Audric pulled two baked discs out of the oven, tossing them into a basket he had at his feet that was collecting the baked bread, and burning his fingers in the process. He blew at his fingers as he answered.
“Yer father asked me tae remain, my lord,” he said. “He thought… that my presence would be best served here for a time.”
Troy had no idea what the man meant. “My father asked you to remain? But I do not need a priest.”
Audric moved away from the bread oven, brushing at his scorched hands. “Yer father thought I could be of help with… with the lady,” he said, lowering his voice so Rhoswyn couldn’t hear. Then, he raised it again, loudly. “The lady and I have been bakin’ bread and preparin’ a meal. She has done very well.”
Troy looked at Rhoswyn, who was standing over two steaming iron pots. When their eyes met, she smiled timidly and Troy felt his heart leap, just a little. Flush-faced because of the fire, she was pink-cheeked and radiant. He thought she looked quite beautiful.
“I thought you did not know how to run a kitchen?” he asked her, sweeping his arm at the yard in general. “Now I hear you are baking bread and making a meal?”
Rhoswyn’s rosy cheeks flushed even more at what sounded like praise. “The priest has done most of it,” she said quickly. “He has been tellin’ me what tae do.”
Troy smiled at her. “I am sure you are being modest, my lady,” he said. “The bread smells wonderful. And what is in the pots?”
Rhoswyn peered down into the simmering water because he was. “Eggs,” she said. “We found more eggs and are boilin’ them. And I found carrots in the vault – I am boilin’ them, also.”
Troy could see a film of dirt on the top of the water with the carrots in it. It looked as if she was boiling them in mud but he didn’t say anything – he was simply glad she had tried. Not that he had expected less; from what he’d seen, Rhoswyn was industrious. He was glad she was doing what she could, muddy carrots and all.
“I have more provisions in the stables that I shall have brought over here,” he told her. “You say you’ve been in the vault? Is there room for more stores?”
Rhoswyn nodded quickly. “Indeed, there is,” she said. “Can I help with the provisions?”
He smiled at her, a sweet gesture because she was so eager to work. He appreciated that quality. “I shall have them brought to you and then you can decide where they go in the vault,” he said. “Remain here with the priest and continue with what you were doing. I shall return shortly.”
Rhoswyn simply nodded, watching him walk away, before returning her focus to her boiling pots. But as she bent over the carrots, realizing there was a great deal of dirt in the water, she heard Troy’s voice again.
That voice…
“Lady de Wolfe.”
He was calling to her and her head snapped up, looking at him as he stood by the kitchen gate. “Aye?”
His smile broadened as his gaze lingered on her. “You have tried hard today,” he said. “I am pleased.”
With a wink, he headed off, leaving Rhoswyn struggling to catch her breath again. Every time he said something kind to her, she had difficulty breathing. What was it with the man that he could make her feel so weak and giddy with a few simple words? It was enough to bring a smile to her lips but when she looked over and saw that the priest was looking at her as well, she wiped the grin off her face and quickly lowered her head.
She didn’t want the priest to see anything. Whatever was stirring inside of her for Troy de Wolfe, that was for her and her alone.
She didn’t want to share it.
*
More food was brought in by the provisions wagons, which had been kept in the stables. It was more food than Rhoswyn had ever seen in her life.
As Audric continued to bake the discs of bread in the oven that gave off a tremendous amount of heat, Rhoswyn found herself directing several English soldiers, her husband included, as they brought the stores into the ground level of the tower. It was cold and dank down there, smelling of earth, but it was a perfect storage area for preserving food.
Big pieces of salted, dried beef and mutton that had been in the wagons and layered with straw to keep them protected were brought into the vault along with sacks of rye and wheat, beans, peas, onions, and garlic. Big bags of salt were also brought in along with wheels of cheese that had been wrapped up tightly in hemp sacks.
In truth, it was a great deal of food, enough to supplement an army on the move and certainly enough for the fortress, at least for a little while. Certainly, they could address that issue after more of the pressing issues had been solved.
Pressing issues like where to bed down all of the men that had come with Troy. Monteviot just wasn’t made for the numbers Troy had brought with him, so as Rhoswyn went back to the kitchens to finish with the coming meal, Troy discussed the situation of bedding down all of his men so they weren’t sleeping outside, as they had since their arrival to Monteviot. He wanted everyone under a roof. So once the provisions were all put into the ground floor of the tower, Troy and his senior soldiers headed out into the bailey to decide what was to be done with bedding down an army of this size in a fortress that wasn’t designed for so many men.
But he didn’t leave before casting Rhoswyn a little smile, something that made her feel warm and giddy all over. Having never had such feelings, she had no idea how to control them or even how to hide them. He smiled and she felt like so much mush, feeling embarrassed and thrilled all at the same time.
Fighting off a grin, Rhoswyn remained in the vault for a little while after he left, moving sacks around, organizing everything. She had a bit of an orderly streak in her and she liked things to be just so. With the foods grouped into meats, grains, and dairy, she had three of the English soldiers help her carry one of the big slabs of beef into the kitchen yard where food was being prepared for the coming meal.
Since the eggs were finished boiling, she used a big wooden spoon to remove all of them and set them aside before retrieving a dirk from her possessions in the tower and using it to cut the slab of beef into chunks. It went into the same water that had been boiling the eggs.
Audric, nearly finished with the bread, came to help her when the last of the bread discs ended up in the big basket. With all of the flour they’d ground, there were a little over a hundred of the bread discs, probably not enough for all of the men that evening, but it would have to do. There were just the two of them to prepare the meal, so the big bread trenchers would have to be shared.
Even though Rhoswyn wasn’t an expert at tending a house and hold, even she could see that they needed assistance. They needed kitchen servants and probably servants for the tower and for the hall, and she made a mental note to speak to Troy that evening. Surely he could send for servants from any one of the de Wolfe properties. All she knew was that, even at this early stage, it was too much work for one person.
She needed help.
As Rhoswyn cut the last of the beef and threw it into the water along with a handful of salt at Audric’s prompting, she felt rather as if she’d accomplished a great deal on this day, probably more that she’d ever accomplished in her life. In truth, she didn’t think she’d ever worked so hard and she had new respect for the chatelaines all over the world because, certainly, their lives weren’t entirely simple. Working in the kitchens was hard work, and she hadn’t even touched anything that had to do with milking goats or making cheese or butter. She’d accomplished the bare minimum as far as kitchen duties were concerned. She truly had no idea how or where to start on more tasks, but perhaps Audric would.
The thought of the priest who had helped her so much crossed her mind and she looked over to see the man as he carefully stirred the steaming pot of beef to make sure all of the meat was covered with the boiling water. He’d followed her around most of the day, talking to her, instructing her, even as she did her best to ignore him. She was rather glad her attitude hadn’t discouraged him because she wouldn’
t have been able to do any of this without his help.
Truly, he’d been a Godsend. As she stood there and wiped her hands on her tunic, she cleared her throat softly.
“It looks as if the men willna go hungry tonight,” she said.
Audric was carefully stirring the pot of beef with a big wooden spoon, then using his fingers to shift pieces of meat around. “Nay,” he said. “And it looks as if they have enough in stores for a few days, anyway.”
Rhoswyn nodded as an uncomfortable silence settled. “Ye… ye’ve been a great help,” she finally said. “I dunna know what would have happened had ye not lent me yer assistance.”
Audric looked up at her; it sounded suspiciously like some form of gratitude, which surprised him. Proud Lady Rhoswyn didn’t seem the type to thank anyone, so he was rather touched by it.
“I’m glad tae help,” he told her. “I’m glad tae see that ye’re tryin’ tae please yer new husband.”
Rhoswyn’s first reaction was one of displeasure at that statement but in the same breath, she realized that the priest was correct. She was here to please her husband and she had no function other than that. It was the lot of a wife and she was now among those women who were sworn to please their husbands. Perhaps if she’d married anyone other than Troy, she might have violently opposed the priest’s statement. She’d been a strong woman her entire life, not dependent on a man. She didn’t need a man. But because she’d married Troy… aye, she wanted to please him. He’d told her that he was pleased with her and she liked the feeling his approval gave her.
As if she were worth something.
“’Tis me duty now, I suppose,” she said, glancing up at the enormous tower and shielding her eyes from the afternoon sun. “Makin’ me husband happy. But I’ll admit that yesterday, I never imagined this would be me life today. Married tae a Sassenach? If anyone had told me, I would have called them a bloody liar.”
Audric suppressed a grin. “Does it seem so bad, lass?”
She looked at him, wondering if she was brave enough to admit that, so far, it hadn’t been bad at all. At least, for her it hadn’t. Priests were sworn not to repeat confessions, weren’t they? They knew how to keep their mouths shuts, didn’t they? Rhoswyn had never in her life had anyone to confide in, about anything, and at times that had made for a lonely existence. But the priest had been helpful all day, so perhaps he wasn’t just hanging about to annoy her. Perhaps he was someone she really could talk to.
“Were ye here yesterday when me pa and I arrived?” she asked.
Audric nodded. “I was.”
“Did ye see the challenge?”
He knew what she meant. “Ye mean when ye kicked de Wolfe in his man parts?” he asked. When she nodded, a rather horrified expression on her face by his blunt description of what she’d done, he continued. “Aye, I saw it.”
Rhoswyn eyed him, half-embarrassed. “I told him I had tae do it,” she said. “Had I not tried tae disable him at the first, he would have destroyed me.”
Audric shrugged. “Ye did what ye had tae do, lass.”
“Do ye think he’ll forgive me for it?”
“If what I saw today was any indication, I think he already has.”
Rhoswyn was very interested to hear that. “Do ye believe so?”
Audric nodded. “I do,” he said. “I had time tae speak with de Wolfe yesterday a little, before ye came. He seems like a reasonable man, for a Sassenach. I think ye could have done much worse for a husband.”
Rhoswyn was vastly grateful and vastly relieved to hear the priest’s opinion. She looked around the kitchen yard, to the steaming pots, to the pile of boiled eggs, and felt fortified by what she’d been told. If it was true that Troy had forgiven her for their rough introduction, then that was all she could ask for.
“I suppose time will tell,” she said, a note of hope in her tone. “Let’s show him how the Scots can make a meal, shall we? I’ll finish out here if ye’ll go intae the hall and make sure it’s ready for the food. And make sure there’s a fire in the hearth?”
Audric nodded. “Are ye sure ye wouldna like to go do that? I can tend the food.”
Rhoswyn shook her head firmly. “Ye’ve helped so much already and I’m very grateful. But he’s me husband… I’ll bring his food.”
Audric wasn’t entirely sure he should leave her alone with the final preparations for the meal, but he didn’t dispute her. She wanted to do it herself, so he would do as she asked. Heading out of the kitchen yard and towards the hall, he truly hoped Troy would appreciate all of the trouble his new wife was going through for him. She was trying very hard, and Troy had noticed, but Audric thought he might say a little something more to the knight to let him know just how hard she had worked. For a lass who knew nothing of kitchens or cooking, she’d put in a tremendous effort.
William de Wolfe had asked Audric to remain and help the newlywed couple, and Audric took that request to heart. Before he headed to the hall, he sought out Troy to tell the man of the great effort his new and inexperienced wife had gone through, just for him. Perhaps it would endear the lass to her new husband, just a little. For certain, for the effort she’d put in, she deserved it.
Whether or not the food was any good.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
It wasn’t.
Troy sat at one of the three big tables in the hall of Monteviot, looking at the meal that had been placed before him.
The food wasn’t any good.
The beef hadn’t been cooked long enough and the carrots were mushy and full of grit. The bread didn’t seem too bad, but that was the only thing edible that was put in front of him. Rhoswyn herself had put the trencher of food in front of him and even now, smiled bashfully as he looked up at her. Troy could see just how hopeful she was that he approved of the meal she prepared. God, he just couldn’t break her heart.
“You did this all yourself, did you?” he asked.
Rhoswyn shrugged. “The priest helped me,” she said. “I dunna even remember the man’s name, but he helped me a great deal.”
Troy looked down at his food again, a steaming mess of inedible slop. “Audric is his name,” he said, scratching his neck as a delaying tactic. He knew he had to eat it but he wasn’t eager to get started. “So… you did the cooking yourself, did you?”
He couldn’t think of anything else to ask, but Rhoswyn didn’t notice. She thought it was more of his flattery. She had another bowl in her hand, something she’d brought into the hall along with Troy’s trencher, and she set it on the table in front of him.
“I boiled the eggs meself,” she said. “There are not very many, so I thought ye could have yer fill of them before offerin’ the rest tae the men.”
Troy grabbed at the eggs immediately; he took at least six. They were still in their shells so he had to peel them, which was no great hardship. Thank God there was something edible at the meal! He cracked one on the table top and began to peel it.
“Could you bring me some salt for these eggs?” he asked politely.
Rhoswyn nodded eagerly and dashed from the hall. But it was a tactic, really, to get her out of there. Troy waited until she had fled the chamber before standing up with his trencher in hand. There were already a few dozen men in the hall, who hadn’t yet been served, and he emitted a piercing whistle between his teeth to get their attention. When they looked at him, expectantly, he held up the trencher.
“Listen, lads,” he hissed loudly, as loudly as he could without shouting. “You’ll not repeat what I’m about to tell you, do you hear me? You are about to be served inarguably one of the worst meals you will ever know, but if one of you makes a disparaging comment about it, I’ll cut your tongue out and heave you over the walls. Lady de Wolfe has tried very hard to make a good meal, so on her effort alone, we shall not be cruel. Eat what you can and give the rest to the dogs. I’m afraid you’ll go hungry this night.”
The men looked at him with a combination of confusion and apprehension, mumblin
g to each other.
“What’s wrong with it, my lord?” one of the men asked.
Troy tried not to roll his eyes; there were many answers to that simple question. “You will know when you see it,” he said. “But not a word, do you hear? Be polite.”
He was about to say something more when he could see movement by the hall entry and Audric entered, carrying two big trenchers of food. Quickly, Troy turned his back to the priest and dumped half of the meat and most of the carrots onto the edge of the fire pit. The dogs were hovering and, smelling the meat, raced to wolf it down. Troy then rushed back to his seat at the table just about the time Rhoswyn came back into the hall, carrying a small bowl of salt. Troy smiled pleasantly at her as she returned to the table, handing him the salt.
“Thank you, my lady,” he said, resuming cracking and peeling eggs as she hovered over him. “Will you not sit and eat with me?”
Rhoswyn nodded. “I will once yer men have been served,” she said. “We have no servants, ye see, and someone has tae serve them, and… well, I was hoping that we might have a few servants at some point soon. It would make me work easier. Do ye think ye can send for some?”
Troy nodded. “Indeed, I will,” he said. “I can send to Kale Water or even Questing and have a half-dozen sent over to help you, including a cook. Would… would you like to have a cook?”
A cook! The thought of having a real cook was terribly attractive and Rhoswyn tried not to respond too eagerly to the suggestion. She thought Troy might be disappointed in her willingness to work if she did.
“Aye,” she said. “I believe that would be very helpful. I am not a very good cook and yer men need someone who can make them a good meal. I am afraid I can do very little.”
Troy muttered a silent prayer – thank God she is willing to accept a cook! At least the woman was willing to admit she needed help. That made his life much, much easier because too many days of not eating what she was trying to feed them would leave him with starving men. The Scots could attack and they’d be too weak with hunger to fight them off. Or perhaps that had been Rhoswyn and Keith’s plan all along… had he been the suspicious type, he could believe that.
The Original de Wolfe Pack Complete Set: Including Sons of de Wolfe Page 228
