A Portrait of a Highlander
About this ebook
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.
About the author
Louise Mayberry writes books set in the early industrial age—a volatile time of radicals and romantics, capitalists and aristocrats. Her novels savor the connections between the past and present, tell stories rather than tropes and feature heroes (and heroines) who prefer to be called by their given names rather than labeled as alphas or cinnamon rolls.
Louise lives with her family in the Upper Midwest where she savors the summers and survives the winters. When not writing, she can be found wandering in her garden, attempting to talk her her kids into eating healthy food, or curled up in a pool of sunshine with a cup of tea and a good book.
