When the Laird Returns (29 page)

Authors: Karen Ranney

BOOK: When the Laird Returns

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Afterword

N
at Palmer, a ship’s captain from Stonington, Connecticut, was credited with having the keenest eyesight of any sailor of his time. During a blinding snowstorm off South America, he took refuge at Deception Island. From there he saw a small smudge on the southern horizon. Sailing toward it, he became the first person since Columbus to discover a new continent. This portion of Antarctica was subsequently named Palmer Peninsula.

The true clipper ship did not make its emergence until the mid-nineteenth century, and Scottish shipyards, such as Robert Steele & Co. of Greenock, built some of the most famous vessels of their day.

Prior to that time, however, many shipbuilders experimented with various designs, including one similar to that of the
Fortitude
.

In addition to Daniel’s superstitions, there were some other beliefs that fascinated me, such as the fact that it was unlucky to use the word “church” while at sea or to mention rabbits, hares, or other wild animals.

The Highland Clearances, the acts of stripping the land of its people in favor of sheep, took place in two main time frames—the late-eighteenth century and the mid-nineteenth century. People were burned out of their homes, and sometimes within them if not quick enough to leave. What then remained was leveled, leaving foraging area for the Cheviot sheep. An irony of history is that during this same time, the Highland Regiments were serving with distinction in foreign wars.

Some Scots were indeed sold by their lairds as indentured servants in the Carolinas. Both MacDonald of Sleat and MacLeod of Dunvegan are reputed to have been guilty of this act.

About the Author

KAREN RANNEY began writing when she was five. Her first published work was The Maple Leaf, read over the school intercom when she was in the first grade. In addition to wanting to be a violinist (her parents had a special violin crafted for her when she was seven), she wanted to be a lawyer, a teacher, and, most of all, a writer. The violin discarded early, she still admits to a fascination with the law, and she volunteers as a teacher whenever needed. Writing, however, has remained an overwhelming love of hers. She loves to hear from her readers—please write to her at [email protected] or visit her website at www.karenranney.com.

Karen Ranney lives in Texas.

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Copyright

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

WHEN THE LAIRD RETURNS
. Copyright © 2002 by Karen Ranney. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

ePub edition March 2007 ISBN 9780061755972

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