Highland Intrigue - A Prequel

“How about Moray?” Bliss suggested, seeing how upset the thought of the large man affected her sister and sent Annis a scolding look.

Annis at least looked contrite and attempted to help ease her sister’s upset. “Moray might not be bad for you, Elysia. He is not too tall and he’s thin and he speaks softly. He does not have bad features, though his nose is a bit crooked from Clyde punching him that one time. He has little skill with a sword preferring bow and arrow, and he should since it’s his craft.”

“I suppose he does have possibilities,” Elysia agreed.

“But you hesitate,” Bliss said. “Why?”

“I do not know.” Elysia shrugged. “He seems nice when he speaks with me.”

“Why don’t you make an effort to speak with him and see what you think,” Bliss suggested. “In the meantime, we will think of others that might suit you, and as well for you, Annis.”

Annis yawned loudly. “I can wait until tomorrow. I am up with first light. Duff is actually taking some of my suggestions when it comes to the new shed and he wants me there when they start building it. Now if only he wasn’t so old. I would marry him in a minute. He is a fine looking man and we enjoy talking about how buildings go together, and he does not stink.”

“That is because his wife takes good care of him and he is good to her,” Bliss said.

“There is one thing that would not have worked between you two,” Elysia said with a twinkle in her eyes.

Curiosity had Annis asking, “What is that?”

“He and his wife have six children, which means he likes to couple.” Elysia chuckled.

Annis wrinkled her nose and shook her head. “Now I am going to have a difficult time looking at him tomorrow. I am off to bed and hopefully forget that you said that.”

Bliss went to bed after her sisters, a habit of hers, always making sure they were tucked in safely. She laid awake unable to sleep, her mind churning. It might not be too difficult to find a husband for Elysia, but she feared it might be impossible to find a husband for Annis. She had a lot of work to do to see them both safely wed to good men. She fell asleep with prayers on her lips that she’d be able to do so.

Chapter 3

It was market day in the village. There was much Bliss needed to get, but she was concerned when she caught sight of Lord MacClaren’s two men perusing the market. Mothers grabbed their daughters and turned them away from the men, the older of the two men paying no mind to their actions.

Bliss gave a quick glance around, looking for her sisters. She did not spot them and for that she was grateful. If she did not see them, then neither did the two men. She shivered at the thought that Elysia or Annis could be whisked away to meet a horrible fate as the wife of the cursed lord.

She turned her attention back to the market stalls and bumped into Lendra from the keep. The woman tugged her away from the crowd of busy people to a quiet spot.

“I have news,” Lendra whispered, “and I tell you we are lucky we have plain features and few men look our way.”

She and Lendra were close in age and they did have plain features, but where Lendra had a full shape, Bliss was thin with barely a shape to her. And Lendra had been kind including herself when saying few men looked their way. Bliss had seen more than a few men look Lendra’s way with interest, yet never had a man shown interest in her.

“Mothers are searching for husbands for their daughters, but it will do no good,” Lendra said.

Bliss’s stomach churned, since she had thought the same for her sisters, and she feared what Lendra would say.

“The two men not only search for a wife for the cursed lord but for the other two lords’ sons who were doomed by the curse as well. That is three women they search for and Chieftain Emory has been ordered to ban all marriages until further notice. He will make the announcement today.”

Bliss felt herself pale. Now what was she to do?

“You better watch out for Annis. She is far too beautiful to go unnoticed,” Lendra warned. “I must go and spread the word so that mothers and daughters are not caught unaware.”

“I appreciate you telling me, Lendra,” Bliss said and the woman took off.

Bliss took a few moments to calm herself before going to find Elysia and Annis and tell them the news, though they might learn it before she could find them. She silently berated herself for not seeing her sisters wed sooner. But neither had voiced any interest in marrying yet, and she selfishly hadn’t wanted to lose them.