Taming the Lion by Suzanne Barclay

Author:Suzanne Barclay
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2011-06-11T00:00:00+00:00

Hidden in the shadows of the settling room, Roland, Wesley and Eoin watched Catlyn and the knight exit the distillery. When the door clanked shut behind them, the men stood.

“See the way she looks at him?” Roland hissed. “She’s so bewitched by her new lover she cares nothing for my Finglas.”

Eoin nodded morosely. He could not imagine Catlyn taking a lover, especially one as raw and virile as Sir Ross. The only passion she had ever evidenced was for her family and their whiskey. Yet he could not deny there was hunger in the glances she sent Ross Sutherland’s way when she thought no one was watching. Had she shown him a bit of that fire, he might not have been forced to turn to other women, Eoin thought.

“How can they take the Finglas to Doune without ye, Da?” Wesley asked angrily.

“She will make a hash of things, without me, that’s sure,” Roland grumbled. “I sat at Thomas’s right hand while Old Master David tasted. We shared this, the laird and I, same as we shared the work. But she is bent on taking the distillery over.”

“I am sure that is not what Catlyn intends,” Eoin said.

“It’s what she’s about, right enough.” Roland stomped off toward the shelves that held the new whiskey, last year’s nearly raw distillation. “But she’ll find I don’t easily give over what’s mine.” He took down a keg and carried it to the table in the center of the room.

Eoin followed him. “What are you doing?”

“Causing her a bit of shame, I’m hoping.” Roland turned to his son. “Fetch me ink and the hide we use for labels. Be quick about it, now. Herself will be back to choose the kegs for Doune.” He snorted as he ripped off the hide square glued to the keg. “We’ll see what Master David makes of what she brings him.”

“You are going to switch the kegs?” Eoin exclaimed.

Roland’s head snapped up, his eyes narrowed to furious slits in his fleshy face. “I’m doing what’s best for the Finglas, and if ye breathe a word of this, I’ll tell everyone ye was swiving Crofter Donald’s daughter all the while ye was courting Catlyn and trying to bed Dora.”

Eoin flushed. “I have not seen Megan in months.”

“Aye, be that as it may, it’s yer bastard she’s carrying. If Catlyn finds out, ye’ll be wedding the lass. And that’ll put an end to yer hopes of winning back our lady.”

“That...that is blackmail,” Eoin snarled.

“And ye’re naught but a common lecher. Give me a hand with these kegs, or they’ll all know the truth and ye’ll be turned out of Kennecraig as poor as ye were when Thomas took ye in.”

Eoin contemplated cracking a keg over Roland’s bald head, but the way his luck had been running, the old man would die and he’d be accused of murder. Actually, that was not a bad idea, only if he were going to kill someone, it would be Ross Sutherland.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.