Mary Wine has written over twenty novels that take her readers from the pages of history to the far reaches of space. Recent winner of a 2008 EPPIE Award for erotic western romance, her book LET ME LOVE YOU was quoted “Not to be missed…” by Lora Leigh, New York Times best-selling author.
When she’s not abusing a laptop, she spends time with her sewing machines…all of them! Making historical garments is her second passion. From corsets and knickers to court dresses of Elizabeth I, the most expensive clothes she owns are hundreds of years out of date. She’s also an active student of martial arts, having earned the rank of second degree black belt.
Lady Vengeance
Jade Lee
Prologue
Excerpted and Edited fromLadyScot
“Stabbed?” Sadie Allen,Scottish debutante, gaped at the constable. She and her co-conspirator Iseabail stood in the drawing room while three men-at-arms glared at her. They apparently thought her a murderer. “We didn’t stab him!”
Thankfully, the Dowager Countess of Byrning stood with her, as did her cousin Mairi. But apparently, these rough men didn’t have any interest in listening to a bunch of women.
The squat, ugly constable frowned at them. “You are Scottish, are you not?”
“I am.”
“Do you own Scottish knives?”
“Of course, I do. Bloody mad to not have one up in the moors.” Since they were in London right then, her statement wasn’t helpful.
“A knife was left by the body. It was a Scottish dirk. One that would be used by a lady.”
“That doesn’t mean it was mine!” Sadie exclaimed. “And we didn’t stab him.”
“We certainly didn’t bring a knife to the ball,” stated the countess.
“We hit him with a tree branch,” Iseabail said.
Sadie turned on her friend, both annoyed and horrified. She would not let Iseabail pay for her misdeeds. “Ihit him withthe tree branch. You punched him.” She turned back to the constable. “And neither of us stabbed him! You can ask Mr. Barrett. He was there. He knows.”
“Mr. Barrett is the witness against you. He said you stabbed Mr. Carr viciously with a horrible Scottish scream.”
“A scream?” The countess scoffed. “At a ball? Don’t you think other people would have heard?”
The constable folded his arms in irritation. “It was in the neighboring yard. Apparently, the orchestra was very loud.”
“It was no such thing!” the countess snapped. “To think that you dare come to my house and accuse my young proteges of…ofmurder?” She shuddered as she said the word. “Look at them. They are young ladies. They could no more murder a man than I could climb up the side of Big Ben.”
The watchman to the left of the constable arched his brows over his craggy face. “They look plenty strong to me. Bet they carved up stags and the like for dinner, yeah? Little difference between cutting up an animal and a man. If’n a woman were pressed, and she didn’t like it, she might stab a man. Several times, in fact.”
“I might,” Sadie said, her voice clipped. “But I didn’t. Much easier to hit him in the head and walk away. Which is what I did.”
Iseabail took hold of Sadie’s arm. “Whatwedid.”
“Nevertheless,” the constable said, “I’ve got my orders. You’ll both be coming with me.” He gestured to the watchmen who advanced menacingly.
Sadie wanted to fight, but these men had the law on their side. Then the watchmen held up shackles and the horror of the moment hit her broadside. She was going to be set in irons?
“No,” she whispered. Then more loudly. “I did not kill Mr. Carr!”
The watchman across from her grinned. “We can put ’em on you easy or I can put you on the floor, and I won’t be gentle about it. We’re in the light o’ day now, Billy Bitch, an—”
“What did you just say?” A loud male voice cut through the room.
All three men straightened at the authority in the voice. The women did, too, though with less trepidation. Thankfully, he seemed to be outraged on their behalf. Or at least, that was the way it appeared as he strode into the room.
