Swept Away with a Scot – Bonus Prologue
2 months earlier…
James sank into the leather armchair with a sigh as weary as his bones. He let his eyes slip shut, the details of the room turning fuzzy at first and then disappearing behind his closed eyelids. Nothing but the dull glow of the morning sun remained, streaming in through the window, pale in comparison to the bright flames that blazed in the fireplace.
His father’s study had never been his favorite place in the castle. People came and went at all times of the day—maids, guards, council members, all of them either requesting something from his father or reporting to him. Even as a child, James had never enjoyed being in that room, where he could never get any peace.
Now, there was no one there but him and his brother, and the room was plunged in a blessed silence. Still, James knew it wouldn’t last long.
His body ached from the battle and the wounds he had sustained. One night’s sleep was nowhere near enough to allow him and Edward to recover from the effects of the fight, and though the war was, for all intents and purposes, over, there were still negotiations to be made. Clan MacGregor may have come out of it victorious, but the work was not yet done.
Just as he had expected, the door soon opened with a creak and his father walked inside. He and Edward sat up straighter, making to stand before their father motioned to them to stay where they were. He was getting older, James noticed; his dark hair was rapidly graying and his face was etched by time. Across from him, Edward looked the spitting image of him—only thirty years younger.
“Ye did well, both of ye,” their father said as a maid who followed him through the open door to his study walked in with a silver tray, carrying a pitcher of wine and three cups. Silently, she poured wine for them all and then remained by the laird’s side until she was dismissed, scurrying out of the room. “Very few casualties this time. Ye saved many lives, lads.”
James was relieved to hear that. He hadn’t had the chance to tally up the men himself, exhausted and wounded as he had been. Even now, he was supposed to be resting, but his father had requested both him and Edward to be present, claiming he had something important to say.
What could be more important than sleep?
James hadn’t even managed to take a bath and was still covered in grime and blood, save for the skin around his wounds, where the healer had cleaned him up. Surely, whatever his father wanted to tell them could wait just a little longer.
“Yer work has kept our clan safe… fer now,” his father continued, pinning James with his gaze. “Victory was ours but… it is time tae secure the future of the clan.”
“The future of the clan?” Edward asked with a small chuckle, tilting his head to the side in confusion. “Are we nae the future of the clan?”
“The long-term future,” said their father. “Were something to happen tae the two of ye, there is nae one else to take over once I’m gone. And with so many conflicts lately, it is better tae be cautious. It is better to anticipate things afore they happen.”
Lovely… we just survived a battle and we must think about our own deaths!
“James,” his father continued, and James jumped a little in his seat, surprised to be addressed in his half-asleep state. “It is time fer ye tae have an heir.”
James couldn’t help but snort at that, the sound sudden and inelegant. But under his father’s scathing gaze, he straightened up a little once more, schooling his expression into a serious one.
“I believe there are a few steps that must be taken afore I can have an heir,” he pointed out. “Most notably, finding a wife.”
“That will be arranged,” his father said with a dismissive wave of his hand, as though the matter of his future wife was the least of anyone’s concerns. James couldn’t help but frown. Did he already have someone in mind? Had he already arranged for him to meet a few noble women and have his pick?
Would James be able to do it when the time came?
It seemed cruel to him, lining them up like cattle for him to choose the best one. Perhaps it would be better if he were the one to visit the women instead of having them all visit him.
“Alright,” said James, a little doubtfully. He had always known this day would come, and even he had to admit that it was about time. He had reached his twenty-eighth year. He had lived a noble bachelor’s life with all the comforts and pleasures such a life brought with it. Even though he hadn’t given the matter of his marriage much thought, the idea didn’t trouble him very much. “How much time dae I have?”
“Ye’ll need tae complete yer pilgrimage first,” said his father, and James drew in a deep sigh.
Of course—there was always the pilgrimage. Every man in the MacGregor family had to take it before getting married, and now it was time for James to do the same. He would have to sail to the Isle of Rum and seek his blessing from St. Cuthbert’s relic—the saint’s finger bone, which had been kept on the island ever since his death.
It was an honor to be part of this tradition, to join the long line of MacGregors who had undertaken the very same journey in order to get the blessing. It was yet another milestone in his life, one he revered more than any other.
He would much rather not go alone, but he had no choice. He couldn’t take anyone with him, not even Edward.
“Of course, Faither,” James said. “I’ll make sure to prepare the proper arrangements fer me travels.”
“Good,” said his father with a nod. “Good… I would think that two or three months should be sufficient fer us tae arrange everything. The journey itself shouldnae take ye more than two weeks and then once ye return, we shall find ye a proper wife.”
“Make sure she’s bonnie,” Edward teased and their father cracked a small smile.
“Aye, aye… I ken how ye lads think,” he said. “Ye think I havenae seen how ye act with the maids?”
To his credit, Edward didn’t try to deny it, though his cheeks turned a bright red. James couldn’t help but laugh at him. Though Edward was now a man, only four years younger than James, he would never stop being his baby brother.
“Ach, Faither,” both James and Edward said at the same time. James couldn’t resist the urge to roll his eyes at his father. For years, he had been saying the same thing, claiming he didn’t have long—that the next winter would take him, that the next battle would kill him. And yet, he was still there, alive and well, with no signs of slowing down.
It’s the battles… he cannae fight anymore, so he thinks his life is over.
But just because he couldn’t fight like he used to didn’t mean he was weak. Every time the healer took a look at him, she always assured them all he was perfectly healthy.
“And even if I dae,” his father continued, unfazed, “I cannae sire more heirs. It’s yer duty now. Both of ye must wed soon.”
“Why should I wed?” Edward asked in indignation. “James should wed! He’s the firstborn.”
Their father’s gaze slid from James to Edward, entirely unimpressed. “That daesnae mean ye dinnae have a duty tae this clan as well,” he said. “Sooner or later, ye’ll have tae find a good lass and dae what’s right too. Ye cannae live yer whole life unwedded.”
Edward didn’t try to argue with their father, knowing it would get him nowhere. Besides, out of the two of them, Edward seemed to have the same strong sense of duty as James, instilled into him by their mother.
“Alright,” said James as he pushed himself off the chair with some difficulty. “Is that all, Faither? I would very much like tae sleep fer a few days now.”
“That is all,” his father said with an amused chuckle. “Go… go on, rest. Ye both deserve it.”
James and Edward made their way to the door, both relieved to finally be dismissed. Just as they were leaving, though, their father called after them, his voice echoing down the hallway.
“And stay away from the maids!”