Welcome to Medieval Monday an our ongoing theme of a "villain." My guest today is the talented Cathy MacRae! She's sharing a snippet from her fabulous story, The Highlander's French Bride. Enjoy!

Excerpt #4 ~

Sometimes betrayal is closer than you think

Melisende could scarcely believe her ears. There had always been stories or nursery songs for Lucienne as a child. Did Lucienne not remember? She acts as though she can scarcely be bothered by her daughter.

Lucienne motioned her to the far side of the room near an open window. “I am not a good mother. I want to go to parties and wear pretty dresses. Not read bedtime stories and worry about stains on my gowns.”

“But Lucienne, if you are in such difficulty, you will not have these things to worry over as you cannot afford them. You can stay here and—”

“With Oncle Ramon?” Lucienne gave a harsh laugh. “He barely tolerated me the last time I was here.”

“He is family. He will not turn you away,” Melisende declared, though she rather doubted the extent of his goodwill.

Follow along for the next excerpt on Ashley York’s Medieval Monday blog March 6!

Blurb for THE HIGHLANDER'S FRENCH BRIDE ~

Heir to a lairdship, Kinnon Macrory is driven to prove his worth by fighting the English on the battlefields of France. His dreams of heroic valor are destroyed by the realities of war—the atrocities visited by fellow soldiers on the very people he is sworn to protect. Three years in a French prison for a crime he did not commit leave Kinnon longing for the one thing of beauty in his war-torn life—a young woman of great kindness and wisdom named Melisende.

Melisende de la Roche struggles to stay one step ahead of soldiers who would imprison her for helping an injured Scotsman wrongly accused of treason. She finds refuge in her uncle’s shop—until a chance encounter sends her fleeing into the unknown once again, haunted by the beguiling friendship with the troubled young Scotsman she is certain she will never see again.

Determined to find the woman of his dreams, Kinnon returns to France, only to discover nothing more than a trail of clues to Melisende’s whereabouts. Their reunion will open the doors to passion, but half-truths and lies from the past could destroy the one thing they both are willing to fight for—each other.

Buy Link ~ AMAZON