“I don’t want to be tacksman.” Robert enunciated every word, his voice rising. “I don’t want your job, bowing obsequiously to the stinking laird and his despicable sons. I won’t do it.”

“Ye will.” Lytton’s voice, steel-edged.

“I won’t. Don’t you see, Da? Soon there won’t be any tacksmen. Year by year, they’re being replaced by factors—and sheep.”

“They’ll no replace all by sheep. Who would they call on to fight their wars?” Lytton said acidly.

Rob didn’t answer that. “They’re evil, the laird and his sons.”

“He’s our laird, evil or no, and blood kin. Ye will be tacksman after me. Ye were born and bred to it.”

“I won’t. I’ll cut peat, or fish, or just about anything else,” Rob sat down hard on the chair, “but don’t make me die that slow death. Don’t make me do it, Da.”

“Fine. Don’t do it.”

“Thank you, Da,” Rob reached out a hand to him, his anger subsiding. “Thank you for understanding.”

“Don’t do it,” his father repeated, ignoring the gesture as his gaze turned to stone, “and ye’ll be no son of mine. Ever.”

Robert Gunn, our hero who would do anything for his heroine Sofia of Somewhere Like Home.  Somewhere Like Home will be found in Follow Your Star Home, the Bluestocking Belles’ 2018 holiday anthology, now available on pre-order here. Click the link!

For more information and your choice of preorder links, click here