deal with the icy cold Eleanor. Nor does he expect to have someone after his blood.

Eleanor’s deep grey eyes are a telltale sign of her cool disposition. She finds herself shackled with highlander Leith who pushes each of her buttons without hiding his rakish-tendencies.

A roughish highlander and an English woman resistant to emotion do not make a very likely pair. It certainly does not help that Leith is steadily pursued by a woman desperate to own him. The two must find a way to tolerate each other and come to an understanding. But everything is more complicated than it seems and Eleanor holds a secret that is shocking and too dangerous to reveal. Leith must fight a battle against unseen forces and Eleanor must discover and protect this highlander’s heart.

Prologue

It was hot. It was always hot in these lands, Leith mused. It wasn’t like home. Thinking of home was something he has avoided doing for years, seven years to be exact. He had left home as a young man of twenty-five, eager to explore. In hindsight, he realized he had been running. He had been running from a lot of things he had been too young to handle. After all these years, he had matured. Age, however, hadn’t been what he needed, it had been the experience.

Leith lost his mother quite early in his life. He remembered being a young lad of 15 and wondering if his mam would ever kiss him goodnight again. She had suddenly taken ill in the summer of his fifteenth year and had never recovered. The whole clan had been thrown into mourning. Their chief had lost his wife and they had lost their clan mother. But as humans are bound to do, they forgot. It was a gradual process, Leith agreed, but it had been steady. They had learned to adjust to life without her and had moved on with their lives. But he hadn’t forgotten, he thought ruefully. What young boy forgot his mother, especially when his father had thrown himself into his duties as a clan chief with so much vigor that he had been left in the background?

However, that alone hadn’t made him run away. He ran away mainly because when he turned twenty-five, he felt the noose of the throne lowering dangerously to his neck and hadn’t felt he was ready to bear such a weight. And so when the opportunity for escape presented itself in the form of Egypt, Leith had been more than eager to leave.

He had left everyone and everything he had ever known and had journeyed down to the distant lands of Egypt where he set out to forget about Scotland and the highlands And he had been quite successful,

he mused. He had fought off every pang of longing and homesickness and forced himself to push on.

Yes, he had, until the messenger had come to the fields where he worked. There was a letter for him, the boy had said. The boy had not said who it was from but Leith knew it was from his father. No one else could have any need to write him a letter. As Leith walked up to the letter-room, he ran a list of reasons why his father could write to him and came up with no reason.

It did not matter anyway, he told himself. Like the letters before this one, he would read them and dispose of them without replying, things were better off that way.

Leith walked into the room and with a nod to the letter-man, he picked up his letter and walked out. He headed to the stables near the fields in which he worked because he knew he could be alone there.

With a resigned sigh, he ripped open the envelope. After seconds of reading, he cursed fluently. He had thought he had more time. The letter held the clan’s official seal and not his da’s. Well, well, well... Leith gave a half-smile to himself. ‘Tis time to return home.

He will be here soon. Her eyes shot open at the man's voice. She did not have to open her eyes to know who he was, but she did anyway. He will be here soon, woman. he repeated. For some reason, he has chosen ye for him. That matters nae. He will meet ye ready and willing. Or else... He let his words hang and walked out.

Oh, how she hated him. She hated every bone in his body and every hair on his flesh. She would be free one day. She would be able to escape and take that which mattered with her. With such thoughts, she rested her head back on her makeshift pillow. Soon, she promised herself, very soon.

Chapter 1

Leith walked into Àite Sìthe lands fighting off his emotions. Things were still the same here, he realized. The wee lassies and lads still played in the same places he had played as a child. The women still sold their wares in the same corners and the men were as hard at work as ever.

As much as he attempted to deny it, he was afraid. He would be seeing his da after seven long years. He had missed him, he finally agreed. He had missed Scotland, as a whole. But he was home, finally. He wondered if he had truly been selfish to leave his da all alone while he toured Egypt’s lands.

It didn’t matter, however, he told himself. He was home and he would make amends.

After pausing for the briefest of seconds, Leith stepped onto the castle grounds.

Who goes there?

Lei— He had started to give only his name but paused. These were the highlanders and things went differently. Leith Duncan Àite Sìthe of the Àite Sìthe Clan.

A guard’s head peeped from behind the gates before they opened.

Mi Lord. The guard’s bow was swift. We have been expecting you. Come.

Leith allowed himself to be led away towards what he knew to be the inner chambers."

Mi Lord. A woman’s high pitched exclamation sounded in the hallways and instantly, Leith knew who she was.

Mirabella. He hugged the plump cook with rosy cheeks.

Oh, Mi Lord, I didnae ken we would ever see yer face. She pinched his cheeks as though his and not hers were plump. So terrible that such a tragedy had to bring ye home. Ye have been missed Mi Lord.

What tragedy- Leith’s question was cut short by the deep baritone of another voice Leith recognized.

Mi Lord, after so many years. The man bowed deeply. Welcome home, Mi Lord.

Leith turned to face his father’s chief advisor and gave him a generous smile. Frazier, ‘Tis nice to see yer again. Does mi father ken I have arrived? he asked. The cook gave a gasp at his words.

Leith turned to stare at the woman and then at the faces of all present who had suddenly gone white. Frazier, where is my da? Leith asked.

Silence was the only response Leith got and it infuriated him. He disliked un-replied questions. Frazier, Leith repeated in a deathly cool voice, Where is my da?

Frazier turned to all the people present. Excuse us, please.

When the men and women had walked out, Frazier coughed and turned to Leith. Please come this way, Mi Lord.

Leith gave a dry laugh and followed him. I must warn ye that my patience grows very thin, Frazier.

Aye, Mi Lord.

Leith followed Frazier with multiple questions on his mind. Had his father refused to see him again? Had he disowned him? Was he no longer his heir/ Why wouldn't he want to see him?

Have a seat, MiLord, Frazier said as they stepped into the meeting room. He offered him the seat closest to the fireplace.

Leith lost his patience quickly. Frazier. He drew out the name like it had a bitter taste in his mouth. I have even littler patience than I had seven years ago. Where. Is. He.

He's dead, Mi Lord. Leith's eyes shot up to Frazier, who was looking everywhere but at him.

What? Leith’s voice was barely a whisper.

Our clan chief is dead, Mi Lord.

But that is not... When? Leith asked. When did he die?

A day after he sent the letter, Mi Lord. I am sorry.

Leith laughed quietly.  Suddenly the room seemed hotter than minutes before. How did he die?

In his sleep. We had him examined by the doctor, Peter, ye remember him?

Leith nodded his head but said nothing more.

I will leave ye alone while I prepare the meeting room for a meeting with all the advisors.

Once more, Leith nodded his head but said nothing. When the click of the door announced Frazier’s exit, Leith stood up. Like a man in a trance, he reached into his britches and pulled out his father’s letter.

Order ye to come back home. He read out. Of unequalled importance... The fate of Àite Sìthe... Expect you within... Leith crumpled the paper and threw it into the fireplace.

I should have left earlier, Leith told himself. He fought off the rational voice that reminded him that he had left the day after receiving the summons and that even though he had left the same day, it would would never had been soon enough.

Leith walked over to the wall and rested his forehead against it. He never should have left, he told himself. Leith threw his fists against the walls repeatedly, trying to feel pain anywhere except his heart where it hurt the most.

The knock on the door interrupted his punches. Mi Lord, the meeting commences soon. Can ye find yer way to the meeting room?

Aye, I can Frazier. Leith heard his footsteps as he walked away.

Leith walked into the meeting room like he had not a care in the world. He nodded at the greetings received on his way and even in the hall before taking his seat at the head of the table.

Welcome, Mi Lord. Frazier started, ignoring his bleeding fists. We called this meeting because there are things ye ought to ken. He paused. As ye ken already, ye are the Tainistear, the heir, and ye must begin yer duties soon enough. He looked at Leith who remained impassive. With yer approval, we will schedule yer coronation service three days from now.

Why three? Leith interrupted.

Well... Frazier coughed. To give you time to adjust to being home from all those years in Egypt. You see, there are certain aspects we are yet to touch...

Once more, Leith interrupted him. Frazier... Leith reached for an apple on the table and bit into it. Yer concern is generous, but I will be fine. The coronation holds on the morrow. That will be enough time, nay?

Aye, Frazier said with a hint of doubt. Ye should also ken that it was decided by yer father that ye will be wed on that same day.

Leith arched his eyebrow. As ye can see, Frazier, I came off that ship alone, I have no betrothed that I can wed at such short notice. That will have to wait.

Well, ye see... One of the other advisors stood. He was a beady-eyed and stocky man. Ye see, the Chief already had a woman picked out for ye.

When did this happen? Leith asked, apple forgotten.

She was captured three months ago-

Captured? I will wed no unwilling maiden.

She is nae- The stocky man started to say but was cut short by Frazier.

Originally, she was captured but the chief released from her slavery the moment he saw her. She is free and nae a slave. Some weeks ago, for reasons known only to the Chief, he asked her to sign a betrothal agreement which she readily did.

The woman has never lain her eyes on me. How could she want to- Leith paused. Surely this is revocable, Frazier, did he..?

Aye. Frazier nodded solemnly.

Leith cursed fluently. His father had signed the contract with the clan’s seal. Breaking it was unheard of.

Very well. Leith nodded. We shall be wed. Aught else?

The advisors looked at each other before Frazier responded with a shake of his head. Nay, that is all.

If that be the case, men, till the coronation tomorrow. The advisors stood and the meeting was annulled.

Have my private chambers been prepared?

Nay. As Tainistear and soon to be chief, ye are to inhabit yer father’s quarters. Frazier led him to the inner chambers. Ye will find that the chamber has been made ready for ye. He looked down at Leith’s hands. I will send a chamber maid with a cool rag for yer fists. He turned to go. When he got to the exit, he turned back. Mi Lord?"

Aye? Leith replied.

‘Tis a good thing yer home.

Chapter 2

Leith ran the sharp razor over his overgrown beard. Like the ones on his head, they were pitch black and shone from wetness. He had refused to let his father's valet tend to his dressing, preferring to groom  himself the way he had back in Egypt. He remembered how the first few weeks had been after he had arrived there. By choice, he had gone without servants to tend to him. He had always been a little bit muscular, but