Lord of Dunkeathe

Lord of Dunkeathe
Margaret Moore

Sir Nicholas was desperately seeking a wife…The Lord of Dunkeathe had strength and cunning, and with a wife who brought him power and wealth, he would soon be the envy of all. But though countless eager young women paraded before him, vying for his favor, it was the sharp-tongued, quick-witted and completely unsuitable Lady Riona who drew him as no other.Lady Riona knew full well the arrogant knight would never choose an impoverished Scottish bride, but the Norman devil's heated glances held such promise that even she was ready to swoon at his feet. Lord help her, but Nicholas had her ready to trade her long-protected virtue for the promise of one night of passion in his arms!

Praise for Margaret Moore

“Entertaining! Excellent! Exciting! Margaret Moore has penned a five-star keeper!”

—BJ Deese, CataRomance Reviews on Bride of Lochbarr

“Margaret Moore’s characters step off the pages into your heart.”

—Romantic Times

“Ms. Moore…will make your mind dream of knights in shining armor.”

—Rendezvous

“…an author who consistently knows how to mix just the right amount of passion and pageantry.”

—Old Book Barn Gazette

“When it comes to excellence in historical romance books, no one provides the audience with more than the award-winning Ms. Moore.”

—Harriet Klausner, Under the Covers

“Her writing is full of humor and wit, sass and sexual tension.”

—Elena Channing, Heart Rate Reviews

“Margaret Moore has a captivating writing style…that lends itself to pure, fluid prose and vivid characterizations.”

—C. L. Jeffries, Heartstrings Reviews

“Fans of the genre will enjoy another journey into the past with Margaret Moore.”

—Romantic Times

Margaret Moore

Lord of Dunkeathe

With special thanks to my family

for their encouragement and support.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER ONE

Glencleith, Scotland, 1240

“PLEASE TALK TO HIM, RIONA,” eighteen-year-old Kenneth Mac Gordon pleaded as he walked beside his older cousin in the small yard of the fortress of Glencleith. “He willna listen to me, but he might to you. Thane or no, we’re poor and he’s got to quit offering food and shelter to every sod who shows up at the gate, or we’ll no’ have two coins to rub together.”

“Aye,” Riona Mac Gordon reluctantly agreed, “but it’ll break his heart if he canna offer the hospitality of his hall.”

The red-haired Kenneth pounded his fist into his palm for emphasis. “Father must face facts. We’re poor and getting poorer. He’s got to stop inviting every stranger he meets for a meal and a night’s lodging.”

“I’ll have a word wi’ him and see if I canna make him understand we need to be more careful,” Riona acquiesced as they reached the gate. Nearby, chickens scratched and pecked in the hard-packed earth near the stables. The wooden stakes that made up the outer wall were falling down in more than one place, and the gate couldn’t have kept out a determined child. “Maybe if I tell him you’ll have naught but some rocky ground and a run-down fortress to inherit, he might listen.”