The first born son of the Laird to the largest clan on the boarder is one of three identical triplets. But nobody really knows which one was born first! So who will rule? The king will decide. Or will he? To keep peace in the highlands and unite the boarder lands the king feels all three men must have a clan to rule. Since all three are unwed, he chooses brides for them that will result in each of the triplets having a clan to rule and a wife to create heirs with. Assuming the laird named his first son after himself, the king weds Griogair to the second daughter of the clan to the west. He and Eliana would stay on MacInnis land, uniting it through marriage with the MacDonald clan that stretched from their boarder to the west coast. He wed the remaining brothers to clans that had only women as direct heirs. Padraig to the widow Fraiser and Alasdair to the young Isobel whose father owned the land on the east coast. But the men have other ideas. This is a game the men have played since they were small. Padraig tosses a silver coin and his brother's nod, instantly swapping identities as smoothly as taking a step. Will anyone notice they have each chosen their own wife? Just as nobody knows which son was first born, few can tell them apart. Certainly not the emissary or clergy sent by the king! But when the truth comes to light, will it all unravel?
View MoreAs the sound of the pipe music picked up into a lively song Paddy looked around at the hastily prepared feast and smiled. The clan had certainly done their best to pull things together in a short time. The hall smelled wonderful, the tables were strewn with early spring flowers, and they had managed to create many wonderful dishes. At first, he had taken some ribbing from his man at arms, one of the few who called him Paddy. The man had said the same as Lia, that he should call him Gair from now on. All in all, though, the clan was happy for him. Only a few knew of their older handfasts, but most knew of the one two years ago so they were happy that he finally had the woman he loved. They honestly seemed to be trying to make his wife welcome, too. Though for some reason no one maid seemed to be caring for Lia. Every time he turned around it was a different one heading up the stairs. Perhaps that was normal though, he couldn’t remember how many maids had tended to any of his stepmothers
“I was young and scared.”“Of what?”“At first, I was worried we’d have nowhere to live. Both our fathers were against the match. How would we live if they both kicked us out?” “You didn’t trust me to provide for you.”“I was young, Paddy. The first time you asked Ellie had only been gone a short while. I’m not sure I even have ten summers! You certainly hadn’t more than five and ten since you had very little hair on your face. I was not aware of any existence outside of Lady and maid. I did not want to live the life of a maid, your father did not want me here, and you had no other castle to take me to. It was a few years after that before I could have legally wed anyway.”“What about after my father’s funeral? You had a woman’s body then and I had the keep for us to live in. You were even willing to couple with me, you just would not stay here with me.”“I wanted to be with you, but I wanted to be there for my mother while she was so ill. Besides, that was only part of it. I only cam
Padraig watched from the tower as his brothers rode off towards the northeast with the emissary and the king’s guard. He clenched his jaw and scowled as they disappeared over the rise. Worry and guilt were starting to eat away at him as he began to focus in on what this meant for Griogair. He himself finally had all he had ever wanted. Lia was his legally wedded wife, and the MacInnis clan was his to run. Alasdair and Mairead would be happy as well. If word had been sent that her husband had died, Dair probably would have gone to her before the man had been put in the ground. With this contract the two clans were roughly the same size, so Dair would do well. Gair however... If the clan was a poor one or the Sinclair lass was not to his liking, Paddy didn’t know how he and Dair could ever repay their brother for this risk he had taken to ensure they were happy.With the entire group out of sight, Paddy went back into the tower and took the stairs down to his chambers where he had left
Eliana could feel herself trembling as they climbed the stairs, but Padraig kept such a tight grip on her that even when her foot missed the step she did not appear to have stumbled. She looked around the room as Padraig barred the door and got the emissary seated next to the window with a drink in his hand. The room was nice, though a bit barren and could definitely use a woman’s touch. When she looked back at her husband he held her eyes as he walked toward her. She had coupled with Padraig before and knew what to expect, but never before had there been another in the room. In fact, they had always been hidden in an old hunting lodge with absolutely nobody else around. Or once they’d been by the river, but even then they had been sure they would not be seen.Padraig stepped around her and slid her hair from her back over one shoulder so that it fell down the front of her dress and gave him free access to her laces. She'd worn it down on purpose, knowing how much he liked to run his
Eliana looked around the hall and sighed. It had been so long since her family had visited that she did not remember this castle at all. When they had come for the old Laird's funeral they had stayed outside, and two years ago when she had run here to wed Paddy and stay with him, they’d stayed in a croft for a night of privacy. Had the keep always looked so empty? She remembered feasts with more sweets than she was permitted at home. There had been music and games here too. Had there been decorations? More furniture? She couldn't recall having even looked to see. Perhaps it was her view of it that had changed now that she was grown. Or perhaps because today was not a day of celebration. This keep was clean enough and in good shape, but it did not look like the grande hall of a wealthy clan. Perhaps they simply did not waste coin on frivolous finery the way her father had wont to do. If her parent’s home had been more simply decorated, would her father have been able to keep his taxes
When the bells began to sound, Padraig MacInnis was already on his horse. He and half a dozen of his men rode through the gates before the tolling stopped. Being the first to rise regularly had benefits. He was the first to eat. The first to hunt. And today there was no brother had been nearby to stop him from heading out to greet their visitors. He spurred his steed on, the animal’s hooves pounding the dirt road faster than was necessary for a welcoming party, but Padraig wanted to be sure neither of his brothers could overtake them. They always tried to keep him from speaking with people from outside the clan and he was sick of it. The way they had divided the tasks made the days monotonous and was proving to make it difficult to run the clan’s affairs smoothly. Someone needed to be in charge. One ruling brother and the others supporting him. That was the way a clan was supposed to be run. His father's will had decreed differently though, and his brothers would not concede to put hi
Padraig sat behind his young wife as she dangled her bare feet over the edge of the rock face into the water. Pin by pin he took the braid out of her hair and let the dark waves flow down her back. She liked her hair up. He liked it down. She would get used to the feel of it. Already she wasn't protesting that he was undoing it.He ran his fingers through the soft waves and brought it to his nose, jasmine. She always smelled like jasmine. The scent of her had haunted his dreams for as long as he could remember. He pulled the hair over her shoulder and kissed her neck as he wrapped his arm around her and cupped her breast in his palm. “I’m going to lay you out under that tree over there and lick you from your ears down to your toes.” Eliana shivered in his arms. They had coupled twice already this day, and still, he craved her. The way her body moved when he was inside her drove him wild like no other woman ever had.“Do you think we will feel like this every day Paddy or is it only tod
Padraig sat behind his young wife as she dangled her bare feet over the edge of the rock face into the water. Pin by pin he took the braid out of her hair and let the dark waves flow down her back. She liked her hair up. He liked it down. She would get used to the feel of it. Already she wasn't protesting that he was undoing it.He ran his fingers through the soft waves and brought it to his nose, jasmine. She always smelled like jasmine. The scent of her had haunted his dreams for as long as he could remember. He pulled the hair over her shoulder and kissed her neck as he wrapped his arm around her and cupped her breast in his palm. “I’m going to lay you out under that tree over there and lick you from your ears down to your toes.” Eliana shivered in his arms. They had coupled twice already this day, and still, he craved her. The way her body moved when he was inside her drove him wild like no other woman ever had.“Do you think we will feel like this every day Paddy or is it only tod
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