Bride of Vengeance (Highland Romance Series Book 1) (7 page)

Chapter Ten

The demons were back, and it seemed like this time Nathanial would lose to them this time. In his sleep, Nathanial was again that tormented little boy, hiding himself under his mother’s bed. The dream, always seeming to play out the same sequence of scenes, like replaying a vicious memory, started out with his mother begging him to keep silent. No matter what happened in their room that night, he wasn’t to make a sound.

And he had obeyed.

His mother, viciously assaulted and killed in front of his very eyes, wanted to keep her son safe. Even as her body fell to the floor and she made eye contact with him, she was pleading. All she wanted was to get her child out of that room alive. Her wish came true. Nathanial jolted awake the moment his mother’s eyes found his in the dream and he saw the demon that killed her. It was Lydia’s father. Fane stood in the background, watching with evil pleasure on his face.

The warrior perspired and breathed heavily as he sat up from his sleep. This dream, more vivid than the last, haunted him deeply. The devil that killed his mother was gazing down at her dead body with a look of pure amusement on his face. It was a sight that Nathanial would never forget. It was what drove him down his life path since that night. Now, as the sun was setting on his vengeance, and the last chapter starting, he wondered how he was supposed to follow through.

Lydia was too innocent to know what she was dragged into because of her father. Nathanial looked down to find his new bride missing from his side. He actually rolled his eyes this time. He was going to kill her. God willing, one day he was finally going to snap and kill her.

Nathanial stood and immediately saw her. There was a sigh of relief that went through his entire body. She was not running away from him, this time. Lydia sat with her feet in the water, taking in the beauty of the waterfall. She wore his plaid around her shoulders. An immense feeling of pride swept over him. Then he forced it out of his mind. Nathanial was becoming too attached to this woman. As he approached she looked up with a smile that quickly vanished when she saw his dark expression. Nathanial did not wait for her to speak. He reached down and pulled her into his arms, bringing her back to bed with him.

Lydia felt her husband’s power radiate through him as he placed her in the middle of their marriage blanket and laid himself on her. Truth be told, the pain was immense and still lingered from their first love making session. She should tell him so and send him away. The way he was looking at her, how could she resist? Nathanial was a warrior now. Her warrior. He was not gentle with her. She did not want him to be. When he entered her moments later, she bit her lip to hide the pain and took him deep inside of her.

Nathanial thrust and thrust, giving her everything he could. God, he needed her to be his. Even if it was just one night. He needed to know this woman in his arms wanted him in this moment.

Chapter Eleven

Lydia was blissfully unaware when she woke up the following morning. Sure, she was sore and more than a little worn out, but she was… happy. Was such a thing possible? It was nice to think so. The young bride awoke to the sound of her husband stalking away. Should she be offended? She pondered this as she washed and dressed for the day. Lydia was able to make fast work of slimming down Margret’s dress, with permission of course. Within no time at all she was approaching the camp where Nathanial spoke to his men. The oddest thing happened, as soon as she got close, all of the warriors went silent as death and walked away, leaving her failing smile after them.  Lydia would have to make sure and educate her husband on how he and his men should greet her. This simply would not do. With that thought to hold onto for the day, Lydia went to work making a small breakfast.

Margret joined her moments later, a sad look on her face. Lydia had known the woman long enough to know not to bring it up. When Margret was ready to say her piece, she would. Lydia would not bother her until that time.

Lydia was completely packed and ready to move onto the keep when Nathanial and his men finally came back into view. They brought a grave and intense feeling of dismay along with them. Lydia nervously smiled, even though she knew better. It stayed plastered on her face when her husband walked right passed her and to his horse.

“Margret, can you manage it?” Nathanial moved his horse into gear and left his bride behind.

“Come along, love.” Margret gently grabbed her arm and led her to her own horse. “We’d better not fall behind.”

“Of course.” Again, she forced a smile. Inside, she was fuming. Nathanial was going to learn to treat her with some decency and respect. Lydia, however, would not chide him in front of his men.

“T’will be a marvelous ride together, Lydia. Like days before, when you were but a child.” Margret called out as she struggled to get settled on the beast’s back. Her breathing labored so badly Lydia worried the older woman might pass out.

“Yes, Marvelous.” Lydia watched her husband’s back as he rode away from her. “Marvelous.”

****

It was hell. Lydia knew it would be. It was worse than she could have anticipated. She listened to Margret go on and on about her past lovers along the journey of life. All the while, Lydia watched ahead as her husband flew farther and farther away from her. Did he hate her that much? Did he not want his people to see them riding together? Angus stayed behind with the women and the other warriors rode with their Laird. It was as it should be. But Lydia could not help remembering the way they rode together the day before. How he looked at her several times. The way he kissed her. Now, it was as if she was a curse and he would sell his soul to be rid of her. The man made no sense.

As the group grew closer to Nathanial’s holding, Margret slowed down greatly. She motioned for Angus to go up to the other warriors. She then steadied herself, readying herself to deliver some bad news.

“Lydia, love.”  Margret focused on the tone of her voice. She learned long ago that it wasn’t what one said, but how one said it. This was especially true of bad tidings. “Your father… he’s coming to the keep.”

Lydia couldn’t stop herself from smiling. Of course he would come for her. “He’ll no doubt try and collect me.” Lydia started. “I’ll tell him not to fret about it. He’ll see.”

“Lydia, you’re very young. Very… innocent. There are things you wouldn’t understand about men. Not yet.” Margret watched the warriors as they came over the hill and the keep came into view. “Your father did awful things in his youth.”

“Hasn’t every man?” Lydia narrowed her gaze. She saw her father’s flags, his men and their horses standing guard outside the gates. There was something comforting about knowing her father did want her back. He loved her after all. Would he still want to sell her to Fane? Most likely, of course. But Nathanial would not let that happen. They were married, after all.

“Lydia, listen to me, child.” Margret watched Nathanial’s body language change. “Nathanial lost his mother when he was just a lad.” Nathanial and the warriors stopped in front of the James men, no one moved. Except for Quinton, he rode from the gates of the keep to his Laird’s side. “She was murdered in a most heinous manner. Lydia, she was pregnant. The man who killed her wanted to make sure her child was not born. It would ruin him for his English line to be tainted with that of a Scotswoman. He felt it would destroy his chances of ruling. Do you understand what I am saying?”

“Fane did this. Didn’t he?” Lydia was saddened by the story as she was every time she heard it. Still, she had to force herself not to smile at her father as they came closer. None of the men spoke to each other. They were only staring. Lydia prayed Margret would hurry so they could dispel the anger between the two groups.

“No, Lydia.” Margret said with deep meaning. “It was not Fane. He was present, and for that he will pay dearly. It was not Fane.”

Lydia was slow to come around…

The truth of the matter finally hit Lydia like a ton of bricks in the chest. She lost air. She lost feeling in her body, she was going into shock. As her father stared into her eyes she finally understood what was happening. She was, indeed, just a pawn. Lydia was revenge against her father. She had become what he hated, an Englishwoman mixed with the Scotsman whose mother he murdered years ago.

And now he had come back for her. To kill her? Or for Nathanial to kill?

A deep panic overcame Lydia then. Nathanial was going to kill her father. Lydia took no time jumping down from the horse. The thought that she could have broken her neck never crossed her mind. The young bride was running to her husband’s side before Margret even realized she had lost the girl.

“Laird!” It was the voice he expected to hear, but was praying he would not. Vengeance was his destiny and no woman would get in the way of it. Vengeance, a means to an end, that’s all she was. Still, as he looked down at his new bride as she dared touch his hand in front of his warriors, he knew he was only lying to himself. “Laird, please.”

“Remove yourself from my side, wife.” Laird Garrison said the words, cutting into her father with his eyes.

“Wife?” James incredulously looked down at his daughter. A look of pure, unadulterated disgust played across his features. “Tell me you did not marry this barbarian, Lydia.”

Lydia felt the tears well up in her eyes. She felt his disdain and his hatred. Both of those were directed at her.

“Father,”

“Don’t address him, Lydia.” Nathanial’s word was final. So he thought, so he was used to.

“Father, please. It does not have to end badly. Go.”

“Lydia,” James closed his eyes. He seemed to think about his choices for a moment before opening his eyes and observing his daughter. “Baron Fane will still have you. He owes me dearly. Father Langley will absolve this distasteful union. Tell me it was not consummated.”

Such questions should never be answered in public. Lydia felt as though her face was lit on fire.

“You cannot be serious. He forced himself on you. The barbarian forced himself on my precious child.” Her father declared. “Father Langley will see him punished. You all see the truth. My daughter was forced into this relationship.”

“The barbarian will not get away with it.” Father Langley walked into the conversation. He was young for a priest. Langley held out his hand for her. “Come with me, child. There will be justice. Even barbarians cannot hide from the justice God brings.”

Lydia looked at the priest’s hand, she looked at her father who waited on her impatiently. Then she turned her attention to her husband, whose hand rested on the hilt of his sword. He was not looking at her.

Nathanial waited for Lydia to take Langley’s hand, and then he would cut the man’s off. He had little hope that his new bride would stand by him. Betrayal would not deter him, however. He would keep her and kill her father this day. It was his right.

“I chose
him
, father.” Lydia’s words almost knocked him off his horse. “You might never understand, but I have made my choice… for myself.” The priest’s hand retracted in pure disgust. “He’s a good man. We can come to some sort of agreement. It does not have to end violently. Please, go home.”

Nathanial felt Lydia’s hand rest on his thigh. She was standing by him. The shock of her actions threw him completely off guard. He was not ready for what came next.

“So be it.” James suddenly motioned with one hand, waving it forward.

Nathanial was expecting an ambush, but not like this. An arrow flew past him, directly into his wife. Lydia inhaled sharply and hit the ground, surely dead.

An inhuman sound rang from Nathanial Garrison. It’s a moment that his men and Margret, and all else who survived it would remember for the rest of their lives. Quinton was already trained and ready on the marksman before he could take another shot. He loosed an arrow. It struck the villain in his chest. He then rushed to the side of his Laird’s bride. Nathanial did not need any more help.

Any soul within a mile of the battle would hear the screams of pain and anguish from those men who dared threaten the life of the Laird’s bride. It was no contest. Nathanial overpowered the men one by one.

James was one of the first to fall from his horse, and one of the first to run away. As Nathanial cut through the men James sent after him, he was aware that the man he waited to kill his entire life was getting away, Father Langley right behind him. He was quick, kicking the last man between himself and James to the ground. He held the man there with one foot. He then lunged his sword across the field, striking Father Langley in the chest. Surely, that was his ticket to hell being signed.

James ran as fast as his older body could endure. He was not used to the rugged terrain of the Highlands. He was, however, highly motivated by the warrior following close behind. Garrison walked past the fallen Langley, pulling the sword from his back as he moved. James fell to the ground, struggling with his breath. Garrison was upon him in no time at all.

“I’m a pawn, Garrison. Don’t you see?” James breathed hard. “I’ve always been. Fane, he’s the one you want.”

“I’ll get him, too.” Garrison, only sparing a moment’s thought of his now dead bride, ran his sword through her father’s belly. The older man screamed in agony, it was a sound Garrison had heard many times. It was the sound his mother made before she was killed all those years ago. Nathanial left the man in the field to bleed out. He needed to get back to his wife.

Lydia was dead. It was the only thought on Nathanial’s mind as he approached the crowd around his wife. Nathanial broke though to look down at her. The arrow was true. It stuck out from her side.

“Breathe, girl.” Margret cooed at the child. Lydia was having a hard time doing just that. Margret raised her eyes to see the pain in her Laird’s eyes. “Laird, we need to get her inside.”

Lydia’s eyes fluttered closed. “Lydia, wake up, child.” Margret slapped her cheeks. “Open your eyes.”

“Lydia!” Nathanial growled. It did the trick. Lydia’s eyes flew open. “Don’t you dare leave me.” His voice was gruff, demanding. If his warriors weren’t horrified for her, they would have been teasing him by now.

Lydia gave it her best effort, but immediately felt her strength failing her again. She closed her eyes.

Nathanial reached down and picked her up, cradling her in his blood soaked arms. Lydia’s scream both alarmed him and soothed him at the same time. At least she was staying awake. The longer she stayed awake, the better her chance of making it through this alive.

“Get Teresa.” Nathanial barely got the words out of his mouth before Duncan came into view.

“She’s already prepared.” Duncan watched his Laird carry his wife towards the keep.

“I’m not making it to heaven.” Lydia’s words were mostly incoherent. How could she make it to heaven? She had never listened in church and found most men of the cloth troublesome. Just like that Langley, who probably tried to kill her just like her father.

“My father?” Lydia’s words trailed off. She let her gaze fall behind her husband, where her father was last seen.

“Not now, lass.” Duncan blocked her view. “Not now.”

“I’m going to die.” Lydia closed her eyes now, ready to let herself go. Would she see Callum now? Or would her hell be an eternity in the hateful gaze of her father? Would he haunt her now? Was he dead? Had her husband killed her father?

Nathanial lowered his mouth to her ear and whispered, “I swear to God, if you die, I will come and get you. Know that. You will never be free from me.”

Lydia actually smiled. That was the last thing she heard before she passed out for several minutes.

Moments later, Lydia jolted awake when Teresa loomed over her, pulling the arrow from her side. The pain was intense. She called out… for her husband. Nathanial came into view within seconds, gripping her shoulders, pressing her to the table where she lay.

Lydia could not help but smile deliriously. “We’ve done this before.” She sighed in agony, and then she was screaming again as Teresa pulled the large splinters from her side.

“It had better be the last time, lass.” Nathanial kissed her forehead. “It had better be the last.”

Lydia found herself falling asleep again, even before Teresa covered her mouth with her special concoction. “Laird, please.” Teresa persisted. “You should not be here for this.” Teresa, covered in the blood of his wife, pleaded with her eyes. “Please.”