Brides of the North

by Le Veque, Kathryn

  Clasping her hands primly before her, she obediently left the chamber. “But yer brother said that I was no longer the knights’ responsibility. Has something changed?”

  A few things, in fact, Creed thought as he followed her down the stairs, but he would not tell her the whole of it. His gaze was predictably drawn to the clinging yellow dress; the soft curve of her backside enough to set his male instincts to raging again. She paused politely at the base of the steps, looking up at him expectantly. He realized she was waiting for an answer. Meeting her emerald gaze, he realized he had never more willingly accepted an assignment.

  “It has been decided that, as a special hostage, your position demands more protection,” he said, holding his elbow out to her. She took it immediately, her soft fingers clutching his enormous arm. “Since you and I have established a rapport, this duty has been asked of me.”

  She continued to gaze up at him. “A duty?”

  He smiled faintly. “A pleasure.”

  A broad smile spread across her face. “How kind for ye to say so.”

  Lord God, he thought as he gazed into her face. Her magnificent smile was enough to cause his knees to go weak, a strange warmth filling him. Never in his life had he felt such giddiness, like a drunken man with too much time and pleasure on his hands. Her smile could make him walk through fire without another thought.

  But as foolish and weak as it made him feel, he knew in the same breath that he must conduct himself very carefully. What had happened yesterday would undoubtedly happen again, but he could not, must not, allow it to go further. Creed was not sure what he was feeling for her yet; it had occupied his thoughts all night when he should have damn well been focused on his sentry duties. Even as he tried to catch a few hours’ sleep just after dawn, he could not sleep for thoughts of her. When his brother had told him of his assignment regarding the lady, it was all he could do to not shout for joy. Instead, he had showed his brother a clearly bored expression. He was pleased that Ryton had bought into it.

  He did not say anything more as they crossed the ward back towards the keep; his wink had said it all. He was aware that he felt oddly puffed up, pleased to have her on his arm, as they made their way across the bailey. He knew every man in the place was watching them and he felt a strange sense of both pride and protectiveness.

  Shouts up on the wall distracted him from his thoughts. Glancing up, he could see that the soldiers on the parapet were attempting to gain his attention. He took her hand gently off his elbow, turning in the same motion to Burle several paces behind them.

  “Burle,” he made sure to put her hand into the big knight’s outstretched palm. “Take the lady, if you please. And do not let her out of your sight, for any reason. I shall be right back.”

  Both Burle and Carington watched him jog across the bailey and mount one of the many wooden ladders up to the wall. Burle watched Creed until he mounted the parapets before turning to the lady.

  “Would you like to return to your chamber now, my lady?” he asked politely.

  Carington tore her gaze away from Creed’s distant form to focus on the big blond man. “Nay,” she said after a moment. “I would like to see this place that would be my home for a while. Will ye show me?”

  Burle nodded and began walking slowly with her on his arm. “What would you like to see, my lady?”

  She shrugged. “Everything. I’ve never seen a fortress this size before.”

  He just started walking, pointing out things like the stables, the buttery, the tanner’s shack. The outer ward was wide and long and there was much to see. The kitchens were separate from both the hall and the keep, a stone structure that had holes near the roof line to allow the smoke to escape. They must have been baking because she could smell the bread and she was hungry. Burle took her inside the very warm, very smoky structure and procured a newly baked loaf from the red-faced cook. Happy, she pulled the bread apart and tore into it like a common soldier. Crust and crumbs flew all over the place.

  Burle watched her with a grin on his face. She stuffed bread in her mouth and asked about the kitchen in general, including the big copper pots used to make ale. The cook was also the ale wife and produced most of Prudhoe’s liquor. As she ate, Carington engaged the woman in a conversation about her ale process. Burle stood by the door in silence, listening to Lady Carington discuss the various methods of brewing at her home of Wether Fair. It was apparent that she knew a great deal about it.

  Before Burle realized it, Carington and the cook had grasped one of the big copper tubs and were obviously preparing to utilize it. They moved it to the enormous hearth, big enough to cook several people in, and set it upon an extended iron hook that hung from a chain secured into the stone of the chimney.

  A conversation with a servant was becoming manual labor. The women could barely move the pot between them but somehow managed as Burle stood there, dumbfounded. He was not sure if he should stop her or not; she seemed very determined and very knowledgeable. He knew it never did him any good to try and stop his own wife from doing something once her mind was set, so he was hesitant to interfere.

  “Sir Burle,” Carington jolted him from his thoughts, waving him over. “We require yer strength, if ye please.”

  He moved from his post by the door, eyeing her. “What is your wish, my lady?”

  Carington wiped at a stray lock of hair with the back of her hand, gesturing to the pile of massive sacks lined up neatly near the hearth.

  “The barley,” she said. “Please open a sack.”

  “And then what, my lady?”

  “Dump it into this vat. We are going to cook it.”

  “Cook it?”

  She looked at him then, annoyance on her face. He read her expression and immediately went to the sack without further delay. It was very heavy, but he was very strong; bringing it over to the women, he held it while Carington ripped the stitching in the top. When a small opening was created, he flipped it over and dumped the entire thing into the pot. Dust from the grain billowed up and Carington sneezed several times.

  “Do I dare ask what is going on in here?”

  The trio of ale cooks looked up at the enormous man standing in the doorway. Creed’s shoulders were so wide that they went from one side of the frame to the other, filling the entire opening. More than that, he was sucking all of the air out of the room again. Carington could feel it from where she stood, only it did not intimidate her like it used to. She welcomed it. Creed’s expression was curious as he moved into the heated room, his gaze moving between Burle and the little lady.

  Carington answered. “I am going to show yer cook how to make a honeyed fruited ale.”

  Creed’s eyebrows slowly lifted, his eyes studying her intently. “You are going to make ale?”

  She nodded, completely oblivious to the distain in his tone. “A recipe that has been in my family for generations. It is quite delicious.”

  He shifted on his thick legs, crossing his arms as he continued to look at her. “You are going to make ale?”

  Now she was catching his tone. She cocked her head curiously. “Aye; what is the matter?”

  He could not believe she did not see anything wrong with domestic work. But, then again, things were quite different at her home. He knew her father was quite frugal, as she had told him. And he had also seen Wether Fair, a rather desolate keep with a big, dirty army and little else. It began to occur to him that perhaps she was well acquainted with domestic chores. The thought saddened him; such a lovely, intelligent lady was destined for finer things. He never wanted her to lift a finger again.

  But he had to be careful with his words. He did not want to insult her when she clearly saw nothing wrong with what she was doing. He took a few steps towards the group until he stood next to Burle, but his eyes never left Carington.

  “Nothing is the matter except that I have been asked to take you to town to purchase material for new clothing,” he said. “I thought you would want to go now. It
is a fine day for travel.”

  She blinked at him in surprise. “New clothing? Why do I need new clothing?”

  “You do not need it, but Lady Anne thought you would like to have some new garments made.”

  “Why?”

  He was on two very touchy subjects and being very careful not to tip the balance against him. First the ale, now the clothing. As he had observed since the day they had taken her from Wether Fair, she obviously did not own any fine clothing. Even the dress she wore now, as much as it clung to her delicious figure, was faded and outdated. Either she did not care how she looked, which he could not imagine was the case, or she did not own anything finer. Lady Anne had noticed it this morning also and had mentioned it to him as he had passed her on his way to the chapel. He was under orders to finely dress her without offending her at the same time. It was a difficult task.

  He held out a hand to her. “A word, my lady.”

  Without hesitation, she placed her hand in his and allowed him to lead her away from Burle and the cook. He took her outside, to a corner of the building where the kitchen met with the outer wall. It was quiet and out of the way, and he faced her in the shadows.

  “First, lady, you are a guest of Lord Richard d’Umfraville and to refuse a gift of new clothing would be insulting to your host,” he said in a low voice. “Second, finely bred young ladies do not work in the kitchens. Although it is quite generous for you to share your recipe with the cook, I do believe that simply telling her what the recipe is and allowing her to do her job would suffice.” He could see the storm brewing in her eyes and he stepped closer to her, his big fingers finding her hand. He brought it to his mouth, his lips against her flesh as he spoke. “You are a beautiful, witty and intelligent woman, Cari. Allow us to treat you as such. Allow me to treat you as such. You do not belong in the kitchen. You belong in a fine house with all of the luxury and protection I can provide you.”

  Her emerald eyes went from flashing to soft in a moment. She watched him nibble on her fingers, her heart doing strange leaps against her ribcage.

  “Well,” she said slowly, hearing the quiver in her voice. “Since ye put it that way, how can I refuse?”

  He grinned, his lips still against her hand. “You cannot. And I thank you for your understanding.”

  She shook her head at him, a knowing smile on her face as they both knew she had little choice. But she did not particularly care.

  “When do we leave for town?” she asked.

  “Immediately if you wish.”

  “Will it just be you and I?”

  He shook his head. “Nay. I am taking Burle and Stanton with me and about twenty men at arms.”

  Her eyebrows rose. “Just for me?”

  “Just for you.”

  Giddy with the thought of spending the day with him, not to mention that her hosts were purchasing finery for her, she was in a splendid mood as he escorted her back to the kitchens. Quite carefully, she explained to the cook what must be done and left the woman to wrangle her magic with the new recipe. With orders to gather an escort, Burle went along his way as Creed took Carington back to the keep to collect her cloak.

  As they were preparing to mount the steps to the keep, a few children came running past them, howling in terror. One child, a little girl of no more than four years, fell on the ground and bloodied her knee. Carington naturally felt sorry for the child and was preparing to help her stand when Gilbert and Edward suddenly appeared, small swords in hand. The boys pounced on the little girl before Carington could get to her.

  “I have you now, wench!” Gilbert grabbed the child by the hair. “To the vault with you!”

  Horrified, Carington made a dash for the child before Creed could stop her. With the little girl in one hand, she shoved Gilbert away.

  “Gilbert d’Umfraville, ye’re a monster to hurt this child,” she scolded severely. “Go away and leave her alone, ye little devil, before I take a stick to ye.”

  Gilbert’s mouth popped open in outrage. Then he thrust his sword at her, barely missing her torso.

  “I’ll teach you to interfere, you brazen wench,” he cried.

  Creed was suddenly between them, removing Carington and the weeping child without laying a hand on Gilbert. One had to be very careful with Richard’s sons.

  “Master Gilbert,” his voice was low. “Honorable men do not use weapons against women, and particularly not Lady Carington. She is a guest of your father’s and you will not harm or harass her in any way. Another offense and your mother shall be informed.”

  The threat of Lady Anne’s wrath was perhaps the only thing that intimidated Gilbert. But being the spoiled child that he was, he was not easily swayed. He pursed his lips, glaring at Carington and the sobbing girl. He pointed the sword at them.

  “Don’t you interfere anymore,” he threatened Carington. “This is my castle. I will do as I please.”

  Carington would not let a spoiled boy frighten her. “If I see another wrong doing, ye’ll come away with a blistered backside.”

  “I will kill you first!”

  “Make yer move, ye arrogant little fiend. I dare ye!”

  It was turning into a shouting match between a grown lady and a horrible little boy. Creed put his hands out, one to turn Carington back towards the keep and the other to gently but firmly turn Gilbert around in the direction he had come. He ended up shoving him into Edward, who was huddled behind his brother in mute support.

  “Go, both of you,” he ordered quietly. “I will hear no more of this. Master Gilbert, I would suggest you leave those children alone. You have been warned against beating them before.”

  “But they are my vassals. I may do with them as I please.”

  “Good lords do not harass their vassals. They protect them.”

  Gilbert stuck his tongue out at Creed. Carington caught the gesture and she snapped, rushing at him with the intent of whacking him within an inch of his life. Creed was fast and grabbed her before she could fully execute her plan, but she still managed to get a handful of Gilbert’s hair and she yanked hard. The boy screamed.

  “How do ye like that?” she snarled as Creed hoisted her up and began to carry her away. “That is what ye did to that little girl. It hurts, doesn’t it? Ye little beast, I’ll…!

  Creed slapped a hand over her mouth before she could issue the rest of her threat. He carried her into the keep, only setting her down when they reached the steps. By then, she knew she probably should not have become so angry and she did not fight him as he firmly directed her up the stairs. He did not scold her; he did not have to. He knew that she was fully aware of the wrongness of her actions, even though the lad had deserved worse. By the time they reached her shared chamber, she was properly, if not reluctantly, contrite.

  She would not look him in the eye as he paused at the door. “I shall retrieve my cloak,” she said, looking at anything but him. “Please give me a moment.”

  She started to open the door but he stopped her. Cupping her chin in one enormous hand, he forced her to look at him.

  “Cari,” his voice was a purr, a rumble that shook her to the core. “No foul moods today. I would see a smile when you return.”

  She blinked at him with those great emerald eyes. “Are ye going to tell Lord Richard what I did?”

  He shook his head, a faint smile on his lips. “Nay.”

  “But surely that nasty lad will tell him.”

  “Let him. And then I will tell him of your noble actions in preventing his son from harming a little girl.”

  She gazed up at him, his words settling. “Ye think I was noble?”

  He nodded, the fingers cupping her chin now caressing it. “Indeed I do. But I also think that you need to control your temper where the boys are concerned. It is beneath you to argue with a child.”

  Her features darkened. “But he was horrible. I wasna going to let him get away with his dastardly behavior.”

  He was not going to delve into the subject w
ith her. “I will say no more.” He let go of her face. “Go and collect your cloak. I shall meet you downstairs.”

  She nodded obediently, opening the door to the chamber. Creed could see Kristina and Julia beyond and wondered how Carington was getting along with her new roommates. She had not said anything about it and he had not heard anything negative to this point. He eyed the girls in the room beyond as he turned back for the steps.

  Carington’s gaze lingered on Creed before turning into to the chamber. Kristina was looking at her but Julia had better things to occupy her attention. Julia’s eyes were focused on the loom in front of her, an elaborate scene of color blossoming under her skilled needle. Carington smiled at Kristina as she moved to her bed and possessions at the far end of the room. Just as she reached the cloak thrown over the end of the bed, she heard Julia speak.

  “Is Sir Creed to be your permanent escort while you are at Prudhoe, my lady?” she asked.

  On-guard by the mere sound of the woman’s voice, Carington glanced at her. “Why do ye ask?”

  “Because he seems to spend a good deal of time around you.”

  “If he does, it is only his duty. He has been my protector since we left my home.”

  Julia snorted, a very lady-like sound. “I see,” she said. “Have you been warned of Sir Creed yet, my lady?”

  Carington’s movements paused and her eyes narrowed. “What do ye mean?”

  Julia was still focused on her loom; she stabbed at the material. “Then no one has told you.”

  Carington did not like her tone. She folded the cloak neatly over her arm. “Told me what?”

  Julia finally lifted her gaze, noticing that Kristina was shaking her head at her. Julia looked quite innocently at her companion. “Why do you shake your head at me?” she asked. “You know that she must be told. Sir Creed has been with her since her arrival. I was told he was with her the entire trip from Scotland. We would be doing her a disservice if we did not tell her what we know of him.”

  Carington had had enough of the lady’s mystery. She put an irritated hand on her hip. “One of ye had better tell me. What about Sir Creed?”