Tempted by Virginia Henley Read Free Book Online Page A

rival. It was rumored the Douglases had an excess of ten thousand horned sheep, and this being the case, Davie reasoned their most vital crop was hay. Donal had ordered him to stand watch rather than rustle cattle and sheep, but he was boldly determined to play a more vital part in the operation. He set a torch to the hayfields, and the wildfire raced across the acres that hadn’t felt rain in over a week.
    When Donal smelled smoke and heard the flames begin to roar like the wind, he cursed violently. “What reckless whoreson set the fire?” he shouted. Already the Douglas tenants were running to the scene and had no doubt alerted the men of the castle. Fire at night was more terrifying than in daylight, and the Kennedys were able to drive off the sheep and cattle in the chaos and confusion it caused.
    Duncan rode up beside Donal. “Davie was posted guard over yon. It must ha’ been the little pisser.”
    “Christ’s blood, I’ll skelp the skin off his arse when I get back from Kirkcudbright.”
    David, elated with the successful destruction of the hayfields, moved on to the low cowsheds and haystacks against the very walls of the castle. The flames danced high, almost mesmerizing him, when suddenly the torch was dragged from his hand, brushing across his sleeve to set it afire. At the same time he was knocked from his saddle by something that felt like a thunderbolt.
    The thunderbolt was a naked Gavin Douglas, who had been plucked from his bed and the soft arms of Jenna, his new wench. Davie Kennedy was lucky Gavin had no weapon to hand, or he would have been a corpse by now.
    Gavin grabbed the raider by the scruff of the neck, rolled him in the dirt to extinguish his smoldering sleeve, and dragged him to his feet. His dark eyes widened as he saw the extreme youth of his culprit. He cursed that he’d only caught the runt of the litter, but as he peered about in frustrated fury, he saw none but his brother Cameron and other Douglas men whose first priority was to put out the fire before it destroyed the entire village of Douglas.
    Gavin dragged his captive by the hair into the hall, which had suddenly come to life with men-at-arms and servants. As Colin Douglas limped into the hall, Gavin said, “I only caught one o’ the bastards. The bloody Hamiltons are using bairns now tae raid us.”
    Colin saw the pallor of the fair-haired lad and said quietly, “I’ll get ma bandages and dress that burn.”
    “Dress his burn?” Gavin shouted in disbelief. “I’ll truss him on a spit in yon fireplace and roast his other bloody arm!”
    Colin said, “When yer temper cools, ye’ll realize Ram can likely ransom the bairn.”
    Davie decided he’d been called
bairn
once too often. Gathering a full gob of spit in his mouth, he shot it in Colin’s face. Gavin backhanded him, bursting open his lip and felling him to the floor.
    Gavin ran his hand through his tangle of black hair. “Christ’s blood, Ram will ha’ ma nuts fer this. Who was on guard?” he demanded, glaring at the men-at-arms. “Why wasna the alarm given at the first glimmer o’ fire?”
    “We thought it a Beltane fire,” the mosstrooper said stupidly.
    “Lazy lounging bastards—all ye are fit fer is drinkin’, fightin’, and fuckin’.” Then as he rubbed the back of his neck, he glanced down at his own naked body and recalled what he’d been doing while Douglas crops burned. “Get him out o’ ma sight. Lock him up downstairs.” He glowered at the Douglas men. “Ye’ve two minutes tae get mounted. We’ll catch them or see where the trail leads. When Ram gets back, one o’ ye will swing for this.” He rubbed his neck again, fervently hoping it wouldn’t be him.

Chapter 4
    Tina Kennedy was very excited about venturing out on Beltane. The chance meeting with Patrick Hamilton had heightened the excitement for her. Let the arrogant young lord wonder what she was up to!
    She and Heath joined in the merrymaking wholeheartedly, leaping through