Savage Kilted Highlander – Bonus Prologue
January, 1588
“As far as anybody else is aware, Constance is my eldest daughter, and at twenty, she is already well over marriageable age. The Earl of Belton has already expressed great interest in a match with her, and such a union would be highly advantageous to both of our families. I am determined that the wedding will happen. There is too much at stake for it not to go ahead,” said Lord Richard Ashbourne, Viscount Hexham, decisively.
Crouched in her hiding place behind the statue of Aphrodite in the garden of Ashbourne Manor, her childhood home, Constance Ashbourne stuffed her fist in her mouth to stifle her gasp of shock as her stomach plummeted through the floor.
Not expecting to encounter anyone, she had been caught unawares in the little rose arbour by the sound of approaching footsteps. Panicked, fearful of the harsh punishment her disobedience would inevitably earn following discovery, she had immediately dived behind the statue to wait it out. Never had she expected to overhear her father outline her future in his usual cold, business-like manner.
Stunned though she was to learn she was to be married to an earl, there was something else her father had said which struck her as deeply puzzling.
What did he mean by, “As far as anybody knows, Constance is my eldest daughter”?
“It sounds as though you have made up your mind on the matter, Richard,” she heard his closest friend and associate Lord Lionel Hammond observe. “But there is a considerable age gap between them, is there not? Belton must be approaching his sixties, probably too old to sire an heir. And Constance is but, what, twenty? I wonder what he wants with her? I cannot imagine she will be very happy about the match.”
Lord Ashbourne snorted in derision. “What he wants with her is his business, and Constance’s opinion on the matter is immaterial. She will do as I command,” he replied.
“Well, she has always struck me as a very obedient girl, timid almost. I’m sure she will do as she is told without any trouble,” Lionel said.
“You can be sure of it, Lionel. It will not be for nothing that I have raised her as my own all these years, knowing full well she is Kerr’s bastard. It is time she earned her keep by repaying me, and this marriage to Belton will go some way towards compensating me for the dishonor I have suffered by her mother’s infidelity with that Scottish barbarian.”
What?! What is he talking about?
Constance could hardly believe her ears, struggling to make sense of his words as they hit her like blows to the head, sending her mind reeling.
Bastard? Kerr? Dishonor? Mother’s infidelity?
It was hard to pay attention as the conversation went on, but she forced herself to keep listening.
“So, tell me, if you have already decided she is to wed Belton, what makes you think anything can stop it from happening?” Lionel asked.
“Ewan Kerr, that is what,” Lord Ashbourne replied with acute bitterness.
“I admit, I am puzzled,” Lionel put in. “As I understand it, Kerr has shown no interest in Constance for the last twenty years. It seems highly unlikely that he should he do so now, at least, not to the point where he would interfere in her betrothal.”
Lord Richard sighed with impatience. “It is her betrothed who may finally encourage him to actively meddle in my plans, and if he does, he could very well ruin them.”
“You think he will object to Belton? Because of the age difference, or because the man is commonly known to be debauched?”
“There is a possibility he may object to those aspects, yes. But I doubt he would wish to act upon it. Whatever else he is, he is no fool. As laird of his clan, he understands the necessary purpose of such strategic alliances. And since he has demonstrated no concern for Constance, I cannot see him being bothered by either of those things.”
“So, what then?” Lionel asked with obvious curiosity.
“Do you not remember your history, Lionel? Who was Belton’s father?” the Viscount asked.
“Um, you mean old Stanley, the fifth earl? But he is long dead. What does he have to do with it?”
“The same old Stanley who commanded the English forces against the Lowland Scots twenty-odd years ago, when they were based at Jedburgh. The one the Scots call Black Stanley, the Hammer of the Scots, whom they still summon as a spectre to frighten their children into obedience.”
“Ah! Yes, now I recall. He was famous for hanging thirty of their men on one day after winning some battle or other against them, was he not?”
“Yes, but it was fifty, not thirty. And three of them happened to be directly related to Ewan Kerr.”
“Oh, dear. I begin to understand your concerns.”
“Indeed. The Scots have long memories, and despite the fragile peace that exists between our two countries now, they are not very forgiving. I am worried that if Kerr should find out about 00 I intend Constance to marry, he will do more than simply object. The man is a blood-thirsty savage with a well-trained army at his disposal. He would think nothing of coming down here and trying to stop it by force.”
“Good Lord! Richard, if that is so, then as your closest friend, I feel I must counsel you that going forward with this match, however lucrative or prestigious it might be for you, would put your life and even those of your other children at great risk,” Lionel said, his voice laced with anxiety.
“Do you think I am not aware of that, Lionel? That is exactly why I am telling you all this.”
“Then my advice is to abandon this match with Belton immediately and find her another suitor. There are surely many others who would fit the bill equally as well in terms of benefits, and without the risk of being skewered by the sword of some Scottish devil. It is not worth it. Even if he did not try to kill you, he would almost certainly take Constance away with him back to Scotland, seeing as she is his daughter.”
Lord Ashbourne gave a sarcastic little laugh. “Yes, he undoubtedly would. He would have the full set then.”
“You mean the twin? What is her name again?”
“Agnes. As you know, she and Constance are supposedly identical to look at.”
“Good Lord, I still find it hard to believe the level of Eleanor’s betrayal. She never struck me as the sort. For a married woman to have such an illicit liaison is scandalous enough, but to compound it by giving birth to Kerr’s twin daughters is outrageous. It is no wonder you locked her up when you found out the truth.”
“The disgusting truth she and Kerr conspired to keep from me for years,” Lord Ashbourne spat angrily. “I only wish I could have punished her more harshly. By rights I should have killed Kerr and had Eleanor horsewhipped through the streets. But I had to protect mine and the family’s reputation at all costs. You understand that, do you not, Lionel?”
“Of course. You did the only thing you could do in the sordid circumstances, Richard. Any man in your position would have done the same.”
“Swallowing my need for vengeance all this time has been a hard pill to swallow, I admit. Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to slit Kerr’s throat and watch him bleed out. You cannot imagine how galling it has been to me every single day since I found out the truth to have Kerr’s little bastard living in my house alongside my children, eating my food, costing me money, calling me father.”
“One would never suspect it, and she is such a lovely little thing,” Lionel observed.
“I see Kerr in her nonetheless. Marrying her off will be a relief. I shall hardly ever have to look on her face again afterwards. At any rate, you can see my problem.”
“Indeed, I do. And I urge you to give up this idea of marrying Constance to Belton.”
“Do I need to remind you that Belton is a cousin to the King? He has his ear, and he has promised me a direct line of communication. Think what that would mean, Lionel. Constance would very likely be made a lady in waiting to the Queen. And as it is natural that younger sisters should follow their elders, probably Amelia too. The prestige, the connections, the influence that could bring to me cannot be underestimated.” He paused, and when he next spoke, the excitement in his voice had turned to barely contained anger.
“It sticks in my craw to have to give that opportunity up because Kerr may find fault with my choice of his daughter’s husband. No, the more I think about it, the more it enrages me. I will not give it up! Constance will marry Belton, and Ewan Kerr be damned!”
His decisive declaration put an end to the discussion, and moments later, the two men rose and walked away. When their footsteps had faded, and she was sure it was safe to emerge from her hiding place, Constance leaned on Aphrodite to find the strength to stand. Her entire body was shaking, her mind reeling from the revelations that had just turned her world on its head. They whirled about confusingly, but at last, she managed to put them in some sort of order.
I am not the daughter of Lord Richard Ashbourne. My father is a Scottish laird called Ewan Kerr, with whom Mama had an affair over twenty years ago. And I have an identical twin sister called Agnes!!!
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Why not just include this with the story? Is it the publisher or the author’s idea? It feels gamey and immature, it’s not needed.
Thanks for your feedback Ollie ❤️ The decision to include the bonus prologue separately was a creative choice, but I understand it might not resonate with everyone. It was meant to give a bit of extra context and build some intrigue, however, I truly appreciate your thoughts. I’ll definitely keep your perspective in mind for future projects! ✨