I woke that morning, a little light headed – evidence of over sleeping – and promptly called for my handmaiden. I had just recalled that significance of the day. It was New Year's Day and, as Sharon helped me into the dress my mother had lain out for me, I could hear raised male voices. They were enjoying the festivities and if I knew my father well they were enjoying the mead filled beverages.

'Sharon, how many are here this day?' I asked of my closest companion as she acquired the strings to my corset.

'Many Bridgett. Forget not that it is the beginning of a new year. There are sure to be countless Lairds and their sons that your mother wishes for you to meet,' Sharon informed me and I sighed. Many a time I wished for peace and tranquillity for the New Year, if not to lose a small amount of weight.

When Sharon had finished helping me dress I made my way to the door to my tower and descended the stairs. If there were indeed Laird sons for me to meet father would not be pleased at all. He had already decided upon the male I would marry. I had been betrothed to Joseph Wallace since the moment of my birth. And though he was a few years older than me we had been great friends in our childhood. That must have been because our fathers were great friends.

'I wonder if Joseph will be here this day,' I mused as I reached the bottom floor of the Keep and made my way through to the Great Hall where the majority of the guests were gathered. I longed to see my friend once more. It had been five years since I'd seen him last. I'd waved him off as he had departed for war and hadn't heard anything from him. I held great hope that he still lived.

'Bridgett!' Lady Alconbury called as I entered the hall, ensuring all eyes were on me, male and female. Suddenly the room grew very small and I became conscious of my great weight. The corset had done very little to hide my ample figure. I soon felt many pairs of male eyes upon my bared cleavage. One of those males was Laird Alconbury. A man who was like an uncle to me, though I felt no one had ever informed him of this. 'Your mother wished to start without you but I told her not to be rude,' she finished as she steered me towards the dining table.

'Apologies Lady Alconbury I overslept. I was having the most wonderful dream,' I added as I made my way over to the head of the table, to the left of my father. I tried to no avail to bring myself to reality as my dream washed over me. His woodsy scent would not leave me and I found myself day dreaming as mother brought out the turkey she had prepared with the help of Lady Alconbury.

'Happy New Year Bridgett!' My father barked out as he began to eat his meal, a sign that we could all enjoy the cooking of my mother and her closest friend.

'So, Bridgett, when are we going to see you married?' Laird Alconbury questioned, raising an eyebrow at me from down the table. I found myself growing uneasy as many pairs of eyes returned to me. How was I to answer? Everyone gathered was aware that I was betrothed to Joseph Wallace, but very few knew that I was disinclined to marry a man that I had not chosen for myself. A fact that I would never voice before my father and Laird Wallace.

Joseph and I had known each other for a long time and had grown so close that we were like brother and sister than husband and wife. When we learned of our betrothal we became very uncomfortable. We did not wish to marry, but our fathers' wills could not be disobeyed. Even Joseph, a Laird's son, could not raise a negative point.

'Perhaps when Joseph returns,' I told him and breathed a sigh of relief when I discovered he was not seated at the table. Though I yearned to see him once more, I knew that day would become my wedding day. It wasn't that I was unprepared to be wed, I only refused to marry a male I could not love.

Dinner continued amicably and through the voices I recognised I discovered there was one that I did not know. It was not a Scottish brogue that I heard but instead an accent most commonly heard within the city of London. My brows furrowed as I wondered why the male had journeyed so far for a mere New Year's Day meal.

When dinner ended I found myself being followed by my mother and Lady Alconbury, they were walking arm in arm and when they reached my position in the room I found that they were talking in earnest. Their subject was me.

'Come Bridgett there is someone we'd like for you to meet,' Lady Alconbury told me and I looked across at my father standing beside Laird Wallace. Did he realise what my mother planned for me? He couldn't have for he only continued talking to his friend and ignored my mother and me.

'He's a wealthy knight from London,' mother informed me and I sighed, understanding what she hinted at. 'He has recently become divorced, though he shall tell no one why,' mother continued and I merely blocked out her voice until we came to a male standing beside himself. He seemed to be perusing the Yule tree and I found myself smiling. The Yule tree was my favourite part of the festivities. It's such a beautiful plant that I begged each year for it to be displayed until the New Year.

The strange male was exceedingly tall and I noticed at once that he was different to many of the males in Edinburgh. Firstly his hair was darkly brown and he wore no kilt. I wondered if the Lairds had been insulted by that fact, and yet I found it strangely attractive. I found myself attracted to him.

He was dressed in a fitted jacket with a collar that reached his neck and fastened at his collar bone. It was a fine colour – red – and pure cotton if I was not mistaken. Mother was right, he was wealthy indeed. And I raised my eyes to his to discover they were just as dark as his hair.

'This is Laird Darcy of London,' mother announced and at a second glance I found him to be familiar. Though I knew not how this could be. I'd never been to London.

'Please, call me Mark, Lady Bridgett,' Darcy informed me with a courteous bow and so I offered him my hand for him to kiss.