Meg Mathers, the headstrong youngest sibling of a reiving family on the English-Scottish border, is determined to remain at her childhood home, caring for the land and village she’s grown up with. When an accident brings her a broken ankle and six weeks in the resentful company of ambitious and angry young reiver Will Hetherington, attraction starts to build. Both begin to realise they might have met their match, and the love of their lives, but 15th century border living is not that simple, as Meg soon finds herself betrothed to the weakling son of a tyrannical neighbour, Alexander Gray. When tragedy strikes, can Meg and Will find their way back to each other, and can Will finally take his own personal revenge on Gray?
Excerpt
Will was the last through the huge door. Not having been at Long Ridge that long, he was still finding his feet amongst the camaraderie of his fellow-riders, although they had acknowledged he was a good raider, despite his young age and lack of real blood-link to the village. His sister Cecily had vouched for him, having been married to a local lad, Tom Reed, for the past five years, and gained the Mathers’ trust. Now he brought in his beloved mare, fussing over her as she grew fractious at the noise around her, in such a small space. Keeping one hand rubbing her ear, he threw the reins over the nearest spare beam. He preferred to do this himself, rather than letting Meg do it; however good Meg seemed to be with the animals, Patience was his horse, and he knew how best to care for her.
He hadn’t noticed the lady of the house approaching with another horse, seeking to tie this one up beside Patience. Hadn’t sensed her momentary distraction as she threw the reins over the beam beside him. Hadn’t noticed Patience’s hint of fear as the reins glanced her ear, spooking her. The sudden rush of fear caused her to rear up, constrained and frightened in the enclosed area, even more so as Will had already fastened her reins tightly to stop her straying. She thrashed about, with everyone rushing to calm her.
Then, suddenly, she side-stepped into Meg.
***
At first, Meg didn’t notice the pain.
Then it began to spread: a warm sensation, rushing through her foot and ankle over the next few heartbeats, and now a strange feeling growing up the lower half of her leg. She ignored it; it was nothing but a strange reaction to the relief of the group making it home safely. A new reaction, true, but things could change over the years, she told herself.
Only when the movement around her slowed for a moment did she realise she wasn’t able to put her foot wholly on the floor, with pain shooting through her whole body. Unable to stop herself, she cried out loud and grabbed at the nearby doorframe to keep herself upright, as Robert and the young raider rushed to her side, albeit with very different expressions on their faces.
“It’s nothing! It’s nothing!” Meg cried, hoping neither would make a fuss over her. She just needed to get to her bed, to rest. She couldn’t afford to be injured. She could work through the pain.
It was too late, as her brother took charge, turning on the young lad at his side. “Will, what the hell do you think you’re playing at, letting your animal knock her flying? If this is broken…”
“I didn’t ‘let’ my animal do anything, Sir – she was spooked, that’s all, by the reins going over the beam.” Will spoke back, probably more strongly than he intended.
“So it’s Meg’s fault, is that what you’re saying?” Robert snapped back. “No other horse has ever sent her flying.”
“Gentlemen, please, I was not sent flying anywhere. I’m fine.” Meg tried to argue, but Robert was having none of it, insisting that Will apologise for something he evidently didn’t even see as his fault.
Even so, the young man made an attempt to put things right, already shrugging off his jacket and wrapping it clumsily around Meg’s foot. “Is it broken?”
Meg could see that even as he asked about her ankle, one eye was on Patience. The mare was being calmed by Judd, who had shooed the other men out of the way.
“I can’t tell. I don’t think so. Probably just a sprain,” replied Meg between gasps through her teeth. She hoped she was right; a broken ankle was the last thing any of them needed at the start of the winter.
Without allowing her another word of complaint, Robert had hoisted her into his arms, and carried her up to her bed. Unable to stand the growing pain any further, Meg slumped against him, heartbroken that in that moment, she didn’t have the strength to fight the faint she knew was coming.
Meet the author
Jennifer C. Wilson is a marine biologist by training, who developed an equal passion for history and historical fiction whilst stalking Mary, Queen of Scots on childhood holidays (she has since moved on to Richard III). Enrolling on an adult education workshop on her return to the north-east of England for work reignited her pastime of creative writing, and she has been filling notebooks ever since. In 2014, Jennifer won the Story Tyne short story competition, and has been working on a number of projects since, including co-hosting the North Tyneside Writers’ Circle. Her Kindred Spirits novels are published by Crooked Cat Books and her time-slip novella, The Last Plantagenet?, by Ocelot Press. She lives in North Tyneside, and is very proud of her approximately 2-inch sea view.
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