Highland Vengeance

by Saydee Bennett

  Highland Vengeance

  By

  Saydee Bennett

  (C) Copyright Saydee Bennett, March 2012

  ISBN 978-1-60394-683-4

  Published by New Concepts Publishing

  Smashwords Edition

  Lake Park, GA 31636

  www.newconceptspublishing.com

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and places are of the author’s imagination and not to be confused with fact. Any resemblance to living persons or events is merely coincidence.

  Chapter One

  England 1498

  Although she was only eleven years old, Olivia was very wise for her young age and there was one thing she was certain about, she hated Garrison, the Royal Duke of Lansington. The girl sat in her room thinking of everything the duke had just said to her and Olivia wondered how he could be so cruel. Did he not realize that he was taking away everything she had come to love in her short existence, especially her freedom? It did not matter to Olivia that Garrison was her older brother and her only remaining family member, she still hated him.

  Staring out her window into the dark night, Olivia furiously thought of all the spiteful things she wanted to say to Garrison for the hasty and impulsive decision he had made tonight. After hearing that her brother wanted to send her off to live somewhere else, the young countess first thought to run away but then Olivia knew Garrison all too well. The duke and his army would quickly hunt her down and drag her back. She felt hopeless and had resorted to tears thinking of how her entire life was being taken away. Olivia finally fell asleep in her bed exhausted from the sorrow of having to leave her home.

  Olivia was practically a baby herself when her mother, Gwyneth, had died giving birth to a younger sister that did not live through the birthing process either. Her father was a kind man but the countess did not remember much of him, for his soul became vacant after the loss of his wife. He died shortly after Olivia had turned seven and all the young girl had ever really known for a family, was her older brother Garrison and his soldiers.

  After the passing of their father, Garrison was given the title of his father and became the Duke of Lansington, which forced the young man to mature quickly. He was soon swallowed up in the duties of managing all of the properties and the army that came with his royal inheritance. Olivia had a noble birthright of her own as a countess but no one would have ever known it from the way the young girl dressed and behaved.

  The time and devotion it took Garrison to train all his soldiers and handle the duties of being a royal duke seemed to engulf him, leaving Olivia to fend for herself. She spent most of her time with the soldiers so that Garrison could easily keep an eye on her. Day after day, Olivia watched the men training in the fields and it created a burning desire inside her to become a fierce warrior like them. The Lansington soldiers all loved Olivia too, treating her as if she were their own little sister, especially the baron Brenton. Of course, being around soldiers all the time had caused Olivia to pick up manners that were not proper for a lady, let alone a child. When Garrison finally realized he should have hired a governess to look after his little sister, it was far too late.

  The brother and sister did share a unique bond with one another although they were as different as day and night. Olivia had a heated temper and Garrison was always calm. He was reasonable and sensible while she was stubborn and unyielding. Their differences were what caused the siblings to get along so well, that and the fact that they only had each other left in their family.

  Olivia loved being outdoors and always felt as if the walls of her home were suffocating her, making the air inside difficult to breathe. When she was outside, Olivia would take deep breaths of fresh air and she could feel her body tingle when the breeze touched her skin. The forest that surrounded the Lansington Castle was dense with trees and full of life for her to explore. If she had been permitted, the countess would have gladly slept outside under the starry night sky. Although everyone had begged the girl to wear her leather shoes, Olivia could not stand the thought of having her toes trapped in a second skin. She loved to run barefoot through the forest and it gave her a great advantage as she effortlessly climbed the trees.

  Riding alone on her horse by the age of six, did not surprise any of the soldiers. Not long after that, Olivia managed to teach herself a few tricks while riding bareback. She had trained her horse to trot the length of a small stone wall while Olivia ran barefoot along top of it. At the end of the wall, she would leap in the air to mount the large unsaddled beast who anticipated Olivia’s movements. Riding like this she could easily fall and break her neck but she did not care, Olivia was fearless and loved the adventure. She performed these tricks in secret of course, because if Garrison saw Olivia riding that way, he would surely break her little neck for her.

  The countess had naively believed that she would continue to grow up at Lansington Castle with the men and train to become a great warrior too. Somewhere in the back of her mind, there were images of her wearing a beautiful dress and playing the part of countess but in truth, she would rather be at battle with a sword. Olivia had taken one of the soldier’s swords and hid it in the forest so that she could practice alone. The small girl built strength quickly as she learned to yield the massive weapon. Each day she became better and more confident in her abilities to battle.

  Today had been quite different for the girl and it started with one of the maids dragging Olivia into the enormous castle and up to the girl’s bed chamber. The young countess kicked and fought the maid every step of the way knowing what was to come.

  “This task would be much easier m’lady if you would just walk with me,” Ruth insisted.

  “Why is he making me do this? He has never cared before what I look like,” Olivia muttered.

  “I am only following His Graces’ orders, m’lady. Please be kind enough to let me finish this job without your resistance,” the maid said compassionately.

  “You are right Ruth, it’s not you I should give trouble to but my brother is going to get an ear full when I see him,” Olivia vowed.

  Now that Garrison was officially titled the Royal Duke of Lansington, there were certain members of the royal family coming to visit them. Olivia was now the Royal Countess of Lansington and Garrison wanted to make sure that his sister at least looked the part when he presented her at dinner. The duke asked Ruth to make sure Olivia was clean and dressed properly before they dined in the great hall with their company.

  Ruth scrubbed Olivia thoroughly and dressed her in a beautiful green velvet gown, which happened to be the only nice dress the girl had. The young countess had long dark brown hair that had threads of auburn running through it and she had the same brilliant green eyes that Garrison had. The maid dried Olivia’s hair into beautiful curls and then tied them back with ribbons that matched her dress. When Ruth finished, she looked at the countess and was shocked to see the difference in the girl she was tending to. Under all that grime there was a young lady hiding, Olivia had truly been a diamond in the rough.

  “Ruth are you finished now? I would like to find my brother and give him hell,” Olivia said impatiently.

  “Yes m’lady,” the maid giggled. Ruth watched the beautiful girl stomp out of the chamber and then she laughed out loud. She thought of the stunning young countess being presented to everyone tonight and then hearing her swear like a soldier.

  “Weathersby?” Olivia called out to the duke’s trusted butler. “Where are you?”

  “I am here m’lady, oh my goodness you are so beautiful!” The duke’s butler said in shock. “Forgive me but I don’t usually see you so…so…clean.”

  “Do you know where my brother is? I would like to scream at him for making me have to w
ash my hair and face. Also, he is going to owe me plenty for making me wear this itchy dress,” she whined.

  “He is in his study m’lady but I don’t think you should bother him at the moment, he is very busy.”

  “Thank you Weathersby, you are right of course.” Olivia smiled politely.

  Weathersby was relieved to hear the girl would not interrupt the duke but then he watched her head straight up the staircase towards the study to find her brother. The girl certainly had a mind of her own and no one could tell her what to do. Olivia did not bother to knock before she entered Garrison’s private study.

  “You better have a damn good reason my dear brother for putting me through the torture of wearing this horrid dress and making my hair all tied up fancy like this. I want you to know I have been through hell today!” Olivia said, as she demanded an explanation.

  Garrison stared at his baby sister and even the improper words from her mouth could not distract him from the revelation of her beauty. He had no idea under all that filth and dirt there was a rare splendor. The duke was immediately full of guilt and sorrow for not having Olivia taught how to behave and dress properly like a young lady. She should not swear like a soldier and look like peasant. Olivia was a countess and Garrison now realized that her beauty was going to cause him tremendous grief in the near future.

  “Aren’t you gonna say something?” She prodded.

  “Livy, I think that you knew someday there would come a time when you would have to start acting and dressing appropriately,” he said calmly.

  “But why now? I am still a child right? That’s what you call me and Brent still calls me “baby girl” so you can’t make me start actin’ like a lady now,” she protested.

  “Our father’s cousin, George the Earl of Richmond and his wife Anne are coming to visit for a few days and you need to be presentable.”

  “A few days! I have to be like this for a few days? Damn!”

  “Olivia that is enough. You need to start acting like the countess that you are and stop swearing like my soldiers,” he ordered.

  She knew her brother was upset now because he had called her Olivia. Garrison always called her Livy unless he was angry with her, which did not happen very often. Olivia realized this must be important to Garrison and she decided to behave herself for the next few days.

  “Alright you win this time Garrison but as soon as your company leaves I shall burn this dress!” She said making a pouting face and then turned to leave the room.

  “Livy, wait. Did I mention how beautiful you are?”

  She twisted around to look at her brother. “You truly are cruel aren’t you Garrison.”

  Garrison could not contain himself very long and then he burst into laughter from the look on her face.

  She too, could not help but smile. “Please don’t ever say such mean words again,” she said winking as she left.

  While he sat at his desk and stared at the closed door, Garrison suddenly had the full impact of what the future would be like. Her smile, my God is amazing, he thought to himself. That young girl was going to blossom soon and she could not continue to hang around all of his soldiers. Tonight was the first time Garrison realized how much Olivia looked like their mother but he always knew she had the fiery Russian blood of their ancestors running through her.

  It was his fault and not hers that Olivia was not prepared to be around the nobles. The duke worried about how was he going to protect her from the spiteful aristocrats? More importantly, how would he protect the young beauty from the droves of men that would seek to court her? Garrison tried to continue his work in the study but the worry for Olivia’s future was plaguing his mind. There had to be a way to handle this dilemma other than locking her away in his tallest tower forever.

  The Earl George and his wife Anne arrived just before the evening meal and Weathersby politely escorted them in. The butler let Garrison know that his royal company had arrived and then returned to the guests. Brenton the Baron of Alderon was the duke’s best friend and there at Lansington Castle to train with Garrison’s soldiers. The young baron greeted the royal couple by bowing graciously and then they all stood as Garrison joined them at the table.

  “It is wonderful to see you again George and you look lovely my dear Anne,” the duke said kindly.

  The short round man smiled. “Yes, Your Grace, it is good to see you as well. The last time I saw you I believe you were about my height and now you’re as big as an oak tree,” he laughed.

  “I may be as large as an oak tree but at least I am not as old as one,” Garrison jabbed at his elder cousin with a smile.

  The earl chuckled as they took their seats around the table.

  “We are so sorry for the loss of your father, Your Grace. I also miss your mother terribly, she was a wonderful friend,” Anne said softly.

  “I too miss her but I am now being reminded of her beauty when I look at my sister Olivia,” Garrison replied.

  “Where is the dear young girl m’lord?” Anne asked.

  “Well, that I am not sure of. She was supposed to join us for the evening meal,” the duke answered. He then turned to Weathersby and whispered. “Please find Olivia and bring her to me.”

  “Yes, m’lord,” the butler nodded.

  “Ah, Your Grace, you say that Olivia will be joining us for dinner?” Brenton said, smiling at his friend Garrison. “Well this ought to be interesting,” he said, knowing the girl and her behavior.

  Olivia usually ate with all the men in the large keep and she had acquired their crude table manners. Garrison shot a glare at Brenton to stay quiet and then he silently prayed that his sister would behave. As the food was being served, Garrison and his guests heard a loud commotion coming from the hall outside the dining room. The duke knew instantly that it had to be Olivia causing some form of a problem for Weathersby. Garrison quickly excused himself to retrieve his sister and stop the noisy chaos. As he entered the hallway, the duke saw Weathersby wrestling with Olivia on the floor while he tried to put her shoes on.

  “May I offer my help to you Weathersby?” Garrison said with laughter.

  “Oh, pardon me Your Grace, it’s just that your sister doesn’t feel the need to wear her shoes to dinner,” the butler answered sheepishly.

  “They pinch my toes,” she shouted.

  “Livy stand up please,” Garrison ordered calmly.

  The young girl stood while Garrison studied her dress, he knew she was already being pushed way beyond her limits. Knowing he had to compromise somehow or he would never be able to get through this evening, Garrison decided to give in.

  “Livy I think your dress comes far enough to the floor that if you are careful, you can come without your shoes on. Will that be suitable for you?” Her brother asked patiently.

  “Can I take the ribbons out of my hair too?” She pleaded.

  “Do you promise to behave for the evening?”

  “Yes Garrison I will, I promise!” She said with a beaming smile.

  He stood there and thanked God that Olivia did not know how powerful her smile was, if she did, this girl could have anything she wanted from him. Garrison helped her take the ribbons out of her hair and let the long loose curls fall around her shoulders. The countess suddenly looked much older and Garrison wished he had not agreed to this promise. The brother and sister walked hand in hand into the dining hall and everyone stood as they approached the table. Olivia was surprised at their actions because she was not used to being treated like a lady and especially not like a royal countess.

  While Weathersby helped Olivia take her seat in the beautiful carved chair, she glanced up and saw that Brenton was sitting directly across from her. She thought the baron looked more handsome than ever and then she quickly chided herself for acting so silly. The countess could not stop staring at him and Olivia wondered if maybe Brenton thought she looked pretty in her dress with her hair curled.

  “Olivia, this is George, the Earl of Richmond and his wife, Anne the
Countess of Richmond,” Garrison announced.

  “It is a pleasure to meet you,” she said quietly.

  “You are a beautiful young lady Olivia. It will be wonderful to watch the mayhem in a few years when all of the men will be swooning over you,” Anne smiled.

  For the first time Olivia was speechless. She had not really thought of that being an option for her future. Surely, Garrison would not make her get married when he knew she wanted so badly to be a warrior. Olivia unexpectedly felt as if the room was closing in on her and she wanted to be out in the fresh air as quickly as possible. The meal was almost over and she tried to keep her manners a bit longer for Garrison’s benefit.

  Everyone talked around her while she continued to sneak glances at Brenton. Olivia hoped he might be feeling the same way she was. If she was going to grow up and forced to be courted by men, she thought Brenton seemed like the perfect choice. He was extremely handsome and they had already spent plenty of time together. Of course, most of that was in the training fields or riding horses but still, Olivia always felt her heart beat a little faster when he was near.

  Brenton could feel Olivia’s gaze on him all evening and he was amazed at how well the girl was keeping her manners. He had never seen a girl with such a fiery spirit or a blazing temper like hers. Tonight he wondered just how close she was to having one of her famous outbursts. This meal was becoming a bore and Brenton thought maybe he could goad little Olivia into entertaining everyone.

  “Olivia, may I ask how many layers of dirt were washed off before they actually reached your skin?” Brenton said quietly to the girl.

  The baron had teased Olivia from her earliest memory of him and she always had the perfect response for her friend’s taunting words but now she sat staring at Brenton with fury building inside her. Olivia was hoping he liked the way she looked tonight and that maybe he would say something kind. She was wrong of course.

  “Well I may have been hiding my beauty under the layers of dirt but you Brenton, on the other hand aren’t as lucky, for everyone can plainly see that you are a damn fool,” she threw at him.