Ann Lethbridge - Return of the Prodigal Gilvry

He walked as if the ground owed him homage, his by right. Images of the pirate who haunted her dreams with his strong clever fingers and wicked mouth danced across her mind.

Shocked, she squeezed her eyes shut against the flutter of desire low in her belly. Embarrassed, she ignored the salacious sensations.

The last passenger was level with her now. A scarf swathed about his head covered all but his eyes beneath a hat pulled down low. He wore a fashionable greatcoat—a thing with many capes. Too short. Perhaps that was why he’d left it undone. The boots on his feet were scuffed and worn. A man who, for all his appearance of pride, wore second-hand clothes.

‘Mrs MacDonald?’

The man’s voice had the lilt of the Highlands and a raspy disused quality. And he had spoken her name. Her heart followed her stomach to the floor.

‘I am Mrs MacDonald,’ she said, unable to keep the edge from her voice.

He bowed, hand to heart. ‘Andrew Gilvry, at your service.’

I am so sad that I have reached the end of my The Gilvrys of Dunross series. I have enjoyed writing the stories of these brothers so much, and I hope you have enjoyed making the journey with me. I was very glad that Drew finally came home. In the beginning I wasn’t sure he could.

Scotland has always held a special place in my heart as I lived in the wilds of the Outer Hebrides as a pre-teen and loved the wildness and the lonely spaces, so I was delighted to be able to set this Regency series in the Highlands. For all that the Prince Regent, later King George IV, was unpopular with his English subjects, he did make Scotland the fashion —with the help of Sir Walter Scott. And during his reign there were at least some changes that made life for Highlanders a little easier. The change to the distilling laws addressed in these books was one of them.

If you want to know more about my books, find out what is coming next, or simply drop by and say hello, you can find me at http://www.annlethbridge.com

Return of the

Prodigal Gilvry

Ann Lethbridge

www.millsandboon.co.uk

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to my dad, without whom I would never have had the wonderful adventure of visiting Scotland and thus the desire to return.

My thanks go out to all involved in making this a better book, in particular Joanne Grant, my editor.

ANN LETHBRIDGEhas been reading Regency novels for as long as she can remember. She always imagined herself as Lizzie Bennet, or one of Georgette Heyer’s heroines, and would often recreate the stories in her head with different outcomes or scenes. When she sat down to write her own novel it was no wonder that she returned to her first love: the Regency. Ann grew up roaming Britain with her military father. Her family lived in many towns and villages across the country, from the Outer Hebrides to Hampshire. She spent memorable family holidays in the West Country and in Dover, where her father was born. She now lives in Canada, with her husband, two beautiful daughters, and a Maltese terrier named Teaser, who spends his days on a chair beside the computer, making sure she doesn’t slack off.

Ann visits Britain every year, to undertake research and also to visit family members who are very understanding about her need to poke around old buildings and visit every antiquity within a hundred miles. If you would like to know more about Ann and her research, or to contact her, visit her website at www.annlethbridge.com. She loves to hear from readers.

Previous novels by this author:

THE RAKE’S INHERITED COURTESAN † * linked by character † linked by character ** The Gilvrys of Dunross Did you know that some of these novels are also available as eBooks? Visit www.millsandboon.co.uk WICKED RAKE, DEFIANT MISTRESS CAPTURED FOR THE CAPTAIN’S PLEASURE THE GOVERNESS AND THE EARL (part of Mills & Boon New Voices … anthology) THE GAMEKEEPER’S LADY * * linked by character † linked by character ** The Gilvrys of Dunross Did you know that some of these novels are also available as eBooks? Visit www.millsandboon.co.uk MORE THAN A MISTRESS * * linked by character † linked by character ** The Gilvrys of Dunross Did you know that some of these novels are also available as eBooks? Visit www.millsandboon.co.uk LADY ROSABELLA’S RUSE † * linked by character † linked by character ** The Gilvrys of Dunross Did you know that some of these novels are also available as eBooks? Visit www.millsandboon.co.uk THE LAIRD’S FORBIDDEN LADY ** * linked by character † linked by character ** The Gilvrys of Dunross Did you know that some of these novels are also available as eBooks? Visit www.millsandboon.co.uk HAUNTED BY THE EARL’S TOUCH HER HIGHLAND PROTECTOR ** * linked by character † linked by character ** The Gilvrys of Dunross Did you know that some of these novels are also available as eBooks? Visit www.millsandboon.co.uk FALLING FOR THE HIGHLAND ROGUE ** * linked by character † linked by character ** The Gilvrys of Dunross Did you know that some of these novels are also available as eBooks? Visit www.millsandboon.co.uk

And in Mills & Boon ®Historical Undone! eBooks:

THE RAKE’S INTIMATE ENCOUNTER

THE LAIRD AND THE WANTON WIDOW

ONE NIGHT AS A COURTESAN

UNMASKING LADY INNOCENT

DELICIOUSLY DEBAUCHED BY THE RAKE

A RAKE FOR CHRISTMAS

IN BED WITH THE HIGHLANDER

ONE NIGHT WITH THE HIGHLANDER ** * linked by character † linked by character ** The Gilvrys of Dunross Did you know that some of these novels are also available as eBooks? Visit www.millsandboon.co.uk

And in Mills & Boon ®Historical eBooks:

PRINCESS CHARLOTTE’S CHOICE

(part of Royal Weddings Through the Ages anthology)

And in M&B:LADY OF SHAME (part of Castonbury Park Regency mini-series)

*linked by character †linked by character ** The Gilvrys of Dunross

Did you know that some of these novels are also available as eBooks? Visit www.millsandboon.co.uk

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Epilogue

Chapter One

Dundee, November 1822

How dare he? The anger inside Rowena MacDonald increased with each oar stroke of the longboat crossing the grey waves between the ship and the quay where she stood. She wrapped her threadbare cloak tighter against the November wind screaming in from the North Sea.

The dark afternoon suited her mood. After two years of absence and no word, how dare her husband demand she welcome him back to Scotland? The rage she had worked so hard at suppressing these past two years lashed her the same way the wind whipped the wave tops into foam.

The letter, forwarded on from her last address, had scarcely arrived at her place of employment in time for her to meet the ship. She’d toyed with the idea of refusing his summons. But he was her husband and had the power to further ruin her life. And now, after she had been sure she was free of him, how easily he’d found her and brought her to heel.