A Portrait of a Highlander

Tavish Burns lives his life in the shadows of others. He's stablemaster at Darnalay Castle, just as his father was, and he manages the estate while his best friend Cameron, the Earl of Banton, is away doing more important things.

That's fine with Tav. He likes his work and his quiet. And it's not as if he could make a real difference in this godforsaken world anyway.

Gwen McMillan is a painter. She believes in inspiration, in the power of her art to change the world . . . if she were a man. As a woman, her only hope for a career in art is to give drawing lessons to wealthy young ladies so they can impress their future husbands.  

When Gwen's father proposes she accompany him on a trip to the Highlands, she readily agrees, welcoming the pleasant departure from life in Edinburgh. But while the Highlands' enchanted forests and bleak expanses prove beautiful enough, one dark spot mars Gwen's idyllic sojourn: her irascible host, Mr. Burns. 

Everything she says seems to annoy the man, though she cannot fathom why. 

Even still, Gwen is determined to enjoy herself, to paint and breathe fresh air. Until an accident befalls her and Mr. Burns in the woods, and Gwen discovers there is more to this ill-tempered Highlander than meets the eye.

This 30,000-word novella takes place just after Book Four in the Darnalay Castle Series (The Song of the Magpie) concludes. It can be read as a standalone.