Free Highlander's Return: The Sinclair Brothers Trilogy, Bonus Novella (Book 2.5) by Emma Prince Page A

at first
light this morning because I hoped to surprise you. Apparently I have succeeded
all too well. How could you do this, Meredith? How could you sleep with a Sinclair ?”
His dark eyes narrowed. “How long has this been going on? Since before Chisolm
died?”
    Meredith gasped in horror at Ansel’s words.
    “You accuse me of dishonoring your sister, but
perhaps it is you who disrespect her with your words,” Burke said coldly. His
words must have struck a chord, for a look of embarrassment flitted across
Ansel’s features.
    “I haven’t done anything wrong, Ansel,” Meredith
said, lifting her chin. “This is the man I love. I am going to marry him.”
    Burke’s heart skipped a beat, and he looked to
Meredith for confirmation of her words. Her eyes shifted to his, and his chest swelled
at the love he saw in their dark depths.
    “Like hell you are!” Ansel shouted, drawing his
sword. “Come down here and meet my challenge for dishonoring my sister and my
clan, Sinclair !”
    Fear sliced through Burke’s elation. It wasn’t that
he was afraid to fight. He completely trusted his skill with a sword. But the
last thing he wanted to do was hurt Meredith’s brother and dash all hopes of a
reconciliation between their clans. He was under direct instructions from his
Laird to pursue peace. And he would damn well never hurt Meredith by wounding
her brother.
    He slowly placed a foot on the top rung of the
ladder and began easing himself down. He didn’t bother to don any other clothes
besides his kilt, hoping that his vulnerable state would cut through the fog of
rage that enveloped Ansel.
    “Let’s talk this through, Ansel,” he said carefully.
“I don’t want to fight you.”
    “Why? Are you so much of a coward that you would
take my sister in a barn and then slink back to Sinclair lands without facing
the consequences?”
    Burke wouldn’t take the angry man’s bait. “I love
her and I’ve asked her to marry me. I would much prefer to shake your hand as a
brother than face you as an opponent.” His feet reached the ground and he
turned to face Ansel, raising his hands to show that he had no weapon.
    “Fetch your sword and meet me like a man,” Ansel bit
out.
    Burke slowly sidestepped to where Laoch stood
quietly in a stall near the open door. When he reached his saddlebags, he tried
to reason with Ansel once more. “It doesn’t have to be this way, Ansel. There
is no dishonor here.”
    Ansel merely spat and motioned toward Burke’s
saddlebags with the tip of his sword.
    Reluctantly, Burke pulled the blade from his bags
and faced Ansel. The man took several steps forward, forcing Burke to back out
of the barn. Even as Ansel moved aggressively toward him, he kept the tip of
his sword lowered. He would not be the one to start this fight.
    Once they were out in the open, Ansel didn’t waste
any time. He raised his large sword and swung it down on Burke. It had begun.

Chapter 11
     
     
    Burke blocked just quick enough to prevent the blade
from landing in the juncture between his shoulder and his neck. The force of
Ansel’s blow sent reverberations through his arms, though. The man was clearly
a skilled fighter, and his anger likely fueled him.
    Ansel recovered from the block quickly and swung
again, this time at Burke’s other side. Just as the blade was descending
through the air, he heard Meredith’s gasp from behind Ansel. He managed to
block the blade once again, but the fraction of a second when his mind had been
on Meredith cost him. He pushed Ansel’s blade out of the way, but not quite
enough. The sword caught his shoulder, slicing into his flesh and drawing
blood.
    He recovered and took several steps back, glancing
down at his shoulder. “You’ve drawn my blood and defended Sutherland honor. Are
you satisfied?”
    “I’ll not be satisfied until I see your body in the
ground,” Ansel breathed heatedly.
    “Ansel, stop this madness!” Meredith pleaded from
behind him. “I am going to