The wait is over! The highly anticipated book seven in THE THISTLE & HIVE Series is
now available!
A Long Forgotten Time
(The Thistle & Hive Series, Bk #7)
by Jennae Vale
Blurb
Brenna MacRae finds herself an unwelcome guest in her own home. Ever since her father married Greer Matheson, her new stepmother has been trying to get rid of her. She’s now intent on marrying Brenna off to a man old enough to be her father. Unwilling to marry anyone, Brenna takes matters into her own hands and runs away with the intent of finding refuge with her brother and his wife. She doesn’t make it very far before being forced back to Castle Treun and the possibility of a life with a very dangerous man.
Zeke Barrett didn’t plan on traveling back in time, especially if it meant possibly seeing the woman he once loved and lost, but he finds he has no choice if he wishes to ever see his sister, Sara again. He’s determined to bring her back home to San Francisco where she belongs. She’s the only family he has left and Zeke refuses to lose her to a time and place that has long been forgotten. He enlists the aid of the witch, Edna Campbell, who agrees to help him, but as usual, Edna has an ulterior motive. Instead of tracking down Sara, Zeke finds himself at Castle Treun where he becomes embroiled in the MacRae family drama and he gets more than he bargained for when he finds he can hardly stand by and watch as Brenna MacRae is used as a pawn in a game between her father and Nevil Munro, the man she is to marry.
Zeke must get Brenna safely into her brother’s care, but first he’ll have to deal with her family and the evil Laird Munro. Once he does, he’ll still have to confront his feelings about the woman who broke his heart and the woman, who despite all her protests, is the only one who can heal it.
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Excerpts
“Brenna, me dear. I’m so happy to see ye this fine
morning.” Paddraig walked towards her
and she thought he might kiss her cheek, as he always had before Greer arrived.
The knot in her
stomach loosened somewhat. There was no
morning kiss, but this might not be so bad after all. She continued smiling as Paddraig MacRae sat
in his usual spot and motioned for her to join him. He held a missive in his hand and was reading
over it, chuckling as he did so.
“Da, I’d like to speak
with ye about something,” Brenna began.
Before she could
continue her Da looked up from his reading.
“Brenna, me love, good news has arrived this morn and it concerns
ye. I hope ye’ll be pleased.”
The knot began to
tighten again. She tried to remain
optimistic, but chances of good news arriving with regard to her were slim.
Paddraig took her hand
in his and with the other, cupped her chin.
“Do ye remember Laird Munro?” He
didn’t wait for an answer. “He’s known
ye since ye were a wee bairn and has been a good friend to me and to our
clan. I sent word to him not long
ago. His wife was recently verra ill and
there was nae a thing to be done to save her.
I thought he may be in need of a new wife and since yer nae needed here
any longer, I offered ye.”
The room began to swim
as Brenna fought to keep from fainting.
She began to shake uncontrollably.
“Are ye cold,
Brenna? Yer shivering as if ye sat upon
an icy block.” He wrinkled his brow and
examined her face. “Yer nae ill, are
ye?”
“I dinnae wish to
marry, Da. I came to tell ye this morn
that I wish to live with Dougall and Helene.”
The happy smile her Da
had been wearing was replaced by an angry scowl. This is what she had hoped to avoid. “Ye’ll do as I say! I’ll nae have another of me bairns refuse a
marriage I’ve arranged.” His voice had
risen so that the servants scurried from the hall and all others stopped to see
what had riled him so.
“Da, he’s an old man,”
Brenna squeaked, hoping against hope that it might be a different Laird Munro.
“Am I an old man? He’s the same age as I. I would never have expected this from ye
Brenna. What’s come over ye? Is it that brother of yers? Is he the one who put this crazy idea into
yer head?” Paddraig’s face was turning a
frightening shade of red as he continued to shout at her.
Brenna didn’t dare to
look up at him. She was terrified of his
anger. He’d never been like this with
her before, instead reserving his anger for her brothers.
“Well, speak up!” He
bellowed.
Brenna shrank back
away from him as the strong smell of whisky on his breath permeated her
nostrils. “Da. I’m so sorry.
I dinnae wish to disappoint ye or to go against yer wishes…”
“That’s me lass,”
Paddraig interrupted in a more civil tone.
“Da. I’ve been most unhappy of late. Yer new wife and her sister have made me feel
unwelcome in me own home. I came to
speak with ye this morning because I wish to go live with Dougall and Helene.”
“Brenna, Greer has
told me that ye are the one making her life miserable here. I cannae allow it. She’s me wife and I wish her to be
happy. She tells me ye treat her rudely
and speak unkindly of her to anyone who’ll listen.”
She did her best to
control the anger that was consuming her on hearing these blatant lies. The fact that her Da believed them broke her
heart. She’d need to tread carefully
here. It was obvious that Greer was
quite capable of making Paddraig believe every vile lie she chose to tell about
Brenna. Chin trembling and eyes wide,
Brenna swallowed hard and took a moment to control her voice before
speaking. “That’s nae true, Da. Ye have to believe me. Please,” she begged. “Please dinnae make me marry Laird Munro.”
“I’ve
said ye will and I’ll nae change me mind.
Ye will marry Laird Munro. He sent
a messenger with his reply and he is happy to take ye to be his wife. He will be here in two days time and ye will
be wed. Ye will have what ye want. A castle to manage, much as ye’ve managed
mine over the years. Ye will do yer wifely duties, as Greer does. Ye will obey yer husband and I’ll nae hear
another word about it.”
It took a moment or
two for Zeke to realize he’d actually done it.
He’d time traveled. His elation
on knowing this was tempered by the fact that he had no idea where he was or
what year it was. He hoped Edna was as
good at this time travel stuff as he’d heard, but so far there was no way for
him to know.
“There ye are, sir,” a
man’s voice came from behind him. Zeke
spun around to see an older gentleman standing next to a wagon. He was holding the reins to a magnificent
black horse with a long flowing mane.
“Me name’s Wallace. Edna sent me
to make sure ye arrived safely. She
asked that I provide ye with this horse.
His name is Olwydd. ’Tis a Welsh
name that means tracker.” He approached
Zeke, holding the reins out for him to take.
“Thank you,” Zeke
said. “I was wondering if I had arrived
in the right place, but now that I’ve seen you, I guess I have.” He looked the horse over and thought the name
appropriate considering that he was here to find his sister. “Do you know which way I should go?”
“Dinnae worry yerself
with that. Olwydd kens the way. Edna has seen to it.” He bobbed his head and
turned to head back to his wagon.
Zeke was definitely
feeling out of his element. It was a
mixture of excitement about this journey and anxiety for the unknown. “So, the horse is going to lead me to my
sister,” he called to Wallace.
“I’ve no idea where
yer headed, sir. I only do what Edna
asks of me and she didnae grant me that information. She did, however, ask me to supply ye with
some things ye may need. They are in the
bags, there.” He pointed to two leather
bags slung across the saddle. “Now, ’tis
time for me to be on me way.”
“Thanks, Wallace. I appreciate the help.” He had one more
question before he was on his own, “How will I get in touch with Edna?”
Wallace tipped his cap
and climbed aboard his wagon, waving to Zeke as he disappeared over the bridge.
“Okay. I guess that
was another question he didn’t have an answer for.” Zeke rubbed the tension from the back of his
neck. He had very little to go on here
and he had to trust that somehow he’d find a way to communicate with Edna. “Well, Olwydd, I sure hope you know where
you’re going.”
The horse nickered and
gazed at him with liquid brown eyes.
Zeke glanced around and seeing no other option, mounted Olwydd and
allowed him to lead the way.
About The Author
Jennae Vale is a best selling author of romance with a touch of magic. As a history buff from an early age, Jennae often found herself day-dreaming in history class - wondering what it would be like to live in the places and time periods she was learning about. Writing time travel romance has given her an opportunity to take those daydreams and turn them into stories to share with readers everywhere.
Originally from the Boston area, Jennae now lives in the San Francisco Bay area, where some of her characters also reside. When Jennae isn’t writing, she enjoys spending time with her family and her pets, and daydreaming, of course.
Originally from the Boston area, Jennae now lives in the San Francisco Bay area, where some of her characters also reside. When Jennae isn’t writing, she enjoys spending time with her family and her pets, and daydreaming, of course.
You can find Jennae at
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