A Woman of Courage Read online

  “No, I haven’t…” She didn’t want to hear Quinn’s words of praise. Too many of her clan were dead or enslaved. She grabbed fistfuls of Connell’s léine. “Do you think my people are still on the boat? I need to go and—”

  “Quinn, take whatever men you need to free the captives on the ship,” Connell ordered.

  “It’ll be my pleasure.” Quinn smiled, and winked before sloshing through the newly formed mud toward the O’Neill warriors.

  “I should—

  “No.” Connell wrapped her in his arms. “You’re shaking. Quinn didn’t take the brunt of the attack. You did.” Without warning he picked her up, and carried her toward the fort.

  “What are you doing?” She wrapped her arms around his neck.

  “I’m taking you home.”

  “We discussed this. It will nev—”

  “Yes, it will work. You changed everything. Your actions today have proved my father wrong. You were willing to die to save my people. That’s something they won’t soon forget.”

  He stopped took a deep breath “Fianna, I love you. I loved you twelve years ago, and I will love you twelve years from now, and twelve years after that.”

  She wiggled out of his grasp, and slid down his body, wrapping her arms around his neck.

  “You know, in the battle, when I thought I was going to die, my only regret was not telling you how much I love you. I think that’s why I came to you when the Norse first attacked because I needed to see you, and Lorcan, to know you were both all right.”

  He scooped her up again, heading toward the fort.

  “Where are we going?”

  “I’m taking my wife home, to make love.”

  “I’m not your wife yet.”

  “You are. You always have been. You’re the only woman I’ve ever wanted, and I’ll never let you go.

  A word about the author…

  After being thrown out of England for refusing to drink tea, Marlow Kelly, made her way to Canada, where she found love, a home, and a pug named Max. She also discovered her love of storytelling. Encouraged by her husband, children, and let’s not forget Max, she started putting her ideas to paper. Her need to write about strong women in crisis drives her stories, and her curiosity regarding the lives and loves of historical figures are the inspiration for her characters.

  http://www.marlowkelly.com

  Thank you for purchasing

  this publication of The Wild Rose Press, Inc.