HISTORICAL ROMANCE: Scottish Romance: Scars of a Highlander (Highlander Alpha Male Romance) (Historical Fantasy Scottish Time Travel Romance Short Stories) by Cassandra Michaels

only the sound of the birds and the wind gently rustling the leaves of the trees. Lucia’s stepmom and sisters never came out into the garden. They claimed that the cold might leave them ill, but they didn’t have a problem going into town and spending her father's money.
    She walked slowly through the garden and then turned back to the house. Her legs felt like they were on fire from her walk, and she looked forward to being able to sit down.
    “So you’ve finally decided to come in.” Lucia’s stepmom said with a look of disapproval on her face. “You know it’s very unladylike to spend so much time outdoors.”
    “Well, my mother was a perfect lady, and she must have spent half her life out in the garden.” Lucia said defiantly.
    “And look what happened to her.” Her stepmom said under her breath.
    Lucia took in a sharp breath, but she didn’t take her stepmom’s bait into the argument.
    “When will dinner be served?” She asked as she ignored the last comment that had been made.
    “When you decide to grace the dining room.” Her stepmom said, with a look of nothing but disgust.
    “Excellent.” Lucia said with a smirk and then she walked passed her stepmom and down the hallway towards the dining room. “Are you coming stepmother? We wouldn’t want to keep everybody waiting.” Lucia added as she walked away.
    She could feel the glare that was coming from behind her, but she didn’t look. She couldn’t help, but smirk at how she had managed to turn her conversation around. She stopped when she had reached the dining room door and pushed open the doors.
    The dining table had already been dressed by the maids, and the fire was well stocked. The  flames threw a healthy orange glow against the room that made it appear cozy and warm.
    Lucia walked into the room and took her seat. It was hard against her back and forced her posture to remain proper, but it wasn’t as uncomfortable as the atmosphere in the room.
    “I’m sorry that I had you all waiting.” Lucia said when the silence in the room had become too much to bare.
    “Well, there isn’t anything that sorry can do about it now.” Her father said in a gruff voice.
    “I was walking through the gardens and I got lost in thought.” Lucia tried to explain.
    She watched her dad’s reaction. She was hoping to see some glimmer of understanding, but there was nothing, but cold. It had been that way since her mother had passed away. It was like he couldn’t even look at his daughter anymore because of the reminder.
    “Well, my life doesn’t revolve around your walks, Lucia, nor does it revolve around any woman’s thoughts.” He said in a bored tone.
    “It won’t happen again.” Lucia said.
    She knew that there was no way to win the argument, and there was no point in making things more uncomfortable than they already were.
    “We received an invitation from the palace today.” Her stepmom said once the conversation between Lucia and her dad had long since passed.
    “Are they throwing another ball?” Tiana, Lucia’s stepsister, asked excitedly.
    “Of course they’re throwing another ball, stupid.” Tiana's sister, Alice, said quickly.
    Lucia watched her two sisters as they started to squabble over what the invitation was about. Tiana was the older of the two, but had the least brains. She was pretty with dark brown hair and pale skin, but there was a certain vacancy in her eyes that Lucia thought to be unappealing.
    Alice was the younger and smaller of the two. She was much sharper though, and Lucia thought her quite manipulative. She was just as pretty as her sister, though. She had matching brown hair that fell down her back and pretty little pink lips that would purse whenever she was deep in thought.
    “Now girls calm down.” Their dad said in an agitated tone.
    “So, is it a ball mother?” Tiana asked, turning her head back to the original bearer of the news.
    “Yes, my dears, it’s a ball at the palace.” Lucia’s stepmom