“She wanted to be away, leaving her suite, Drumvagen, and all of its inhabitants behind. Mostly, she wanted to be away from who she was. She wanted to be someone more courageous, like Mairi. Mairi didn't chafe under the role… — Karen Ranney Copy Share Image
“What were her abilities? She played the pianoforte passably well even though it didn't interest her. She loved to read and could spend the… — Karen Ranney Copy Share Image
“The tapestry of her life was a work of art created not with a needle but with duty, courage, and honor, sprinkled liberally with… — Karen Ranney Copy Share Image
“She bit her lips, concentrating, wishing he'd go and sit on one of the chairs before the fireplace. Or stand at the window and watch the full moon. Anything but sit there so close she could smell the sandalwood soap he used. Night had brought a shadow of a beard to his face. He no longer looked every inch the… — Karen Ranney Copy Share
“The morning sun danced on her hair, transforming the brown to gold and reddish glints. An errant sunbeam angled over her face, dusting her… — Karen Ranney Copy Share Image
“This time he surged into her, until the hair of his groin mingled with hers. She groaned softly. When her eyes opened, he asked, "Was that painful?" She shook her head. "Not at all. It felt very nice." Well, hell. Nice was not a word he would use to describe what he was feeling. The top of his head was… — Karen Ranney Copy Share
“A storm in Scotland was like nothing she'd ever experienced in London. Here, the elements felt alive, sentient. This storm was a raging monster that had grown in fury since yesterday. Sometimes, she thought Scotland was more than a country, more than a rough and magnificent land with a border created by men, written on a map, and defended for… — Karen Ranney Copy Share
“Do you like sandwiches?" he asked. "At this point, I think I'd eat anything. Other than rabbit. I'm not excessively fond of rabbit." "Or anything with eyes," he said, charming her by remembering. "I've an appetite for beef, some bread, mustard, and ale." At her look, he smiled. "I have a schoolboy's tastes. It's what I lived on in England.… — Karen Ranney Copy Share
“Memories of her, however, would remain with him. Everywhere he’d look, she would be there, as if she were a hundred women, all shadow and wraith, marking each place at Tyemorn and Ayleshire. He’d see her on the village road, smiling beneath an oak, straddling a furrow and laughing at something a companion had said. There again, tilting her head… — Karen Ranney Copy Share
“Why should she listen to a litany of her flaws when she knew them all so well? She never stood up straight. She always looked down at the ground when she walked. She jutted out her elbows and didn't stand with grace. She never backed up until she felt the chair behind her and then gracefully sank to the cushion… — Karen Ranney Copy Share
“She laughed. He was right. Her laughter was enchanting. So, too, the sparkle in her eyes as she glanced at him. He'd never seen… — Karen Ranney Copy Share Image
“I will not be spoken to in that tone," she said to her mother. Enid's mouth gaped open. For only a moment, however, until she began to protest. "You've gotten snippy since your marriage, haven't you? I'll not take that behavior from you, child. Your sister would never have disrespected me in such a fashion." "Enough!" Ellice held up her… — Karen Ranney Copy Share
