The Lady Knight of Scotland

By Beverly Lein

The Lady Knight of Scotland is a beautifully crafted story that captures historical Scotland and England in the era of knights, piracy, and chivalry. Set during a time when women were fixed in roles and deviation was not tolerated, the main character, Sydnee, with her many disguises, and her brother avenge their parents

• Language: English
• Publisher: Beverly Lein
• Release date: Dec 14, 2020
• ISBN: 9781777488772

Book preview

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Contents

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter Thirty-Five

Chapter Thirty-Six

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Copyright

Dedication

This book is dedicated to all my friends in Manning, Alberta, who patiently wait for me to write a story. It is also dedicated to those who like my stories and encourage me to keep writing. It is also dedicated to my grandchildren Brittany, Morgan, Sydnee, Rachel, and Ashley, whose names I usually use as character names in my novels. It is also dedicated to Dianne Smyth, my friend and previous editor, who had much faith in my writing. Thank you for always being there. It is also dedicated to my new editor/proofreader and typist, Dianne Tchir. Thank you for your kindness and support.

Chapter One

From inside the wooden barrel, seventeen-year-old Sydnee removed her hand from her three-year-old little brother’s mouth. Streaks of clean skin, where tears had run down his face, looked eerie in the semi-darkness. Fourteen-year-old Morgan whispered from inside the barrel to his sister Sydnee: Thank God he’s asleep. Any sound from him would have meant our capture or death.

How the little boy had fallen asleep amongst the screaming, yelling, and torturing sounds above and below them, they didn’t know.

When the Spanish ship was spotted on the horizon, no one—not even their father, Captain William Ressler—was overly concerned. Piracy was alive and well, but William’s ships were well-armed with up-to-date armory and strong men. Many of William’s deck hands were pirates or criminals. In fact, William often went to the prisons to find hardened men. Being a good judge of character, he looked for men who were treated unjustly, or unfairly, or were thrown into prison for unpaid debts. Men who lost their homes, land, and families to overwhelming taxes and poverty were grateful when their debts were paid in full by William. They, in return, ended up with more than they bargained for: they never had to repay William, and the day when they started their jobs aboard his ships, they were paid good wages that belonged totally to them.

William liked pirates the best: he found they didn’t mind surrendering piracy for an honest job that promised a future instead of the hangman’s noose. When cargo was delivered, the honest wage and bonus paid by William was worth more than pirating. At the end of the day, the men had a sense of worth, and felt loyal to William, who treated them like the men they were. Captains hired for sailing with William on the other seven merchant ships were not randomly picked: they were well-screened. Being on board, but letting the men command the ships gave William insight into their characters, and abilities for hard work. If they could make snap decisions and go into battle if attacked, then they had his approval.

William was a tough seaman who accidently found a new country, after being viciously blown off course during a terrible storm. He found out the world wasn’t flat. In fact, he discovered a new world—a new land that he couldn’t find on any map. Only his captains knew of the discovery, and, again, under orders, they kept it to themselves. He quietly manned one of the ships, making it his home away from home, as well as part of his business. He never drew attention to himself or his wealth. Many people tried to find out his worth, but William was closemouthed, lived an ordinary life, and never flaunted his fortune to those around him. Only the trusted men who ran his affairs and his devoted captains knew his worth, and they were paid to keep their lips sealed.

This voyage was different than the others: William’s wife Amelia had been summoned home to Scotland by her father, Charles Scott, the formidable chieftain of his clan. The message came by one of the captain’s ships that came to pick up the salted fish and furs that would head back to Scotland. The clan knew to contact one of the Ressler ships when a message needed to be relayed to the chieftain’s daughter. Charles Scott was in bad health, and, being next of kin, Amelia stood in line to inherit Stag Castle and the responsibilities of the Scott clan. In Amelia’s heart, she knew that by the time they reached Scotland her father would be dead. It had taken three months to get a message to them from Scotland, and it would take another two months for them to travel back.

William was in Scotland trading when he first met his beautiful redheaded wife. Courting her was not an easy task. Her father was a gruff chieftain and was not impressed with young William’s persistence, and despite his wealth, the chieftain refused to grant marriage to his daughter. So William kidnapped her and found a parson to perform the wedding ceremony. They quickly consummated the marriage and fled—thus her father couldn’t have the marriage annulled.

Upon catching up with them, Charles was determined to put the young William to the sword or the hangman’s noose. He wasn’t fussy which, as long as he was rid of the young rascal. Amelia, being his only child, whom he loved dearly, begged her father for mercy—not only for the life of the man she loved, but for the child growing inside of her. Pardon was granted. William and Charles’s relationship was frosty. For the sake of the woman, whom they both loved so dearly, each one worked at keeping his differences to himself.

Every five years, a trading voyage was arranged, and William would take his wife home to Scotland to visit her parents for one month. When the two older children were born, many countries were at war and the voyage was too far from the new world to Scotland.

Can we not take the children? Amelia pleaded.

No! William emphasized. It is much too dangerous.

After William found the new country, he and his family made their home there. It was an untamed land inhabited by native people. His family attempted to learn something about these people, and William soon realized there were different dialects and languages for each tribe they met. Building a huge cabin with all the luxuries his ships provided, they lived safely surrounded by Indians from October to March. He traded many wares with them for the beautiful furs they would bring him. The furs would help them keep warm through the harsh winters, and would be taken back to the old country. People in the old country were greedy for the beautiful furs and paid dearly to get them.

It was March, and William would be gone until the end of July. Men, load the ship with the furs and salted fish, he commanded. His children Sydnee and Morgan ran and grew with the Indian youth. They rode horses as fast as the wind, shot arrows, and threw tomahawks as well as their native peers.

Please try to act ladylike, Sydnee, Amelia suggested.

Mother, I am who I am. Can’t you please understand?

Amelia was a little disappointed in her daughter. Trying to make a lady out of her seemed impossible. When she saw how hurt Sydnee was by being kept from the things she loved, she relented and let her go. In return Sydnee curbed her restless spirit while inside, and when important company came aboard ship when on their small voyages with their father. She presented the image of a proud young lady.

When William came home at the end of July, the family boarded the ship to follow and explore the coastline, sailing south towards warmer weather. At times they anchored the ship and paddled to shore in the long boats to find oranges, grapes, and pineapples. Most of the locals were the same native people they left on their own shores. The men wore customary breech cloths, and the women their leather and beads. Some of their crafted jewelry was beautiful, and was made of gold and diamonds. Once again, trading commenced—blankets and wares for gold and jewelry. During some of their travels, some of William’s men would fall in love with Indian women, or just want to stay in a warmer climate. They were there as go-betweens for the next time William and his ships would return.

Chapter Two

Captain William stood on the deck of the ship Sydnee , named after his daughter, watching the Spanish galleon. He wasn’t worried: for his country, Germany, wasn’t at war with Spain—they had an overall good relationship with their neighbor. Watching the galleon heading towards him, his mind went back to the slave ship he had encountered. Stopping to help an English ship that fared badly during a storm, off the small island of Praia, William witnessed an abhorrence of humanity.

It was a slave ship with a load of human cargo.

Would you take the slaves to England for me? It will be at least a month before my ship is repaired, asked the captain.

No, I will not! William declared as he witnessed firsthand black men shackled and fettered, beaten below as they were pushed up the steps into the blinding sunlight. They staggered and winced, trying to adjust to the sunlight. They reeked of urine and bodily filth.

Feeling completely nauseated and full of pity, William relented.

Weak from hunger, sickness, and fever, the slaves were led to William’s ship. While loading the cargo of slaves, William viewed the condition of women and children. Clothes were ripped from their bodies, revealing cuts and bruises and sexual abuse. William wept and despised the English for all of this.

A pucker formed around William’s eyes as his mind went to his cargo. Usually he felt good about what he had in his hold, but this time he did not. For down in his hold were the sixty-three African Negroes to be delivered to England.

Once William had them aboard, he thundered, Bring buckets of water and have them wash from top to bottom—all of them. Tubs of water were filled, and women and children herded towards them, where they washed and scrubbed. Black men made no move towards the water until the women and children were finished with their needs. Sadness filled their eyes as they beheld their broken women weeping. Sydnee had never seen black people before, and was in awe of how tall they were, and their beaten bodies. She and her brother Morgan packed water buckets, and worked just as hard as the crew, taking care of the black people. They even robbed the sailors’ cabins for shirts—which the men didn’t mind. Amelia and Sing, their Chinese friend, put salve on the men and women’s open oozing sores, and then wrapped them in clean bandages. Sydnee’s soft-hearted mother cried as she tended to the children—especially when they flinched at her tender touch. She helped her mother find clothing for the women and children.

Amelia cried, How can human beings inflict so much pain on children?

Sydnee’s father tried to control his anger, but she heard him cursing—something he very seldom did—right in front of Sydnee and her mother.

This is one cargo that is never going to reach its destination. I am going to buy the bloody lot of them. Lord Knocks will get his money, and I’ll tell him they all got a disease and died, and that will be the end of that.

Once all the chain bands were chiseled from the men’s legs and wrists, they took their turns washing the filth from their bodies. Salves and other ointments were given to the blacks to take below, where they would be housed. When they were led below, the women and children began crying: they anticipated the terror that waited for them once again. But to their surprise, there were clean blankets, clean pails of fresh water to drink and wash with, pallets to sleep on, and slop pails to receive their waste—which was hauled daily and thrown overboard. The barred doors were left open, so they could come and go as they pleased. But no one left the hold for fear of being punished.

William asked, Can anyone speak English?

Three black men and one woman replied, Yes, sir, we can.

Good. You can all translate for me. Please explain to the other men and women that they are not confined to the hold, but are free to explore the ship. Tell them they are free to come and go above and below, unless they are ordered otherwise. Tell them not to be afraid—for no one will beat or harm them in any way. They are under my protection.

The next morning, Amelia rounded up the children and women and taught them the English language. Beginning with the alphabet and sounds each letter could make, and then combining these sounds to make words—words that stood for things. The children were like sponges and learned quickly. Just as quickly, they began teaching the adults who were having difficulty. At the same time, the men joined the sailors and were taught how the ship worked. The black men caught on quickly, and prided themselves on being treated as free men. Their loyalty knew no bounds for the man who was now boss. The three black men who could speak English—Fakia, Chacha, and Chimwala—were tall, muscular men with bulging arms and thick thighs. Their ribs pushed against their skin—they were near starvation. William’s navigator and the pilot of the ship taught them everything he knew, and they became valuable on the ship.

The days ahead were busy as they crossed over to Gambia, dropped off cargo, and picked up different export that was to be dropped off at other ports along the way. The ship became weighted down with rare spices and other riches. Captain William and his crew took any spare time they had to practice sword fighting, target practice, shooting longbow, throwing knife and spear, and Sydnee’s favorite—using the bow and arrow, as her Indian friends had taught her. The real fun was the hand-to-hand combat of kung fu; it was taught by Sing. Sing was a rich Chinese man’s son; he had been kidnapped and sold into slavery. From having every luxury and educational opportunity offered by the times—including the martial arts of his country—he was a son to be proud of. Wu was out for revenge against Sing’s mother because she chose Sing’s father, and he harbored hatred and jealousy for twenty-two years. Then his desire for revenge exploded and he kidnapped Sing, and sold him into slavery. On Wu’s deathbed, he laughed at Sing’s parents’ anguish at not being able to find their son. Sixteen years later a man found Sing chained to the oars of a sinking ship that was going up in flames. The man unchained the oarsmen and saved their lives. Some of the slaves were so weak that they had to be carried up to the top deck. Sing was one of them; his savior was William Ressler. Now Sing was teacher and mentor to William’s daughter, Sydnee, who was seventeen years old, and his son Morgan—fourteen years of age, but taller than his sister. At times Sydnee became bored with the lesson, so Sing would tell her a story about a great lady:

Her name was Yuh Niuy and she was from the Zhou Kingdom, 1046–256 BC. Her king at that time ordered a great sword contest. Around three thousand men took part in the seven-day contest. At the end of the day, a young beautiful woman emerged victorious. Her method and philosophy were passed down through the ages.

Sydnee especially loved one of Yuh Niuy’s sayings:

When sword fighting, be highly alert. Be as calm as a fair lady, but strike like a tiger. Qi is the energy that powers one’s body. Shen is the mental capacity that directs one’s actions. Jing refers to the bodily fluids that nurture the body. All must work as one to fight and to survive.

Sing thought Sydnee was the very embodiment of Yuh Niug. You are a natural athlete, petite, quick, agile, and as smart as a cat. But the only thing against you is your strength. For a girl you are strong, but against a man you cannot win. But don’t worry. With my teaching methods, you will bring a giant down. Morgan, on the other hand, will have it all. No one will beat him, except maybe one—his teacher.

Cuts, scrapes, and bruises were all part of the lessons of hand-to-hand combat abroad the ship. Many lessons had to be learned to escape the clutches of the enemy. More often than not, Sydnee went to her mother, who would be upset while tending to Sydnee’s wounds, because the girl would soon return to combat. Nothing stopped Sydnee or Morgan from going back for more. They loved the practices, and every day they would learn the lesson—well or badly, depending on the day. Sing watched Sydnee with pride. As rough as the practice was, she was winning more than she was losing. Some of the crew held a grudge after losing to a slip of a girl. It was not so much the losing, but the ribbing from their mates afterwards. They would go to the captain and complain, A woman’s place is not fighting on a ship.

Aye—she is a woman, William explained, but not just any woman: for in her blood runs the great Scott and Grant clans. You big buggers have no qualms about beating the young Morgan to a pulp, and he does not come to tattle. But the wee girl is beating you, and your pride cannot take it. Then, laughing, he continued, For your sake, hold nothing back to beat her because she will do whatever it takes to win.

One of the crew retorted, How the hell can you beat a monkey or a cat—whatever she is?

Sing, standing nearby, grinned and said, Maybe a tiger.

Come on, men, I must have strong fighting children, and it’s up to you to train them. So if you lose to them, be proud. You are doing your jobs well, for someday they will be running the ships. Morgan will become chieftain of the Scott clan. Cole is only three years old, so it will take him years to learn about ships. So teach Sydnee her lessons well. One day she will be your captain, William assured the crew.

Chapter Three

Sydnee noticed her father’s interest in the black men. He had them working with the experienced crew so that they wouldn’t be slapped or knocked into the sea by a line that led through a block on the main yard. The crew taught them patiently, but were not above pulling shenanigans on them to have a good laugh at their expense. The black men made the crew feel like dwarves; they liked to sing as they worked, and soon the crew was singing African songs and teaching them theirs. Of course, the best jokes taught to the Africans were cuss words or crazy words in general. As for their size, the sailors loved the big strong men who could beat them.

William noticed Sydnee watching the Negroes work and came over to talk with her. Holding out his arms, she walked into his warm hug. Hi, Papa. Busy, as usual, I see.

Pushing her away from him, he let his eyes wander over her. Long black hair hung to her tiny waist, and flowed gently in the breeze. Her eyes, black as night, looked back at him from her pixie face, and long thick lashes curled at the ends blinked when she looked into the sun. She weighed one hundred and fifteen pounds and was beautifully proportioned. She is everyman’s dream when he closes his eyes at night, William sighed as he remembered his words to Amelia when Sydnee was born. When God made Sydnee, he took a drop of dew and formed her into the most beautiful creation man had seen since the beginning of time. She, without a doubt, would be worth a king’s ransom should she ever fall into the hands of pirates.

Today she was wearing red, white, and black. The sleeves of her dress were puffy; red doily lace with a white bodice cut fairly low—but not in a vulgar way—covered her breasts. A black leather tie fit her waist and met with the white under her breast. The ruffled red-laced skirt with a white slip made her an enchanting sight. On her feet were black knee-high boots with two-inch heels. How she managed to fight, do back flips, dance, and prance in them, her father did not know. But she wore them, and, of course, the leggings when she fought. Her father commented about her boots, and she would say, Never mind, papa. These are my killing boots.

You know, lass, you dress like a pirate, her father would tease.

I know, papa, but I love the way the pirates dress, Sydnee giggled. They are so flamboyant, colorful, and mysterious. Don’t you think?

Oh yes, and let’s not forget dangerous, William jeered. Of course, you have seen so many of them, haven’t you?

Oh, papa—you know I have only seen them in picture books!

Come, child—let’s go below and have a glass of something cool.

Following her father, they entered the captain’s quarters, where her mother Amelia greeted them and gave William a hug.

Pour us some ale, Amelia. Sydnee and I are going to have a chat.

Papa, when will we get to Scotland?

Not long, child—we’re going to Guyana to pick up cargo from a Spanish Carrack who was attacked by pirates. I can’t imagine them attacking that ship. It carries a lot of men and has great firepower. It can easily fend off attacks. Only through immense surprise could one hope to destroy one of those towering giants.

Really, papa—they’re that big? Sydnee asked.

Yes, child. Word must have gotten around that the ship was carrying a fortune. Two pirate ships attacked it, but the ship did not lose any cargo. Instead, the ship was not seaworthy and grounded. Once we load, we’ll cut across to Morocco, and then to Spain, where most of the cargo is headed. From there we go to Italy, and onward to Scotland.

Papa, why are we going to Italy? asked Sydnee.

Well, lass, they have some new kind of guns on the market called ‘hand cannons,’ and they are making them in Italy. The Chinese have gunpowder. It explodes when lit; I’ve heard Sing talk about it. Italy has been experimenting and they invented the hand cannon. It is small. It sounds like one has to be in close quarters with another ship to make it effective, William continued. "Mounting forty or fifty to a ship will increase the firepower. Two of our ships have been fitted with them already. The Sydnee, plus the other five of our ships are yet to be revamped. So, we are meeting with the other ships in Italy. Changing the subject, Sydnee, what do you think of your brother becoming the chieftain of the Scott Clan?"

Well Papa, sometimes his head is swelled twice its size, when he wins in armory practice. It’s a good thing I can beat him in some things, and hold my own in others, or I wouldn’t be able to live with him. I think it’s good thing he didn’t inherit Grandmother’s side of the family, the Grants, or we’d never get his head out of the clouds.

Indeed, the Grants are a great family, but so are the Scotts. Never underestimate a Scott—one almost succeeded in having me hung, added William.

Ignoring a little burst of laughter from her mother’s lips, William carried on with his story.

There are many branches of the Scott clan. Your Grandfather is a cousin to the Scotts in Kirkland, Scotstown, and Peebles. They’re scattered everywhere; lots of them live close to the borders. Your Grandfather was an only child and from a poor end of the family, but he made his own fortune and grew his own clan out of the ashes of war. I believe they number around two hundred strong.

William, I believe the count is three hundred and thirty-two, and eleven babies to come this spring, Amelia offered. Then don’t forget Great Uncle Richard of Murthockstone, who is very old. His son Michael is a second cousin to my father Charles. Their clan is quite large, but we won’t go into family history. You will get to meet them all soon enough. At one time the women outnumbered the men because of the wars, so if a man wanted to marry, he would have to take his wife’s maiden name so the clan name wouldn’t die out. You will find many a Scott with the middle name of another clan.

Mama, what was my grandfather like? asked Sydnee.

Your grandfather was of a stern nature; he was a hard man to approach. He had his own ideas, especially who his daughter was going to marry. To thwart a clan chieftain meant taking your life into your hands, and that’s what your father did—by marrying me.

Sydnee laughed. She loved the stories told by her parents about her humorless grandfather. As her parents talked, Sydnee let her mind wander to the stories of Scotland. The stories she loved the best came from her superstitious mother. There were stories of giants throwing huge rocks and making deep lochs. Or about Gailleach, a guardian of the well, who fell asleep as the fountain overflowed, and the water washed down the mountainside and formed Loch Awe. She loved the fairies and brownies, but disliked the stories of the wailing banshees with their warnings of death and calamities. If one saw a banshee, it was an omen of one’s own death. Sydnee never wanted to see a banshee. But for all her trepidations about her mother’s stories, she couldn’t wait to see Scotland.

Sydnee’s father, on the other hand, was very mysterious about his background. It seemed to Sydnee whenever she asked her father about himself, William would clam up. She wasn’t quite sure how her father came by all his riches. My father was a rich man, and I inherited his fleet of ships, he always responded.

William was raised in Southaven, Germany, and his father was very rich and powerful. His mother died when William was very young, forcing him to be raised on the ships his father owned. A tutor was always with him, and William was very knowledgeable and highly educated. He could speak English, Spanish, and French—besides his mother tongue, German. Sydnee and Morgan were fluent in German, English, Spanish, Chinese, and, of course, the different dialects of the Indians. There were many different tribes of Indians and each had their own dialect. Somehow Morgan and Sydnee soaked up the dialects, considering it was not like school. It didn’t matter if kids were white, black, red, or yellow like Sing, they taught each other how to speak, and they had so much fun learning other tongues. One time Sydnee asked, Mother—why doesn’t father speak about Grandfather Ressler, and why won’t father speak of himself?

Apparently, your grandfather was a brutal man. It didn’t matter if he came about his livelihood honestly or not. If he wanted something, he took it, and it didn’t matter who got hurt in the process. Since that time, your father has tried to make things right and help the people your grandfather ruined.

Lost in her daydreaming and feeling lazy, Sydnee settled back in her chair. She watched her father kiss her mother, and give her a little wave as he headed back on the deck. Our main home is in the new world, she thought, where rich stocks of fish—mostly cod—are salted. The cod always bring a very good price. It is a very popular fish in the old world. In the new world the furs supplied by the Indians are highly prized, and those people want to sail on my ships. Some of them want to escape the poverty of the old world, but for the most part, I will be secretive about where we have come from. If they want to believe the world is flat, who am I to convince them otherwise? In the fall, loaded ships would return to the old country with holds full of bounty.

Amelia and the children were on their own for six months out of the year, until William returned in the spring. Every five years Amelia would make the journey with William, and the children would stay with their caregiver and Sing. These were the years the children learned to horseback ride, and to use the lance, tomahawk, bow and arrows, and swords. The children loved Chinese martial arts and acrobatics taught by Sing. The children always thought of Sing as being old, and were shocked to find out that he was five years younger than their handsome father.

Chapter Four

William was forty-five, without a wrinkle on his face, and only