Warrior's Lady Read Free

Ruthvens were involved.
    "'Twas Dougall Ruthven and a band of Englishmen that attacked us." A weak voice came from the stairs.
    Camden's gaze shot to his steward's. The aging retainer clung to the wooden railing near the stairs. His garments were slashed to tatters. Fresh blood oozed from wounds on his shoulder, thigh, and abdomen. Bertie's face was a translucent white, and it looked as though it took every ounce of his strength to remain upright. "That vile Ruthven betrayed your brother. He betrayed us all." On unsteady legs, Bertie struggled down the stairs.
    Camden surged forward to help his servant, his friend. "Damn the Ruthvens." The words squeezed through taut white lips. "Dougall Ruthven set us up, drawing me away to Glasgow, then luring James and his men here, knowing they'd be a small contingent and unprepared for battle."
    Orrin raced to Bertie's side as well, helping Camden guide the aging servant down the stairs of the keep. Orrin's face filled with barely concealed violence. "Shall I prepare the men?"
    Fighting his desire to agree, Camden shook his head. He had to remain logical and in control of him emotions. "We must bury James and his men. Then, we must go to Lady Lockhart and Lady Violet." Camden sent up a silent prayer that his sister-in-law and niece had somehow been spared.
    Working in silence, Camden and his men dug graves in the churchyard for the warriors. Then Camden methodically wrapped strips of linen around his brother's body and set it in the Lockhart family plot. He carefully placed James next to their father's final resting place, then he smoothed the soft earth back into place. As soon as he was able, Camden would commission a tombstone to be created in James' honor here at Lee Castle.
    And even though Lee Castle was the lesser seat of the Lockhart family, it had been their family home long before James had commissioned Lockhart Castle to be built. It seemed right that James had ended up here, with Camden and all the others who had loved him so well.
    Camden braced himself against the ache of sentimentality. He could think on such things later, after he made certain his sister-in-law and niece were safe. Yet even as the thought formed, he realized no Lockhart would ever be safe as long as the Ruthvens still roamed the land. His own life was proof of that.
    He brushed the dirt on his hands against the soft wool of his tartan. What they'd done to him … what he'd had to survive … Camden forced the thoughts away. Nay, he would not go back there. He would never give the Ruthvens that kind of control over him again.
    "Bring me a fresh horse," Camden called to the men near the stable.
    "What do you intend to do?" Orrin asked, his body tensed, awaiting orders.
    Camden bent down to retrieve the Ruthven crested sword. With methodical care, he wiped the blade clean of James' blood, then slipped the weapon into the sheath at his back. "Lady Lockhart and Lady Violet shall be my first priority." He stood. "But James deserves a swift revenge." And he knew what to do. A quick and violent end was more than the Ruthvens deserved.
    "You are right to think that Lady Lockhart and Lady Violet could be in trouble." Orrin met Camden's gaze, his concern palpable.
    "That's why you will take the men and head to Lockhart Castle. As soon as I put my plan in motion, I shall join you there."
    "Revenge?"
    Camden gave a savage nod. "Justice. This time the Ruthvens will suffer. They have murdered too many Scots, collaborated with the English, and tormented this family for far too long." Fury coiled within him, vibrating with intensity. "It will end here and now, until they no longer walk these lands in human form."
    Orrin frowned. "Revenge has a way of coming back to you."
    "Not this time."
     
    Camden strode through the darkened streets of Glasgow, toward the alley where the blacksmith on the green near the River Clyde had directed him. The glare of the torch in his hand caused eerie shadows to play across red, stone walls,