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 anything he could do would make a difference in this God-forsaken world, anyway.
Gwen McMillan is a painter, just like her father. She believes in inspiration and the power of her art to change the world . . . If she were a man, that is. She’s not. She’s just a woman. The best she can hope for is the unfulfilling independence of teaching young ladies to draw so they can impress their future husbands.
When Gwen’s father proposes she accompany him on a commission to the Highlands, she readily agrees. It promises to be a pleasant departure from life in Edinburgh. And the Highlands do turn out to be beautiful, with their enchanted forests and bleak expanses. But there’s one dark spot in Gwen’s otherwise idyllic sojourn: her irascible host, Mr. Burns.
Everything she says seems to annoy the man, though she has no idea why.
Even still, Gwen is determined to enjoy herself—to paint and to breathe the fresh air. But when an accident befalls her and Mr. Burns in the woods, Gwen discovers there’s 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.
