DarkWolfe

by Kathryn Le Veque

  But Audric soldiered on. He suspected that the lady was leery of him because of the part he played in her wedding, but it didn’t dissuade him. William de Wolfe had asked him to remain and lend counsel to the couple, and that meant earning their trust. Audric had been a priest for ten years but before that, he grew up in the church and was educated by the priests at Jedburgh. An orphan at a young age, the church was the only family he knew and he took his duties very seriously. He knew what it meant for his flock to trust him.

  Therefore, he had to earn the woman’s trust.

  So, he kept up a stream of conversation as they rebuilt the habitats for the animals and collected more eggs, putting them with the four that Troy had found earlier in the day. He continued to follow the lady as she went to the stable to bring hay for the goats and chickens to bed down with, and he stood by and watched her make cozy little homes for the animals. By then, it was after midday and both of them were growing hungry. At some point, they had to think about food and preparing a meal for the evening to come.

  As Rhoswyn stood by the goat’s pen and looked as if she wasn’t sure what to do next, Audric went around the kitchen yard and began to collect the pots that were strewn about to put them all in one place.

  “The bread oven looks as if it has survived, my lady,” Audric said, pointing to the beehive-shaped structure made entirely of stone. “Mayhap we should build a fire to start the oven?”

  Rhoswyn looked at the oven as if it had come from another world. “Why?” she asked. “I canna make bread.”

  Audric looked around the yard. “Surely there is grain to grind into flour,” he said. “Look, there; a sack of grain. We can use that…”

  She cut him off. “That is for the animals,” she said. “I took it from the English provisions wagon.”

  Audric went over to it, peering inside. “’Tis barley,” he said. “We can make flour out of it and bake bread.”

  He was forcing Rhoswyn into an embarrassing admission. “I dunna know how tae make the bread,” she said. “Even if we had everythin’ we needed, I’ve never made bread in me life.”

  Audric understood now; it wasn’t that she couldn’t make the bread, it was simply that she had no idea how to do it. In truth, he wasn’t surprised – this was the lass who had bested an English knight. He’d seen it. A lass like that had to be trained, for years, and Audric was coming to think that Red Keith had made his daughter a warrior and nothing else. For certain, she seemed very lost in a kitchen. She’d rather take care of the animals and repair their pens than prepare food, and now he found out why.

  But Audric was unconcerned.

  “Ah, but I have made bread before, many times,” he said confidently. “When I was young, one of me duties was in the kitchens at Jedburgh. I can make bread. Would ye have me show ye how?”

  Would it be admitting she was helpless if she agreed? Rhoswyn didn’t have much choice. He was offering and it was a skill she needed to know. Swallowing her pride, she nodded, once. And it was difficult for her to do that.

  “Aye,” she said.

  Audric beckoned to her. “Then come along,” he said. “I will show ye what we need tae do. First, we must build a fire in the bread oven. Can ye do that? If ye do, I’ll find what we need tae start the bread.”

  Starting a fire was something Rhoswyn could, indeed, do and she quickly took to the task. She went out to collect more scattered wood, bringing it back to the kitchen yard while Audric went on the hunt for what he needed to bake the bread. He needed a mortar and pestle, or a grinding stone at the very least, and he went about looking for such things but was unable to find them. When Rhoswyn returned with the wood for the fire, he explained his problem and she was able to improvise two rocks for him to use to grind up the grain.

  As Rhoswyn started the fire in the oven, she watched Audric grind the barley for flour and she didn’t feel quite so helpless because she’d helped him make the flour in a sense. She’d come up with the rocks for him to use, so she had a vested interested in this process. But she watched him closely as he worked and when the fire in the oven was burning brightly, she went to help him grind up the grain by using another set of stones, wiped off with the hem of her tunic to remove the surface dirt.

  It was hard work, but satisfying. Rhoswyn and Audric ground a good deal of the barley grain into a coarse flour, which they piled into a wooden bucket they’d found. It was good for their purposes and into the coarse flour that looked like sand, Audric added two of their precious eggs, a bit of the nanny goat’s milk, and enough water to make it a paste.

  Bread was in the making.

  Rhoswyn was rather thrilled to see how easy it was. Audric sent her on the hunt for salt and she ended up in the bottom level of the tower where there were some food stores. She found baskets of dried, dirty carrots, turnips, dried beans of some kind, and meat that had blue mold on it. In one of the last sacks she checked, she came across the salt she was looking for, as salt was as necessary to men as was the air to breathe. No good Scottish house was without it. She rushed the salt sack out to Audric, who mixed it in with his bread dough. Then, they began to make the flat discs of bread.

  It was really very simple and Rhoswyn was eager to do it. She mimicked Audric as the man made flat discs of dough, about the size of man’s splayed hand, and laid them on the hot stones of the oven. Once he showed Rhoswyn how to do it, she was making dough discs at an alarming rate, confident in her newfound skill. But Audric called her off of the bread making to go start another fire in the pit in the center of the yard, where it looked as if much of the cooking had been done. The pit was deep and full of charcoal.

  While Audric watched the baking bread, removing discs that were finished and replacing them with those that needed to be baked, Rhoswyn started the fire in the pit. At Audric’s instruction, she rinsed out both of the big iron pots they’d found, making sure they were free of grit on the interior, and filled both pots up with water from the well. There was one other bucket that they’d located, a smaller one, so it took her some time to do it, but soon there were two pots of water sitting on the pit. Audric had her put all of their eggs into the smaller pot to boil.

  In truth, Rhoswyn felt as if she had accomplished a good deal as she watched the pots begin to steam. Soon, they would boil. Looking around the kitchen yard, she noted the fixed animal pens, the bread oven that was working, and the yard in general that had been cleaned of its clutter for the most part. She’d even organized the garden implements and other iron tools she’d come across. Aye, she’d accomplished something today and she felt rather proud of herself.

  She wondered if Troy would be proud of her, too.

  Oh, but it was a secret and silly wish. That she should look for approval from a Sassenach was foolish, indeed, but she harbored that secret hope. As the smell of baking bread filled the air, she was coming to feel as if taking care of a house and hold wasn’t such a difficult job, after all. If the priest knew how to cook, surely he could teach her, too. Surely she could learn to mend clothing or stuff a bed, or any of the other chores that ladies did.

  Her confidence in herself was growing.

  As Audric continued with the bread, Rhoswyn went back into the bottom level of the tower and brought out the carrots. She pointed them out to Audric, who encouraged her to cook them in the second pot of water that was coming to a boil. She did, dumping several big handfuls into the water before Audric realized she was doing it without washing the carrots of their grime. She’d just dumped quite a few dirty carrots into the water and seemed quite proud of herself, so he was gentle in telling her that she should have washed them first. As he was trying to explain the way of things, Troy entered the yard.

  The smell of baking bread had lured him and he entered the yard, looking around with great surprise. He spied Audric, by the bread oven.

  “What are you still doing here?” he asked the priest, surprised. “I thought you left with the armies this morning?”

  Audric pulled t
wo 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.