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Zusatztext Praise for the Claimed by the Highlander Novels “A rich! exciting new voice in Scottish historical romance!”—Monica McCarty! New York Times bestselling author of The Raider “Intense and sensual.”— Publishers Weekly “Lyrical writing...and a strong cast of characters.”— Publishers Weekly Informationen zum Autor Rowan Keats Klappentext From Rowan Keats--author of To Kiss a Kilted Warrior! When a Laird Takes a Lady! and Taming a Wild Scot--comes the newest entry in the Claimed by the Highlander novels... In the Highlands of Scotland! danger and desire can be found anywhere—but finding them may lead to something much more perilous and passionate than anyone can handle. Lady-in-waiting Caitrina de Montfort is in a terrible bind. With her sister held captive by a henchman of Edward Longshanks! she has been forced to spy on the dowager queen of Scotland. But the resourceful young noblewoman has a plan to set her sister free—until the arrival of a charming but steely-eyed courtier ruins everything. Bran MacLean has made his living by his wits for most of his life. After stealing a valuable treasure! he evades pursuit by donning a disguise and joining the queen's retinue. All goes well until the lovely Caitrina pilfers his loot and demands his aid in rescuing her sister. But their enemy is ruthless—and they soon find themselves facing a desperate choice between love and survival... Leseprobe PRAISE FOR THE CLAIMED BY THE HIGHLANDER NOVELS ALSO BY ROWAN KEATS SIGNET ECLIPSE Chapter 1 Cambuskenneth Abbey Near Stirling Castle October 1286 Caitrina de Montfort scurried down the darkened corridor of the abbey, a candlestick gripped tightly in one hand and a bowl of lemon brined herring in the other. The queen had awoken in the middle of the night with a fierce desire to eat fish. Given that Her Grace was only weeks away from birthing the future king of Scotland, Caitrina had happily volunteered to fulfill her request. But the timing was inconvenient. And a wee bit disquieting. The graceful stone columns and carved oak crucifixes she admired by daylight were havens for eerie shadows at this hour. A shiver ran down her spine as she passed an unlit archway. The circle of light cast by her flickering candle barely held the gloom at bay. Perhaps it would have been wiser to rouse one of the maids. The chambers provided to visiting nobles were in a separate tower of the abbey, more than a scream away from the sleeping quarters of the Augustinian monks . . . Caitrina grimaced and slowed her pace to a more ladylike walk. Dear lord . Why did she insist on letting her foolish imaginings give wings to her feet? What reason would she have to scream? Monks lived here. These were hallowed halls. She climbed the stairs to the third level, where a single, brave torch fought—and lost—a battle against the shadows. The dim outlines of several arched doorways were discernible along the corridor, but little else. The queen’s quarters were at the far end—a grand set of rooms that included an antechamber, a stone hearth, and a large platform bed. Just beyond the iron-studded door ahead, a pair of armed soldiers faithfully stood guard, protecting the queen and the half dozen women who served her. Safety was a mere twenty paces away. She stepped forward. A faint smile was curling her lips when a hand snaked out of the dark. Big and brutal, it grabbed her by the throat and slammed her against the stone wall. She attempted to shriek, but the only sound that escaped her lips was a strangled whisper. Her candlestick toppled to the wooden floor and the flame was snuffed as it rolled, leaving her in the dead of night with a hot-breathed monster. Heart pounding, Caitrina squeezed her eyes shut. “You,” g...
