The story of Micheil Ramsay and Diana Drummond was not one of my readers’ favorites, yet it was the beginning of two characters who readers love: Maggie and Molly.
It was also the beginning of Randall Baines, that bastard!
This is the story of Diana Drummond, whose father is dying and insists that she marry immediately to his choice of Baron Gow. She’s an only child and heir to the lairdship (yes, there was a period in history when women could inherit in Scotland by laws of primogeniture). Her father spoiled her a wee bit, so he calls upon his cousin, Alexander Grant, to come and oversee her marriage.
Micheil Ramsay happens upon the group in Edinburgh and decides to travel along simply because Diana intrigues him. When he sets eyes upon Baron Gow, he vows to help her out of the nasty situation.
Without further ado, here are my favorite scenes from that book:
- I love how Alex, Diana’s cousin, acts as her father would have wanted him to instead of acting irrationally, the way Micheil and Diana so often do. Yes, Baron Gow is just gross, but sometimes patience wins. Alex Grant proves it, time and again.
- Gwyneth Ramsay begins her fight for the rights of lasses, a fight that will continue through many novels. No man will best her.
- How could wee homely Molly not grab at your heartstrings? Beaten with a switch, slapped by her next mistress, and tied to a tree in the cold as punishment—all for dropping a platter. This wee lassie shows us what she’s truly made of when she saved baby Sorcha.
- Maggie and Molly are adopted by Logan and Gwyneth, and they prove their value many times over in years to come. These fierce lasses are two of my favorite characters.
- While Gwyneth has fun trussing Randall Baines “like a turkey,” I was reminded by a few readers that there are no turkeys in Scotland. You caught me on that one! I just couldn’t come up with another line I liked better. I never said there was a turkey…
- Micheil Ramsay is my idea of a knight! I fell in love with him myself because he’s so terribly patient with the Drummond lass. I adore the scene where he speaks with her sire on his death bed, only to win the man’s approval because he covered Diana with a plaid when she fell asleep.
- I had fun writing about the jousting tournament—the ribbons, the colorful tents, and the food. Imagine swooning when a handsome knight comes for your ribbon!
- Alex Grant and wee Sorcha…sighhhhhh…
I hope you enjoyed it, too!
One of my all-time favorites is next—Jennie’s story.
Happy reading!
Keira Montclair