Highland Rising (The House of Pendray Book 4) Read online

  Faith and her sisters had proven to be excellent teachers, and Luke had taken over most of the day-to-day organization.

  Gray inhaled the pleasant aroma of the cedar boughs decorating the gallery, feeling well pleased with life.

  His wife passed little Ambrose onto his lap. “Take him for a bit. I’m off to find a piece of marchpane before the bairns devour it all.”

  She normally eschewed sweets of any kind, except when she was with child. He’d had a suspicion for a week or two another bairn was growing in her womb. There was just something about the way she blossomed when she was expecting. “A wee brother or sister for ye,” he whispered to Ambrose, stroking dark curls when the babe’s bottom lip trembled. “Aye. Enjoy being the youngest while ye can.”

  Craving the taste of something sweet, Faith nevertheless couldn’t help but notice Maggie’s blushing smile when Luke entered the gallery, brandishing a document. “The latest news,” he declared.

  The lad had sprouted and filled out over the last few years. He’d gained confidence too, no longer reluctant to voice an opinion, especially after Giles’ departure. He’d taken to the running of the fledgling school like a duck to water. This had only increased Maggie’s regard for him. She’d evidently seen something in him years ago that no one else had.

  He’d begun to take a keen interest in current affairs, much to the delight of the earl, who encouraged both his foster-grandsons to involve themselves in what was happening in the world.

  “Let’s hear it,” Munro replied, his mouth full of pastry.

  “As ye ken,” Luke began, “William of Orange’s forces landed at Torbay the first week of November.”

  “Aye,” Garnet replied. “His arrival was timed to coincide with risings in Yorkshire and Cheshire.”

  Faith exchanged a glance with her husband. Since word came of the Dutch invasion and the rebellions in the English counties, she’d thought of little else but the gory executions and transportation to Jamaica of hundreds of Argyll’s and Monmouth’s supporters after the Rising. She’d initially put her recent bouts of early morning retching down to these memories, but acknowledged inwardly she was once again with child. She planned to tell Gray on Christmas Day, though he probably already had an inkling.

  Her husband smiled back. He’d already assured her this latest effort to oust James would be successful. Though he no longer worked for Quinn in Edinburgh, the two men were in frequent contact. She suspected their correspondence had nothing to do with friendship.

  “Ye ken as well,” Luke continued, obviously comfortable with holding the floor, “the king was reluctant to engage William’s army and retreated to London.”

  “Only to find most of his supporters, including his daughter by his first wife, had defected to William’s side,” the earl declared.

  “What did he expect?” the countess asked. “Protestant Anne is the prince of Orange’s sister-by-marriage. ’Tisna likely she’d want to see her Catholic half-brother inherit the throne.”

  “If, indeed, the wee babe is James’ son, and not a changeling as some claim,” Jewel said.

  “They say the bairn was smuggled into the royal birthing chamber in a warming pan,” Esther offered.

  “Superstitious nonsense,” Giles replied, causing Esther to glare at him. “Just because Queen Mary suffered several miscarriages doesna mean she was incapable of birthing a bairn. I believe Prince James Francis Edward is the king’s son and heir.”

  Luke cleared his throat. “We’re straying from what’s important here. May I continue?”

  Gray’s father agreed. “Read on.”

  Luke nodded. “The king then decided to fight, but managed to get himself captured. He was brought to Whitehall as a prisoner four days ago.”

  Silence greeted this announcement. Nigh on forty years had passed since the execution of King Charles, but the specter of another regicide loomed large in Faith’s mind. The color had drained from Sarah’s face. Faith sympathized with her sister-by-marriage, whose father had signed Charles’ death warrant.

  Finally, the earl spoke. “James may be unpopular, but the Prince of Orange won’t want to prosecute his father-by-marriage.”

  Luke smiled. “’Tis the reason James has been allowed to escape to France. He’s considered to have abdicated.”

  The tension in the gallery melted away as cheers resounded.

  Maggie gazed at Luke, her eyes filled with adoring pride.

  “So,” the countess declared. “We’re to have a Protestant king at last.”

  “Ye think William will be crowned?” Jewel asked.

  Marten spoke up. “He’ll have to share the throne with his wife.”

  No one laughed out loud, but murmurs of amused incredulity rippled through the gathering.

  “Mary is King James’ eldest daughter by his first marriage,” Marten insisted. “She’s the legitimate heir.”

  Faith glanced at her husband. His thoughtful nod confirmed Marten was probably right. She could only hope the coronation of two new monarchs would usher in an era of religious tolerance in Scotland. Then her bairns could enjoy peace and prosperity in the land of their birth.

  I hope you enjoyed this fourth book in The House of Pendray series. If you missed any of the previous stories and would like to read them, Book One is entitled HIGHLAND BETRAYAL.

  It’s the story of Hannah Kincaid’s heroic rescue of the Honors of Scotland during Cromwell’s invasion, and her hero, Morgan Pendray, a soldier in Cromwell’s army.

  Book Two, KINGSLAYER’S DAUGHTER, features Morgan and Hannah’s eldest son, Munro, and a woman he meets during a journey through England. Sarah is drawn to the handsome Scot, but he can never discover her terrible secret.

  In HIGHLAND JEWEL, Book Three, Munro’s sister, Jewel, is abducted by escaped assassins. Garnet Barclay considers himself responsible and vows to do his utmost to rescue her.

  I hope you enjoy getting to know this family.

  Further Reading

  ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL, EARL OF ARGYLL

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argyll%27s_Rising

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archibald_Campbell,_9th_Earl_of_Argyll

  KING JAMES & THE GLORIOUS REVOLUTION

  https://instruct.uwo.ca/english/234e/site/bckgrnds/biogrphs/jamesii.html

  https://www.britannica.com/biography/James-II-king-of-Great-Britain

  http://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-james-ii-of-england/

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_High_Commissioner_to_the_Parliament_of_Scotland

  MARY OF MODENA (the king’s second wife and mother of his Catholic heir, James Francis Edward who became the Old Pretender.) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_of_Modena

  JAMES, DUKE OF MONMOUTH

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monmouth_Rebellion

  RICHARD RUMBOLD

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Rumbold

  RICHARD CAMERON

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Cameron_(Covenanter)

  SIR JOHN COCHRANE

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Cochrane_of_Ochiltree

  SIR PATRICK HUME

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Hume,_1st_Earl_of_Marchmont

  WILLIAM OF ORANGE

  William was the son of Charles I’s daughter. He married his cousin, Mary, daughter of James II by his first wife. William and Mary were considered legitimate claimants to the English throne, and they were Protestant. They were succeeded by Anne, Mary’s sister.

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_III_of_England

  AMBROISE PARE

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambroise_Par%C3%A9

  WILLIAM CLELAND

  Was the real name of a dragoon officer killed by rebels at the Battle of Muirdykes in the last days of the rising. Cochrane was related to Lord Ross who was wounded in the fight. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argyll%27s_Rising#The_Battle_of_Muirdykes

  RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE

  The King’s rigid devotion to the Roman C
atholic faith was the main reason for widespread opposition to his reign. He seemed doggedly determined to return England and Scotland to the papal fold, despite that the population was overwhelmingly Protestant. Paradoxically, he made no attempt to hide his adulterous relationships with several women. His eventual ouster and subsequent exile led to the Jacobite movement. Rebellions to restore James’ son to the throne in 1715 and his grandson (Bonnie Prince Charlie) in 1745 would have dire consequences for Scotland.

  Here is one example of the king’s tactics that infuriated and alarmed Protestants.

  https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-catholic-history/article/catholic-officers-in-the-navy-of-james-ii/67BBF5DF5C2E711ABF8A5C1FEFFF7CF7

  About Anna

  Thank you for reading Highland Rising. If you’d like to leave a review where you purchased the book, and/or on Goodreads, I would appreciate it. Reviews contribute greatly to an author’s success.

  I’d love you to visit my website and my Facebook page, Anna Markland Novels.

  Tweet me @annamarkland, join me on Pinterest, or sign up for my newsletter.

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  I was born and educated in England, but I’ve lived most of my life in Canada. I was an elementary school teacher for 25 years, a job I loved.

  After that I worked with my husband in the management of his businesses. He’s a born entrepreneur who likes to boast he’s never had a job!

  My final “career” was as Director of Administration of a global disaster relief organization.

  I then embarked on writing a romance, something I’d always wanted to do. I chose the medieval period because it’s my favorite to read.

  I have a keen interest in genealogy. This hobby has had a tremendous influence on my stories. My medieval romances are tales of family honor, ancestry, and roots. As an amateur genealogist, I cherished a dream of tracing my own English roots back to the Norman Conquest—most likely impossible since I am not descended from nobility! So I made up a family and my stories follow its members through successive generations.

  I am a firm believer in love at first sight. My heroes and heroines may initially deny the attraction between them, but eventually the alchemy wins out. I want readers to rejoice when the power of love overcomes every obstacle and lovers find their soul mates. For me, novels are an experience of another world and time. I lose myself in the characters’ lives, always knowing they will triumph in the end and find love. One of the things I enjoy most about writing historical romance is the in-depth research necessary to provide readers with an authentic medieval experience. I love ferreting out bits of historical trivia and including them in my stories.

  Escape with me to where romance began and get intimate with history.

  I hope you come to know and love my cast of characters as much as I do.

  I’d like to acknowledge the assistance of my critique group partners, Reggi Allder, Jacquie Biggar, LizAnn Carson, and Sylvie Grayson, and the invaluable contributions of beta reader extraordinaire, Maria McIntyre.