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~~ The Highlander’s Scarred Hearts ~~
Looking for a palate cleanser? Something to read quickly when time is short? Give this short novella series a try –it’s hot and fast, like a fever!
Chapter One
Sean
SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS, 1335
When Sean walked into the village, he kept his head down, but he noticed the stares from under the edge of his hood, nonetheless. He tried to tug the worn leather down more, trying to hide his vicious scars that plagued his face, but a worn hood can only hide so much.
Drizzling rain helped him keep his cover — no one questioned a man wearing a hood in the rain. Yet, he still had to glance to the side, look over his wide shoulders to make sure he kept his distance, and with every movement of his hood, parts of his face peeked out.
And villagers were the worst. Nosy. Gossipy. Wary of strangers. None of which helped him as he ambled past sodden stalls and rain-soaked thatched coverings. His deep-set hazel eyes, more wary than any villager’s eye could ever be, scanned the well-trod path before him.
Of course, he was more wary than any villager — no Highlander still living in the safety of their clan lands would ever know the horrors he’d seen. Sean MacDubh’s caution was, if nothing else, well earned.
At the end of the pathway was the space he’d been searching for. A hooded plea to the local laird had elicited sympathy from the burly man and his dear wife. Ahh, wives . . . They were the one shining light for Sean. Their hearts were large and ready to aid those in need — the poor, the downtrodden — and they oft convinced their husbands to act with more goodwill than they might otherwise. And in this case, the comely, walnut haired lady used her womanly graces to encourage her husband to extend a small stall in the village to this artisan. Better than tithing for a beggar, she had pointed out. Disgruntled, the laird had agreed.
And here he was, walking in the rain to the stall at the end of the path, hoping that someone in this miserable village might have a need for brass buckles or a variety of beads, both of which were small enough for Sean to carry as he traversed all of Scotland, a lone journeyman with no prospects, no family, no hope for the future.
Check out this first book here: The Highlander’s Scarred Heart
Then look for Michelle’s newest series – The Glen Coe Highlanders – coming in 2022!
