Letia jumped up, her arms outstretched. Until this moment, she hadn't been sure Raik would allow her to have the baby.
"I hope you haven't been sitting in front of that window all night." Maud's gaze roved over the old green kirtle. With lips pressed together, she studied her face.
Lady Joneta, unaware of the worry in Maud's frown, put Aubrey in Letia's arms. "Saints, child! How did you not freeze?"
She nodded approval when Maud took Letia's cape from the wall peg and waited until Aubrey started suckling. She snuggled the heavy wool over him and Letia to ward off the early morning dampness.
"I can't get over how much he's grown." Lady Joneta went on to talk about how much joy she received from being able to hold him and watch as he discovered new things. After birthing Raik, 'twas something she had been denied.
"I fear my milk is dwindling, else it is not rich enough. He doesn't seem as satisfied lately. Thin gruel with mayhap baked pears mashed fine would be a good start, do you think?"
The women nodded, and for all the forced cheer in their conversations, there was an undercut of worry. Lady Joneta paced the room then sat for a while before she jumped up, a slight wrinkle between her brows, and started walking again. Maud fidgeted with the bed, smoothing blankets, sheets and plumping pillows that were already perfect. Letia, with Aubrey in her arms, remained still.
Before long, the continued clanging of sword against sword brought their attention back to the window. The sun fought its way through murky clouds, now and again lighting up the steel of the swords. It seemed like the men had been at it forever. The other knights, Sir William in the forefront, leaned against the fence watching. Finally, Cormac called something to Raik, then stuck his sword in the ground and leaned on it.
Sweat dripped off both men. Raik's shirt was so wet it clung to his taut body, even wrapping itself against his sex. In impatient movements, he grabbed the shirt's hem and peeled it off to toss to Edulf. Squires stood nearby with buckets of water, waiting only for the two men to nod at them. Both Raik and Cormac stood still while the squires emptied the water over them. They shook themselves like dogs coming from a stream, then wrapped a plaid around their waist and belted it there.
"My son looks to have worked off some of his anger," Joneta said.
"I fear it will not be enough. Likely he will have to go through every weapon in the hall below, from pikes down to flails, bow and arrow, crossbow and daggers," Letia murmured.
Her heart jumped to her throat when Raik glanced up at her window. The look was not one of a man wondering whether his wife was still abed, naked beneath the sheets. She dared to breathe again when he signaled the other warriors onto the field. Ever so often, they would switch opponents, testing each others skills.
Throughout the day, Joneta and Maud came often to keep her company, but Raik allowed no one else through the doorway, not even cook's helpers. Giles cheerfully brought the food into the room.
When the last rays of the sun deserted the sky, Edulf came to the door connecting the solar and scratched to let her know he was coming into the room. His face flushed when he quietly told her he must move Raik's clothing trunk into the solar. For a graceful man, he became awkward when he carried out his duty.
Her hopes sank. She heard Raik enter the solar, heard the normal sounds of a man removing weapons and taking off chain mail he had worn while testing Seton's warriors. Still, he did not come to her door. She heard him talking to Edulf, heard him splashing in the tub then sounds of his dressing and putting on his boots. He left and didn't return until late in the night.
Letia sat on the edge of the bed and waited. Edulf and Raik's low voices sounded normal enough. It wasn't until servants brought something into the solar that she knew she waited in vain. Raik would rather sleep on a floor pallet than share her bed.
Cold and lonely, she crawled between the sheets. He kept even Freki from her. She missed the big dog's raspy snores. Any sound, even animal sounds, would have been a comfort.
o0o
The following days were like the first. During the night, she slept in small snatches, awakening to listen for sounds from the solar. Before the sun rose, she was at the window to stare at the darkness, willing the sky to lighten. Taking deep breaths, she swallowed back water that surged to her throat and willed her queasy stomach to calm.
Throughout the day, she paced the room feeling more and more like a prisoner in her own keep, her only freedom was watching the comings and goings of everyone below. This must have been what Raik had felt, though at that time, he was injured and needed tending.
At the end of the first sennight, she no longer expected him to come through the doorway when darkness fell. One night, she dozed off only to startle when the solar door opened. Raik stood in the doorway, a ghostly image that disappeared when he pulled the door shut behind him.
She held her breath. Waiting. No light came from the window, for the moon was at its darkest. He padded over to the far side of the bed, slid beneath the sheet and pressed his naked body against her side. She near whimpered, feeling his warmth. He did not say a word. Would not let her speak, for when she drew breath, he pressed a finger to her lips, stilling them.
Slowly, he made passionate love to her until she near screamed with frustration if he didn't soon allow her release. When he finally did, he ravaged her mouth, not allowing any sound to spill out. Once his own spasms were over, he pulled her hands from around his neck and her legs from where they clamped his hips.
Raik slid from the bed and left the room as quietly as he had entered.
CHAPTER 35
As Raik locked the solar door, his shoulders slumped. His bare feet made no sound as he went over to sprawl in the armed chair beside the solar window. A cup of wine awaited him. Taking a sip, he thought 'twas Letia who should have had wine afore he went to her, wine laced with as strong a potion as what she had given him.
He took another swallow and huffed at the irony of it, a tight smile barely lifting his lips. He would have given her the same aphrodisiac as she had prepared for him but for the fact that Sybilla or Maud would have refused him.
It was close to morning afore he stretched out on his hard pallet and slept.
For the next six days, he followed the same pattern. Rising early, he broke his fast with his commanders like before. He left the keep as daylight broke to join the men awaiting that day's practice. Each day, he pushed himself until not only was he exhausted, but so were Cormac and the warriors.
Sir William's constant scrutiny began to wear on Raik's nerves. Every time Raik looked in his direction, the man studied him. Daily, William's gaze became sharper, prying deeper into his eyes as if he would read his thoughts. No doubt, Sir William knew of Raik's nightly seduction of Letia. He snorted. Seduction? He was giving like for like. Except he had to exhaust himself afore he took her, fearing his anger would make him violent.
On the eighth night after leaving Letia, though he could barely hear her, she cried into her pillow as in the previous nights. Tomorrow, he would leave. Rumors of trouble at nearby castles had filtered in to them and Raik didn't know if it was Queen Matilda's forces or King Stephen's, depending on the castle holder's allegiance.
After daybreak, he and twenty warriors would ride out and make a circle of the nearby castles important to Seton. They would go as far north as Raptor, southwest to Hunter then further to Kelso Abbey before returning to Seton. They would be away at least a fortnight, maybe a month if they ran into bands of lawless knights.
By the time he returned, he should have worked through his turmoil. Mayhap on his visit to Hunter, he could confide in Ranald and ask his advice on what he should do with Letia. If he kept her here at Seton, it would be like placing tempting food in front of a hungry man. If he sent her to a convent, mayhap with Muriele, the temptation would be gone.
When Edulf entered to prepare the room for Raik's meeting with his commanders, he found Raik already dressed and waiting. The men arrived shortly after, and they
began to eat their morning meal.
"Cormac and Edmund, ye will be responsible for the castle's defenses. Vary yer times for sending out patrols. Anyone seeking a pattern will not find one. Respond to any and all attempts for more than three men at a time seeking entrance."
"Am I not riding with you?" Cormac's eyes narrowed as he studied Raik's face.
"Nay. I need ye here. Ye are familiar with defending Raptor. Use the same tactics to thwart them should anyone be foolish enough to force entry. Greedy men will think Seton easy prey without a baron."
Cormac's raised brow asked a silent question. Then why do you leave? Raik's frown kept him silent.
Every now and again, someone repeatedly sought entrance to the solar. He heard the guard refusing and the sound of a woman's voice protesting. Each time she returned, her voice rose in volume. Cormac stirred in his seat, a frown gathering between his brows.
Soon after, someone pounded on the door with a heavy object. There was no mistaking Sybilla's gentle voice as it gained in volume to rival a woman as large as the cook Ada. Cormac's mouth tightened in surprise.
"My lord, I would speak with you," she hollered. She punctuated her words with an extra hard thump. "If you refuse, Cook will get naught from the larder. Your men will go without sustenance. They will have to hunt their own food and cook it. Good luck on that. Freki is a far better hunter!"
Raik yanked the door wide and barely stepped back in time to avoid a huge, metal soupspoon from striking his chest. Sybilla glared at him with narrowed eyes that shot sparks. She was so agitated her scarf hung loose, exposing the scars burned into her neck.
"What ails ye, woman?" He stared at the door in surprise. "Ye have pounded dents in the wood."
"What ails me? You have locked my sister in her room for a fortnight. Her food comes back with nearly as much as was there in the first place!"
Sybilla struck the spoon on the table. Cups and bowls jumped around, threatening to fall onto the floor.
"By the saints, Raik. Sybilla should be allowed to attend her sister," Lady Joneta said as she strolled into the room.
The guard knew better than to block their baron's mother from entering.
"Ye both have no right to interfere in something ye know nothing about," Raik shouted over Sybilla's words.
"Huh! I've known it all!" Sybilla snorted. "'Tis just your male pride that causes this cruelty."
"Hush, Sybilla. Dinna prick his anger," Cormac said.
She glared at his urge for her to curb her temper. Far from soothing her, she thwacked the table again. Whether the argument or the thwack convinced Raik, he wasn't certain.
He had thought Sybilla a woman who slid into the background at all times, a woman who would be easily cowed and afraid to defend herself. Her inner strength had come to the fore when she fought for her sister. He acceded to her wishes. He informed the guards to allow the Lady Letia to move freely between the bedchamber and the solar. Sybilla, Goda and the female servants were to come and go as his wife wished. The only restriction was that Letia was to stay within the two rooms.
Sybilla crossed her arms and stared him directly in the eye. "Freki must also be allowed. The men complain that his prowling keeps them awake all night."
Raik threw up his hands. "Freki, too."
He nodded to Edulf to bring the rest of his gear below. He left the room before she could think of anything else to demand. The clamor of their boots striking the stairs sounded urgent, as if they fled a woman's wrath.
They did.
Before the sounds faded, the hallway guard opened her chamber door. Lady Maud entered carrying Aubrey, while Sybilla rushed in, stepping around them. She threw the soupspoon onto the bed and gathered Letia in a fierce hug.
Letia laughed. "I can't believe my big sister turned so fierce!"
"I knew one day something would push you back into your old self," Maud said as she entered. "You were a mother wolf defending her pack."
Sybilla stood back and studied Letia's face and form. "No more sending back your tray with everything still on it. I'll be bringing your food myself. And I'm staying until satisfied you've eaten enough."
"I haven't felt much hunger lately." Letia tried to smile, but her lips trembled.
"Lady Joneta told me how thin you are. And Maud told me what you wore." She eyed Letia's green kirtle. "'Tis shameful. Mayhap I should have it burned."
Joneta's eyes widened. "I do not understand? Maud noted it with the same distaste."
"'Tis a dress she has worn whenever tragedy strikes. After Mother, Father and Warin died," Sybilla said.
Letia hugged her clothing to her breast. "Do not dare burn it, Sybilla. If comforts me to wear something of Mother's. It's like having her arms surrounding me."
"Aye. I understand. But you must fight back the same way you did when you've worn it before. This is the first time you have ever given in to, to...," Sybilla frowned, "...any man. Were it Julian, I think you would have cut his throat."
She realized she might have been a touch too strong about Raik with his mother present. Shamefaced, she looked at the older woman and flashed an apologetic smile.
"I agree," Lady Joneta said and nodded. "Though I feared Raik would take a day or two to control his anger, I did not expect him to be so unforgiving."
When Goda brought enough food for them to share, Sybilla filled a plate and walked over to Letia.
"Eat. Else you'll not have enough milk to feed Aubrey his noon meal." Sybilla handed Letia a plate laden with hot scones with honey slathered on them, several hard cooked eggs, crispy bacon and cheese.
After one whiff of food, Letia's gaze flew to meet Maud's. Maud, in turn, grabbed the washbowl from the stand and held it beneath Letia's chin just in time.
Sybilla and Joneta sat, stunned.
"Does Raik know?" Joneta's eyes showed her worry.
"Nay. I could not tell him yet. He must have his revenge first, or else he will think I somehow planned this to thwart his punishment."
"Are you sure it is not an illness? Our midwife has always vowed a nursing mother cannot breed. It is not true?" Sybilla's eyes rounded.
Maud nodded. "Much of the time, it is the truth. Now and again, it fails to keep a woman from increasing. Especially if she is as fertile as Letia is proving to be."
Giles scratched on the door. As he eased it open, Maud whipped the basin behind her and backed away from Letia.
He grinned at the women as he held tight to Freki's collar. "My lord has agreed to let Freki be where he wants while he is gone."
Freki lunged forward, breaking Giles' hold. Bounding across the room, he put his paws in Letia's lap and licked her face then sniffed around her chin and lap. Giles flashed an apology at Letia and retrieved the rope. He held the dog back from following the scent to Maud.
"Down, stupid dog. Maud isn't a soup bone. Behave or else I'll not take you to Cook for your treat."
The 'stupid dog' wasn't so stupid after all. He sat, docile as an ancient hound, his tongue lolling out and eyes flashing love at Letia.
A shrill whistle from the bailey made Giles' jump. "For pity sakes. I forgot what brought me here. Lady Joneta, my lord wishes to see you afore he leaves."
"He is leaving?" Both Letia and Joneta burst out. Giles looked at Letia, shamefaced.
Letia should have known. From the day he confined her to their bedchamber until now, he was duplicating most all of his own experiences at Seton. She should have known he would leave. Her chest weighed heavy wondering how long he intended to stay away. Letia saw the indecision on Joneta's face and shook her head at her, begging her with her eyes to keep her secret.
Lady Joneta straightened her shoulders and nodded. Angry strides took her out of the room as she followed Giles below.
o0o
As his mother marched over to confront Raik, he took one look at her face and knew her disappointment in him.
"Why did you not at least let me know? I could have told Letia and eased her feelings."
His blue eyes turned icy. "I dinna need to tell my wife aught of what I intend."
"Never have you been so harsh, Raik, and not once in all your years have you been cruel."
"Never before have I had to endure such deceit from a woman." He took his mother's hand and kissed it.
"And never before had you met one who had such dire need of deceit."
His face took on a stony expression. "If ye have a need or worries, speak to Leofwan. He knows where we plan to be each day. If all goes well, we should return within the month."
"Go with God, my son. Don't do anything rash that will place you in danger." Joneta reached up on her toes and kissed his cheek.
When she stepped back, Raik took the reins from a groom and vaulted onto Storm's saddle. He looked down at her and waved, then felt compelled to glance upward. He did not miss Letia's form standing in the window opening.
She brought up her arm to wave at him.
He didn't acknowledge that she was there.
Letia had wrung her hands the whole time Joneta talked to Raik. She'd sensed his stiffness, his harsh control over his body. She knew he had resisted looking upward. Lady Joneta returned to the room to tell her what little she was able to learn from him.
"Near a month?" Letia was stunned. She had hoped he would be gone no longer than a sennight. A month's time meant he was covering a wide area, mayhap even as far as Raptor in Scotland.
"Aye. He said I was to seek Leofwan if we had need of anything. I think I'll see what I can pry from that good man's mind. If that fails, mayhap Sir William might prove more, um, pliable?" Her eyes twinkled when she spoke his name.
She hurried to the door and nodded to the guard posted there.
When Joneta reported back, she had learned nothing more than that Raik wanted to see for himself that the land surrounding Seton was in harmony. She did learn he intended to seek out Ranald at Hunter. Letia hoped the gentle soul residing in the Black Raptor could talk reason into his cousin.
Seduced Page 27
