UniquelyMoi ~ BlithelyBookish’s
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(group member since Sep 20, 2010)
UniquelyMoi ~ BlithelyBookish’s
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Remember, this is a deleted scene and is not included in the final copy. Don't assume that any part of what you're about to read will take place.A little setup to the scene: This is what would have been the end of chapter 13 and the beginning of 14. Connor and Joseph are traveling with Sarah, taking her to her uncle, Lord William Wentworth. It's been a physically and emotionally grueling journey so far and Connor knows that Sarah is hiding something, but Sarah isn't about to tell him what her secret is.
***
She swallowed, looked straight into his eyes, and lied. “I thank you for your concern, major, but I have no secrets.”
He arched a single dark brow. “Would you force me to call you a liar, mo luaidh? I can see in your eyes that you’re—”
From somewhere nearby, a horse snorted.
In a heartbeat, Sarah found herself on the ground, Connor shielding her body with his, rifle already in his hands, tompion between his teeth.
Then from among the trees ahead of them, a man appeared. Tall with long, dark hair and a long dark beard, he stepped forth, animal skins draped over his horse’s back. Sarah’s first thought was that he was a French trapper. But when he spoke, his accent was cultured and very English.
“No need to shoot. The name is Nicholas Kenleigh, a loyal subject of His Majesty King George. Have you anything to go with this buck?”
####
Connor leaned in close to Joseph and spoke in Mahican. “I do not like it. See how he watches her?”
Kenleigh was skinning and gutting the buck, his hands bloody to the wrists, his gaze drifting time and again to Sarah, who gathered kindling nearby apparently heedless that she was the center of so much male attention.
Joseph nodded. “A deserter?”
Such men, both French and English, prowled the forests, unable to return home for fear of being hanged. Cutthroats and thieves, they had no honor and lived outside the law, attacking farmsteads, stealing, raping, killing.
“Aye, what else would he be? Look at his horse.” Connor had never seen a stallion of such quality, surely beyond the means of a mere trapper. He’d likely stolen it. “There is war in his eyes. And his musket—it is the weapon of a soldier. ”
Even as they spoke, Kenleigh looked away from the buck, his gaze seeking Sarah. The man had like as not gone months, perhaps years, without a woman and might at this very moment be imagining all the ways Sarah might serve his lust.
“We could kill him now or wait for him to kill us and take her.”
Connor knew Joseph was right, but the thought of slaying a man in cold blood was repugnant to him. They had no proof that Kenleigh was deserter, after all. The only thing he’d done thus far was to gaze upon Sarah a bit too long and a bit too often.
Then again, maybe they should kill him.
Connor reined in his anger. “We must remain watchful and ready.”
Without needing to speak further, Connor and Joseph kept Sarah far beyond Kenleigh’s reach, one of them ever at her side as cuts of venison were set to roast above the fire, cornmeal was mixed into ashcakes, and more firewood was gathered. If Kenleigh made any move to take her, they would kill him before he touched her.
Kenleigh said little but went about his business, watching the venison, brushing his horse, speaking to it in soft reassuring tones. The chestnut stallion, which he called Zeus, nuzzled him, nickering softly, the affection between the two helping to reassure Connor that Kenleigh wasn’t entirely evil.
Men could be easily fooled; animals were not.
An hour later, they sat around the fire, Sarah between Connor and Joseph—and across the fire from Kenleigh.
The man cut off a sliver of roasted venison with his knife and ate it with uncommon grace, his manners sharply at odds with his rough appearance.
“Obwandiyag of the Ottawa speaks of uniting the tribes to throw the whites out. When this war ends, I fear we shall face another.”
Joseph seemed to consider this. “It will be hard to bring the tribes together. The Haudenosaunee and Wyandot will never stop fighting, and my people will never ally themselves with the Mohawk.”
“I’ve heard Obwandiyag speak. He is metai—a spiritual leader—and holds the respect of many.” Kenleigh cut off another slice of venison. “Some among the Ottawa believe he was born to rid the Americas of Europeans.”
Then his gaze shifted to Sarah, who had stopped eating to listen. “I apologize if my words frighten you, miss.”
“She’s my wife.” Connor spoke the words with more force than he’d intended.
Kenleigh met his gaze. “What brings you out this far?”
And Connor saw that Kenleigh trusted them no more than they trusted him. Why then had he approached them? There could be only one reason—Sarah.
Connor’s hackles rose.
“A Mequachake Shawnee war party took her.” Connor cut Sarah a slice of meat and held it out for her, using the gesture as an excuse to move closer to her. “We came to get her back.”
Kenleigh looked from Connor to Joseph and back again. “Just the two of you against the entire village?”
“Aye.” Connor cut a slice of meat, the juices hot on his fingers. “You’ll find a dozen or so dead Shawnee a good day’s journey to the south.”
Kenleigh seemed to study him, as if taking his measure afresh, then his gaze shifted once more to Sarah. This time, his voice was gentle when he spoke. “Is what this man says true? Is he your husband?”
“Aye, sir.” A blush crept into Sarah’s cheeks. “We are… We are newly wed.”
“Felicitations.” Kenleigh’s gaze shifted back to Connor. “I’ve given you my name. ’Tis time I learnt yours.”
Joseph spoke first. “Joseph Aupauteunk, war chief of the Mahican.”
“I am Connor MacKinnon, and this is my bride, Sarah.”
Kenleigh’s eyebrows rose. “Connor MacKinnon? Major Connor MacKinnon of MacKinnon’s Rangers?”
“Aye, the same.”
“Why didn’t you bloody say so in the first place? With deserters running rampant through these woods, I saw the woman and feared she was your captive.”
Sarah gaped at him. “You thought to rescue me?”
Connor gave a snort. “Is that why you contrived to sup wi’ us—so that you could discover the truth about her?”
“Aye.” Kenleigh grinned, reaching out to cut another slice of meat. “And I suppose you thought I was a deserter.”
Connor met his gaze. “Are you?”
“Nay.” Kenleigh cut off another slice. “I fought beside Colonel Washington as a volunteer in the Virginia Regiment early in the war until I was taken captive by the Wyandot.”
Connor concealed his surprise. Few taken by the Wyandot escaped being burnt alive in their fires. He might have asked Kenleigh how he’d avoided that fate, but the haunted look that came to Kenleigh’s eyes stopped Connor cold.
With the release of DEFIANT just a few days away, Lady Danielle and I wanted to do something special for this group to help make the wait easier.I had the pleasure of reading DEFIANT while it was a WIP (work in progress) and there was a scene that I absolutely loved and knew everyone else would love it, too. Sadly, this scene was deleted from the book, but I decided to ask Pamela if she would allow me to post it here, exclusively for this group, and she agreed!
Fans of the Blakewell/Kenleigh Family Trilogy will be thrilled to read this, and those who haven't yet had the pleasure of reading the trilogy - well, what are you waiting for??
I asked Pamela to share with us her thoughts about writing this scene, and why she then chose to delete it:
I’ve been aware the entire time I’ve been working on the MacKinnon’s Ranger series that for much of the time covered by the series Nicholas Kenleigh, the hero I love so much from RIDE THE FIRE, was out there in the wilderness in self-imposed exile. I thought it would be a lot of fun to bring the two series together by having one of the MacKinnon brothers or the Rangers have a run-in with Nicholas prior to the time when he meets Bethie. I was very excited as I wrote that scene into DEFIANT — Connor, Joseph and Sarah encountering Nicholas in the wilderness. I imagined the mistrust would be high on both sides and, with Sarah at stake, the potential for an alpha-male showdown was high. I love that sort of scene.
But when I finished, the story refused to move forward again. I couldn’t write another word. The pacing seemed off, and I couldn’t get it back.
I think it was Hemingway who said to find the thing you love the most about what you’ve just written and delete it. I don’t think he meant that literally. I think what he meant was don’t sacrifice the story for one idea, sentence, concept or scene. As I sat there with a manuscript that refused to get longer, I realize I had no choice but to cut the scene out, focus the story on Connor and Sarah again, and that’s what I did. And sure enough, the moment the scene was out, the story started writing itself again.
Yet as I read through this scene again, I wished so very much that I had found a way to keep it. So we’re going to have to imagine that at some point Nicholas and the MacKinnon Brothers meet out there in the wild, men of the wilderness, survivors, face to face.
I’ll be working on revisions of RIDE THE FIRE before too long. Maybe I can fit a reference to MacKinnon’s Rangers in RTF 2.0.
I'm sorry to hear that, Becs! I don't understand why it wouldn't be released in the UK, though. Maybe Pamela will have the answer to that.
Making the Wait for Defiant Easier!Make the wait easier by joining Pamela Clare for a live video chat party on the eve of the release of Defiant, the much-anticipated third book in her MacKinnon’s Rangers series. Brought to you by Shindig Events, this won’t be like any video chat you’ve joined in before.
The party starts at 6 PM Eastern Time on July 2 and runs until 7PM
Pamela will answer questions and read an exclusive excerpt from the book. You’ll be able to chat about the MacKinnon’s Rangers series with the author and other readers. Best of all, five lucky participants will win a signed copy of the book from Pamela!
Reserve your spot, today!
http://pamelaclare.eventbrite.com/
Making the Wait for Defiant Easier!Make the wait easier by joining Pamela Clare for a live video chat party on the eve of the release of Defiant, the much-anticipated third book in her MacKinnon’s Rangers series. Brought to you by Shindig Events, this won’t be like any video chat you’ve joined in before.
The party starts at 6 PM Eastern Time on July 2 and runs until 7PM
Pamela will answer questions and read an exclusive excerpt from the book. You’ll be able to chat about the MacKinnon’s Rangers series with the author and other readers. Best of all, five lucky participants will win a signed copy of the book from Pamela!
Reserve your spot, today!
http://pamelaclare.eventbrite.com/
Announcement About Defiant!Over the next several days, leading up to the July 3rd release of Defiant, we'll have some things going on to help make the wait easier! Be sure and check this thread and your Private Messages for announcements about giveaways, special events and even a very cool, exclusive, sumthin' sumthin' that Pamela has given me permission to share with this group!
And if you haven't already done so, be sure and pre-order your copy today!
Defiant at Book Depository
Defiant at Barnes and Noble
Defiant at Amazon
Announcement About Defiant!Over the next several days, leading up to the July 3rd release of Defiant, we'll have some things going on to help make the wait easier! Be sure and check this thread and your Private Messages for announcements about giveaways, special events and even a very cool, exclusive, sumthin' sumthin' that Pamela has given me permission to share with this group!
And if you haven't already done so, be sure and pre-order your copy today!
Defiant at Book Depository
Defiant at Barnes and Noble
Defiant at Amazon
Fun things to do on a hot day1. read in the hammock
2. stay inside with the a/c going
3. Go for a swim
4. eat ice cream
5. Drink Lemonade!
Tooooooooooo long!
This is such a great series. I'm so excited that after Connor, it's not over and that Joseph will get a story, too!
Oh, but you'll be in love with him early on. I was, for sure. And imagine, PC got to touch Connor/Karl while drawing on his arm tatts. *sigh* She later commented that had she been thinking clearly, she would have told him that Connor had tatts on his butt, too. LOL!! Those are pictures I'd have loved to see!
I haven't seen the video yet, but the pictures. Yes... I've seen them, ogled them, drooled over them. The model's name is Karl... darn, can't remember his last name, but really, who cares, right? Hot is hot and that's all that matters.Yes, I'm shallow. :)
Lisa Kay wrote: "Such a neat ad-vert, Dhes! (message #30)."Isn't it though? I just want to lick him... I mean... like him on Facebook. Yeah, that's it. Like him. Not lick... oh hell.
1.
- A hand-picked cadre of warriors, they had the fierce courage of their Scots forefathers, combined with the stealth and cunning of the Indians who lived beside them in the wilderness. Battling the French in a no-holds-barred combat, they forged a new brand of honor, became a new breed of men...MacKinnon's Rangers.Iain MacKinnon had been forced to serve the British crown, but compassion urged him to save the lovely lass facing certain death at the hands of the Abenaki. He'd defied his orders, endangered his brothers, his men and his mission, all for a woman. But when he held Annie's sweet body in his arms, he could feel no regret. Though he sensed she was hiding something from him, it was too late to hold back his heart. In love and war, there are times when the only course of action is... Surrender.
2.
- They were a band of brothers, their loyalty to one another forged by hardship and battle, the bond between these Highland warriors, rugged colonials, and fierce Native Americans stronger even than blood ties.Though forced to fight for the hated British, Morgan MacKinnon would no more betray the men he leads than slit his own throat—not even when he was captured by the French and threatened with an agonizing death by fire at the hands of their Abenaki allies. Only the look of innocent longing in the eyes of a convent-bred French lass could make him question his vow to escape and return to the Rangers. And soon the sweet passion he awoke in Amalie had him cursing the war that forced him to choose between upholding his honor and pledging himself to the woman he loves.
3.
- (Coming July 3rd, 2012) - Charged with a crime they didn’t commit, the MacKinnon brothers faced a death sentence until they agreed to serve the British Crown in the Colonies and take up arms against the French. Allied with the Indian tribes who lived beside them in the wilderness, the Scottish Highland warriors forged a new breed of soldier… MacKinnon’s Rangers.Major Connor MacKinnon despises his commander, Lord William Wentworth, beyond all other men. Ordered to rescue Wentworth’s niece after the Shawnee take her captive, he expects Lady Sarah Woodville to be every bit as arrogant and contemptible as her uncle. Instead, he finds a brave and beautiful lass in desperate peril. But the only way to free Sarah is for Connor to defeat the Shawnee warrior who kidnapped her—and claim her himself.
Torn by tragedy from her sheltered life in London, Lady Sarah is unprepared for the harshness of the frontier—or for the attraction she feels toward Connor as he guides her first through the consummation of their forced union and then through the dangers of the wilderness. When they reach civilization, however, it is she who must protect him. For if her uncle knew all that Connor had done to save her, he would surely kill him.
But the flames of passion, once kindled, are difficult to deny. As desire transforms into love, Connor will have to defy an empire to keep Sarah at his side.
Want to win a signed copy of Defiant? Check this out:Pamela Clare is having a fanfiction contest. For a chance to win a signed copy of Defiant, write Connor MacKinnon and Lady Sarah in a kissing scene.
For more details and where to post your scene, click here:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pamela...
Oh, thank you for posting those pictures, Christine! Aren't they yummy!!!
You're welcome. Though I must admit, I'd rather BE Lady Sarah in that kissing scene. :)
Want to win a signed copy of Defiant? Check this out:Pamela Clare is having a fanfiction contest. For a chance to win a signed copy of Defiant, write Connor MacKinnon and Lady Sarah in a kissing scene.
For more details and where to post your scene, click here:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pamela...
Want to win a signed copy of Defiant? Check this out:Pamela Clare is having a fan fiction contest. For a chance to win a signed copy of Defiant, write Connor MacKinnon and Lady Sarah in a kissing scene.
For more details and where to post your scene, click here:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pamela...
