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Connor felt nothing now, not the cold or the pain or the terrible loss His et to Alec Kincaid Pledging his loyalty to the laird was the first step he must take to fulfill his father's wishes, and Connor wouldn't let anyone or anything stop hi The sky was bright noith hundreds of orange streaks from the sun's too-quick descent behind the twin peaks directly ahead of him, but in a few one His desperation mounted with each step he took He had to reach Kincaid before night closed in on him because he kneould never be able to find his way in the dark If he continued in darkness, he ran the risk of going in circles, or worse, backtracking the distance he'd already covered

He could not fail He started running again He thought he was close to the border between his father's land and Kincaid's, yet he couldn't be absolutely certain And then he heard shouts to halt froht the enemy had chased him down and meant to kill hiered on until he couldn't take another step

Dear God, he'd failed He hadn't even begun yet and now he had failed Kincaid was the beginning of his future, but Connor wasn't even strong enough to get to him

"Can you speak, lad? Can you tell us what happened to you? You're covered in blood"

The soldiers surrounding hiistered in Connor's ave out, and he went down hard on his knees He wanted to close his eyes for just a moment, but he didn't dare Not yet He couldn't sleep until he had spoken to Kincaid He needed to tell him what happened He could trust hihts, and then took a deep breath, threw back his head, and shouted, "Take me to my brother"

"Who is your brother, lad?" one of the sentries asked

"By my father's command, from this day forward Alec Kincaid is ht to close his eyes now He had fulfilled the first of his father's demands The rest would come as soon as he had spoken to Kincaid He would tell hio and get them… and he would tell his brother so ht before he lost consciousness gave hian

Chapter 1

England, 1108

It wasn't love at first sight

Lady Brenna didn't want to be presented to cos to do with her day Her nurse ways and with clu front teeth, wouldn't listen to her arguments, however She cornered Brenna in the back of the stables and lunged forward Never one to let an opportunity or a little girl slip past her, the nursee all the way up the hill and across the er than you are, and I'ain, haven't you? And don't dare lie to ing that bridle behind you?"

Brenna lifted her shoulders in a shrug "I forgot to put it back"

"Drop it this , and do you knohy?"

"I don't pay attention to what I', like you tellI tell you, and that's a fact You're ether Your older brothers and sisters have never given me a moment's worry Even your baby sister kno to behave herself, and she's still sucking on her fingers and wetting herself I'ive your parents a little peace, God himself will have to stop His important work and co to feel about that?

You don't like it much when your papa has to sit you down on his knee and talk to you about your shameful behavior, now do you?"

"No, Elspeth I surely don't like it I try to behave I really do"

She peeked up to see if the nursemaid believed she was contrite She wasn't, of course, because she really didn't believe she'd done anything wrong, but Elspeth wouldn't understand

"Don't you bat those big blue eyes atlady I don't believe you're the least bit sincere Lord, but you sotten into?"

Brenna lowered her head and kept quiet She'd been chasing after the piglets just an hour before, until the tanner put their mama back in the pen, and her peculiar stench was just a small price to pay for all the fun she'd had

Her torture had only just begun Even though she had had a bath two days before, she was bathed again, and in the middle of the day, of all tihly, she had to cry about it Elspeth wasn't at all syot tired of crying

She barely struggled at all while Elspeth dressed her in a blue gown and too-tightslippers Her cheeks were pinched hard for color; her white blond tangles were brushed into curls, and she was then dragged back down to the hall She would have to pass her mother's inspection before she could be left alone

Her oldest sister, Matilda, was already seated at the table with her ements with her mistress

"I don't want to meet no company today, Mama It's sorely wearisome for me"

Elspeth came up behind her and poked her in the shoulder "Hush now You mustn't complain God doesn't like women who complain"

"Papa complains all the time and God likes hi

Only God is bigger than he is"

"Where did you hear such nonsense?"

"Papa told lets again I proht where I can keepto behave yourself today If you don't, you knoill happen to you, don't you?"

Brenna pointed to the ground "I'll have to go down there" She dutifully repeated the threat she'd heard over and over again

The little girl didn't have any idea as'down there,' she only kneful and she didn't want to go there According to Elspeth, if Brenna didn't change her sorry ways, she was never going to get into heaven, and just about everyone, including her fao there

She knew exactly where heaven was, because her papa had given her exact directions It was right on the other side of the sky

She thought shewas iain She still had nightmares at least once a week over what her mama referred to as "the unfortunate incidents," because the terrifyingin the back of her irls tucked away their worries, just waiting for the right opportunity to jump out in the dark and scare her Her screams would wake her sister, of course While Elspeth was busy soothing baby Faith, Brenna would drag her blanket to her parents' cha iive only to someone as trustworthy and loyal as he was, she'd sneak into the big bed and cuddle up next to her mama, and when her papa was hoe, his beautiful silver-handled sword, which Mama swore he loved almost as much as his children She felt safest when her papa was there, because his loud snores always lulled her back to sleep Deht left behind didn't visit her when she ith her parents They wouldn't dare

"Please tell Brenna to keep her mouth shut when company arrives, Mother" Matilda requested "She shouts every word She does it on purpose When will she stop?"

"Soon, dear, soon," her mother replied almost absentmindedly

Brenna moved away from her sister Matilda was bossy by nature, but now that their brothers were away learning how to be as i, her condition had worsened She was beco as bothersome as Elspeth

Brenna's shoulders slu me what to do all the time Doesn't anybody like hter

"Brenna, do not say another word until you are given permission to speak"

Elspeth moved forward to offer her opinion " 'Tis my fear you'll never catch a husband for that one, milady"

Brenna put her hands over her ears and ran across the room She hated it when the nurselets, after all