Scottish Romance: Highlander Romance: Highland Whisper (Scotland Romance) Read Free

if he could only find her before it was too late.
     
    Before Gavin could leave, however, he was whisked away by another gentlemen with a silly hat and a long cape. This man introduced himself to Gavin as Blackwood, and pushed him off with a firm grip on his shoulder. Gavin was shoved around and taken in a hurry to a room within the royal court. Seated at a large table were two royal court figures. Gavin was not sure who they were or what they could possibly want with him. Maybe they wanted to inspect him because they had heard that there was an odd, poorly dressed man from the highlands walking around and asking everyone about a daughter of the royal court.
     
    That was it. The two figures seized Gavin up and said, “We believe that you must be looking for our daughter, Malina. She is the only woman in the royal court with that name. We want to know what your intentions are.”
    Gavin cringed. He knew that this couple would not approve of him in any way. He was much too poor for their daughter and he didn’t have the manners of the high court, but he had to make an effort for Malina’s sake.
     
    “I intend to find Malina and I intend to ask for her hand in marriage,” Gavin stated with resolve. He looked both of Malina’s parents in the eye and let them size him up for the tenth time. Although he was shy, Gavin was determined to marry Malina and he wanted to present to them a picture of determination. He did not waver. “I have loved Malina since the moment we first meant.” He hoped that would mean something to them.
     
    It did not. “We appreciate that you value our daughter. She is a beautiful creature and unique in the way that she speaks,” Malina’s father responded.
    “She is most definitely special,” Malina’s mother chimed in. “She has had many applicable suitors ask for her hand in marriage and there is no shortage of those who cannot bring themselves to ask for fear that she will reject them.”
     
    Malina’s father laughed heartedly. “Malina does seem to have a vested interest in turning all of the men down that we bring before her. However, we are not about to let her marry you, young man. We have no interest in seeing you with our daughter.”
     
    “I’m sure you are a fine young lad,” Malina’s mother continued, “but we are looking for someone more substantial for Malina. She deserves to have someone who can attend the royal court with her and live here as one of us. You are not one of us.”
     
    “And you never will be,” Malina’s father added. “Son, I am afraid that you are not a good match for Malina. Thank you for stopping by, but we will have to ask you to leave now and take your intentions with you.”
     
    Gavin did not want to let Malina’s parents get the last word in so he said quietly but firmly, “I love Malina and if she will have me, I will marry her.” Without giving her parent’s a chance to respond, Gavin walked out. He did not want to speak with them any longer because it was clear to him that though they might not have been exceedingly cruel, they were not ever going to believe that he was a capable or worthy suitor for Malina. Gavin knew he needed to find Malina before she made her way back to her parents and possibly changed her mind.
     
    Turning to leave the city, Gavin thought about Malina and wondered why her parents had never looked for her. Were they so stubborn that they would risk her death up in the highlands alone? He thought about how she must be confused and scared if she had survived this long. He hoped that her time wandering the highlands on her own as a teenager would have prepared her for a year up in the highlands, lost and lonely without a food supply source.
     
    On the other side of the beautiful hills and mountains stood Malina, surrounded by creatures but without a person in sight. She wondered where Gavin was at this very moment and how she would ever be able to find him. She noted the irony that when they had met years ago