Return of the Prodigal Gilvry

Return of the Prodigal Gilvry By Ann Lethbridge



BEHIND THE HIGHLANDER’S SCARS…

Reeling from betrayal, the once devastatingly handsome Andrew Gilvry has returned to Scottish shores to fulfill a promise made to a dying man. The widowed Rowena MacDonald has been entrusted to his care, and Drew must do all he can to protect her….

LIES A DARK PASSION!

But Drew’s honor is about to be tested—because there’s something in Rowena’s dove-gray eyes that awakens a flame long extinguished. And on a perilous journey across the Highlands, with only this alluring woman for company, how long can he deny his desires?



A tall man, all lean physique and long stride, prowled along the quay, his coat flying open.

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 so swathed about his head it 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 left it undone. The boots on his feet were scuffed and worn. A man who, for all his appearance of pride, wore secondhand 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.”

* * *

Return of the Prodigal Gilvry

Harlequin? Historical #1186—May 2014



Author Note

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. 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 preteen 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.



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 LETHBRIDGE

has 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 re-create 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.