Real Vampires: Glory and the Pirates
Real Vampires
Gerry Bartlett
Dragon Lady Publishing
Copyright © 2020 by Gerry Bartlett
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Cover Design & Interior Format by Killion Publishing
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Also By
This book is dedicated to my critique partners: Nina Bangs and Donna Maloy—for their patience and understanding. You guys rock!
1
I had thought I’d be willing to live at the gates of Hell rather than at Castle Campbell with Jeremiah’s mother. Well, it seemed I was getting my wish. The wind howled, waves crashed and the keep where we were doomed to live lay in front of us. It was a stone nightmare.
“It looks sturdy enough.” Jeremiah kept his horse close to mine. Wise man. He must have sensed I was thinking of bolting back to Edinburgh.
“Sturdy.” I smiled at him, though a sudden wind shift made tears come to my eyes. The moat must have been used to empty every chamber pot in Scotland.
“I’m sure it can soon be set to rights.” Jeremiah reached for my hand. “I had hoped for better.” Of course, he had. The king had given him a fine title and he was now Guardian of the Coast. Lord Jeremiah Campbell gave me the kind of smile that melted my heart.
I squeezed his hand. “It looks forbidding in the moonlight. That is surely a good thing in a keep. Enemies beware!”
“I don’t like that it looks deserted. But I’m told the last Guardian died more than a year ago.” Jeremiah turned to my bodyguard. “Valdez, see Gloriana into the keep and stay by her side there. Who knows what lies inside? Take a dozen men with you. Look sharp.” He glanced over his shoulder at the ruins of several crofter’s huts. “I’ve business to see to here.”
“I’m sure we’ll be fine. Valdez will bring men we trust and who would dare defy a king’s order?” I ignored the dread tying my nerves in knots. We’d already heard gossip that the previous Guardian hadn’t died of disease. He’d been killed by the ruthless pirates harrying the Scottish coast. Jeremiah was a famed warrior, but his daring deeds had been on land. What did he know of the sea?
“Jeremiah, you look sharp as well, my love. I have no desire to be stuck in this desolate place without you to warm my bed.” That put a smile on his face as he leaned in for a kiss before riding away. Of course, I would make the best of it. The king had decreed we were to live here, and Jeremiah’s new title was an honor. Or so we had thought.
We were travelling at night, of course. My man is a vampire and now so am I. Yes, Gloriana St. Clair will do anything for love, even give up her humanity. I didn’t regret it. The Campbell clan had long been vampires and Jeremiah’s most trusted men, those he’d brought with him from home, understood why we avoided the sun. The company of soldiers the king had sent along with my lover were not as understanding. Captain Burnett, in charge of the king’s men, his scowl permanent it seemed, stopped Jeremiah before he could go far. As usual he was full of questions.
I smiled at the captain. I knew he had no patience for domestic matters and would have preferred Jeremiah had left me in Edinburgh. I felt his stare and knew he waited for me to ride away.
“Jeremiah, take care of your new duties. I will see what can be done to make the place habitable before we rest at dawn.” I hid a sigh. I was no housekeeper. Unfortunately, the woman who had made our place cozy in London had stayed behind in Dollar, the town below Castle Campbell. My maid, Mercy MacLean, was good with hair but she was young. I was afraid she would be useless when it came to setting up a household. She rode in a wagon with my clothes and bedding and I could hear her shrill complaints from where I sat my horse.
“Jeremiah is right. There’s no guarantee of a welcome here.” Diego Valdez, my personal bodyguard, was already motioning for men to join us.
“The king gives away property as rewards. I hope he didn’t leave some poor soul without a home.” But I knew it was possible. King James did what he chose. This large island facing Ireland had been held by the Duke of Argyll. After the duke died, it became part of a dowry for his widow.
Now it was divided between my Jeremiah and Robert MacDonald, who had married Argyll’s wealthy widow. The Campbells and the MacDonalds had been fighting for centuries. Since the king now demanded clan unity, the two men had been ordered to share the island and “Make peace.” None of the Scots were happy about it.
“There is only one way to find out if we are welcome here.” Valdez led the way, his troop of men surrounding me as we rode toward the forbidding castle. The open drawbridge creaked ominously when the first few men cautiously rode across it. But it held, so we followed.
Inside, the air made my nose twitch. Mortals must be watching us though I could not see any. I knew Jeremiah had sent word weeks ago that he was coming to take his new post. Surely there should have been some effort made by the people living here to prepare for their new master. If so, I couldn’t see it. There were abandoned carts, piles of hay dropped where they’d been delivered and a general air of neglect. A half dozen chickens ran about, a sheep bleated and smoke drifted from several chimneys. Signs of habitation were everywhere, but no people were in sight. Wise of them, actually. I wanted to shout and box some ears for their slovenly ways.
A door slammed somewhere in the keep and I jumped. Foolish. No mortal would get the best of me and certainly not of Valdez and his well-armed men.
Jangling keys announced the coming of a woman who walked carefully down the stone steps from the floor above us and into the courtyard. She wore a plain black gown that told me she must be in mourning. Her hair had one streak of white under her cap, but her face looked young. Her dark eyes swept over me and my troop of men. I slid from the saddle and into Valdez’s helpful arms.
I noticed a marriage ring on her finger. “Madam. Good evening.” I bobbed a curtsy, not sure of the woman’s status. We hadn’t been led to expect a lady in residence. Oh, this was too bad, if we were taking her home from her.
“Is it?” She looked up at the sky where the moon rode high above us. “I think ‘tis a bit late for a call. Who are you and what do you want?” Her voice quavered and she was clearly upset. “If you are here to rob me, you are too late.” She swept her hand around. “I have naught left here of any value.”
“I am sorry. We sent word…” I stepped closer. “Let me make myself known to you. I am Gloriana St. Clair. My, um,” Blast. This was where it always got awkward. “My companion, Lord Jeremiah Campbell, has been sent here by the king. He was recently given this keep as part of his new holding as Guardian of the Coast. King James himself decreed it.”
“Of course. The king finally remembered us. I should have expected this.” The lady laughed bitterly. “You say you sent
word…” She looked around. “I haven’t seen… But then I didn’t want to open any missives that came.” She put her hand to her forehead. “Letters are stacked in my solar. I thought they were condolences I wasn’t prepared to read.”
I waited. What else could I do? The woman took a steadying breath and almost choked on the foul air. She frowned, her eyes darting around the inner courtyard. What she saw made her clutch the stone railing.
“Clearly I have grieved too long. I beg your pardon for the state of this courtyard. I have not attended to my duties since…” She pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve and dabbed at her eyes. “No matter. Guardian of the Coast. That was my husband’s title. Now that I am widowed and failed to bear Ralph sons and an heir, my home is no longer mine.” She shuddered and pulled a shawl around her.
What could I say for comfort? It was a fact that a woman with no sons was at the king’s mercy. She was lucky, I supposed, that King James hadn’t sent along a man for her to marry. The lady must not have a fortune of her own. I hated to think what her future might be.
Did she have family? A brother or other male connection who might take her in? I didn’t want to start questioning her now when she was clearly barely holding herself together. If I offered her a place here, would that be an insult, or an answer to her prayers?
My own standing was wobbly at best. Since Jeremiah and I weren’t married, I stood as his hostess because he wished it. In fact, I was simply his mistress. The widow had every right to look down her nose at me as a brazen doxy. Jeremiah’s mother had certainly taken that stance. I braced myself for whatever this lady decided as her welcome. Since she didn’t seem to know what to say, but just kept staring at the filthy courtyard, I spoke.
“How long has your husband been gone?” I finally asked.
She closed her eyes. “Almost two years. I suppose I must be grateful it took his majesty so long to remember that Ralph had been killed by those filthy pirates.” She staggered and sat on the stairs as if her legs could no longer hold her. “Give me a moment. Foolish of me to be surprised. I will pack my things and get out of your way as soon as…” She leaned over and buried her face in her skirt.
“Wait, please. There is no need to be hasty.” I rushed to her side and laid my hand on her back. “We have no wish to put you out into the night. Stay. I am no hand at making a place habitable. I could certainly use your help here if you are inclined to give it.” I didn’t dare look around. If the moldy straw on the ground and reeking air was anything to go by, this lady was no hand at making a home either.
She sat up and stared at me, her face streaked with tears. “You are young. Of course, you have no experience with death. How it makes you lose all hope, all will to…” She studied the enclosure then and moaned. “God, I am shamed by my neglect here. You must think me horrid to let my home become such a filthy…” She shook her head.
“I am sorry. Obviously, the servants here have taken advantage of my mourning period. This is not how I keep a home. But after Ralph died… I couldn’t seem to care enough to oversee…” She shredded her handkerchief.
“I have known death, Madam. I was a widow when I met my Jeremiah. It can make you think there is nothing left for you.” I squeezed her hand. “And sometimes that is the fact of the matter.” I took a breath and coughed. Oh, but the place needed a good cleaning!
When she looked up, I found a smile. “Mayhap together we can bring this keep to rights again. May I ask your name?”
“Oh, I have lost all manners!” She stood and offered a curtsy. “Forgive me. I am Lady Anne McGee. You are right. I am a widow now and at the mercy of whatever comes.” She stood straight, her refinement clear in her bearing. “I have no fortune of my own and now with Ralph gone…” She put her handkerchief, or what was left of it, to her eyes. “Well, I hope your, um, man has more luck with the horrid pirates than Ralph did.” She closed her eyes and crossed herself. “God bless and keep him. He would be disgusted at how I’ve let his home go to ruin.”
“I have men here. They will help with the cleaning.” I looked over my shoulder and saw one of the lads we’d sent for from Castle Campbell. “Colin, I’m sure there are some local workers here that are keeping out of sight. Roust them out and let them know they answer to Lord Campbell now. There will be no slacking with a new Guardian in charge of the keep.”
“Aye, mistress.” Colin touched his cap and began giving orders.
“Of course, there are people here. Though the king’s soldiers left after Ralph died, the castle holds many who live and work here. Where are they?” Lady Anne walked back down the steps. “Holly, Douglas! Get out here and show yourselves.” She was already looking better than the pale wraith who had first appeared when we’d arrived.
A man and a woman scurried from a building that must have been the kitchens since the smoke coming from the chimney smelled of cooking meat.
“Douglas, why was the drawbridge down? We are lucky these people seem to mean us no harm.” Lady Anne looked down at the straw beneath her feet. “And why hasn’t the courtyard been cleared away? Set the maids to work, Holly. I want everything scrubbed until it shines. The courtyard is a disgrace!”
“The drawbridge broke, my lady. Got it down on market day but then the chain came loose and no one here knew how to fix it.” The man, who wore dirty pants and a loose shirt, wiped his hands on that shirt. He had obviously been eating when called.
“And no one saw fit to tell me about it, Douglas?” She walked up to him and sniffed. “You smell like bad fish. My God but this is outrageous.”
“You was in your room, my lady. You know you don’t like to be disturbed there.” The woman spoke up. She had a generous bosom shrouded in a grimy apron that marked her as the cook. She wore a dusting of flour on her chin and hands. “There’s no bad fish here, I swear it. That smell is Dougie. He won’t take no bath. Says it’ll give him lung fever.”
“He’ll not step foot in the house until he does bathe. That’s my order. Do you hear me, Douglas? Take a dip in the sea if that’s all you can stand.” Lady Anne was red-faced. “Pass the word to the rest of the servants. No one waits on me unless they are clean in body and wear fresh clothing.”
“There is no other servants here, my lady.” Holly, the cook, wiped her hands on her dirty apron. “They left when there was no wages coming. I tried to talk to you through the door but you kept tellin’ me to go away.” She seemed to shrink at the look she got from her mistress.
“Run to the village then and get them back. I have coin, hidden away. I can pay whatever is owed them.” Lady Anne dabbed her eyes again. “Yes, I lied when you got here, Mistress Gloriana. Can you blame me? Living with the fear of those pirates returning has made me wary.”
She straightened her shoulders and faced the cook. “It is clear to me, Holly, that you have been enjoying a bit of a rest while I mourn for my husband. I am not going to mourn any longer. We must put things to rights here. If you want to keep your place, you will both do as I say.”
“Aye, my lady.” There was much bowing and scraping as the two backed away.
I enjoyed the sight but certainly hadn’t enjoyed the smell. At least I didn’t need to eat anything coming out of what was surely a filthy kitchen. Almost as if she could read my mind, Lady Anne shook her head.
“To think I’ve been eating food she prepared with those filthy hands!” Lady Anne looked sick. “Holly was always a good cook, not slovenly. I think she has been mourning too.”
“You may excuse her if you like, just take comfort in the fact that in your own grieving, my lady, I doubt you ate much at all.” I took her arm again. “Now you will have company. Mayhap with others to occupy your time, the pain of your loss will begin to ease.” Poor lady. She was going to have to adjust to more than just ordinary company. The shape-shifters among the men from Castle Campbell were always careful but if we had a battle with the pirates, it was possible Lady Anne would see things she’d consider impossible. One look at a man t
urning into a beast and she’d run screaming into the night.
“I hope so.” She glanced at the sky again. “It is late. We must find you a bedchamber.”
“I’m sorry we arrived at such an unusual time. My protector, Lord Jeremiah Campbell, insists on working during the nighttime hours. I know it will seem strange, but I have become used to it. It is surely when the pirates will raid anyway.” I followed the lady into the massive stone building. “You’ll find that Jeremiah and I sleep the day away and make the most of our nights.”
Lady Anne didn’t know what to say to that. After all, Jeremiah was the new lord and his word would be law. Finally, she nodded.
“You are right. The pirates always came at night. They like a full moon and it was during one of those times that my Ralph…” She turned her face away. “It sounds as if your man will do well here. I hope he kills every one of the bastards.” She straightened her shoulders and led the way into a great hall where we could seat dozens of men for a meal in front of a massive stone fireplace.
At least someone had thought to make a fire. It wasn’t large enough to truly warm the room, but torches were lit and I could see that an effort had been made to keep this part of what was truly a castle, tidy. Some rather fine tapestries hung about on the stone walls to keep out drafts. The rushes on the floor needed changing but it wasn’t nearly as bad as the outside had made me fear.
I was introduced to two large dogs while I continued to try to explain our strange habits without really explaining the life of a vampire. This was not my first encounter with a mortal. Thank the gods Anne was still too surprised by our arrival to ask many questions.
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