Duncan: McClains, #6

By Kirsten Osbourne

Alana McKay is an independent woman in 15th century Scotland who has been raised by her father to do all the things a man would do.  After her father tried to arrange a marriage for her with a man she loathed, he set up tournaments in which the winner would marry Alana.

Refusing to be anyone's prize, Alana set out on her gelding in the dead of night with only a small amount of food and her keen sense of survival to keep her alive.

When a woman rode onto McClain lands slumped over her horse and sound asleep, Duncan—the future laird—took her into his home to give her refuge. Her intense beauty had him praying she was not yet married and could soon be his wife.

When Alana awoke, she was mesmerized by the handsome man who had come to her rescue, but all the rumors about this clan made her wonder if she was in a place she shouldn't be, but the kindness of the McClains spoke volumes.

Marrying within days of meeting, Alana fell in love with her new husband quickly. But what would happen to her sister, whom she'd left behind? And would her love ever be returned?    

• Language: English
• Publisher: Unlimited Dreams
• Release date: Jun 10, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223064282

Book preview

Sign up for instant notification of all of Kirsten’s New Releases http://www.kirstenandmorganna.com/newsletter

Chapter One

Alana McKay stood looking out her window at the men gathered there, each hoping to be the next laird of Clan McKay. She had no desire to marry the man the games chose for her, though her sister, just one year younger and nineteen summers, would happily marry the first man that asked. Elspeth had in her head that any man was better than no man.

When she’d refused to marry her father’s political choice, he’d called for a great tournament. Any man could enter, and he would be judged on the merits of swordsmanship, marksmanship, and leadership. It was all Alana could do not to grab her own bow and arrow, and simply open fire on the men there to win her hand.

The more she thought about the idea, the more she knew it wasn’t the right answer. But to see Lachlan Sinclair strutting around her clan’s grounds, looking for all the world as if he knew he would win the games, made her angry enough to spit out the window, but she didn’t do that either. She’d refused to marry him when her father chose him, and she would refuse to marry him now.

Instead, Alana plotted her escape from life. From all of Clan McKay. Her mother had died years before, and it was only her sister Elspeth and her—along with their clansmen who helped tidy the keep—who remained. Her father wouldn’t care that she was missing, only because he would have to find another solution for finding his successor. Hopefully he would realize Elspeth could marry and forget all about her.

She knew it wasn’t considered safe to travel alone, but she also knew that she’d been taught to defend herself. All her life, her father had treated her as he would a son. He’d taught her to hunt, fish, and ride. She was better with a bow and arrow than most of her father’s men were, and she wasn’t about to marry a man she could outshoot. Why should she? She would marry a man who cared for her.

Sighing dramatically, she wondered if she was just like Elspeth, looking for a marriage filled with love, and not just a political match. Of course, the difference was, Elspeth would happily marry any man, and Alana felt a great deal more particular.

She walked to the trunk that held all of her belongings and pulled out two extra plaids and a piece of cloth to wrap them in. She would steal a loaf of bread from the kitchen, and perhaps some oatcakes. With her bow and arrows, she would need little else.

Now, she had to wait for nightfall to leave. She had to be paraded in front of the men, eating at the foot of the table, so they could gaze upon her at supper time, but once her father was asleep, she would fetch her gelding, take her clothes, and her bow and arrows, and she would leave Clan McKay forever. Marrying the man who won her was not something she would ever agree to. Nay, she’d let Elspeth do that.

All through supper, she felt the eyes of the men who had come to win her hand. For a moment, she tried to guess which guests were there for her reputed beauty, and which were there for the title of laird.

There was no real way to tell, however. The man seated beside her was to no one’s surprise, Lachlan. The man smelled to high heaven, and he kept accidentally brushing his leg against hers under the table.

Finally, she’d had enough. Glaring at him, she said, Please stop touching me. Whether you win these games or not, you will not ever have the right to touch me.

Is that so? Lachlan leaned toward her, the smell from his breath enough to knock her down.

Aye, it is.

At those words, he stopped hiding his touch from others, reaching over and grabbing her breast. Her father didn’t look like he cared enough to do a single thing, so Alana took care of the situation herself. She dumped his food into his lap, and stood up, walking straight for the stairs and her room.

Once she reached her room, she gave into the feelings she’d had for weeks and threw herself down on her bed and sobbed. She would rather die than marry Lachlan, and she didn’t care who knew it.

After the sounds of rejoicing ended from the floor below her, Elspeth slipped into her room, quiet as a mouse as she always was. I canna believe Lachlan dared to touch ye that way at the table!

I willna marry him. Ever.

No one could expect ye to after that. Elspeth shook her head. The man is deranged.

He is, Alana said. I’m leaving tonight Elspeth. I canna marry to make Father happy. Ye were raised to be a delicate lady, and I was not. I hope that ye will do whatever it takes to become the bride of the man winning, provided that man isna Lachlan of course. I believe I would come back and shoot him meself if he tried to take you for a bride.

Elspeth smiled and nodded. I think that is a smart plan. I will get what I want, and ye willna be forced to marry.

Please, try to talk Father out of coming after me, and offer yourself as prize. Tis all I ask of ye.

I will. I promise. Elspeth looked sad for a moment. But I will miss ye, sister. Ye have always been someone I admire and look up to.

Thank ye, sister. You are all I shall miss about this place. Ever since Father got it into his head that I must marry, I have been unhappy here. I enjoy hunting and acting like a lad as Father taught me to do when I was young. I willna be his political pawn.

But I will happily.

Alana hugged her sister close. I will pray for you every day.

As I will pray for you.

When Elspeth left the room to go to her own, Alana knew in her heart it was the last time she would see her sister. But it was the right thing to do. Elspeth would be happy, and Alana would be free.

AS DUNCAN WAS TRAINING with his father’s men, he spotted a horse with a person slumped over. He nodded to his uncle who always trained the men, and he hurried over to see about the person on the horse.

Getting closer, he realized it was a lady atop the horse. Reaching over, he plucked the woman off the back of the horse, nodding to his brother James, who had followed them. Take the horse to the stables.

James knew the hierarchy of the brothers and did as he was told. Even though Duncan was the youngest of the seven McClain sons, he was to be the next laird of Clan McClain. In their family, it was always the seventh son who inherited, and not the eldest as in most families.

As the seventh son, Duncan had a power he could use. He had yet to find an instance where he could use his power for the good of the clan, but he was certain he would someday. Making water dance just didn’t seem to be a thing that could help in battle.

He looked down at the lady in his arms, wondering