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Chapter 1

“Do you ever wish but for a o back in time?” Genevieve McInnis whispered as she stood in theof the tiny tower room that had been appointed to her more than a year past

The su in the sky, and yet she could sense darkness Kneas coomerys would not allow the injustice done to one of their own, and now the whole of the McHugh clan—or as left of it—would pay the price for Ian McHugh’s daring

She should be afraid, but she’d long ago accepted her fate Her possible mortality She didn’t fear it as she once s than death, as she’d discovered So another day Enduring Those things took strength Far

The wind picked up, blowing cool on her face, relieving the sting of the sun Her question whispered softly in her ears, as if the wind had gathered it up and carried it back on its wings

If only she’d never h If only she’d stayed in her chamber that fateful day when he’d arrived at court and had become instantly obsessed with her

But his obsession hadn’t been lis Women They were objects he viewed as possessions He was like a petulant child guarding his favorite toys If he couldn’t have her, then no man would

It was the saomery, a woman who, like Genevieve, had spurned Ian’s advances This ti clan, and he’d paid for it with his life Graeainst his wife and had spitted Ian on his sword in front of the whole of the McHugh clan

And now the entire clan waited with anxious worry for the return of the Montgohable as that thought was—had fled only this oe his wife As Genevieve had prayed that he would

Finally Finally, she would have at least a hope of freedom

Patrick was no laird Ian had run roughshod over his father froe Ian made the decisions Ian bullied his father Ian had ruled in Patrick’s stead for years now All that was left for it was for Patrick to step aside and name Ian as his successor

Only now the clan lay in ruins Many had fled, avoiding the inevitable bloodbath that would surely occur Others had stayed only because there was no place for theo

Such was the case with Genevieve

Where would she go?

To her family, she was dead Believed killed in an ambush as her party h had swept in, slaughtering every lasther to her intended husband’s holding He’d borne Genevieve back to his own keep, vowing that no man save he would ever possess her

It was a vow he’d kept

She raised her hand to touch the scarher left cheek She closed her eyes to prevent the sting of tears There was naught crying did for the e of tears and self-pity

When she’d rebuffed Ian’s advances after her capture, as she’d done the first tie had known no bounds He’d slashed her face with his knife, swearing before God that no ain look upon her with desire

He was right Nobut horror She’d witnessed too many times the instant recoil when she turned her head and the scar came into view

And in the end it hadn’t mattered that she’d refused Ian’s advances, because he’d taken what he wanted, over and over, until she had no defense against hination

She hated herself for that Shame and humiliation were her constant companions, and now that he was dead she wanted only to be free of this place

But where would she go?

Indeed, where would she go?

She closed her eyes, willing her anxious heart to stop tightening in her chest Dread was squeezing her breathless, and she knew she was on borrowed timent—awaited her

The door to the tiny prison that had served as her chamber flew open, and Taliesan liht

“Whatever are we to do?” Taliesan whispered “Surely we are dooomery laird will never have mercy on us Not after what Ian and his father did to the Montgomery lass ”

Taliesan was cousin to the McHugh laird’s late wife The entire McHugh clan consisted of distant relations and a band ofcast out of their own She was the only friendly face in a sea of animosity that emanated from the other clansmen

Genevieve never understood what she’d done to encourage such hatred toward her She certainly wasn’t here of her own volition And the rest of the clan well knew it She’d done no harh the same could not be said for her

She winced as the words whore and harlot echoed in her ears The insults were hurled at her on a regular basis, and she’d hardened herself to the pain and humiliation they caused

She hat Ian McHugh hadmore She wouldn’t bear the blame for the actions of another Nor could she spend the rest of her life languishing in regret for what hadn’t been her choosing

“Have you heard of their approach?” she asked Taliesan

Taliesan nodded, her eyes darkening further in dread “Aye, I have The watchoined, for the Ar army accompanies them They come united ”

“Sweet Jesu,” Genevieve whispered in horror “They mean to kill us all ”

’Twas the last thing Genevieve had ever wanted Aye, she’d drea, horrible death, and she’d been cheated of that when Graeh with his sword His death was far too quick and merciful for the manner of man he was

She whispered a heartfelt prayer that her sins wouldn’t be the death of them all All she wanted was a chance An opportunity to be free She wanted to live instead of existing in a constant state of fear and humiliation ’Twas not so much to ask for, was it?

“What do we do, Genevieve?” Taliesan asked in a voice hoarse with fear

Genevieve squared her shoulders, her spine stiffening with resolve And pride “We must see to the women and the children The men will have to face the consequences of the laird’s foolhardiness ’Tis naught to be done about it except throw ourselves on the s and pray they are indeed merciful ”

Genevieve swept past Taliesan, and when she stepped just outside the door she turned, her voice cracking like a whip

“Coather the others If we are to face our doom, let it be with pride Pride that Ian and his father failed to demonstrate If the men of this clan won’t do justice to their name, then ’tis left to the women to stand up ”

Taliesan’s own features tightened and her chin notched upward “Aye, you are right ”

Genevieve slowed her pace to ait and pulled the hood of her cloak over her head to hide her face

She would gather the women and children of the clan into one chamber, and then she would appeal to the sensibilities of the Montgomery leader

It occurred to her that she owed this clan nothing That, even now, she should be fleeing and taking advantage of her only chance for the one thing that had been denied her