Highland Justice by Heather McCollum

Author:Heather McCollum
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Highlander;Highland;Sons;Sinclair;Hogmanay;Christmas;Holidays;Justice;clan;thief;forgiveness;Historical Romances;Historical Mystery;Thriller & Suspense Fiction;Medieval Historical Romance;Women’s Historical Fiction;Highlander Romance;Scottish Historical Romance;Romance;Historical Scottish Fiction;Historical Fiction;Genre Fiction;Entangled publishing;Amara;Mass Market paperback romance;new romance book;popular romance book;single title romance;stand alone romance book;2022 Romance book;2022 Mass Market Romance;books with a Happy ending;HEA;Scottish Clans;Scottish Laird;Historical;Highlanders;Highlander Hero;Brothers;Scotland Romance;Clan;Love Stories;Scotland;Romantic Heroes Highlanders;Highland;Clan Chief;Books with a scottish hero;brawny hero books;Highland Hero book
Published: 2022-01-22T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

Scottish Legend of First Footer began with the arrival of the warring Norse, 8th century AD

As the year draws to an end, the first footer is the first person to cross a home’s threshold after midnight on Hogmanay. They may give gifts like coin, bread, salt, coal, and whisky to represent prosperity, food, flavor, warmth and good cheer.

If the first footer is a dark-haired man, he brings good luck, whereas light-haired men, red-haired men, and women may bring ill fate, as well as physicians and clerics.

Having donned his tunic, kilt, and boots, Gideon helped Cait carefully lower out the window. Daingead! This wasn’t how he wanted to start the new year, sending Cait away after what they’d just shared. But she was right when she insisted she needed to run home to make sure the children and Rhona were locked up tight and safe.

At the bottom of the rope, Cait waved up to him, shooing him on before turning to regain her clothes from the buckets. He wanted to walk her home, make certain she arrived unmolested by the numerous soldiers James had likely brought with him. But his brothers waited for Gideon in the library, and he must devise a strategy for dealing with James within these crucial minutes.

He pushed away from the window and surged out of his bedchamber, arriving in the library to find Cain, Joshua, Kára with their son, and Bàs standing with determination on their faces.

“What does he want?” Gideon asked, going to the window that faced the bailey. Most of the villagers had left, at least all the women and children. Mackay, Sinclair, and Orkney men stood around in small groups. James was easy to spot, standing next to a white steed decked in gold cloth. He spoke with Bruce Mackay while surrounded by soldiers from Edinburgh. Even though no weapons were drawn, they held them at their sides.

“He says he wants to be your First Footer,” Cain said, setting his decorative bow and arrow, which added weight to him being the Horseman of Conquest, on the table. “He says he wants to be the first person to enter your home after midnight on Hogmanay.” Cain picked up and sheathed his equally lethal sword.

“Fok,” Joshua said, running a paw through his hair. “That’s not a reason. He’s here to see if I am truly dead.”

Kára stood with him, hugging their son to her chest. “Lord Robert must’ve sent word about our battle at the Earl’s Palace at Birsay on Orkney, and that he doesn’t believe we actually died. Perhaps he dug up the graves and found only one body and a seal skeleton.”

Gideon squinted, trying to see the expression on James’s face from so far up. The firelight from the closest bonfire did not reveal much. “He would have gone directly to Girnigoe Castle if that were his purpose, instead of giving someone a forewarning.”

“He comes to see our strength,” Cain said, his hand resting on his sword.

Gideon turned back to the room and nodded.

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