Book excerpt: Lady Catherine MacFarlane thought she knew who she was going to marry. A man courted her, and her cousin arranged a betrothal. But when her should-be-betrothed decides to embroil himself in scandal, Catherine is left practically at the altar. With few options available at court, Catherine wonders if she can convince her uncle, Laird MacFarlane, to allow her to return home to the Highlands.Rab MacLaren is the type of Highlander every lady at court talks about: savage and uncouth. Disinterested in women who spend their days switching gowns and gossiping, Rab is content to conduct his business with King Robert the Bruce and leave. He's not inclined to reform his rugged Highland ways and is content to be an outsider until Rab encounters Catherine, a woman he hasn't seen since childhood. Ongoing strife between the MacFarlanes and MacLarens forces Catherine and Rab to keep to the shadows. Will their romance ever see the light and have a chance to bloom?