Jackson is the heir – and last survivor – of the line of the Lairds of Straithford, a once wealthy and powerful Scottish family that has fallen into near-ruin. He was brought up hiking and hunting in the moors and Highlands around Straithford Manor, learning the land and the history of the family, and when he came of age he followed tradition and joined the army. His strength, dedication and determination saw him qualify for training in the elite SAS. In his early 20s, through family connections to high society he met and fell in love with a beautiful Italian noblewoman, the Contessa Allegra di'Montoni. They were quickly and happily married, parted only when the invasion of Afghanistan began and Jackson's regiment was deployed.

It was there that things went wrong. Jackson's unit was captured by the Taliban, and by the time he was rescued – the only survivor of the squad – he had witnessed unimaginable horrors. Returning home, he suffered another blow... his wife was dead. His parents having already past away, he was left alone in the vast, cold, haunted halls of Straithford Manor. Alone, that is, until he fell from a ladder one day and suffered a compound fracture in his leg, rendering him invalid and in reluctant need of home help.

Now aged 37, Jackson is an imposing man, broad across the shoulders, deep chested, muscular and with the indefatigable fitness of special forces training. His dark hair is flecked with silver, his dark brown eyes with gold, and his features show the stern nobility of his ancestors.