Free Frontier Highlander Vow of Love (American Wilderness Series Romance Book 4) by Dorothy Wiley Page B

clearing the villagers off her tens of thousands of acres—opening up the land for more profitable sheep farming. But, in the end, the woman thought his tactics too much.
    The Countess had learned of his murder of Mary MacKay from Artis herself. Artis had wasted no time traveling the thirty miles to the Countess’ residence, Tongue House, to report the murder and demand justice. He’d learned later that Artis covered the distance to the castle on foot and at night, to avoid being spotted by Patrick or his men.
    When she arrived, she described her mother’s slaying in gruesomedetail and told the Countess of the death of her uncle as well. The devious girl tried her best to convince the Countess that Steller should be tried for murder. She’d also demanded that her family’s land be returned to her forthwith.
    The Countess refused to give her land back, ordered her carriage brought up, and told the driver to straightaway take Artis to the port. She also sent another man along with the driver and told them to be sure the girl caught a ship leaving soon for the colonies.
    Glad to be rid of the haughty trouble maker, Steller had tossed Artis and her bag into the carriage himself and felt a sense of satisfaction as they took off. He’d kicked her dog when the animal growled at him. Then the dog took off chasing the carriage.
    Steller angrily recalled the events that led him here. After she sent Artis away, the Countess ordered him to his quarters and questioned his men without him present. She soon verified Artis’ story. Afraid of scandal amongst her circle of high-born friends, she didn’t have him arrested, but that same week, she had banished him to the colonies. The ungrateful bitch. Trying to keep her hands clean, she had blamed him for the evil deeds done at her direction. She even had the audacity to say that if he didn’t leave the country, she would have him tried for murder.
    But it wasn’t murder it was justice, Steller reasoned. Mary MacKay had poisoned Artis’ mind against him. She thought her daughter too good for him. The widow should have wished for her daughter to marry someone like him; after all, people considered him handsome and he was a factor responsible for managing the entire enormous estate. But when the impertinent widow had refused to leave her home and shown such insolence, he had no choice but to kill the stubborn woman.
    The Countess stripped him of his rank in the Sutherland household and summarily dismissed him. He’d been disgraced in front of his men and treated like a criminal. Instead of gratitude and reward for clearing her land of the primitive crofters, she gave him just enough money for passage on a ship leaving the next month.
    On the dreadfully long voyage, and during his interminable indenture, he’d deliberately let his hair and beard grow long to hide his identity.
    He also let his hatred for Artis grow. If she hadn’t spurned him, he would never have killed her mother, and he would still be factor of Sutherland’s estate. If only she’d done what he asked and agreed to marry him!
    After seven years of indentured servitude, he was now free to walk about the city. As he strode by the town’s docks, the buzz of activity amazed him. Dock workers hurried about loading cotton, tobacco, lumber, and other goods onto ships. Newly arrived slaves stood waiting to be auctioned to a gathering crowd of farmers and planters. Scottish merchants manned stores where they sold imported British goods. The city appeared far busier now than it did upon his arrival seven years ago.
    But Patrick’s mind was focused on finding only one of the many Scots in North Carolina—Artis MacKay.
    Now that he was free of his demeaning indenture—serving as a butler for Robert Murray, a Wilmington official, merchant, and planter—he could, finally, find Artis.
    Find her and make her pay for ruining his life.
    First, he would defile her—ravishing her hard and repeatedly. Then he would kill her,