A Sinful Night with a Scot – Bonus Prologue
One month before Laird Gunn’s wedding…
“I still dinnae think this is a good idea,” Alisdair growled.
Keane heaved a sigh of frustration as he stood beside his closest companion and advisor. “I am getting tired o’ hearing the same warning repeated.”
“Dae ye think I care?” Alisdair retorted. “What ye’re doing is madness, and I will continue tae tell ye that until I change yer mind.”
“Nae going tae happen,” Keane spat.
Alisdair threw him a glance. “We’ll see.”
The two men were standing beside a tavern in a village where they did not belong. In fact, if they were discovered, they would have a hard time explaining themselves. These were Laird Gunn’s clan lands and one laird usually did not encroach on another laird’s lands without permission. And that was who Keane was. Laird Keane Mackay, of Clan Mackay.
The two were adorned in peasant’s garb to try and blend in, their hoods pulled up to hide their features. With wineskins in hand, they were trying to emulate drunkards, but anyone who gave them more than a passing glance could tell they were warriors.
No matter his attire, Keane could not hide his height and muscular build. His long blonde hair and blue eyes also made him appear more Viking than Scots. While Alisdair was leaner with darker hair, the scar that ran across his jawline betrayed his frequency in combat. In fact, he was one of the best warriors in the Mackay Clan.
They were waiting. They had been waiting for a while now, but soon enough, she would show herself. The information they had been given was solid, from a source Keane trusted. His own scouts, in fact, for it was they who had done the leg work for him.
“How are we going tae ken her when she gets here?” Alisdair murmured, keeping his voice low as several villagers wandered past them.
“We’ll ken. She’ll be the one with several guards following her. Laird Gunn is worried his soon-tae-be bride might be a target. He’s right tae be worried, fer she is.”
“She doesnae need tae be,” Alisdair replied.
Keane snorted and shook his head. Are ye ever going tae quit, Alisdair?
Another half an hour passed, and the two watched the villagers set up stalls for the market. Thursday was market day, and according to his scouts, Lady Elspeth Munro had travelled to the market for the last few weeks she had been staying at Laird Gunn’s castle. Their wedding was a month away, and thus, Keane had been surprised to learn that she was there already. Maybe she was keen to be wed. Or maybe Gunn didn’t want her out of his sight. Either way, it didn’t matter. The man had to pay for what he had done.
A little while later, he heard Alisdair hiss beside him. “There.”
Careful to not make any sudden movements and bring attention to himself, Keane pretended to stumble a little, as any drunk might, while at the same time, turning his head slowly.
At first, he only saw huge guards and nothing more. But as they approached the market, the guards moved forward, and Keane got his first glimpse of Lady Munro.
“Holy God,” he breathed.
“Aye, ye could say that,” Alisdair murmured.
Keane could not take his eyes off her. He had seen some beautiful women in his life, but nothing that could compare to this lass’s beauty. She looked almost angelic. Her skin was pale, with high cheekbones and a defined jawline, highlighting a long neck. Her raven-black hair was tied intricately upon her head. She was tall and slender, with a graceful regal beauty about her that one might immediately be drawn too. Which is exactly what happened, for as she passed, every one of the villagers stopped to look at her. She greeted them with a soft smile. It lit up her eyes, and only enhanced how stunning she was.
“And that’s the lass ye want tae murder, is it?” Alisdair said. His friend had now turned to look at him, his brows hitched high on his forehead. “Are ye entirely mad?”
While another man might have doubted himself, Keane felt little guilt or remorse. Over the last nine months, from the time Laird Gunn had murdered his father in front of his very eyes, his heart had grown dark. Revenge was all he sought, and he didn’t care how he got it. If one lass had to die to punish the man, it was no concern to him.
“It’s just a lass,” Keane growled.
“That is nae just a lass,” Alisdair blurted. “Look at her. I wouldnae condone ye killing any lass, whoever she is, but that woman looks like the gods carved her face with their bare hands.”
“He has tae pay,” Keane snarled.
“Aye. He,” Alisdair said pointedly. “Nae she.” He jerked his head in the direction of the market.
But Keane looked away and ignored his friends’ words. Nothing anyone could say to him could sway him now. His mind was made up.
“I want tae get a closer look,” he said, pushing himself off the wall he had been leaning on.
“Keane!” Alisdair hissed.
But it was too late. Keane was already wandering, albeit in a drunken state to keep up his cover, in the direction of the market. He didn’t head straight for her. That would have been foolish. The men surrounding her were alert, their eyes darting from one person to another. They were doing a fine job, he would give them that.
Instead, he moved further down the market, pretending to look at the wares on sale. The punters talked to him, trying to influence him to purchase, but once Keane eyed them with a dark stare, they immediately stopped talking.
While he was at one end of the market, Lady Munro was at the other, and subtly, he made his way towards her. He paid her little attention, only keeping her location known in his periphery. A moment later, Alisdair was by his side.
“This is madness, Keane,” he hissed, as they continued. “Are ye trying tae get us killed?”
“They’re nae going tae pay any attention tae a couple o’ drunks,” Keane said darkly.
Secretly, a part of him hoped the guards would start something. The idea of killing them and then the lass in the middle of one of Gunn’s own village appealed to him even more. What a message that would send. The man would be more than humiliated then.
But Alisdair was right. It was too risky. He had no doubt he would defeat the guards. The rage that whirled inside him gave him the strength of ten men, and he would not stop striking until every one of them were dead. But by that time, the woman might have made her escape and he would lose the chance to kill her.
He would also lose the element of surprise, for Gunn would triple every guard afterward. He might even move the wedding, and Keane could not have that. A plan had already been in the works doe some time.
She was now only a few feet away. So tempted was he to do something, anything, just to prove to Gunn that he or his bride-to-be were never going to be safe. He began to move into her path, but Alisdair, sensing his intent, suddenly grabbed him.
“Ye are a silly old bastard,” he cried out, his words slurred as he wielded his wine skin.
Alisdair pushed him so hard that they both stumbled into a stall, knocking the pots over that were neatly stacked on it. Alisdair continued his drunken rant as Lady Munro and the guards passed them. While the guards snarled in their direction, Lady Munro frowned in concern. Her eyes locked on Keane, and he glowered back at her. So fierce was his stare, that she quickly pulled her eyes away.
Several minutes later, Alisdair and Keane were hurrying out of the village.
“What the devil is wrong with ye?” Alisdair spat. “Ye might have a death wish, me friend, but I dinnae.”
“It isnae me who is going tae die, Alisdair,” Keane retorted. “Come. We will mak’ our way home. I have plans tae mak’.”
His plan would be big, and bold and brash. A clear message to Laird Gunn that he had messed with the wrong family. The man was going to suffer. Keane was going to make certain of it. He just had to work out the finer details.
Laird Gunn’s wedding day would be unforgettable for all the wrong reasons.
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Poor Lady Munro has no idea of what is about to happen. It’ll be fun to see what Keane has up his sleeve, in his task to make an “impression” on Lady Elsbeth 🙂 Super start, Fiona!
Thank you so much for your kind words, my dear Young at Heart! 😊 Oh, you’re absolutely right—Lady Munro is in for quite the surprise! Keane always has a trick or two up his sleeve, and I promise their journey will be full of twists and sparks. I’m so glad you’re enjoying the start! 💖📚