Medieval Monday with Cathy MacRae

I LOVE weddings, they are joyous, and filled with the excitement of the what is yet to be. Let’s wish the Arbela and Caelen well on their new life together. Can someone please pass the wine!!

 THE HIGHLANDER’S CRUSADER BRIDE

Born in the Holy Land only a few years after the Third Crusade, half-Armenian, half-Scot Arbela MacLean is a true daughter of the desert, beautiful and untamed. Trained to be a warrior to avoid her gentle mother’s fate, Arbela has honed her skills with Turkish bow and arrow, sword, and throwing darts—and dreads the day her father choses a man for her to marry.

After more than thirty years in the Holy Land, Donal MacLean, Baron of Batroun, is recalled to Scotland, the last son available to take up leadership of clan MacLean. He brings with him knights, treasure, trade—and a daughter of marriageable age.

Caelen MacKern, known as the Bull of the Highlands, is cynical about women. His first marriage formed an alliance, and he did not grieve when his spoiled, immature bride passed away. He has agreed to marry again—against his better judgement—for the men, means, and coin to recover from a devastating pestilence that all but wiped out his clan.

More than a little resentful at finding himself forced to remarry, Caelen’s proposal to Donal MacLean’s headstrong daughter nevertheless piques her interest. Each will receive what they want most from life—the ability to live as they please without interference from a meddling spouse. But their marriage of indifference will soon change to one of passion that neither Arbela nor Caelen could have predicted.

Buy links:

Amazon: https://www.amzn.com/dp/B0762TL89Z

B&N: http://bit.ly/THCBB_N

Kobo: http://bit.ly/THCB_Kobo

Excerpt:

As they stepped inside the chapel, Arbela fingered the ring Caelen had placed on the third finger of her right hand. The red and gold cabochon jasper was smooth beneath her thumb as she twisted the beaten gold band on her finger. Though she had jewels aplenty—and of much greater worth than the semi-precious jasper—this one would never leave her hand. The idea drew her thoughts away from the nuptial mass.

She moved through the responses with little awareness. She stood, sat, and knelt as prescribed. With effort, she pulled her attention to the priest’s words. Her father, Zora, Rory, and a second representative from Dunfaileas stepped forward and held a shimmering veil over Arbela and Caelen’s heads as the priest spoke a blessing over them. His hand rested lightly on her head and she peered at Caelen from the corner of her eye.

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