Highland Vengeance (14 page)

Camden’s brother in-law looked weak and
Olivia could tell that there was something wrong with the man. She
was not sure why but the countess had an uneasy feeling about the
riders that had just arrived. Olivia wondered if her husband sensed
this strange behavior too, something was definitely not
right.

“
I will always welcome help
to battle the MacKay clan but I would rather you be with my sister
and protect her in case they send someone to harm her. Where is
Maggie? Did she stay in the isles with your father?” Camden
questioned.

“
That is the reason I have
come to ye Laird, she is dead,” Ian said flatly.

A deafening sound moved about the hills
as Camden screamed in agony. Maggie was all he had left from his
family and now she was gone too. He was furious for not having her
brought to him immediately to protect her but now it was too late.
Another death was on his shoulders.

Olivia put her hand in Camden’s hand
and that small touch gave him the strength he needed to breathe in
the cold air around him. The Highland laird was suddenly reminded
that he had her. The warrior had Olivia and he would never let a
single thing harm her, ever.

“
What happened Ian and I
swear to God that if you did not protect her with your life, then
you will pay the price,” Camden threatened.

“
There was nothing anyone
could do Laird Sinclair. Maggie was a few months with child and
when she learned of her father’s death, she became horribly ill.
She started to lose the babe. The midwife said Maggie had lost too
much blood and there was no way to be saving her,” Ian said with a
shaky voice.

“
Where was she buried Ian? I
want her on the Sinclair land.”

“
I don’t know, for I was so
enraged when the midwife said she was losing Maggie that I raced to
find ye and help take my wrath out on the damn MacKay clan for
killing my wife. When are we going to battle Laird?” Ian asked
impatiently.

“
Soon Ian, we are preparing
now and will leave within the week. I want to leave before the
heavy winter comes and be back in the Sinclair holding before then.
Have my sister’s body brought to the Sinclair land in one week’s
time and I will bury her by my mother.”

“
Yes, Laird I will send word
right away,” Ian replied.

Chapter Seven

The evening began to grow colder and
Laird Sinclair had invited Ian and his men to eat with him and his
guard. Olivia sat to the right of her husband and Broderick flanked
her left. She felt as if she were in a steep canyon with soaring
cliffs when she sat between the two giants. Camden could feel all
of Ian’s men, including Ian, looking at Olivia from head to toe and
he wanted to tear their heads off.

Ian was the first to speak. “You must
be the English bride I have been hearing about.”

“
She is my wife, Lady Olivia
Sinclair and she is also the Royal Countess of Lansington,” Camden
said smoothly.

“
Aye yes, I have heard of
Lansington. It is said to be very beautiful and that is why ye must
be the countess of that land,” Ian said with a wink.

Olivia was sickened at the man’s
remarks and behavior. He was visibly shaken earlier when he
recalled the passing of his wife and now the vile man was trying to
flatter her with compliments. Olivia did not like him at all and
from the low snarling sound that Camden was making, she could tell
he did not like the man either.

“
I would normally thank
someone for their comments on my beauty but have you not even
buried your dead wife? I hope you are careful with your words or
else I am afraid you will burn in hell,” she said glaring at the
rude man.

Ian was instantly angered at the woman
and he gave her a fierce look to prove it. Who did she think she
was to speak to him like that, he thought, and to embarrass him in
front of all these men. She was just a woman and an English woman
at that.

“
Ian my wife is correct, if
you do not show respect for my sister even in death, I shall bloody
your entire body. And tell your men to stop looking at my wife or
they will not live to see tomorrow,” Camden said
harshly.

“
Forgive me, my laird, that
was inappropriate and it will not happen again,” Ian
admitted.

“
You’re damn right it won’t.
I may bloody you myself if it does,” Olivia promised.

Ian and his men burst into laughter at
the thought of the laird’s wife trying to harm Ian. All of Camden’s
men joined in the laughter knowing that she could do much more than
bloody the man. Olivia looked to her husband and saw the twinkle in
his eyes when he smiled at her comment.

Broderick was the only man not laughing
and he quieted the men to question them. He asked Ian and his men
about what they knew in regards to the Sinclair land. They needed
to find out as much information as possible about the MacKay clan
before they headed to battle. Although Broderick had not seen
Malcolm MacKay at the wedding that night, the warrior was sure that
he was behind this entire evil plan.

“
Ian, what do you hear in
the Highlands about the MacKay clan and Sinclairs?” Broderick
asked.

“
Word has it that Lorna and
her men did most of the killing the night of the wedding and they
are keeping the rest of the Sinclairs in a sort of bondage to the
MacKay power. I doubt Lorna did this on her own. I have a feeling
in my gut it were Malcolm behind this trickery.”

“
I assumed it was Malcolm
too but there has to be a reason he stayed far from the massacre
that night. Why did he send his sister to do his dirty work for
him?” Broderick wondered.

“
Laird, I think we should
attack Malcolm first. He and his men will not be expecting it and
we can catch them unaware. Then we can go to the Sinclair holding
and take back yer land,” Ian volunteered.

“
It is not a bad idea my
laird, we could get the bastard Malcolm out of the way,” Broderick
agreed.

“
No. We will go to the
Sinclair holding first and help my people that are suffering
because of my mistake. We will let Malcolm come to us if he wants
to battle,” Camden ordered.

“
Yes my laird. We will have
the men prepared by the end of the week,” Liam replied.

“
I will send word to my
family so they can prepare to go with us,” Travis added.

The Sutherlands had already agreed to
fight with the Sinclairs and Camden would send word to the two
other clans that planned to battle with them also.

“
The Sutherlands would to go
with you to battle Laird?” Ian said with shock.

“
Of course they would. My
family is honorable,” Travis blurted out.

“
Yes Ian, the Sutherlands
will fight with us. Is this problem?” Camden asked.

“
No my laird. It is always
better to have more men, of course. I wasn’t meaning no insult,”
Ian replied.

Camden could see that Olivia was
looking weary and he wanted her to rest. He also wanted her out of
the sight of these men who could not seem to help but indulge
themselves at his wife expense. The laird stood, taking her by the
hand and led Olivia off to their cottage. It did not take the
wedded couple long to undress one another and become tangled in the
blankets together. Neither could fall asleep now without having the
heated desire between them quenched.

Olivia fell asleep in the powerful arms
of her gentle lover. Not far away in the dark frigid air, the
devious traitor stared into the blackness of the night. He had
watched the beautiful woman all evening and the need and desire to
have her, had grown even more. When the betrayer watched Camden
take her away it almost killed him, for he wished it had been him.
It also made the evil man sick knowing that Olivia was loving
Camden with her perfect body.

It would not be long though until
Camden would be gone and then the devious conspirator would be able
to seduce the English beauty into his arms. Olivia was so much of a
distraction that this traitorous emissary was having a difficult
time making his plans happen. He was supposed to make Camden take
the bait and attack Malcolm first. Of course, Malcolm would be
ready and waiting for Laird Sinclair and then he would be trapped
and easily defeated.

The betrayer had thought of another
plan tonight while he sat and ate with Laird Sinclair. If the
stubborn Camden would not go willingly to Malcolm, then he would
have to bring him there. As more ideas raced through his sinister
mind, the traitor envisioned holding the beautiful countess in his
arms and was almost giddy with anticipation. It would not be much
longer, he told himself. He must remain calm and continue his
facade in order for all of this to happen. Patience, he thought,
patience.

Broderick moved about the forest
watching Olivia’s every move and she was beginning to get irritated
with the man. The countess thought she had proved long ago that she
needed help from no one and for the past two days, the giant man
had become her shadow again.

The female warrior had taken her bow
and arrows to do some hunting not far from the camp. Olivia sensed
Broderick following her so she decided not to leave the poor man
too far behind. She thought to herself how humorous it was that
Broderick assumed he was being quiet, when in truth the brute
sounded like a bull behind her.

“
Broderick, if you have to
follow me, will you please be silent. You are scaring away every
damn animal before I can get an arrow off,” she teased.

He moved closer to her and Broderick
became a bit furious for the accusation of being noisy.

“
M’lady I am an excellent
hunter and I assure you, I am being quiet,” he argued.

Olivia laughed out loud. “Broderick,
you may believe you are a silent hunter but you certainly are a
horrible sneak. If you are trying to stay hidden from someone, you
should not answer their questions. It gives you away
instantly.”

She turned towards the large dark
warrior and the disappointed look on his face made her laugh even
harder.

“
May I ask why you are
suddenly following my every move again?”

“
M’lady, Laird Sinclair felt
in necessary because of Ian and his men being here. Camden has been
uncomfortable since their arrival. Now that his men have left to
bring Maggie’s body back to the Sinclair holding, I think my laird
will be more at ease.”

Olivia was grateful that the Ian’s men
had left. They had continued to stare at her every moment they got
the chance. It had been two days since Ian had arrived and tomorrow
Camden would take his newly trained army to join the Sutherlands
and then head for the Sinclair land. Olivia was nervous about the
battle and she was confused as to why. The laird’s new wife loved
the power and rush that came with fighting but now she wondered if
her feelings for Camden were interfering with her head.

The night before, Olivia and Camden had
their first heated debate and it ended with both of them thinking
they had won the conflict. Camden mentioned that Travis would be
taking her to stay in Edinburgh, at the king’s castle until the
battle was over and then he would come get her. Olivia told her
husband that he could go sit in the king’s castle while she did the
fighting.

The two went back and forth with their
reasons as to why Olivia should or should not go into battle.
Camden finally decided to let her stay there and guard those who
could not go to war. The Highland laird felt satisfied that he had
won his argument when she backed out of going with him. Olivia was
more than satisfied with the agreement because it was during this
fight she realized that her husband truly cared for her. Therefore,
in truth, they had both been the victor.

Broderick joined Olivia as they hunted
fresh game for the men to eat before leaving tomorrow. Everyone had
grown in strength and in size with the extra food and training. As
the warrior and the laird’s wife returned to the village, Olivia
could immediately sense that something was not right. The usual
movement of people was absent and Olivia could not see her husband
anywhere.

“
Over here,” Broderick
yelled to Olivia when he saw the crowd of people.

The countess ran to see what all the
commotion was about and when she saw Travis’s bloody body in front
of her, Olivia naturally filled with rage.

“
What the hell happened
here?” She yelled kneeling to the young man’s body.

“
We don’t know m’lady. He
staggered in here like this and then fell to the ground,” Liam said
with his voice weary.

“
Stephen find Laird Sinclair
now. Keith, fetch the brown satchel inside my cottage by the
hearth. Broderick, help Calum and me move him inside and Agnes
start heating some water quickly,” Olivia ordered.

Everyone did as they were instructed to
do. Olivia prayed to God that she would be able to help the young
man and she also prayed that Camden would get there quickly. As
soon as she began to clean the blood from Travis, Olivia could see
that most of the injuries were small stab wounds. He had also taken
a severe blow to the head from the size of the welt and the fact
that he was still out cold. After Olivia began cleaning the large
gash on his head, Travis started to shout out for
Camden.