Page 32 of Warrior’s Lady

A counter raid, she realized now. Her mother had paid for their raiding with her life. New tears joined the others on her cheeks. She turned her head away, embarrassed by the emotions that she could not control. "She died. That's all I know."

"I'm sorry," he said, sounding sincere. "You really do know how Violet feels, don't you?"

"My apologies," she batted at her tears with the back of her hands. "You asked for a memory and I give you waterworks instead. You must think me terribly ill-bred."

"Quite the contrary. I find you fascinating. I want to know more." The husky sincerity in his deep voice brought a hitch to her breathing. "What is your worst memory?"

She shook her head. "Nay, I can't go there."

A shadow darkened his face. "I'll tell you mine, in exchange for yours."

Tempting. She pressed her lips together. She wanted to learn more about this man, but was what he asked too high a debt to pay? She'd tried to keep her past a secret for fear of him hating her family even more. Or worse yet, feeling sorry for her. But she truly wanted to understand him. Even as confusion wracked her, she nodded her head.

"My worst memory." He squinted his eyes and mouth as though searching his thoughts. A moment later, his face cleared, and resignation reflected in his gaze. "I will have to back track a bit, and tell you how this situation came to be first."

She nodded, listening eagerly.

"When Orrin and I were twelve, we were kidnapped by your father from the shores of Scotland and taken as slaves to the Holy Lands."

Rhiannon gasped. She couldn't hold it back. Her fingers pressed against her chest. "My father?" His hatred suddenly made sense.

He drew a slow, deep breath. "Our Saracen master bound us in service to him for seven years. We had to do whatever he asked, or we would be severely punished."

Rhiannon couldn't speak, just listened as he continued.

"The worst day for me was when Orrin, who had been ordered to kill a woman and her children, refused. He absolutely refused to pick up the sword and cut them down. So one of the other men with us did, right in front of the two of us. Then he and another man took Orrin's arms, and held tight while a third man took a whip to Orrin's back. I could not stand by and let them abuse him. But when I ran to help, two other men stopped me, and forced me to witness Orrin's pain."

Camden's voice sounded distanced, raw. She could imagine how horrifying that would have been for him to stand by helplessly and watch when he could do nothing to help.

Rhiannon nodded to herself. It explained a bit about why he seemed to obsess about protecting his clan.

He shook his head, as though forcing away the memory. "That was mine. Now what of yours?"

He would hate her and her family all the more if she told him a particular time where her family had abused her, so she generalized instead. "I have no particular memory I can site as the worst," she confessed. "My entire youth was filled with moments like that.

His light eyes flared. "The watching or the lashing?"

"The lashing, I'm afraid." She flinched. "Even remembering brings back the pain."

"Who did this to you?" His voice sounded anguished. Because of her?

She shrugged. "My father until my mother died. Then my brothers also took out their aggressions upon me."

"Why?" His eyes grew dark, restless.

"Mostly because I was not born a son. My father had no need for a daughter."

"Daughters have their place."

She shook her head. "Not in his world."

He continued to stare at her with dark, angry eyes. She looked down at the hands she clenched in her lap. "I did not mean to upset you. I felt you wanted honesty..." She trailed off, suddenly wishing she'd concocted a lie instead.

"Rhiannon," he said her name with a note of familiarity. "Look at me."

"Please, don't ask me to," she implored helplessly, knowing that if she saw the compassion she heard in his voice, she would dissolve in a puddle of tears.

He took her chin between his thumb and forefinger and lifted it, forcing her to meet his steady gaze.