Dear Readers,
Allow me to introduce you to Caibre MacFearann, hero of Forever Hold My Heart, an historical romance novella by Rue Allyn.
Welcome to The Teatime Tattler Mr. MacFearann. I’m Samuel Clemens, editor and owner of this periodical.
Thank you for inviting me, Mr. Clemens. Please call me Ciabre.
Tattler: As you wish. The Tattler is well acquainted with Miss Allyn’s work and interviewing her heroes is a constant delight. Please, if you will, confirm the following information about your story.
Tattler: The title is Forever Hold My Heart by Rue Allyn, an historical romance novella that one would politely call steamy; that is not to be read by children under the age of seventeen?
Caibre: “Och, I suppose so, Mr. Clemens. T’ tell the truth, I concern myself no so much with the story as I do with makin’ sure t’ author gets m’ character right, and that she doesna malign Miss Aisla MacKai in any way,
Tattler: Well that’s forthright. I gather you and Miss MacKai are lovers?
Caibre: (He’s grinning.) I’d no say anything to damage Aisla’s reputation. Let’s say that I intend to propose to the lady and pray she’ll accept me.
Tattler: I wish you the best of luck Mr. MacFearann, er Caibre, as I’m sure our readership does too.
Tattler: Are you aware of the expression “kicked the bucket?”
Caibre: Oh, aye. That and a number of other, ah, quaint expressions are used in the Wyoming Territory where I make my home now.
Tattler: Then it would make sense to you to say that a list of things a person wants to accomplish, places to go, situations to experience, and so on have become known as a “Bucket List.”
Caibre: Aye, that does make sense.
Tattler: I’ll be asking you some questions about what you might include in your bucket list. But let’s get some basics out of the way first.
Caibre: Verra well.
Tattler: What is your age?
Caibre: Twenty seven or there abouts.
Tattler: You are definitely male?
Caibre: Are ye blind or daft? D’ye wish me to prove it to ye?
Tattler: No, no. Forgive me, please. Let’s just pretend I didn’t ask that.
Caibre: Suits me.
Tattler: Thank you. Where were you born?
Caibre: MacFearann Castle on the northeast tip of Scotland’s coast.
Tattler: What would you say is your profession?
Caibre: I’m a ranch owner. I raise beef cattle and horses for sale to a number of different markets.
Tattler: You’re the son of a nobleman. Does it embarrass you that you work for a living?
Caibre: Does it embarrass you?
Tattler: No Caibre, but I’m not of the nobility.
Caibre: I never had patience with that nonsense. Luckily, I’m a second son, and I dinna have t’ concern m’sel wi’ it. Proud I am that I’ve made a good life for m’sel in a hard country.
Tattler: Please describe yourself for our readers.
Caibre: I’ve dark hair, some might call it black. My eyes are blue. I’ve a muscular build and am considered tall.
Tatter: Tell us a little about yourself, please.
Caibre: Because my spendthrift da gave me naught with which to set m’sel up in life, I left the woman I love and Scotland for the western territories. As I said, I’ve no patience with the idea that a man should not earn his way simply because of his birth. I never thought to return to Scotland, but my older brother asked my help with our father’s funeral.
Tattler: Who is that woman you left behind, and have you seen her since your return to Scotland?
Caibre: Her name is Aisla MacKai. And no I havena yet seen her. So, ye must promise me ye’ll no publish this interview until after ye hear from me that all is well between Aisla and I or that all is finished.
Tattler: I so promise. Moving on, if you haven’t made a bucket list before, perhaps now would be a good time. Who knows? It might inspire another story from Miss Allyn. While you’re thinking about that list. Please tell us about some of your other favorite things, starting with your favorite toy as a child.
Caibre: Oh tha’s an easy one. My brother Eric and I were fascinated by all the old suits of armor and weapons scattered about MacFearann Castle. Whenever we could, we’d don as much of the armor as we were able and play at attacking each other with any of the weapons we could lift. We were in our teens before we were capable of using most of the weapons, and we weren’t very expert, so we dinna do much damage to each other. The castle walls, however, bear a number of chinks and gouges that resulted from our play.
Tattler: That is truly amazing and dangerous. Didn’t your father or your tutor stop you?
Caibre: Our da was never home, and we dinna have a tutor.
Tattler: Tell us about your best friend.
Caibre: That’d be Aisla MacKai.
Tattler: Isn’t she the woman you said you loved but never expected to see again?
Caibre: Aye. She’s also the one I told you I plan to ask to marry me. I’ll be seeing her again, whether she accepts my proposal or no. My da stole something from her family, and I’m honor bound to return it.
Tattler: So, if you’ve been apart these many years, what makes her your best friend?
Caibre: Simple. I’ve never had a better. I’ve many friends and acquaintances in Wyoming, but none of them share the kinds of memories and experiences I share with Aisla. We learned to ride together. We explored the highlands together. Until we got too old for it, we spent long days and nights out under the highland skies sharing stories and dreams. We always thought we’d marry, but we dinna count on my da’s feckless ways leaving me as penniless as she was. She deserved so much more than I could offer her as a younger man. I did the only thing that was right. I left her behind. I honestly thought she’d forget me. Seems I may have been wrong.
Tattler: What are two places you would like to visit before you die, and why?
Caibre: Anywhere Aisla is. I love Wyoming. Like the highlands it’s both harsh and beautiful. However, I’ve already been to both. For some place I’d never been, I think I’d like to visit Austria and Australia. I hear that they too are places of difficult beauty.
Tattler: Where is a place you would never like to return, and why?
Caibre: MacFearann Castle.
Tattler: But that’s your home?
Caibre: Nay any longer. ‘Tis my brother’s home, and I wish him joy of it. Whether I want to return to MacFearann Castle or not, I’m sure I will. I’ll no allow a little thing like stones and mortar to stop me seeing my brother.
Tattler: Who is someone you would like to meet, and why?
Caibre: I wish I had been in a time and place when I could have met Mr. Abraham Lincoln. From all I’ve heard he seemed a wise and canny man. A conversation with him could have yielded much to think on and much to learn.
Tattler: Who is someone you would like to avoid, and why?
Caibre: ‘Twould be rude of me to say.
Tattler: So there is someone?
Caibre: Aye, but sharing that person’s name would be wrong. I’ll no do it.
Tattler: I can accept discretion and courtesy. Last question. If you could time travel to any date, what would it be, and what would you do there?
Caibre: I’d go back in time to when the second Lord MacFearann committed a crime so heinous that it has tarnished the MacFearann name to this day.
Tattler: Heavens a centuries old scandal. Do tell us the details please. What did he do?
Caibre: That ancestor disagreed with a bishop over the boundary between his lands and where the Bishop wished to build a new abbey. Deeds and other documents show that my ancestor was in the right. But the Bishop claimed that the needs of the church were more important than the papers of men, and he started construction of his abbey on MacFearann lands.
Tattler: Opposing a land-grabber, be he prelate or king, seems the right thing to me and no crime.
Caibre: Had the second Lord MacFearann left it at that and let the courts decide, all would have been well and our name would no equal that of the blackest criminals. But he was no accustomed to waiting on the pleasure of anyone regarding what was his. He invited the bishop and his brethren to dinner. He and the bishop went apart, supposedly to resolve their dispute. They were gone a very long while. When my ancestor returned, he was alone. He told the brothers the bishop was indisposed and begged that they should partake of the meal. Their leader would join them anon.
Tattler: And did he?
Caibre: (His expression is grim.) Aye, in a manner of speaking. The brothers praised the skills of the MacFearann cook and asked why my ancestor did not partake. He explained that the meat was not to his taste but they should eat their fill. They cleaned their plates twice over—for the clergy were always hungry. When they thanked Lord MacFearann for the delectable dish, he told them they should thank the lord for allowing the Bishop to make their meal for them.
Tattler: You don’t mean . . .?
Caibre: Aye, I do mean. That while the second Lord MacFearann and the bishop were alone, my ancestor killed the man then had him roasted over a spit in the kitchens, carved and sauced and served to his holy brothers. Interestingly, every one of those holy men died within the year.
Tattler: I confess dear readers at this point I found myself unable to continue the interview. Mr. MacFearann was kind enough to leave me with a short summary of his story and some information about the author, which you will find below.
Blurb: The last thing Caibre MacFearann wants is to return to Scotland let alone be forced to stay there. But the chance to rekindle the lost love of his youth is too tempting to resist.
Losing Caibre MacFearann’s love once hurt so much that Aisla MacKai wants nothing to do with him when a blizzard brings the man to her doorstep. Kindness and human charity require that she give him shelter, no matter that her poor heart had never mended.
Where to buy Forever Hold My Heart: Forever Hold My Heart cannot be purchased. It’s release date is May 20, 2019. On that date the novella will be free to all of Miss Allyn’s newsletter subscribers and the members of the RAVON FB Community. The link for newsletter subscription is: https://www.rueallyn.com/ravonsubscribefhmh/.
The link for the RAVON Community is: https://www.facebook.com/groups/RAVONcommunity/
About Rue Allyn: Hi, I’m Rue Allyn, I write heart melting romance novels. Books about characters and adventures in which love triumphs at the darkest moment. The kind of hopeful, steal-your-breath romance that melts a reader’s heart. The type of book I like to read. Hope you will too
Author social medial links—
Rue’s Website: https://RueAllyn.com
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/rue-allyn
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RueAllynFriends
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/default/e/B00AUBF3NI/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5031290.Rue_Allyn?from_search=true
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RueAllyn
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