The Laird’s Runaway Bride (Charmed by the Sassenachs #1)

Prologue

It was a bleak morning on the edge of the Tarbert village.

Anne McKenzie, a lass of just thirteen, was sitting on the doorstep of her hut, staring at the dirt road.

It sloped up a little, showing the long road that led into the depths of the Highlands.

She peered into the distance, hoping that she would find her father striding back with a pack full of food slung over his shoulder.

There were moments when the desire became so intense that it almost became reality.

The illusion was washed away with every blink though.

She twirled strands of red hair between her fingers, humming a soft melody as she waited.

The minutes slipped by, and the gnawing hunger was like an unruly beast prowling within her body, waiting to be tamed.

She sighed, wishing that her father, John, had a steadier life than that of a mercenary.

He could be gone for days at a time, sometimes even weeks, and there was no telling that he would always return.

It was a dangerous destiny, but one that he was married to.

He said that it was the only way he could earn enough coin to support both her and Rory, but she often wished he was a simple fisherman, shepherd, or farmer.

At least then he would be able to stay with them.

As it was, Anne was the head of the household, sometimes more a mother to Rory than a sister, especially now that she was getting older.

As she tugged at her hair, she remembered her mother, Ellen.

She had the same type of hair as Anne.

Ellen used to spend the nights brushing Anne’s hair while singing her songs.

The world had seemed gentle and comforting, and there was never any danger lurking in the shadows.

Her father had been happy then as well.

Now that she thought about it, she couldn’t remember the last time she had seen John smile.

She heard footsteps behind her. Rory yawned and rubbed his eyes as he came to stand beside her, following her gaze to the road ahead.

“Why did ye let me sleep sae late? I wanted tae wait with ye for Da,”

Rory said.

“Because when ye are sleeping ye cannae be hungry,”

she replied, pushing herself up and heading into the kitchen, where she searched for food.

The cupboards were bare, just like their stomachs.

If John didn’t return soon, they were going to have to starve.

She asked herself what her mother would have done, and then pulled a shawl around her shoulders.

“Come, Rory, we are heading tae market,” she said.

Rory exclaimed with delight and ran after her.

“Did Da leave us any coin?”

“Aye, just enough,”

Anne lied.

Her fingers ran along a couple of coins in her purse.

It wasn’t enough to buy anything really.

The prices of everything seemed to be rising and rising, but she hoped that someone would take pity on them.

Perhaps she could even owe them a debt, even though her father had always sworn her against this.

He said that nobody should ever hold anything over you, because it gave them all the power.

Still, sometimes there was no choice. Anne couldn’t wait at the house. If John was delayed then he might not return even by nightfall, and by then the market would be closed.

She watched as Rory ran along the road, pretending to be a warrior himself, fighting invisible enemies.

There was a time when life had been that simple for her as well, but now that she was older she began to see the world as it really was; a cruel place where everything could fall into imbalance.

It was all precarious and there was never anything guaranteed, other than misery and hunger.

Ellen used to tell her stories of grand feasts and banquets in great halls and keeps.

It must have been wonderful to live like that, Anne thought, but she would never have a life like that.

It wasn’t meant for people like her, people who lived in the muck.

As they entered the market Rory’s attention was caught by all the fascinating things offered by the merchants.

There were fabrics of wild colors and trinkets, as well as fine-smelling herbs.

It was as though the world had come to visit them, and they could sample the exotic delights of what existed beyond their narrow view of the world.

While Rory was occupied with this, Anne went to the food stalls and tried to barter, but she was always turned away.

She simply did not have enough coin, and nobody was going to show her charity because if they started giving food to one hungry child then a whole gaggle of children were going to start pestering them, and that was no way to run a business.

Anne sighed and turned away, wondering if her heart was going to turn hard when she stopped growing up.

Fearing that she would have to return to Rory empty-handed, she started to become desperate.

There was a stall that held sweet-smelling bread.

Her mouth watered at the sight of it, but the baker was not inclined to sell her any.

However, a moment was enough.

When a wild dog ran through the market and a butcher called after it, for the dog had stolen a chain of sausages, she saw her chance.

The baker rushed away and chased after the dog, leaving his stall unattended.

Anne’s hunger battled with her conscience, but in the end, her need to take care of her brother won out.

She quickly pilfered a loaf of bread, hiding it under her long shawl.

She strode towards Rory and ushered him away from the market, telling him that they couldn’t spend too much time away in case their father returned.

Anne’s cheeks were flushed as she was certain that people would chase after her just as they had chased after the dog, but she soon found herself out of sight, walking back home.

She pulled the bread out and handed it to Rory.

He munched on it contentedly, and she knew that she could live with herself even though she was now a thief.

Rory’s well-being was the most important thing, for she was responsible for him until their father returned.