{"id":9986,"date":"2019-08-24T15:19:45","date_gmt":"2019-08-24T20:19:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/?page_id=9986"},"modified":"2026-03-31T22:15:57","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T03:15:57","slug":"knight","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/kenard\/knight\/","title":{"rendered":"BLACK AS KNIGHT"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"eddsection\">\n<div class=\"eddfloat_dl\">\n<div class=\"eddcover_dl\">\n<figure class=\"b10mwx\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/b10mediaworx.com\/covers\/knight\/knight-200x300.jpg\"><figcaption class=\"b10mwx\">Kenard Chronicles #1<br \/>\u00a92020 Moriah Jovan<br \/>233,500 words (612 pages)<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<article>\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"eddtitle_dl\">Book 1 in the Kenard Chronicles<\/p>\n<div class=\"linksbuyblock\" role=\"group\" aria-label=\"Buy Black as Knight\">\n<p class=\"linksedd\">Buy direct:<\/p>\n\t<form id=\"edd_purchase_19741\" class=\"edd_download_purchase_form edd_purchase_19741\" method=\"post\">\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"edd_price_options edd_multi_mode\" >\n\t\t<ul>\n\t\t\t<li id=\"edd_price_option_19741_epub\"><label for=\"edd_price_option_19741_1\"><input type=\"checkbox\"  checked='checked' name=\"edd_options[price_id][]\" id=\"edd_price_option_19741_1\" class=\"edd_price_option_19741\" value=\"1\" data-price=\"9.99\"\/>&nbsp;<span class=\"edd_price_option_name\">EPUB<\/span><span class=\"edd_price_option_sep\">&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;<\/span><span class=\"edd_price_option_price\">&#36;9.99<\/span><\/label><\/li><li id=\"edd_price_option_19741_pdf\"><label for=\"edd_price_option_19741_2\"><input type=\"checkbox\"  name=\"edd_options[price_id][]\" id=\"edd_price_option_19741_2\" class=\"edd_price_option_19741\" value=\"2\" data-price=\"9.99\"\/>&nbsp;<span class=\"edd_price_option_name\">PDF<\/span><span class=\"edd_price_option_sep\">&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;<\/span><span class=\"edd_price_option_price\">&#36;9.99<\/span><\/label><\/li>\t\t<\/ul>\n\t<\/div><!--end .edd_price_options-->\n\t\n\t\t<div class=\"edd_purchase_submit_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<button class=\"edd-add-to-cart button has-edd-button-background-color has-edd-button-text-color edd-submit\" data-nonce=\"e02ef09dd5\" data-timestamp=\"1775823444\" data-token=\"193eea2add02be2a5a2437914155415fd844355e44b5ea294f90dbf9c1b206b7\" data-action=\"edd_add_to_cart\" data-download-id=\"19741\"  data-variable-price=\"yes\" data-price-mode=multi data-price=\"0.00\" ><span class=\"edd-add-to-cart-label\">Add to Cart<\/span> <span class=\"edd-loading\" aria-label=\"Loading\"><\/span><\/button><input type=\"submit\" class=\"edd-add-to-cart edd-no-js button has-edd-button-background-color has-edd-button-text-color edd-submit\" name=\"edd_purchase_download\" value=\"Add to Cart\" data-action=\"edd_add_to_cart\" data-download-id=\"19741\"  data-variable-price=\"yes\" data-price-mode=multi \/><a href=\"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/checkout\/\" class=\"edd_go_to_checkout button has-edd-button-background-color has-edd-button-text-color edd-submit\" style=\"display:none;\">Checkout<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"edd-cart-ajax-alert\" aria-live=\"assertive\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"edd-cart-added-alert\" style=\"display: none;\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg class=\"edd-icon edd-icon-check\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\" viewBox=\"0 0 28 28\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<path d=\"M26.11 8.844c0 .39-.157.78-.44 1.062L12.234 23.344c-.28.28-.672.438-1.062.438s-.78-.156-1.06-.438l-7.782-7.78c-.28-.282-.438-.673-.438-1.063s.156-.78.438-1.06l2.125-2.126c.28-.28.672-.438 1.062-.438s.78.156 1.062.438l4.594 4.61L21.42 5.656c.282-.28.673-.438 1.063-.438s.78.155 1.062.437l2.125 2.125c.28.28.438.672.438 1.062z\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tAdded to cart\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!--end .edd_purchase_submit_wrapper-->\n\n\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"download_id\" value=\"19741\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"edd_action\" class=\"edd_action_input\" value=\"add_to_cart\">\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t<\/form><!--end #edd_purchase_19741-->\n\t\n<p class=\"linksedd\">&nbsp;<br \/>\n\t\t<span class=\"small85\">Amazon<\/span> <a class=\"knightg\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B089CPR1DH\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kindle<\/a> \u2022 <a class=\"knightg\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/1732030286\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">paperback<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t<span class=\"small85\">Barnes &#038; Noble<\/span> <a class=\"knightg\" href=\"https:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/black-as-knight-moriah-jovan\/1137090693?ean=2940162722182\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Nook<\/a> \u2022 <span class=\"small85\">paperback<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t<a class=\"knightg\" href=\"http:\/\/books.apple.com\/us\/book\/id1515855393\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Apple iBooks<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t<a class=\"knightg\" href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/books\/details?id=Kg-5DwAAQBAJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Google Play Books<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t<a class=\"knightg\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kobo.com\/us\/en\/ebook\/black-as-knight-kenard-chronicles-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kobo eBooks<\/a>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"eddtag_dl\">1420<\/p>\n<p class=\"eddsum_dl\">England and France are at war. Newly made English earl Grimme Kyneward must take a Scots noblewoman to wife to keep his lands and his life, but the one he needs is not available. What does a knight do when he cannot have the woman he wants? He snatches her, of course.<\/p>\n<p class=\"eddsum_dl\">Never mind that Lady Br\u00ecghde F\u00e0ileach is the <span class=\"catb\"><em>wrong<\/em><\/span> bride; she has her own reasons for wanting to marry the first earl who plucks her out of her wedding just before being forced to say \u201cI do.\u201d That the earl has a deep and abiding aversion to brunettes is convenient for her, and the fact that he is also in need of a castellain to run his household, which is in shambles, is even better.<\/p>\n<p class=\"eddsum_dl\">She is fully aware that a man in need of a noble wife will <span class=\"catb\"><em>also<\/em><\/span> be in need of legitimate heirs, but she readily agrees to it, freeing her from her father and fianc\u00e9 forever, and giving her power to rule his household, which includes any and all mistresses and the four bastards amongst them.<\/p>\n<p class=\"eddsum_dl\">Grimme has no desire to bed Br\u00ecghde, but he must have a legitimate heir. Br\u00ecghde has no need to bed Grimme, but she\u2019s absolutely certain she\u2019ll enjoy the experience. And on the journey back to his lands, Grimme and Br\u00ecghde forge a friendship Grimme is certain will last forever&nbsp;\u2026<\/p>\n<p class=\"eddsum_dl\">\u2026&nbsp;but for Grimme\u2019s ravenous liege who covets everything Grimme loves and will do anything to get it.<\/p>\n<div class=\"navblock\">\n<p class=\"leftnavblock\"><a class=\"arrowsmall\" href=\"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/\">\u2190 Back to the Dunham Universe<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"rightnavblock\"><a class=\"arrowbig\" href=\"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/kenard\/babeinwinter\/\">Kenard Book 2  \u2192<\/a><br \/>How would <span class=\"biob\"><em>you<\/em><\/span> like to have to walk<br \/>1,300 miles to get to the nearest ATM?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wingding\">\u203b<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptchapterhead\">1<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptdate\">East Lothian, Scotland<br \/>\nApril 1420<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">\u201c&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;DAY OF BINDING, if any man do allege and declare any impediment\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>BOOM!<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The cathedral shook from the force of the narthex\u2019s massive doors blowing open such that they bounced off the stone walls.<\/p>\n<p>Lady Br\u00ecghde F\u00e0ileach and her groom whipped around whilst an hundred people leapt to their feet, the men\u2019s swords drawn from sheer habit.<\/p>\n<p>A giant mail-clad intruder stood in the doorway, one big gauntleted hand resting on the pommel of his broadsword.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI object.\u201d He said it calmly, in English, almost as if he were bored, but his voice was deep and it resonated in the nave all the way up to the apse where Br\u00ecghde and her groom stood gaping.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat ho!\u201d bellowed Br\u00ecghde\u2019s father as he scrambled around the end of the pew, his sword already drawn as he strode down the choir toward the nave and the stranger. \u201cWho are ye an\u2019 by what authority do ye object?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy own.\u201d His accent was Sassenach with a hint of French. \u201cI need that bride.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde\u2019s father gasped. \u201cYe canna burst into weddings and appropriate brides as if this were a merchant\u2019s faire tent!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWatch me,\u201d the giant said wryly and lifted a finger, whereupon three more well-armed mail-clad soldiers erupted from behind him and ran down the nave to the apse. The intruder engaged in swords with Br\u00ecghde\u2019s father, and quite handily defeated him, for Walter F\u00e0ileach, once a famed swordsman, was forced to fight with his left hand. His left shoulder was not much better than his right.<\/p>\n<p>The second soldier engaged the groom\u2019s father, who had never been much of a swordsman at all.<\/p>\n<p>The third soldier engaged the best man, which was somewhat of a struggle.<\/p>\n<p>The last soldier picked Br\u00ecghde up, threw her over his shoulder, and sprinted right back out of the cathedral, trampling her fallen wimple and bouncing her all the way, her long black hair falling out of its coif and nearly dragging along the ground.<\/p>\n<p>It was a most unpleasant experience, and even had she a mind to scream or fight, she was too out of breath to scream, it would be painful and futile to pound on the soldier\u2019s well-armored back, and she couldn\u2019t kick because her legs were clasped so tightly against the soldier\u2019s chest.<\/p>\n<p>Thus, she did not protest as the men ran for their horses. She did not protest when she was thrown over the mounted giant\u2019s lap. She did not protest until they were well away from the kirk and she gathered her remaining bits of breath to yell over the wind and thundering hooves, \u201c<em>May I please sit up?!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>Nay, my lady!<\/em>\u201d the giant yelled back, and pushed his horse to go faster. \u201c\u2019Twill have to wait until we are clear.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde sighed and braced herself. She would have many bruises upon her belly and ribs tomorrow, as she was wedged in the tiny space between the pommel and knit metal.<\/p>\n<p>No one could follow: It was five miles from her home to the kirk. The whole family had traversed it by carriage without a mounted guard. Br\u00ecghde\u2019s menfolk would have to return to her home to fetch horses that could catch the knights. Even if they managed to do that in a timely fashion, they would not know where she had gone once she and her captors rounded the turn in the road and plunged sharply into the woods.<\/p>\n<p>It was darker here and it would be darker still in an hour or two as the sun set and the fog rolled in. She did not know how they would go in the dark or even if they would. Stopping and lighting a fire might not give them away through the dense forest and fog, but she was quite sure these men would take no chance of being found.<\/p>\n<p>Thus, with nothing to do but bear the offenses against her body and wait for an opportunity to answer nature\u2019s call, Br\u00ecghde determined that she was going to chastise her mother mightily for not thinking to supply her a horse.<\/p>\n<p>Soon the woods grew black and the soldiers slowed their horses to a walk. After some time passed, they stopped. Three men dismounted and one wrangled Br\u00ecghde from the giant\u2019s lap, clearly expecting her to fight, but even if she wanted to, she was too tired and sore and stiff. He put her on her feet. Her head spun, her legs buckled, and she fell over. The giant dismounted and gently assisted her to rise and held her whilst she regained her balance.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWell!\u201d she croaked, still holding on to his gauntleted arm. \u201cThat was an adventure.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMea culpa, my lady,\u201d he said, \u201cbut we are in a rush.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHoooo,\u201d she breathed and plopped on her arse. Then she flopped on her back and clasped her fingers over her belly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy lady,\u201d the man said solicitously. \u201cWe need to go.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ll not go anywhere until my head stops spinning. Didn\u2019t my family tell you to get me my own horse?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Silence. \u201cWhat&nbsp;\u2026 are you talking about, my lady?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen my family hired you to abduct me, didn\u2019t they tell you to get me my own horse? I\u2019m quite sure you would have been paid enough.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>More silence. \u201cUh&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;\u201d he finally drawled, surprise in his voice. \u201cNo one hired us to abduct you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde lay there on the forest floor and opened her eyes to see four silhouettes looming over her. She thought for a moment. \u201cYou just&nbsp;\u2026 happened&nbsp;\u2026 to be out abducting brides today?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Now she was furious. \u201cOf course! Because that level of planning is just beyond their ken!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The four men exchanged glances, then one said, \u201cWhy would you think your family had anything to do with it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t want to discuss it. I\u2019m too angry. Not at you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAre you saying,\u201d one of the men began carefully, \u201cthat you <em>wanted<\/em> to be abducted?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you saw my groom, you\u2019d want to be abducted too!\u201d she snapped.<\/p>\n<p>There was a minute pause and then they all started to laugh.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood Lord,\u201d one of them wheezed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho are you, then?\u201d Br\u00ecghde demanded. \u201cAnd where are you taking me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am Earl Grim Kenard,\u201d the giant said. \u201cI\u2019m taking you home with me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have never heard of you,\u201d she said flatly, \u201cand I know who all our neighbors are on both sides of the border.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, well, you missed one. My earldom is small and only five years old, with a bare fifteen miles of Scottish border, \u2019twixt Sheffield to the west and south, Tavendish to the east, and Dunham to the north. The king granted it to me for my service at Agincourt.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHrmph. And you are taking me there?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMay we discuss this when we are farther along our journey?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cVery well. All I ask is that you not ravish me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have no intention of it, my lady.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWell then!\u201d She held her hands up so that the gentlemen could pull her to her feet. \u201cLet\u2019s be upon our way. Do we plan to walk through the night, good sir?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2018My lord.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, no,\u201d she said. \u201cNobles who lower themselves to do their own abducting don\u2019t get obeisance.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He snorted. \u201cI\u2019m a warrior and, since I am not in France with Henry, I was itching for a battle. Sadly, your people disappointed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey disappoint me every day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cApparently. We will walk. You may ride, although we do not have a sidesaddle.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo need,\u201d she replied. \u201cI am able to ride astride, prefer it in fact, so long as no one need see my bare legs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2019Tis pitch black, my lady,\u201d he answered dryly. \u201cAs well, we have business to tend.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSpeaking of business to tend, I have need of a bit of privacy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The earl took her hand and began to pick his way carefully to a nearby tree, then released her. \u201cStay close, my lady,\u201d he warned.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere would I go?\u201d she asked with irritation. \u201c\u2019Tis dark, \u2019tis in a fog-bound forest, I have my wedding slippers on, I have no provisions, and I think I\u2019d go with you even if you <em>did<\/em> want to ravish me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat bad, eh?\u201d a different man asked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou could not imagine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have no imagination,\u201d said the earl.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, it was that bad.\u201d Once she was finished and back at the horse\u2019s side, he began to wrap a cloth \u2019round her face. \u201c\u2019Tis really not necessary. I did not cry out all this time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause you thought your family hired us,\u201d he returned dryly.<\/p>\n<p>With a series of jostles and grunts, Br\u00ecghde was soon astride a very tall, very broad horse. The four conferred among themselves whilst she arranged herself, tucking her skirts around her legs to protect them from the chafing of the leather.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShow your hands, my lady,\u201d the earl said, after which a rope was wound \u2019round her wrists tightly enough so that she could not escape and loosely enough that she could hold onto the pommel.<\/p>\n<p>They set out again, though now very slowly and impossibly quietly for four mailed men and their horses. The earl led the way for what must have been the better portion of two hours. Br\u00ecghde\u2019s eyes had gradually accustomed themselves to the dark enough to see shadows, trees and such, downed logs they must traverse, a stream at which they stopped for a long drink and to replenish their flasks. Br\u00ecghde\u2019s gag was removed and she was given to drink, of which she did, for a long while and requested more.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNeed you answer nature\u2019s call again?\u201d the earl asked, and again she wondered at his consideration, within the rules (she presumed there were rules) of abduction.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo, but I might as well, whilst we\u2019re here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He took the ropes off her wrists, then lifted her down from the horse. Once again, she stumbled, even more sore than before and starting to feel all her bruises. She grimaced and groaned with every footstep around a big tree. Once she had finished, she emerged to find all four with their heads together and murmuring. She was only a few feet away from them and still could barely hear their voices at all.<\/p>\n<p>She tilted her ear back the way they had come and heard nothing but faint rustles she assumed were night rodents.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe camp tonight, my lady,\u201d whispered the earl in her ear.<\/p>\n<p>She jumped, startled out of her wits, as she had not heard him approach even though she was listening to her surroundings.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2019Twill go very badly for you should you run.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI <em>just<\/em> told you I needed to be rescued,\u201d she said snidely.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd it could be you are cooperating and telling tales so as to effect your escape from us, in which case, I commend your quick thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFair,\u201d she said approvingly, \u201cand thank you for the compliment. However, I am drained and I hurt. I am also hungry. As you have promised not to ravish me, I shall seek the better part of valor.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe do not ravish you, you do not run or cry out? Is that our bargain then?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAlso feed and water me, don\u2019t bind or gag me, and don\u2019t make me walk.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>With that, he lifted her back onto the horse without replacing her gag and bonds, and led it across the swift-running stream. The horse\u2019s hoof slipped on the moss on the bank and it was all Br\u00ecghde could do to hold her seat whilst the four men and their beasts navigated into the stream.<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde knew where they were. She had played here endlessly with her brothers during her childhood and was fairly certain of the terrain. Ever being one to turn a situation to her own advantage, she did not doubt her ability to do so now. The questions were: Could she think of it quickly enough and how long could she go without food?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf I told you where we are and how to get to the nearest town away from the kirk, would you believe me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo,\u201d all four men said at once.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFair,\u201d she said again. \u201cBut for my own comfort, I am compelled to suggest we ford this stream for a generous mile. There is a good area to make camp on this side of the stream, and \u2019twill not leave tracks, although I do not think anyone saw us go into the woods, nor would they think to look there, nor do they know who you are. Besides, they would all have had to spend time running to F\u00e0ileach to fetch their horses and armor, which is a good five miles away from the kirk. The <em>other<\/em> direction.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>No one moved or spoke for a good two or three minutes. When the silence lengthened, she said, \u201cI know you don\u2019t want to trust me, but I would really like to go to sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs it happens,\u201d the earl said slowly, \u201cthat was our exact plan.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh!\u201d she chirped. \u201cNow you have proof I am willing to fall in with you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo not make me regret trusting you, my lady,\u201d he warned.<\/p>\n<p>When she escaped, it wouldn\u2019t be back to Walter F\u00e0ileach, for a certainty. She needed to plot.<\/p>\n<p>They set off down the stream. Once they arrived at their campsite, Br\u00ecghde said softly, \u201cThere is a ledge some two hundred feet away from here under which you may light a fire.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow do you know these things, my lady?\u201d one of the knights asked as the earl lifted her off his horse.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy brothers and I played in these woods for years.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>No one said anything else, but presently she heard a flint and saw a spark in the darkness. She waited patiently whilst the earl and his men divested themselves of their mail, leaving them clad in their leather gambesons. By the meager light, they draped their mail over tree limbs, then loosened the girths on their horses\u2019 saddles. They led the beasts to the stream from which they drank greedily. \u2019Twas a cool night and Br\u00ecghde\u2019s wedding dress was heavy, but her slippers weren\u2019t, and the moisture from the moss seeped through. She sighed. Cold, wet feet were the bane of her existence.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy lady,\u201d the earl said quietly as he led Br\u00ecghde to the fire and gallantly seated her on a coarse blanket, \u201cyou may sleep next to me and trust I will not ravish you, or you can sleep on your feet tied to a tree.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith you,\u201d Br\u00ecghde said immediately.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI cannot believe your groom was that undesirable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe entire circumstance was untenable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The men chuckled low in their chests, then sat around the fire with their packs, digging in. She took her slippers off and set them by the fire to dry, then she stretched out to warm her feet. The earl threw a canvas sack in her lap before sitting beside her with his own.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou came well prepared,\u201d she muttered as she explored her sack to find a goodly amount of bread and cheese, as well as several pears. There was also a full bladder. She uncorked it, but the earl snatched it from her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCareful, my lady. \u2019Tis a fine vintage of wine I enjoy, but do not suck it down as if \u2019tis a cheap ale or fresh spring water.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh. Thank you,\u201d she said as he gave it back to her. She sipped and savored it. \u201cGood Lord, that is excellent.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI told you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Then Br\u00ecghde fell silent as she ate\u2014the first meal she\u2019d had since breakfast, after which the day had been taken up with wedding business. The bread was hearty. The cheese was of a quality to match the wine. The pears were crisp and sweet and perfectly complemented the cheese. \u201c\u2019Tis likely the most delicious meal I\u2019ve ever had,\u201d she muttered to herself around her bite. She might be a lady, but she had been brought up with boys and these men were warriors. They should have no reason to take offense at her lack of propriety.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHunger is the best sauce.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIndeed. May I fetch more water?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNay,\u201d he said as one of his men arose and went to the stream to fill a bladder. Whilst he was there, he settled the horses for the night. When he returned he handed the water to Br\u00ecghde without a word.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde had no idea what time it was, but now that she was a little rested, fed, watered, and her feet warm and dry, she was beginning to grow sleepy. It had been a very long day, and she was far more pleased with this ending than the one she was fated to endure. Fortunately, she had spent so many a night sleeping in this tiny, sheltered glade, this brother or that brother scattered about that it almost felt like home. She had a favored sleeping spot, but she wasn\u2019t sure she would be&nbsp;\u2026 able to&nbsp;\u2026 make&nbsp;\u2026<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptchapterhead\">2<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">THE SOUND OF horse tack and men\u2019s low murmurings awoke her at dawn. The fog was still thick and she sat up to look for the earl. There, next to the stream, through the fog, she saw a dark blob squatting, filling his flask whilst his men destroyed the evidence of their passing. A good tracker would be able to tell in the moss that someone had made camp here, but not even the best hunting dogs could follow a scent in the water.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood morn, my lady,\u201d the earl said from above her suddenly.<\/p>\n<p>She smiled and said, \u201cGood morn to you, too, my lord.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He held his hand out for her to take. She did, and, forgetting about her sore and bruised body, attempted to spring right to her feet, but instead was met with aches and pains all over. She arose with great difficulty, not bothering to hide her grunts and groans. Finally she was on her feet, but she wished for nothing more at the moment than to lie down and go back to sleep. Finally she gathered her courage and stretched against the pain. She groaned some more.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re beautiful,\u201d he said matter-of-factly, \u201cwhich surprises me, really, but you need not fear me. You are not to my taste.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She came down from her stretch. \u201cWhat do you intend to do with me, then?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWed you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde threw up her hands. \u201cIf \u2019tis not one forced marriage, \u2019tis another. What do I care? At least you have some manliness about you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He blinked, then began laughing after his men started to snicker. \u201cYou do not seem overly distressed, my lady.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHrmph. I am property,\u201d she said bitterly, \u201cso does it matter what I think of my owner?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot really,\u201d he said blithely, then swung up onto his enormous dark red destrier with a luxurious black mane, tail, and feathers. \u201cLet us be upon our way before the fog burns off. We will eat in the saddle.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde bent and pulled the back of her skirt forward to tuck it into her girdle, making of her beautiful red and azure wedding kirtle a peasant woman\u2019s working garb. She groaned whilst she did so\u2014<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAre you going to mimic an old woman our entire journey?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye,\u201d Br\u00ecghde groaned and struggled to stand upright, clutching her back. \u201cI\u2019ve never been thrown over a shoulder or the back of a horse before, nor have I struggled to stay in the saddle of a warhorse bound and gagged.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI could not have anticipated such a willing captive,\u201d the earl said. \u201cIn the village, we will see if there are any horses for purchase. But for now, \u2019tis time for your creaky bones to move.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>With that, he signaled for one of his men-at-arms to pluck Br\u00ecghde off her feet and plop her onto the earl\u2019s horse\u2019s rump. The man handed her the earl\u2019s pack, which she spread over her lap. The earl twisted to look at her whilst she arranged herself.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy lady,\u201d he said politely, \u201cdo not think to escape.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She hooted. \u201cI <em>am<\/em> escaping.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo you say.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo prove it yet <em>again<\/em>, I shall tell you. Continue in the stream. It feeds the village of Laight. There will be provisions there, an inn, stables for the horses. \u2019Tis a full day\u2019s hard ride by road. How far it is or how long it will take by woods and in a stream, no less, I cannot guess.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTwo days,\u201d all four men said in unison.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAh, well then. You know we will need to camp again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe did not set out upon this errand without knowing our way, my lady,\u201d the earl said with irritation. \u201cStupid men don\u2019t survive on the battlefield as long as we have.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cForgive me for my air of superiority, my lord,\u201d she said haughtily. \u201cI am only trying to help and to prove my trustworthiness. Please keep in mind that I do not know what you know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He harrumphed. \u201cVery well.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In the fog, she could only see that his hair was a dull gold and his eyes were dark. His skin was ruddy, his nose long and straight, his jaw strong, his teeth good, and his face overall, not loathsome.<\/p>\n<p>She nodded. \u201cYou\u2019ll do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His eyebrow rose and he chuckled. \u201cI will, will I?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOf course, but compared to my groom, anyone would.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His men laughed, and with that, the earl turned and tapped his horse into motion. The four horses were wading in the stream in no time, headed the direction Br\u00ecghde wanted to go.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow far is your home?\u201d she grunted as she adjusted her seat.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNinety miles.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat did you say your name was, again?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGrim Kenard.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou don\u2019t seem very grim.\u201d He growled, which made her snicker. \u201cI am not terribly original, my lord.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIndeed,\u201d he grumbled. \u201cI may ravish you after all, for that. Listen carefully. \u2019Tis between \u2018grim\u2019 and \u2018gram.\u2019 Grem.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, aye,\u201d she said and attempted to pronounce it correctly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWell enough. So. Marriage?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She sighed. \u201cDo I have a choice?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo. You may be as amenable as you have been and be treated with respect, or you may fight us and be gagged and bound, but \u2019twould seem to me that simply being wed would free you from your circumstance. Was your betrothed a noble of consequence?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe <em>second<\/em> son of a clan chief.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He grunted. \u201cCouldn\u2019t your father have made a better match for you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe doesn\u2019t care about me,\u201d she scoffed. \u201cIt was sufficient for his purposes. It would make him <em>furious<\/em> were I to become an English countess.\u201d And once she had the earl\u2019s name, <em>then<\/em> she would escape. \u201cBut why me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou were the most convenient noblewoman of marriageable age and circumstance I could find in the time I had.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAh&nbsp;\u2026 you\u2019re a Sassenach and I am Scots. We are enemies.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am beyond caring.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHm. Interesting. If you <em>need<\/em> a noble bride, would that not imply you also need an heir from her? If not also a spare?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUnder normal circumstances, it would; however, I will not rape a woman, much less force her to bear my babe, so I had planned to gently woo and seduce you\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>At that, his men began to quietly snicker and snort.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou made your task more difficult than it had to be, abducting her,\u201d Br\u00ecghde observed. \u201cCould you not have done that <em>before<\/em> offering marriage?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTime was of the essence, and aye, I am well aware that abducting a woman is not the most effective way to woo; however, I would think treating her with kindness and respect would go far toward establishing some trust. Even if time were <em>not<\/em> of the essence, would your father have allowed me to court you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAh, nay. My marriage was arranged when we were children, and I would not even have my groom as a playmate, though our borders march. He is ugly and stupid and we hate each other. I didn\u2019t want bairns from <em>that<\/em> ass, as I would be obliged to slay them in mercy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd there it is. I <em>do<\/em> need an heir, that is true, but bedding you is not the most pleasant of thoughts for me and, I\u2019m sure, even less so for you. Mayhap careful <em>wooing<\/em>,\u201d he said snidely at his men, who now did not bother to hide their amusement, \u201cwill make a difference for both of us. But until I can force myself to bed you, I shall continue as I have always done.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde found this very odd and a mite hurtful, should she be honest. She was bonny. She knew it because she had been told so her entire life. There were few men who saw her out and about, or visited her estate who did not watch her endlessly and, betimes, attempt to seduce or even force themselves upon her.<\/p>\n<p><em>She is contracted<\/em>, Walter would growl. <em>Keep your eyes in your head.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Even the earl himself had remarked upon it. Why <em>wouldn\u2019t<\/em> he want to swive her? Unless&nbsp;\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou swive men, then?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He laughed. He had a wonderful laugh. \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That&nbsp;\u2026 hurt.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy keep is full of women who are happy to see to my needs. I simply have a deep and abiding aversion to brunettes.\u201d Then it was not specific to <em>her<\/em>. That made it a mite less hurtful. \u201cKnowing that, then, will you accept my suit with the goal of bearing an heir?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Having bairns was not her biggest goal in life, but it <em>was<\/em> what she was expected to do, had thought she would be doing anyway, and she\u2019d rather do it with almost anybody but Roger.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you continue to treat me as kindly as you have thus far,\u201d she mused, \u201cI see no reason not to.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou do ken what I mean by bedding you, do you not?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye. You will swive me until I am with child.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd you know what swiving is?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have brothers,\u201d she drawled, which made him chuckle.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat was so awful about your circumstance that you are willing to loan your womb to any man who abducts you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMany reasons, which I may or may not tell you later, but my immediate concern was avoiding that jackanape\u2019s spindle.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>All four of them laughed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis adventure has been far more preferable to swiving <em>him<\/em>, and at least I can bear to look at you without vomiting. Indeed, I should thank you. But since you <em>did<\/em> abduct me, I shall keep my gratitude to myself until you prove your claims of kindness, gentle wooing, and steadfastness.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>With great amusement, the earl said, \u201cThat, I can do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo&nbsp;\u2026 why did you need a noblewoman to wed so urgently that you would risk abducting one, much less a Scot? If my people find out who you are, your small earldom will be as good as destroyed. Are Sassenach noblewomen that thin on the ground that you would risk it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He took a deep breath. \u201cI need a noble wife before I am killed, and, hopefully, a legitimate heir.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cKilled?\u201d she asked, now alarmed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2019Tis a very long story and I would rather not think about it, much less tell it at the moment, and I would beg your leave to enjoy your very amusing cooperation as a respite from my problems. I will tell you anon.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde could appreciate the need for a respite from one\u2019s problems and she could also hear the weariness in his voice, so she would wait.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you would be so kind as to feed me&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOf course,\u201d Br\u00ecghde said and dug in his pack. He held his hand over his shoulder, palm up. She slapped a good portion of bread into it. For herself, she looked for the cheese. The five of them ate in silence whilst the horses made relatively good time for picking through a stream.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPear.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Without a word, Br\u00ecghde handed him one and continued to feed and water him thusly for the next half hour whilst she fed herself, almost giddy she had not greeted the day despoiled by that buffoon Roger.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut since you are so cooperative and forthcoming,\u201d Kenard said suddenly, breaking the companionable silence, \u201cI would ask: Are you learned in the art of housekeeping? I would have simply assumed so, but you ride astride, so&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI ride astride, as I am the only lass amongst a litter of lads, with barely a year between each of us. But aye, I was also trained in a noblewoman\u2019s duties. My mother is a virago about it\u2014that is what my father calls her, and not approvingly\u2014and she trained me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you must be away from your groom so much that you will bargain your womb for the protection of my name, you and I may be able to fill each other\u2019s needs. My earldom is in shambles.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy castellan is\u2014was\u2014an excellent steward in his day. In fact, he built my earldom to what it is now. But he is old and feeble and deserves his rest. To be blunt, it has grown at such a rapid pace that he cannot keep up and my household has slipped into such chaos that I have noticed and it has begun to affect me, which I will not tolerate. He has found and attempted to train others, but they have not been able to do the job to his satisfaction. His standards are a bit above mine but that is an extra source of distress to him that now he cannot keep to his own expectations. I can offer you a title, a roof, food, wine, more coin than you can spend in a lifetime, and all the freedom you want once I know I can trust you. Ideally, I would like for you to bear me one or two sons and then rule the earldom in my stead so I can go back onto the battlefield where I belong.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kind, handsome, titled, wealthy, intelligent, and offering her the freedom to rule an earldom the way she wanted to in exchange for&nbsp;\u2026 a son. Mayhap. If he could bear to bed her. She might not want to escape at all.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am amenable to the bargain. I only need endure your amorous attentions\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>Not<\/em> amorous.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2014until I produce at least one son\u2014God grant me easy fertility\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye,\u201d he agreed fervently. \u201cBut if you are <em>not<\/em>, I may be forced to use a surrogate, which I do not want to do, either.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2014and in the meantime and forever after, I may rule your earldom. I am a power-hungry lass, I will have you know, and I <em>covet<\/em> the chance of having a fair bit. Aye, I can settle for being a countess with an iron fist, especially if you are gone most of the time and won\u2019t be getting in my way.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>They all laughed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI need your assurance you will be absent.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith any luck, aye.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAlso, that wine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI did not expect the wine to be such a point in my favor. To the production of an heir, as you seem amenable to that, I need to have your word in turn that when the time comes, you will not gainsay me. I will leave you be otherwise and after a second son, you may take a lover as you please. I care not, but I will not rear another man\u2019s get.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cConsidering whom I would have been obliged to bed last night, you are far more preferable, my lord. You have my word.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cVery well, then.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It was late afternoon when she heard the dogs, but from which direction, she did not know. \u201cStop, my lord.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But his party had already halted. Br\u00ecghde twisted to look around, as did the earl and his men, but they did not stray from the stream.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s my father\u2019s voice,\u201d she whispered. \u201cMy deerhound may be amongst that pack, and considering he has slept in my bed since he was a pup, he will know me instantly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>With a sharp gesture from the earl, one of his men took off to the north, and one to the south. With a click of his tongue, he, Br\u00ecghde, and his last soldier continued onward. For Br\u00ecghde to leave the safety of the stream now when there were hunting dogs about would be the height of folly, and she only prayed that she would not be obliged to walk in it to throw off her scent. The foliage was dense here, too, and it was relatively dark, the forest an old one and little disturbed except by, perhaps, wee laddies exploring. Br\u00ecghde was not even sure her brothers had ever come this far.<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde could feel the earl\u2019s big body, tense now, whereas all day he had been relaxed. She did not know how much time had passed before one of his men returned from the north, but the sun was about to set.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2019Tis indeed her people, my lord. Perhaps thirty. Ten dogs, none deerhounds. I followed them into the village. They have settled at the inn for the night. They intend to return home early on the morrow to search elsewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cVery well,\u201d the earl muttered. \u201cWe will make camp now, then, whilst we can see without aid of a fire.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptchapterhead\">3<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">BR\u00ccGHDE WAS TOO tired to do anything but eat and drink. The earl admonished her once again to sleep with him or sleep tied to a tree, but as she had the night before, she fell asleep before she could feel his arms around her.<\/p>\n<p>It was pitch and the forest was absolutely still when she awoke to tend her needs. The earl was spooned against her back, his arm heavy in the curve of her waist. She moved slightly and his arm tightened just a bit. She did not know if he was awake or if it was a reflex. Carefully she inched out of his grasp, but as she stood, he grabbed her skirt and made her trip.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOoof,\u201d she grunted.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI told you not to run,\u201d he growled.<\/p>\n<p>She sighed. \u201cNature calls, I am thirsty, and I have every reason to stay with you. I did not want to wake you, particularly since your man is standing guard somewhere out there in the darkness.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He released her slowly. \u201cDo not bolt.\u201d She attempted to hurry, but her body was sore and she groaned at every twitch of muscle. Still, he growled at her when she returned. \u201cYou took too long.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShall I give you a detailed report?\u201d she asked testily as she lay again on the blanket he had smoothed out for both of them, his strong chest against her back. Since he had no lust for her, she did not mind. It was no different from how her deerhound took over her bed of a night, and really, what was the earl but a human deerhound?<\/p>\n<p>He made no answer but shifted to allow herself to settle so he could again drape his arm over her to make sure she did not run away.<\/p>\n<p>The next time she awoke, the sun was high in the sky, the fog completely burned off. Hearing nothing, she quickly scanned the area. There was the earl\u2019s red-and-black destrier calmly drinking from the stream. She closed her eyes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know you\u2019re awake, my lady,\u201d the earl said dryly from behind her. \u201cDo not go back to sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She groaned. \u201cWhere are your men?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cScouting. We are out of provisions and must go into the village today, whether your people are there or not.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCome, \u2019tis time to be off.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde got to her feet with less groaning than the day before, but still a bit. She picked up the blanket, shook it out, then folded it. \u201cI\u2019m hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSadly, the only thing I\u2019ve to offer you is more wine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her stomach rumbled. \u201cI\u2019ll take it!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He laughed. \u201cHere,\u201d he said as he handed her the bladder. \u201cDon\u2019t drink too much, lest you fall off the back of the horse.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She looked up with a smile, which she fought to keep on her face because now, in the sunlight and with her first opportunity to truly study him, she realized he was not only not loathsome, but possibly the most breathtaking man she had ever met\u2014and she had met many a breathtaking man in her travels.<\/p>\n<p><em>Until I can force myself to bed you&nbsp;\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u2026&nbsp;deep and abiding aversion to brunettes&nbsp;\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde drank deeply with her eyes closed to disguise her thoughts. He was much taller than anyone of her acquaintance, brawnier. His hair was a blonder red in the sunlight, his growing beard bright copper. His face was sharp and lean, his nose and jaw strong. His smile was&nbsp;\u2026 devastating.<\/p>\n<p>After everything she had heard and seen, she had dreaded mating because she knew the only man she would ever swive was Roger. Thus, it had made her absolutely ill. But with <em>this<\/em> handsome giant in front of her and Roger suddenly removed from her future, she knew exactly what she was feeling.<\/p>\n<p>She would not hesitate to swive her new betrothed.<\/p>\n<p>However, if she were not careful with her expressions, he would know what she thought of him and, as she had never been able to bear mockery of any sort and she could not laugh at herself, she did not want to have to bear any manner of teasing should he catch her out.<\/p>\n<p>Soon enough they were on the horse and into the stream, riding silently. Br\u00ecghde had nothing to say and she doubted the earl wanted her to make any noise anyway. The sun had traversed into the west enough to become blinding when one of the earl\u2019s scouts appeared.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy lady\u2019s people are gone, my lord, back to their lands. I have secured lodgings and food for us and the horses, and found a priest.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnother horse?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI felt it best to leave that to your judgment, my lord. There are few for sale, and they are of questionable quality. Yet there is an impoverished knight seeking to sell his destrier and tack. I would have purchased it, but I did not know if my lady would be amenable to riding so much farther on a warhorse.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat say you, my lady?\u201d the earl asked over his shoulder.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2019Tis preferable to riding on a rump or squeezed between your mailed belly and your pommel with your knees poking my ribs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He chuckled. \u201cAye, then. I shall see to it on the morrow.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It was close to sunset when they made the road at the outskirts of the village. They gathered no attention at all in such a large town. Once at a stable, a young groom met them and helped Br\u00ecghde dismount.<\/p>\n<p>The earl dismounted and turned to Br\u00ecghde, who now could see that he was haggard and clearly exhausted. \u201cI know you are hungry, as am I, so first we will\u2014<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy lord, the priest awaits,\u201d his man murmured.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2014go see the priest,\u201d the earl sighed heavily.<\/p>\n<p>She nodded.<\/p>\n<p>They walked down the lane to the kirk and entered its cool dimness, where the rest of the earl\u2019s contingent was also awaiting them.<\/p>\n<p>The five of them waited patiently in the pews whilst the priest finished speaking to an old woman, then sent her on her way with a smile.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou are the two needin\u2019 to be wed?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As one, Br\u00ecghde and the earl said, \u201cAye.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The priest\u2019s brow rose and he looked at Br\u00ecghde. \u201cWhere\u2019s your father?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe don\u2019t need him,\u201d the earl rumbled. \u201cWe are of age, not related, and consenting.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYe don\u2019t need me fer that, then.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe need your register.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, then. Your name, please?\u201d he asked Br\u00ecghde once they reached the book.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLady Br\u00ecghde F\u00e0ileach, daughter of Walter F\u00e0ileach, clan chief of F\u00e0ileach. That\u2019s B\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>What?!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde, startled, jumped at the earl\u2019s bellow. \u201cWhat what, my lord?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou are not Lady Margaret Dunham?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf I were,\u201d she said testily, \u201cI would have said Lady Margaret Dunham.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI heard the banns myself!\u201d Kenard insisted.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, you did! Lady Margaret wed my brother in the ceremony just before the one you interrupted. \u2019Twas a double wedding. I was to wed Roger MacFhionnlaigh, thereby uniting our lands between MacFhionnlaigh and Dunham.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His men groaned, and the earl clapped his hands to his face. He dropped his head back and began to pace.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou snatched the wrong woman?\u201d Br\u00ecghde asked incredulously.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI snatched the wrong woman,\u201d he croaked.<\/p>\n<p>The priest heaved an irritated sigh. \u201cIf ye\u2019ve no need of me services, I\u2019ve other things to do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>No one spoke. Br\u00ecghde was suddenly on the verge of tears, afraid that, having made such a grievous error, the earl would simply take her back. If he did, she would request he take her to her brother at Dunham. The earl had been generous thus far, and \u2019twas not <em>her<\/em> fault!<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow can I turn this to my advantage?\u201d Kenard whispered at the ceiling as he paced, his hands clasped behind his neck.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid you need to wed Lady Margaret specifically?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou cannot wed she who was already wed when you arrived, and she is now my sister-in-law&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kenard grasped her upper arm\u2014hard\u2014and dragged her out of the kirk and into the lane. His men followed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou said you know all your neighbors to the north and south of you, save me. Do you know the Duke of Sheffield?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOf him, though I have never met him. Walter\u2014my father\u2014thinks he is not of fit wit to be a duke.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s right, but that is neither here nor there. As I said, the dukedom of Sheffield is my neighbor to the south and west. Sheffield was unofficially promised my speck of land before the king granted them to me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She grimaced.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2019Tis worse than that. Sheffield is my liege, and he has ever been envious of my friendship with King Henry. If I die without a wife or issue, there is a very good chance he can get my land. As long as I was on the battlefield, he was content to wait until I was killed, but I am a very hard man to kill. A year and a half ago, Henry sent me home to solidify my earldom so that I could return to the battlefield with a strong estate that could support and defend itself against a border war. It has been able to support itself for three years, but it could not defend itself nor could it withstand a siege for long. It has taken me that long to build another army after Henry took most of my force with him to France. Now, it can both defend itself and withstand a siege, so I thought I would be free to go back to France. But a month ago, I was warned that Sheffield has grown impatient with my refusal to die, and is plotting to do it himself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>Ohhhhhh<\/em>,\u201d Br\u00ecghde breathed. \u201cYou need a wife to assure your estate\u2019s longevity in the case of your death.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, that, but here is the nut of it: Sheffield is a man who, it is rumored, killed his cousin and his cousin\u2019s legitimate heir\u2014a babe\u2014to gain the dukedom. The duchess also mysteriously disappeared. Since this happened thirty years and two kings ago, few people remember or care. Henry knows of these rumors, but can do nothing, even if he had time. He doesn\u2019t like Sheffield, doesn\u2019t trust him, but Sheffield is a title that goes back centuries and thus far, Sheffield has proven his loyalty to Henry.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf I die under suspicious circumstances, Henry will <em>never<\/em> let him have my lands. Sheffield knows this; thus, his plot to kill me without raising Henry\u2019s suspicion will take time to implement. If I am wed to a noblewoman and I die suspiciously or not, Henry will not let him have those lands, as he will back my wife and her right to it, so killing her would be suspicious and futile. If I <em>also<\/em> have a legitimate heir, there is no point to killing me at all, as he will have to go through three people and that is nothing but suspicious when he already has a cloud hanging over him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cKnow this: I do not fear death. I fear for the future of my family, as he will not kill me first. He is evil and cruel and will delight in killing everyone for the sport of it <em>in front of me<\/em> before killing me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde closed her eyes, took a deep breath and released it slowly through puffed cheeks, suddenly not so sure about this bargain after all. Yet she had her own weapon and the wherewithal to use it. \u201cI ken you need a noble bride and quickly. But why do you need Lady Margaret specifically?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFirstly, <em>if<\/em> Dunham found out who snatched his daughter, he would descend upon me, but most of Dunham\u2019s force is in France fighting <em>my<\/em> force, so holding off that siege indefinitely would be no feat. It would give me time to <em>woo<\/em> and <em>seduce<\/em> Lady Margaret to my side. I could also hold off F\u00e0ileach\u2014\u201d She didn\u2019t bother to correct his atrocious attempt at Gaelic. \u201c\u2014if he could be arsed to care enough to join in, and I gambled that he wouldn\u2019t, as I am told Dunham and F\u00e0ileach don\u2019t much care for each other.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde nodded. \u201cThat\u2019s true. My brothers have all but disavowed F\u00e0ileach so he would not lift a finger to avenge an insult to Dunham, allied by marriage or not.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSecondly, I did not know you existed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She harrumphed. \u201cThat is because I have been held prisoner for the last three years and I doubt you had any reason to scout MacFhionnlaigh.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIndeed. But now F\u00e0ileach has a reason to lay siege to me, and I will have to fend off him <em>and<\/em> MacFhionnlaigh <em>and<\/em> Dunham, for you are his son-in-law\u2019s sister. I cannot hold off a siege of that magnitude. Sheffield won\u2019t have to do anything, Tavendish\u2014my neighbor to the east\u2014won\u2019t assist as I have committed a vile act of war, and Henry\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou won\u2019t have to outlast any siege at all!\u201d she chirped, interrupting him as excitement pooled in her breast.<\/p>\n<p>That brought the earl up short. \u201cWhy?\u201d he asked suspiciously.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFirstly, Dunham will <em>also<\/em> not lift a finger on my behalf.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy not?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou may never have heard of me, but <em>I<\/em> am infamous throughout the Lowlands for outwitting Walter\u2014we don\u2019t refer to him as our father\u2014time and time again. <em>Everyone<\/em>, including Walter, will assume that I had arranged for my own abduction.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kenard and all his men gaped at her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, he\u2019s enraged right now, but my mother, brothers, and Dunham are laughing themselves silly that I did it again, in <em>spite<\/em> of being held at swordpoint, and then it will spread to the other clans and Walter will be humiliated he canna keep his daughter under control or outwit her. I will be blunt: I need the protection of your name so that I will be forever free of MacFhionnlaigh and F\u00e0ileach, which is why I am willing to stand as assurance against your death and provide an heir in trade for it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI will write my brother and tell him \u2019twas indeed a plot \u2019twixt you and me, which was in the making for some time. Walter will want to make war on me for outwitting and defying him, but he has to cross Dunham lands to do it, and Dunham won\u2019t allow that. MacFhionnlaigh will do nothing alone as he is wet as moss and as easily trampled. Furthermore, Dunham and your Sassenach neighbor to the east, Tavendish, are good friends, no matter that the Scottish border separates them. Through me, you would be allied with Dunham <em>and<\/em> Tavendish, who might assist you with Sheffield if you laid out your plight to them. You didn\u2019t commit a vile act of war by abducting an enemy bride, my lord. You conspired with that cunning F\u00e0ileach lass for your own purposes and hers, which are well known, and came out politically stronger with two strong nobles at your back. Your king canna be but even more impressed with you than he is now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The earl immediately offered his hand for her to shake. \u201cDone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptchapterhead\">4<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">GRIMME REMAINED silent the entire next day, sunrise having made his panicked plan to abduct a bride look utterly foolish. He knew better than to panic and normally, panic was not something he felt. But this was not war; it was politics, about which Grimme knew little. He was a knight, a soldier, and a commander. He need not worry himself with anything but that his men functioned well together, and if they didn\u2019t, to find out why and repair the situation.<\/p>\n<p>The night before, all five of them had taken their meal in the taproom, Lady Br\u00ecghde happily eating and drinking all of them to shame. Of the inn\u2019s proprietor, she had requested parchment, quill, ink, and sealing wax.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBra\u2014 Bri\u2014 Bre\u2014 By the bye, how in God\u2019s name do you pronounce your name?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBree-juh.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>In English<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh. Bridget. Fallack.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThank you. Do not expect me to pronounce it in Gaelic, <em>Bridget<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cVery well,\u201d she said smartly, then drawled, \u201c<em>Grim<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He grunted. \u201cPoint taken.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The writing implements arrived. Br\u00ecghde looked at Grimme. \u201cDo you have anything you want to say?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ll leave that to you, as he\u2019s your brother.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde sat up and began to write. \u201c\u2018Dearest Baldy\u2014\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHis name is Archibald, but I always called him \u2018Baldy\u2019 because I am his bratty younger sister and that is my purpose in life. This way, he will know \u2019tis from me, in case my penmanship does not convince him. \u2018I have wed Earl\u2014\u2019 How do you spell your name?\u201d She wrote carefully as he spelled. \u201c\u2018\u2014Grimme Kyneward. Inform Walter that the abduction \u2019twas a plot of my and my husband\u2019s own devising because I will not be bent to his will. Be sure to press the point that I will not be bent to his will, and demand he admit it was an ingenious plot. In writing.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Grimme laughed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2018Further, my husband the earl wishes to assure him that any attack on Kyneward will be met with fatal force.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Grimme and his knights snorted. \u201cSeven hundred men is not a fatal force.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2018If he cannot be dissuaded, please discourage his march across Dunham lands. Your sister, Countess Budgie Kyneward.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That had made Grimme grin. \u201c<em>Budgie?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She held up a finger. \u201cDon\u2019t you dare. \u2018P.S. Please have Mum send my possessions to\u2014\u2019\u201d She looked at him expectantly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cKyneward Keep. South to Catlowdy then twenty miles west to Hogarth and \u2019tis twenty miles south beyond that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She wrote. \u201c\u2018\u2014and if she cannot do that, please at least send me Mercury.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s Mercury?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy dog. Sign this.\u201d He did. Quite satisfied, she folded the parchment, wrote the direction on it, dripped wax on it and slid it over to Grimme for his ring\u2019s seal, then gave it to one of his knights.<\/p>\n<p>Grimme sighed, handed the man some coin, pointed at another knight, and muttered, \u201cYou two leave at first light for Dunham.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, my lord.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThank you!\u201d she said brightly. \u201cDid you purchase something for me to wear that is better than my wedding dress?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, my lady,\u201d said one of his men and gave her a package with breeches, a shirt, and boots. \u201cYou\u2019re about the size of my page.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, well done, good sir! I don\u2019t have to wear a dress all the way.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Grimme\u2019s men bid their good eves and went to sleep in the stable. Grimme had been eyeing a tavern wench who matched his tastes precisely and was about to escort Br\u00ecghde to the room he\u2019d taken for her so he could fuck the wench. However, it occurred to him that just because <em>he<\/em> did not find his little wife to be at all to his taste\u2014the exact opposite of it, in fact\u2014did not mean that no <em>other<\/em> man felt the same way.<\/p>\n<p>She was attracting a lot of attention. She wasn\u2019t <em>trying<\/em> to attract attention. She was a beautiful noblewoman in a tavern full of men who weren\u2019t used to seeing noblewomen, beautiful or otherwise. He looked at her more closely.<\/p>\n<p>Aye, she was comely. She was short, reaching only to Grimme\u2019s shoulder, if that. She had long, thick midnight-black hair that shimmered blue in the sunlight. She had the biggest green eyes he had ever seen punctuated by thick black lashes in a bit of a heart-shaped face, with a straight but delicate nose. Her skin was pale, with a plethora of very faint freckles. From what he could tell of her body from having slept next to it for two nights, she was curvaceous with generous breasts and hips.<\/p>\n<p>He liked curvaceous, all breasts and hips and arse, but there was that <em>blonde<\/em> over there awaiting him. \u201cTime for bed, Br\u00ecghde, and you cannot stay down here without me. Long day ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Grimme did not awaken terribly rested, as he had indeed spent his wedding night fucking the blonde, and breakfast was again a competition who could eat and drink the most, with a bright and well-rested Br\u00ecghde, dressed in boy\u2019s clothes and looking in no way like a boy, winning handily.<\/p>\n<p>The second she saw the war stallion he had purchased\u2014named Troy\u2014she practically ordered Grimme to give her coin to buy pears, which she promptly shoveled into the beast\u2019s mouth.<\/p>\n<p>Once on the road south, both beast and saddle far too big for a tiny woman like Br\u00ecghde, she was as silent as Grimme and his remaining man-at-arms, but she was an excellent horsewoman, keeping up with the punishing pace he set, and did not complain except for her incessant groaning whenever she moved a muscle. Whenever they slowed from a canter to a walk to rest their mounts, she happily busied herself looking at the scenery as if she had never seen a tree or a meadow or a brook.<\/p>\n<p>When they halted for the night some ways off the road in a small copse, though she could not lift the saddle off the horse, she requested of his man a currycomb and set herself to grooming the animal and speaking to him as if he would answer her questions. Grimme watched her work in the boy\u2019s clothes, stroke and scratch the beast, saying,<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho\u2019s a good laddie? <em>You\u2019re<\/em> a good laddie, aye, you are.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat is a temporary mount, my lady,\u201d Grimme said wearily.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot anymore,\u201d she said crisply. \u201cOh, what a <em>good<\/em> lad.\u201d Troy craned his neck around so he could get his cheeks scratched too, and pulled on her sleeve with his lips then snuffled all the way up her arm until he was snuffling at her cheek and pulling her braid. \u201cWhat\u2019s this? Why, \u2019tis more pears! For you! He\u2019s a good lad. Who\u2019s a good lad? <em>You\u2019re<\/em> a good lad. I will grant you dessert before your supper.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI thought you gave him all the pears.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI bought two bags.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re going to make a pet out of a destrier?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI make a pet out of <em>every<\/em> animal who catches my fancy. Aye, I do, don\u2019t I? And he is absolutely breathtaking, aye, you are. But \u2019tis because of his name, mostly. Troy. You\u2019re a <em>Trojan horse<\/em>!\u201d She chortled at her own jest, making Grimme roll his eyes. \u201cSomebody had a sense of humor, aye, they did, didn\u2019t they, laddie?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOr he really is that much of a knight,\u201d his man muttered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe won\u2019t be by the time we get home,\u201d Grimme retorted.<\/p>\n<p>By the time she had given him <em>two<\/em> rations of oats and they had all bedded down, Grimme still sleeping with his arm in the curve of Br\u00ecghde\u2019s waist, the beast was in love with her.<\/p>\n<p>Grimme had dodged matrimony for years but now he\u2019d married a strange girl who had more motive to wed <em>anybody<\/em> but her intended. Grimme was an earl, true, but that was mostly parchment. Other than his reputation as a knight, no one knew who he was. He had very little power, very little land, and a small keep. But what he <em>did<\/em> have was men and money. Aye, most of his army was in France, but Grimme had spent the last year and a half gathering more men to rebuild it. He could do that because his father was clever and had nurtured Grimme\u2019s earnings from the lists and spoils of war and profits from his various enterprises, and turned it into a moderate fortune with wise investments and strict control of the purse-strings. Several seasons of good weather had helped. Grimme chafed under his father\u2019s thriftiness, but knew it to be for the better.<\/p>\n<p>Though Grimme was relatively wealthy in coin, he was land poor\u2014yet Duke Sheffield wanted Grimme\u2019s measly holdings anyway. Grimme could not, in all honesty, blame Sheffield for being angry about it when he had had good reason to expect it. What he <em>could<\/em> blame Sheffield for was his sudden need to possess everything that Grimme loved. King Henry had decreed the lands to be Grimme\u2019s and Sheffield could not go against the king without incurring his wrath. Grimme had sworn fealty to Duke Sheffield, which left a bitter taste in his mouth, but he had no choice if he wanted to be an earl.<\/p>\n<p>And he did.<\/p>\n<p>\u2019Twas not every day the bastard son of a merchant was elevated to nobility.<\/p>\n<p>Now, on their second day homeward, he was in a bit better mood, or at least enough to start getting to know this girl he\u2019d married.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow old are you?\u201d Grimme asked. Not that it would matter.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTwo and twenty. You?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Not a mere girl, then. \u201cSix and twenty.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She was clearly surprised. \u201cThat is a bit young to be a newly made earl, is it not?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI grew into my frame quickly, and was able to finish my apprenticeship as page and squire well before usual, attained knighthood, then rode out onto the battlefield.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd you are also more clever than usual, apparently.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He shrugged listlessly. \u201cNot clever enough, if the last three days is anything to consider.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou are having second thoughts?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He took a deep breath and decided to confess. \u201cI am now dismayed that I felt I had to abduct a bride at all. I was advised to take my time and find a noblewoman to wed the usual way of nobility, but I cannot think of one noble in England who would wed their girl to me, I felt pressed for time, and I panicked. At the moment, I am contemplating how very wrong it <em>could<\/em> have gone if I\u2019d snatched the woman I meant to.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAh,\u201d she said softly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am a soldier. I am accustomed to taking what I want, vanquishing people without thought to their wants, because that is the nature of war. I find myself in a war of politics that I cannot simply hack my way through. I do not know how to wage this war. I assure you, I am not usually this dimwitted.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDoes it not ease your mind a bit that I needed to be rescued and thus, it benefited both of us?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He shook his head. \u201cThat I did <em>not<\/em> snatch the woman I meant to means I failed my quest. I do not consider near misses, when the cause is mistakes I made, to be victories. I do not like to credit luck, as luck is outside my control and I cannot tolerate that which is outside my control. I may have won this battle, but I won in spite of my mistakes, not because of my intellect, skill, and experience.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot luck,\u201d she returned. \u201cNever luck. \u2019Tis God\u2019s hand.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He pursed his lips and thought about that. If \u2019twere God\u2019s hand, then God had also planted the panic in his breast that sent him on this quest.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI must ponder that a bit more. It sits little better than luck, for I have ever been aware of what God wants me to do. Why would He keep such a task from me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMayhap He did not want you to ponder it so much that you decided He would never ask you to do such a thing, and \u2019twas your fear driving you to it, and therefore would decide against it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He looked at her sharply. \u201cYou speak as if you know God\u2019s will.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She shook her head. \u201cNay. I assume my success is God\u2019s will.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd your failures?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She looked at him and soberly said, \u201cI never fail. Success may take time, and what you consider failure, to me is only God protecting me from an unfortunate end. The only question of success is <em>when<\/em> and what circumstances I must endure and plot against to ensure the success He is guiding me toward.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He understood exactly what she was saying and in general, she was right, but he could not see past the fact that he had snatched the wrong woman.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou failed at outwitting your father,\u201d he persisted.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI had to endure the wedding and marriage to get away from Walter to plot against people who are easily led,\u201d she corrected. \u201cGod removed from me that burden. I <em>was<\/em>, in fact, plotting my own abduction, but I could not go anywhere without Walter\u2019s hand-chosen guard. I wasn\u2019t allowed to ride any but the slowest horses in the stables. Thus, I could not slip the fortress, nor could I outwit or outrun my guard, and they are immune to my charms.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot <em>that<\/em>,\u201d she huffed. \u201cThey are Walter\u2019s closest and most trusted men. They also hate me because he does, so they were eager to have me under their thumb.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s not why they hate you and that\u2019s not what they wanted you under,\u201d his man said matter-of-factly.<\/p>\n<p>The earl barked a laugh, but Br\u00ecghde said, \u201cVery astute of you and also true, but I was not going to crow about my irresistibility in front of a man who finds me resistible.\u201d Grimme and his man exchanged grins. \u201cIf he ever even suspected one of them had taken advantage of their opportunities to throw my skirt up, he\u2019d have them killed in the most painful and long-lasting way possible.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI must ponder this,\u201d Grimme repeated slowly, chirruping his horse into a canter and leading in silence until the horses needed to rest.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTell me of your household,\u201d she said. \u201cI would be at least a little prepared for what I might find. You said it is in shambles?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye,\u201d he sighed, wiping his hand down his face. It did not bother him until it affected him directly, but that was happening more and more often. If Br\u00ecghde could do what she said she could do, then mayhap he should simply accept that it was God\u2019s grace and pray to feel gratitude he did not yet. He crossed himself.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy castellan is also my father,\u201d he began. \u201cMy legitimate brothers\u2014I have three\u2014have no use for him. His wife and mistresses, including my mother, are all dead, and he was tired of the demands of being a merchant, so I asked him to come live with me and he took it upon himself to build my earldom for the same reasons you are eager to take his place.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy did you take him in?\u201d Br\u00ecghde asked sharply. \u201cNot one of F\u00e0ileach\u2019s children would take him in were he destitute, so your brothers must have their reasons. Why do you not have such a reason?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Grimme shrugged. \u201cI love him. I enjoy his company. I am grateful to him for my profession and my wealth. You see, my legitimate brothers got as much attention from him as they would allow, but <em>their<\/em> mother was bitter, and she poisoned their minds against him. Also, I am twenty years younger than my next oldest legitimate brother, and they resent that my father set me up as well and gave me his surname. So they twisted it in their minds that I am his favorite, when I am not. And then there\u2019s my next oldest brother, who is also a bastard. His mother died when he was an infant, so my mother reared us together until I was sent for a page and he disappeared for a while. He\u2019s a thief by trade and never made any effort to hide it, so our legitimate brothers despise him for his own acts. I\u2019m quite sure my father has other bastards elsewhere and I have no doubt he either supported them or doesn\u2019t know they exist.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He slid a glance at Lady Br\u00ecghde to see that her mouth was pursed in surprise. \u201cYou must admit, it <em>is<\/em> odd. Most men don\u2019t acknowledge their bastards.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, and that is what my legitimate brothers would prefer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou have spoken with them?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNay, \u2019tis what my father confessed to me once in a drunken stupor. They are successful merchants, as my father was, but they resent that though I am a bastard, I have done as well as they.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd then you earned an earldom.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know if they know about that. You questioned my youth; \u2019tis because my father had the funds to outfit me as a page and squire and was friends with a very old knight who was desperate for apprentices and would sponsor me as if I were nobility, for I could fight in his stead. My father could see no brighter future for me than as a knight, as I was ill-suited to commerce and too restless to be a smith or scholar, and did not take pleasure in scratching out a living stealing, as my brother did. Does.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI cannot imagine a father who loves his legitimate sons, much less his bastards.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou will see. My hope is that you and he rub along well with each other.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI, too. You have women in your keep to see to your needs, you said? You plow the maidservants?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI do, but my four mistresses take precedence.\u201d He grinned at her stunned expression.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIs your lust so vast that you must keep a stable of paramours?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat is an odd thing for a lady virgin to ask, particularly when she is your wife and \u2019tis not proper to share such intimate details.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have six brothers,\u201d she said flatly. \u201cThey talk frankly and vulgarly. I have heard and seen many things I should not have and would rather not have. My sensibilities will not be offended by anything you say, and I feel it is something I must know to do my duty.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is not. Your curiosity is aroused.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAre they or are they not part of the household?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAm I or am I not now the ruler of said household?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHrmph. Very well, then. Remember you asked. Aye, my lust is that vast. \u2019Tis a Kyneward trait. I can break any one woman with my lust, and I have, every last one.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She gaped at him, then she started to chuckle. Then she started to laugh. \u201c<em>Break her?!<\/em>\u201d she squealed, laughing until she was snorting and squeezing tears out of her eyes. She mimicked nearly falling out of the saddle.<\/p>\n<p>He glared at her. \u201cI am glad that amused you, <em>Budgie<\/em>\u2014\u201d He gave her a smug smile when she stopped laughing and glared back.<\/p>\n<p>Then she snickered until she snorted again. \u201c\u2018Break her.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2014but I say that in all seriousness.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She looked to Grimme\u2019s man-at-arms for confirmation, which irritated him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2019Tis true, my lady.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh. Huh.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou think I boast, but rather, \u2019tis a complaint. \u2019Tis frustrating to enjoy a woman for some time and then hear her say, \u2018I cannot accommodate you further. My body hurts.\u2019 Or \u2018I will not do this thing you ask of me.\u2019 Or \u2018I am with your child.\u2019 Then, I must find another. \u2019Tis why I keep them all near. Each enjoys something the others will not do and I rotate amongst them to give their bodies time to recover. Not one of them alone could satisfy all my tastes or the frequency I demand. \u2019Tis also why I need a maidservant.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOr three,\u201d his man muttered.<\/p>\n<p>Grimme laughed. \u201cAye, that too. And I take my opportunities when I am at war or traveling.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh,\u201d Br\u00ecghde said, seeming a little dazed. \u201cWell. Then.\u201d She gathered herself enough to ask, \u201cDo you have children?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, four sons.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI would hope you do not show any favoritism toward them than any child I might bear you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNay. My boys believe each other to be my favorite, but I have none. They are <em>different<\/em>. They have different needs. They are different ages. Their needs change as they grow, wax and wane. Further, it depends on how much their mothers want or expect or allow me to do. So whether I show favoritism or not, <em>they<\/em> believe that I do. I cannot make them understand.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAh. We do not have that problem. Walter hates all his sons equally, and I far more than them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI cannot imagine that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo! Your household functions around your women?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt does indeed. They demand much, and they refuse to obey my father.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy do you not rein them in a bit? Surely you can order them to obey your father.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, no. I do not involve myself in household affairs. \u2019Twould be a disaster for me should I get between four women.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFive, now,\u201d Lady Br\u00ecghde said dryly.<\/p>\n<p>Grimme and his knight laughed. \u201cThey get along well\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde hooted. At that, his man did, in fact, snicker.<\/p>\n<p>Grimme scowled at both of them. \u201c\u2014and they know what my quest was, so they are prepared to welcome another woman into the household.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>Welcome<\/em>,\u201d she snorted. \u201cWhy did you not simply wed one of them and declare one of her sons your heir?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He hesitated. \u201cI needed to wed a noblewoman.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She looked at him for quite a while, her eyes narrowed. It was possible this girl could see through his vague answer to the truth, but it didn\u2019t matter. If she was as quick-witted as she seemed, she had probably already deduced and if not now, she would soon enough.<\/p>\n<p>But the only thing she said was, \u201cYour stamina is commendable.\u201d Again Grimme laughed. \u201cWell? Tell me of them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is Emelisse, with whom I have been for eleven years.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She gasped. \u201cWhy, that would have made you fifteen when you bedded her!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye. She is five years older than I and the mother of my two oldest. Ardith has no children. Dillena is the mother of my next oldest. Maebh is the mother of my youngest.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFrench, English, Welsh, and Irish, respectively.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Grimme cast her a quick glance. \u201cAye.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd a Scots wife. Your children?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have no daughters. My sons are Gaston, who is ten\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSweet Mary and Joseph! You were a father at sixteen!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye. \u2019Twas why I went on the battlefield and lists early. I had a family to feed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI find that quite commendable also, that you did not abandon them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy father didn\u2019t abandon his bastards or their mothers, thus, it didn\u2019t occur to me to abandon mine. Max is nine, Terrwyn is seven, and Pierce is five, so I had had four children by the time I was twenty-one.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd you haven\u2019t had another in five years?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He slid a look at her. \u201cArdith is learned in remaining without child. I assume she has taught the others. I prefer it that way. I do not want any more children with them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She pursed her lips. \u201cI see.\u201d What <em>did<\/em> she see? \u201cYou have a bit of a French accent. Where is your birthplace?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLondon. I spent most of my adolescence in France. I was there so long I not only acquired the language, but also an accent. The wine you enjoyed is from Bordeaux.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou said your earldom is only five years old?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He nodded. \u201cIt was granted to me at Agincourt, on my twenty-first birthday. It was in need of repair, so in between my knightly duties of battle, I competed on the lists and bred my stallion to build my coin chest, whilst my father turned Kyneward into a proper keep, villeins, crops, sheep, suchlike.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow many servants? How many serfs or villeins?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy father will know. What do you know of husbandry?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEnough to get myself in trouble,\u201d she quipped.<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde was sounding better and better. \u201cYou read then? Write? Do sums?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy, of course! Who ever heard of a castellain who could not keep the books?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAre noblewomen not usually sent away to a convent or such to learn&nbsp;\u2026 something <em>other<\/em> than reading and writing?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was sent to a convent when I was twelve, aye, and we learned to read and write and sum. But since I already knew how to do those things, it was terribly boring. I didn\u2019t have any friends to help ease the time. I can play the lyre very well, but I don\u2019t like it enough to practice on my own. I can embroider, too, but \u2019tis difficult for me to sit still and do such fine work. I loved my history and philosophy classes, but not enough to stay. I was supposed to be there six years; however, because it <em>was<\/em> boring, I ran away. It took me three years to get home, and I did not know until I returned that Walter had never meant to send for me until it was time to marry Roger. He was furious.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAhhh, <em>that<\/em> is why you were so competent in the woods.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne reason.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat if he had sent you back?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI would have left and found another way in the world. I shouldn\u2019t have gone home at all, but I was tired of scraping by and I missed my comforts\u2014and then I was promptly imprisoned, so that was an embarrassing lapse in judgment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou seem to have led an unusual childhood.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am the fifth child, only daughter, of seven children. Walter was angry with my mother for producing me for he had a vanity that he could have seven sons, as he was a seventh son.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA seventh son is the head of a clan?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lady Br\u00ecghde shrugged her shoulders. \u201cThey all died in the plague. Or so I am told.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou do not believe that?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI would not be surprised should I find he had murdered one or two of them, mayhap three, when the plague did not oblige him. When you took me, he had a sword in my back.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat is often the case with willful daughters, and clearly you are one.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She cast him a grin. \u201cIndeed, but I was not speaking figuratively. He had the point of it <em>in<\/em> my back. If I moved a muscle, I was dead.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI believe I begin to see why abduction was preferable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, it has been most agreeable. Should we continue thusly, I think I shall be very happy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Suddenly troubled, he said, \u201cLoyalty does not seem to be one of your virtues.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lady Br\u00ecghde scoffed bitterly. \u201cLoyalty is a weapon used by those who demand it. You are supposed to be loyal to your liege, but he is evil and wants to kill you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, but my liege\u2019s interests are the king\u2019s interests, and the king is my friend. He and I share a mutual respect, and I am loyal to him because he is worthy of it. It is unfortunate that I must follow the chain of command to do so. As I am one who demands loyalty, I pray you not force me to regret trusting you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cKeep your word and enforce my position as castellain, and I will have no reason to want to betray you. My loyalty can be earned, my lord, but it cannot be compelled.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptchapterhead\">5<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">THE JOURNEY FROM F\u00e0ileach to Hogarth, the biggest town closest to Kyneward, took another day, and Br\u00ecghde and Lord Kyneward chatted happily for the whole of it. He was witty and learned, even for a young man who had spent most of his life on a battlefield, as both his father and the ancient knight for whom he had served as page and squire valued education. Further, Br\u00ecghde engaged his man-at-arms in conversation as well, drawing him out, learning of him. It was easier to rule a household when one knew who was in it.<\/p>\n<p>Every night, the earl slept with her for reasons she did not know, but did not mind.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not going to run away,\u201d she had said testily, although, she thought as he draped his bare arm over her waist, he did make a fine substitute for her dog.<\/p>\n<p>He did not explain himself.<\/p>\n<p>The closer they got to Kyneward, the more Br\u00ecghde looked forward to taking over as castellain until she was quivering in anticipation. She would miss her mother, of course, but it meant she would be in total control, without having to do everything the way her mother did it, having to avoid Walter, having nothing at all to do in the MacFhionnlaigh household where she would <em>not<\/em> be a countess and enduring Roger\u2019s mother to boot, or having to tip-toe around the four women\u2014seven including maidservants\u2014her husband was bedding. She felt it best to keep that to herself. If he didn\u2019t know how that many women could share a man\u2019s bed and <em>not<\/em> have strife, he would never know what Br\u00ecghde might have to do to them to rule the household.<\/p>\n<p>They might not obey the earl\u2019s father, but they <em>would<\/em> obey Br\u00ecghde with or without the earl\u2019s sanction. Indeed, her mother had broken more than a few contentious women over her knee, as had her mother before her, and Br\u00ecghde was her mother\u2019s daughter.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBr\u00ecghde,\u201d asked the earl as they drew closer to Kyneward land, \u201cdo you think it is possible we will both benefit disproportionately from this arrangement?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf there is to be an arrangement, it should always be disproportionately advantageous.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He laughed. \u201cYou are delightful company, my lady. Do you perchance play chess?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, I do!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cExcellent. Ahead is the village of Hogarth. \u2019Tis twenty more miles to Kyneward, but there is a smaller hamlet between the two.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hogarth was in fact quite a big town, with fine clothiers and merchants of other refined goods that were not to be had in tiny hamlets and villages. There were several inns and liveries, and many, many taverns.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen you are settled,\u201d Kyneward said as they stopped at a livery and took an inn for the night, \u201cwe will come outfit you as befits a countess. We would do that tomorrow, but it will take many days and I am eager to get home to my family.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy lord\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGrimme.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThank you. Grimme. I have nothing to wear but my wedding dress and these clothes for a lad. Surely we could find something already made that I can wear until we can shop properly? And as to that, I have nothing <em>else<\/em> either. Brush, hairpins, dagger.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He grimaced. \u201cOf course. I apologize.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI must also go to the kirk.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI, too,\u201d said the earl, surprising her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou do not seem the devout sort,\u201d she said as they walked in the direction the innkeeper had pointed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs much as I can be, whilst keeping a harem,\u201d he grinned at her.<\/p>\n<p>She was still laughing when they entered, and he poked his elbow in her ribs to make her stop laughing, but she could barely bite back her giggles.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShhh,\u201d he teased, then whispered, \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI want to give thanks for my disproportionate advantage. And you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSame thing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">THE EARL AGAIN slept with her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re not in the forest anymore, my lord.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt occurred to me that I should not have left you alone in the room in Laight. This inn is far nicer than the one there, but I do not want to house a woman who is in my care in a room alone. If you were not my wife, I would sleep on the floor or have my man stand watch, but he also must rest if he is to be of any use to me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She shrugged. Why not. Nothing untoward would happen and even if something <em>did<\/em> occur, she <em>was<\/em> his wife and she had promised him sons (or at least to attempt them), so it would not, in fact, be untoward at all. She had bargained with full knowledge of having to bed him and, thanks to her brothers\u2019 big mouths and a few\u2014many\u2014moments of witnessing the act, knowing exactly what bedding entailed.<\/p>\n<p>The earl might have an amorous aversion to her, but <em>she<\/em> certainly did not have an aversion to <em>him<\/em>, and after several delightful days of conversation and laughter, and his admission of his appetites, she wouldn\u2019t mind if he <em>did<\/em> have amorous intentions.<\/p>\n<p>That could be, she reasoned, simply by comparison to Roger MacFhionnlaigh, from whom the earl had saved her by a breath.<\/p>\n<p>Aye, that was it. She had never had a true suitor because everyone knew her final destination was Roger\u2019s bed.<\/p>\n<p>She felt his body relax and his breathing shallow out, and was oddly disappointed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">THE THREE OF them spent the next morning gathering basic necessities: two plain kirtles of uninspiring colors\u2014<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI&nbsp;\u2026 would rather you not wear black,\u201d the earl said when she fingered a fine linen. He was staring between her and the cloth as if he feared she would suddenly betray him. She could not decipher his expression, nor fathom what about the black disturbed him.<\/p>\n<p>Confused and a little wary, she said, \u201cIs it <em>important<\/em> to you that I not wear black?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAh&nbsp;\u2026 well, aye, it rather is.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPlease,\u201d he said courteously, his voice strained.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014girdle, hairpins, ribbons, brush, comb, a glass\u2014<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy lord\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGrimme.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGrimme. That is expensive.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo you have one at home?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye. We are wealthy and my mother gives me anything I want.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen you should have one here. You do not have to worry about the state of my coin chest.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUntil I do,\u201d she quipped, but he did not laugh.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye,\u201d he mumbled distantly, as he had been since he asked her not to buy black.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014parchment, quills, ink, a lovely dagger she saw in a window and sighed over, stockings, two pairs of sturdy daily slippers and one pair of leather boots, and a lovely pouch to carry it all in.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWill that do?\u201d he asked, concerned when she said she was ready to get back on the road.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor the next week or two, aye.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>They had stayed in the most expensive part of Hogarth, so they traveled south around the less savory part of town, and headed out.<\/p>\n<p>In another fifteen miles was the hamlet of Waters. It boasted only the basic necessities to support a keep and goods that knights and peasants needed and could afford. But it also had an overabundance of taverns for a hamlet.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy forces eat here. I supply rations, but I also pay them enough to find their own food.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAh.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The earl was greeted with bows and curtsies and smiles and well wishes, and then they were through it in a blink. The road from Waters to Kyneward was a well-trod five miles of rolling hills that presently forked, giving way to a route around the keep that continued south, a road that continued west, and the third a long lane leading to the keep, which was, indeed, small. To either side of the lane were tiny thatched cottages with kitchen gardens just beginning to sprout, and beyond, more green rolling hills as far as the eye could see, covered in sheep, and, beyond the keep, fields of grain just showing their green heads.<\/p>\n<p>The lane itself was lined with tall, deep, neatly trimmed boxwood hedges.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s lovely,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat is not their purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy arbalists will hide there in case of an invasion. What think you, Lady Br\u00ecghde?\u201d Kyneward asked earnestly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYour keep might be small, but your lands are prosperous,\u201d she said approvingly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy father\u2019s work.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou, ah&nbsp;\u2026 your west curtain wall&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;\u201d She said hesitantly, not wanting to be like her mother, finding fault with everything first. \u201c\u2019Tis crumbling.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are architects and stonemasons at the back of the keep rebuilding the walls and building a third bailey to protect the villeins within the fortress. You can hear them if you listen to them closely enough.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, aye,\u201d she chirped. \u201cYou have no moat.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo need. The whole fortress is dug down to solid rock.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cExcellent!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This was getting better and better.<\/p>\n<p>Then they were noticed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy lord! My lord! Lord Kyneward is home!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And, as had happened in the village and in the hamlet, Kyneward was suddenly swimming in goodwill from the villeins, serfs, and cottagers, which he returned wholeheartedly, with laughs and waves and jests and good-natured taunts.<\/p>\n<p>Indeed, Lord Kyneward\u2019s homecoming was like nothing Br\u00ecghde could imagine. The villeins in the fields stopped and waved enthusiastically. Servants emptied the keep and ran down the slope to meet their company, gathering around their horses like the foam of the sea around a rock. \u201cCome now, come!\u201d he called, laughing. \u201cLet us through. We may celebrate when we have rested.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>They all ignored his command, men, women, children, dogs, all too excited to see their lord to allow him to get out of their reach.<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde\u2019s father would never have gotten a reception like that, and her good fortune was looking more and more disproportionate. She could not be more pleased.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPapa! Papa\u2019s home!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde saw four boys racing out of the keep and the biggest threw himself at Kyneward, who laughed and hoisted him up onto his lap.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPapa! Papa!\u201d One of the big ones pulled the smallest away so hard, the little boy fell on his arse. \u201cI want a turn!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kyneward flashed Br\u00ecghde a grin and dismounted so he could gather all four boys in his arms. He arose and tossed the two oldest on the back of his horse, threw the next youngest on his own back, and plucked the littlest one off the ground to hold him in his arms.<\/p>\n<p>Something within Br\u00ecghde suddenly began to ache. Walter F\u00e0ileach would never have greeted her thusly, and in fact, no one had ever been that happy to see her. Her mother had barely noticed when she\u2019d arrived home from the convent except to note that she was happy to have her second-in-command back and Br\u00ecghde immediately needed to see to this task and that errand.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLord Grimme! Lord Grimme! You\u2019re <em>home!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde looked up the hill to see the most beautiful woman she had ever seen in her life running down the lane, followed closely by three other equally bonny women. They were all tall, blonde, fair of skin, and light of eye. In fact, they were so alike, she would have thought them sisters if Grimme had not told her about them. Br\u00ecghde, who had never had a reason to doubt her own beauty, felt embarrassingly out of place, with her black hair and deep emerald eyes (though equally fair skin) and being so appallingly underdressed in her boys\u2019 breeches, shirt, and boots. It was far from the first time she\u2019d felt so very out of place, but it was here she would be expected to stay for the rest of her life.<\/p>\n<p>The woman in the lead threw herself at Kyneward and gave him a lusty kiss, which he returned wholeheartedly, her arse filling his big hand. Br\u00ecghde simply watched, curious how the other three reacted to that kiss, but&nbsp;\u2026 nothing. Then it was their turn and they each gave and received an equally lusty kiss.<\/p>\n<p>They acted like a family, which shocked her. After the way he had so lightly spoken of them, she had assumed his \u201chousehold\u201d was a collection of wenches who had had his children, but that he did not pay attention to until he wanted to satisfy his lust.<\/p>\n<p>Treating all his women as if they were dear to his heart was not normal. The mistress\u2014<em>one<\/em>\u2014who may or may not have the lord\u2019s heart, had her own residence and the wife pretended to be ignorant of the mistress\u2019s existence.<\/p>\n<p>The fact that all these women and children and its lord lived together as a <em>family<\/em> was an unfortunate development, for it would be a much more delicate balance than women who were, in fact, dear wives.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere is she?\u201d she heard one of the women demand.<\/p>\n<p>Kyneward gestured toward Br\u00ecghde, who gave a little wave and smile.<\/p>\n<p>All four of the women\u2019s jaws dropped.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPlease don\u2019t mind my garments,\u201d Br\u00ecghde called helpfully. \u201cI was getting married to someone else, but then I was compelled to ride for an hundred twenty miles. I know I am a fright.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe doesn\u2019t act abducted,\u201d a different mistress said, still looking at Br\u00ecghde with some suspicion.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI really didn\u2019t mind,\u201d Br\u00ecghde assured them, which was likely the wrong thing to say, since all four of them then glared at Grimme, who held his hands up in surrender.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWere you hoping I would bring home an <em>un<\/em>happy wife? Emelisse, Ardith, Dillena, Maebh, this is Lady Br\u00ecghde Fallack.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHave you not married her yet?\u201d the first woman demanded. In French. \u201c<em>Must<\/em> you torture me with a wedding, too?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have wed her,\u201d he returned in the same language. \u201cIt so happens that we are preferable to her own family.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDoes she know who we are?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOui.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Again all four sets of eyes, light blue, looked at her as if she were a ghost.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re going to bed <em>her?<\/em>\u201d the French one practically screeched.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot until I absolutely must,\u201d Grimme said as he turned away and strolled up the hill toward the portcullis, his arms draped over two of the women\u2019s shoulders, the children dancing around them, the other two women walking backward in front of him to chatter at him excitedly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you could dismount, my lady,\u201d said a boy from below Br\u00ecghde, \u201cI would take your horse to the stable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde watched Grimme and his family. She had never felt so empty, watching what she had never seen, much less hoped for for herself.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy lady?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She shook herself. \u201cYes. Um, of course,\u201d she murmured and dismounted with the boy\u2019s help.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2019Tis too much horse for you, pardon my sayin\u2019 so.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMayhap,\u201d she muttered vaguely. The boy stood with the horse\u2019s reins whilst Br\u00ecghde gathered her meager things and clutched them to her breast.<\/p>\n<p>Now what?<\/p>\n<p>She was the wife, the countess, the lady of the manor, the castellain, the Lady portion of Lord and Lady Kyneward, yet here she stood in a dusty road dressed like a bedraggled boy, with serfs, servants, and knights flowing around and past her as if she were not there, whilst the Lord portion of Lord and Lady Kyneward capered with his family and forgot she existed.<\/p>\n<p>Almost a sennight of his most delightful company and&nbsp;\u2026 he\u2019d forgotten all about her.<\/p>\n<p>She looked over her shoulder, back toward the forest-lined road from which they\u2019d come. She could walk away right now and no one would ever notice.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBr\u00ecghde!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She looked around to see Kyneward far away, surrounded by people who loved him, whom he loved, smiling at her, waving and shouting at her to join them.<\/p>\n<p>His women were not smiling.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCome!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She cast him her brightest smile, pulled her shoulders back, and marched herself up the hill to the castle entrance as if she were the lady of the manor.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWell!\u201d she exclaimed brightly. \u201cIsn\u2019t this lovely!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The lands were, but the keep wasn\u2019t. It was much bigger than he had led her to envision, but it was not nearly as big as F\u00e0ileach. The ditches outside the walls were littered with rotting wood and other building materials. She was glad there was no moat, for moats stunk. The outer bailey was almost all stables, well built and pristinely kempt. The inner bailey, however, was a disaster. The sheds and outbuildings in the inner bailey close to the keep were in dire need of demolition and rebuilding in more efficient spots.<\/p>\n<p>The women and children continued to talk at the earl, who answered as he could get a word in. He was happy here, she saw, and she wanted to be happy here, too, but she was not sure that would be completely possible, with four women who were not mere whores, as Br\u00ecghde had thought, and thus, set against her already by virtue of her station.<\/p>\n<p>His head mistress should be his wife and she was understandably bitter about it. He didn\u2019t <em>need<\/em> to marry a noblewoman. He <em>wanted<\/em> to marry a noblewoman, likely to establish to himself that he was a noble. He\u2019d only been an earl for five years and before that had had no expectation of becoming one. If he hadn\u2019t wed the woman in eleven years, there had to be more reasons than that she was not a noblewoman.<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde\u2019s best course of action would be to make sure none of the women had reason to fear Br\u00ecghde would take over the earl\u2019s spindle. Aye, he was extraordinarily pleasing to the eye, but he wasn\u2019t worth going to war over. If he really wanted a legitimate heir, she\u2019d get his spindle eventually anyway, and she\u2019d have his naked beauty right next to hers until she caught.<\/p>\n<p>Her former betrothed could not lay claim to any beauty more than as a particularly ugly imp. Unfortunately, she had once informed him of this, and though they had been a mere six and eight years old, he had never forgiven her. Of course, if he had not been mean to her, perhaps she would not have been forced to make such an observation. She had not been able to look into his face since, and God help her if she had not been abducted to escape a wedding night with him.<\/p>\n<p>She and Roger <em>hated<\/em> each other, and she was quite sure Roger was as happy about her abduction as she was.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re welcome, Roger,\u201d she muttered.<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde followed them up the stairs and into the keep. In the great hall, a priest stood next to an old man leaning on a cane. He would have been the earl\u2019s height as a younger man. His expression alit when he saw the earl. \u201cMy son,\u201d he croaked as he held out his arms.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPapa,\u201d the earl said warmly and embraced him. \u201cI have brought you a gift,\u201d he said as he released him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The earl gestured to Br\u00ecghde. \u201cCome.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde squeezed through the paramours, who deliberately blocked her way until she elbowed one in the ribs, and stood in front of the earl\u2019s father. Even hunched over he was far taller than Br\u00ecghde.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy bride, Lady Br\u00ecghde F\u00e0ileach Kyneward.\u201d The priest and old man both gaped at the earl, who shrugged sheepishly. \u201cI unwittingly snatched the wrong woman, but \u2019twas a fortunate turn of events for both of us. Lady Br\u00ecghde, this is Sir John Kyneward, my father and castellan of Kyneward.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLady Br\u00ecghde,\u201d he said tremulously and attempted to bow.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo, no!\u201d she breathed, concerned, and held onto his arms so he would not fall, then grasped his hand. \u201cNone of that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe assures me she will be a good candidate for the position of castellain. I will leave it for you to decide.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The man\u2019s face softened even further and his smile was one of joy and relief. \u201cOh, I pray so, my lady.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde gave him a saucy wink. \u201cYou shall see.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>Castellain?<\/em>\u201d the French woman cried.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOui,\u201d Grimme said with some measure of excitement. \u201cAnd was that not fortunate!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am not going to allow her to tell me what I can or cannot do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He either had not heard that or he was ignoring it. \u201cAnd this is Father Hercule.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFather.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He bowed. \u201cWelcome, my lady.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCome, come, my dear,\u201d said the old man, weakly tugging her hand. \u201cYou\u2019ve had a week to get acquainted with my son and now I would see what you know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He led her slowly through the great hall, past the chapel, and into a large study. \u201cThis is my domain,\u201d he murmured as he bid her enter and closed the door behind her. \u201cThe witches can\u2019t come in here, even if they wanted to. Sit, sit.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAll pardons, but I have been sitting for the last week,\u201d she said dryly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOf course, of course.\u201d He shuffled toward a chair and fell back into it with a sigh. His head tipped back and his eyes closed as he caught his breath. \u201cI do not know you, know of you, know any of your qualifications, but I know that my son seems to be happy with your presence, and he is an excellent judge of character.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde coughed into her hand.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMostly,\u201d he amended with a fleeting smile, his eyes still closed. \u201cHe is also dazzled by tall, willowy, blue-eyed blondes, but the Kyneward men have always been a lusty lot and my son is no different.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde decided to walk around the study, which was lined with books. There was even a clock and a globe. \u201cI heard all about his insatiable lust and his ability to break women,\u201d she teased.<\/p>\n<p>He barked a laugh. \u201cYou are forgiving.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cForgiving, no. Uncaring, aye. The women may want to claw my eyes out, but I do not care enough about them or Lord Kyneward to want to claw theirs out. He has no amorous intentions toward me, so I am perfectly happy to ply my trade far away from home and free from a marriage contract I abhorred.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd what of a legitimate heir?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen he feels he can bear to bed a brunette, I will be happy to comply, which was one reason I made the bargain.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He laughed. \u201cDoes he know that?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI would rather he not,\u201d she mused as she walked around looking at the lovely things Sir John had. \u201cHe is only attractive to me by comparison to my other groom and I have never been allowed other options, so he is a novelty simply because an option was presented to me. It will fade, but he would tease me about it forevermore, and I canna laugh at myself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen rest assured, I will not tell him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNow tell me about your trade.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thus, Br\u00ecghde began to list her qualifications for the position of castellain, what her mother did, how she did it, how Br\u00ecghde would have liked to do it but for her mother\u2019s insistence that her way was better. When he nodded, she was encouraged to forge on. She told him how she would stock the larders and storage rooms, what supplies she would lay in, how, when, and in what season, and how the outbuildings should be arranged.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood, good,\u201d he murmured.<\/p>\n<p>Even more emboldened, she revealed her ability to do many of the jobs in the castle: candle-making, baking, weaving, spinning, sewing, brewing, dying, laundering\u2014<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow did you come by such extensive knowledge?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The half-lie rolled easily off her tongue. \u201cMy mother made sure of it, you see, to give me reference for what was a reasonable time spent in each occupation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She did not notice, but dusk had fallen whilst she spoke\u2014<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLight some candles, will you, my dear?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGoodness! I have chattered your ear off.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2019Tis a lovely way to lose an ear, if I must. I am impressed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So very, very pleased with his approbation, she was nearly in tears. Now, if he only <em>stayed<\/em> happy with her. She found the flints and lit the candles she saw, then returned to her chair when she had gathered herself and said nothing more. The noise in the great hall rose and the soft swish of the door opening to admit a servant interrupted the peace in the study.<\/p>\n<p>She dropped a curtsy. \u201cMy lady, Sir John, my lord requests you join him for supper.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPlease inform my lord that I am in council with Lady Br\u00ecghde and would request the leisure of dining here. Then bring us our supper and wine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The servant curtsied again and scurried away.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWill my lord not find that a slight?\u201d Br\u00ecghde asked.<\/p>\n<p>He waved a hand. \u201cGrimme gives me whatever I want. He\u2019ll not insist. You read, write, and work sums?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye.\u201d She hesitated. \u201cAh, but&nbsp;\u2026 I cannot manage the estate outside the inner bailey walls. I do not know how.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>They sat in silence for a few moments, awaiting their suppers, which came promptly, and ate in companionable silence. As she ate, she began to wonder if the earl\u2019s father did not deem her fit for duty after all, if perhaps his words were simple courtesy.<\/p>\n<p>Then he spoke. \u201cThe outer bailey is all stables and training pen. The stable master keeps a tight rein on it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She snickered at his jest, and he winked at her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe will hire a steward together. \u2019Tis too much for one person. I should know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAh&nbsp;\u2026 mayhap a housekeeper also? Once I\u2019ve the house running the way I want, I mean,\u201d she added hastily. \u201cWe also need carpenters to rebuild almost the whole of the inner bailey.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhatever you need, my dear. If you can do all you have said, I will die a happy man, knowing my son is in good hands.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>At that, tears <em>did<\/em> begin to swell. \u201cDo you intend to do so as soon as you have stepped back?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, no. I have other plans. Should you find yourself in need of help, I would be willing to keep the books, but I would rather not.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe earl said your other candidates were inept.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He sighed heavily and sipped at his wine. \u201cThey were quite adept, in fact. I was too exacting and gave them no time to learn. I was not ready to cede my position, and took any opportunity to find fault.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde\u2019s eyebrows rose to hear a man confess his mistakes so easily.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd now we come to the end of my life when I cannot do half so much they did.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSurely you have your own servants.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He puffed an unamused laugh. \u201cEvery time I get a servant trained, one of the witches sends him on an errand and never lets him go. Female servants disappear even more quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo they do this purposefully?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI do not believe so; they simply think only of themselves and appropriate the first servant they see and then keep them milling about waiting for commands.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd you have not asked my lord to assign any to you permanently?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He huffed impatiently. \u201cGrimme does not interfere in the workings of the household at all. He thinks I should be able to assert my authority, but he has never given me any over the women, much less my grandsons. If I cannot control the women, I cannot control anything else. He might as well put me out on a wintery hilltop to die. I do not fault him for keeping his women, but I am angry that he ties my hands so, and I do not care for those particular women.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAll my mistresses were intelligent with interests, or at least a willingness to learn new things. They were also kind and the ones who had my babes were good mothers. I could not keep a mistress unless she was my friend. Grimme\u2019s mother was an illiterate wet nurse when I met her, but we became lovers when I noticed that I was spending more and more time with her simply talking. She had educated herself when I wasn\u2019t paying attention. They were all quite different in appearance, as that was never my first reason for taking a mistress. Thus, I do not understand my son\u2019s habits. I tell you this in all good faith. However, should you carry tales, \u2019twill make no difference as the witches already know what I think and Grimme does not care.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEmelisse is deceitful and vicious. Ardith is as sharp as a wheel of cheese and without any interest whatsoever. Dillena is the quiet one. She keeps to herself, so in truth, I have no complaint there. Maebh is almost as insatiable as Grimme and she acts childishly sometimes, so she is merely irritating.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo <em>none<\/em> of them have any redeeming values? The quiet one excepted.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His shaggy eyebrow rose. \u201cOther than their ability to please my son?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde couldn\u2019t help her snicker and the old man winked at her with a hint of a smile. \u201cHe said he did not like brunettes, but I find it extraordinary that he has such specific taste.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sir John shrugged with confusion. \u201cI cannot explain. I appreciated variety. I will credit them: They <em>do<\/em> love their children, and they <em>try<\/em> to be good mothers, but \u2019tis as if they are too dimwitted to learn how.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEmelisse is the mother of Gaston and Max. She keeps them by her side or in their chambers, though they chafe. She is afraid they will get hurt outside, does not want them to be knights, but does not allow them to spend time with Father Hercule at studies, as then they are not within earshot. She treats them like dolls. Beloved ones, but dolls nonetheless. When they can sneak out of their chambers, they run about endlessly, break things, get in the servants\u2019 way. They are everywhere, no one can control them, and no one can find them, which sends her into the trusses, screeching with fear that they are dead, blaming anyone and everyone for their escape, which makes her cling to them that much tighter.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDillena is learned and writes stories for her son, teaches him how to read and write, sees to his needs, but other than that, seems utterly baffled by what a boy needs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMaebh practically ignores hers, allowing him to do what he pleases, but when she does pay attention, she hugs and kisses him, tells him what a good boy he is, then forgets he exists. None of them make any attempt to discipline them. The youngest, Pierce, Maebh\u2019s, enjoys his studies, but he is the only one. The next youngest, Terrwyn, Dillena\u2019s, doesn\u2019t like his studies, even with his mother, so he will coax the older boys into mischief, over which Emelisse will then panic and scream at Dillena about her \u2018monster.\u2019 The older boys resent the younger ones\u2019 freedom and the younger boys resent the attention Emelisse showers upon the older two. And Terrwyn feels completely forgotten by everyone until Emelisse screams at him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde was confused. \u201cDo they not have a nursemaid?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sir John shook his head. \u201cWe have had several. Emelisse would never give her babes over, and she drove the ones for Dillena and Maebh away.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause she \u2018didn\u2019t like them,\u2019\u201d Sir John mocked in a high-pitched voice.<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde laughed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo, in fact, Emelisse believed them to be contemptuous of the women\u2019s place in the household and she could not bear it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWere they? Contemptuous?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot particularly, but Emelisse will allow no one else to be happy if she is not happy, and she has not been happy since Grimme brought Ardith home ten years ago.\u201d Br\u00ecghde could understand that completely. He looked at her pointedly. \u201cThe boys need a strong hand.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, noooo,\u201d Br\u00ecghde breathed. \u201cI\u2019ll not get between a woman and her bairn, and as I am the wee laddies\u2019 stepmother now, \u2019twould be putting fire to a hayloft. The lord\u2019s first priority should be to see to the proper instruction of his sons. If I remember correctly, are not three of them of age to be apprenticed as pages?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The old man nodded wearily. \u201cAye. I have spoken with Grimme, but because it involves the witches\u2019 objections, he sees that as household business. He loves the boys and does not want to send them away, thus he claims he has simply not gotten around to arranging for it. The truth is, he does not want them to leave home and he dotes. He is far too indulgent, in my opinion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere are their chambers?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe women and the boys live on the third floor. Emelisse is in the chambers over Grimme\u2019s. Dillena is across the hall from her. Ardith and Maebh are next door to Dillena. The boys have the two chambers at the end of the hall near the back stairs, across from each other.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTwo of the women share a chamber?\u201d Br\u00ecghde asked, surprised.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey share more than that,\u201d he drawled.<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde pondered that for a second or two, then\u2014 \u201c<em>Ohhhhhh<\/em>,\u201d she breathed, eyes wide in comprehension. Then she laughed. \u201cWell. Isn\u2019t that special.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sir John barked a laugh. \u201cAye, \u2019tis. How do you know about such? You\u2019re a maiden, no?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye,\u201d she said airily, \u201cbut I have six brothers, we are all a year apart, we played together, and even now, most of the time they do not remember I\u2019m a lass, so they speak freely enough.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The old man chuckled softly.<\/p>\n<p>She saw no need to mention that which she\u2019d seen, so there was a companionable silence in the room and Br\u00ecghde sipped at the lovely wine she had had on the journey here.<\/p>\n<p>She was about to open her mouth to ask something else when she realized that Sir John had fallen asleep, his chin to his chest. He was snoring. She finished her supper and her wine, then went to the door and peered out. The great hall was still loud, but the platters were being cleared away. There was Lord Kyneward lounging in his chair in the middle of the head table, looking out over all his people.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPsst! My lord!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lord Kyneward craned his head around his chair and Br\u00ecghde beckoned to him. He shot his chair back and crossed the room in four long strides. \u201cIs something wrong?\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo. He is asleep. I&nbsp;\u2026 don\u2019t know whom to fetch. I don\u2019t know where his chambers are or I would take him myself. I haven\u2019t even bathed yet.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lord Kyneward smiled and caught a passing servant and instructed him to put Sir John into bed, his chambers through the door at the back of the study. He caught yet another servant and told her to prepare Lady Br\u00ecghde\u2019s chambers and bring her a bath.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPardon me, my lord. Which chambers are hers?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAcross the hall from mine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lord Kyneward was turning away so he did not see the minute expression of disbelief the servant flashed him before scurrying away.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAcross the hall from you?\u201d Br\u00ecghde asked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye,\u201d he said with a grin. \u201c\u2019Tis so I can bid you play chess with me and I will not have to fetch a servant to drag you down a flight of stairs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde grimaced. \u201cAh&nbsp;\u2026 did you displace someone else to put me there?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo,\u201d he said, puzzled. \u201cThose chambers have been empty since we moved in.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAh.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEmelisse wanted them,\u201d he continued blithely, \u201cbut I want all my women on the same floor.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde barely kept from dropping her face in her palm.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf she begs you for them, do not give in.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, I won\u2019t,\u201d she murmured, seeing a very long war in her future.<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptchapterhead\">6<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">GRIMME WAS IN a terribly good mood. No, Br\u00ecghde had not supped with him and so his welcome-home supper was a bit dampened by her absence, but he was so happy his father had taken to her so quickly and easily that he was jubilant anyway.<\/p>\n<p>He made his way up to the third floor and walked into Emelisse\u2019s chambers to find her in the bath, her maidservant washing her hair.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLeave me,\u201d she snapped at him in French.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have been gone three weeks,\u201d Grimme said testily, immediately irritated. \u201cCould you not be a little more welcoming?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAfter you brought home a wife?\u201d she snapped. \u201cWhen you should have married <em>me<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Grimme\u2019s good humor began to fade, but he shouldn\u2019t be surprised at her anger. Aye, his trip to Scotland had been met with a slight problem, but he\u2019d expected resistance and had gone prepared. That he had not had to use any had pleased him. Abduct bride. Marry her himself. Be upon his way. Very simple, all according to plan. No, he had not snatched Lady Margaret, but God had saved Grimme from his own stupidity and directed him to snatch the right woman after all. He was pleased with his new bride and though he was glad to be home, he had enjoyed their journey immensely.<\/p>\n<p>Only God could have planned something so perfect.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou knew this day would come, yet here I am here with you. Nothing has changed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNothing has changed?!\u201d she screeched. \u201cNothing has changed but that there is another woman in the house\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhom I will not be bedding until I must.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2014for whom you put me out of my rightful place at your side! And then she did not even bother to appear for supper to sit there!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2019Twas never your rightful place and you knew I was going to bring home a wife. What did you expect?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI <em>expected<\/em> her to be bound and gagged and locked in a chamber at the top of a tower.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He shrugged his concession. \u201cSo did I, but isn\u2019t it fortunate for all of us that she needs us as much as we need her?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>We<\/em>,\u201d she growled, \u201c<em>don\u2019t<\/em> need her.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou do understand that if Sheffield killed me before I wed, he would have killed you first, do you not? Or you would have had nowhere to go and no coin to get there, so you would have died out in the wilderness.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou should have wed <em>me!<\/em>\u201d she screamed.<\/p>\n<p>There were many reasons he would never have wed Emelisse, none of which he felt like enumerating. \u201cI needed a noblewoman.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou didn\u2019t <em>need<\/em> one,\u201d she retorted. \u201cYou <em>wanted<\/em> one.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m an earl,\u201d he said flatly. \u201cHenry would expect me to wed according to my station. What if she looked like you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That made her pause. \u201cShe doesn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMayhap you should be grateful, as if she did, I would have fucked her before the ink was dry and I would have taken her straight to bed as soon as we arrived home and I wouldn\u2019t be here talking to you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She snarled at him. \u201cI also did not expect that you would make her castellain. I hope you do not expect me to obey her every command.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Grimme scowled in confusion. \u201cWhat commands could she possibly need to give you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAny command Sir John feels free to give me now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhich you do not obey, so&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That calmed her a bit. \u201cWhat chambers did you put her in?\u201d she mumbled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe ones across from me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She gasped in horror. \u201cYou <em>didn\u2019t!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI did,\u201d he returned blithely.<\/p>\n<p>Grimme and Emelisse had had their fallings out before, when she expected him to obey as if she were his mother. It was a hazard of bedding a woman five years older than he when he was barely fifteen and growing into his manhood on the battlefield and the lists. He couldn\u2019t tolerate her overbearing nature, but in the end, he always came back to Emelisse.<\/p>\n<p>Tears sparkled in her eyes. \u201cDid you do that on purpose?\u201d she croaked. \u201cTo hurt me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe things I do might hurt you,\u201d he returned, \u201cbut I have never done them for the purpose of hurting you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen you know what hurts me and you keep doing those things, then you are doing them to hurt me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEmelisse,\u201d he said firmly, \u201cwe have been together for eleven years. You know my habits and you know I am not going to change. I am home now. There is a wife somewhere in this keep, but I know not where because I am with you, my lover. Do you want me to come to you tonight or not?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She sniffled, then muttered, \u201cOui.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptchapterhead\">7<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">BR\u00ccGHDE OPENED HER chamber door very late that night after having sat with the earl at table and watched the after-supper amusements. His second-in-command was on his right and they were trading jests, trying to out-do each other, getting more and more vulgar as the night went on.<\/p>\n<p>She didn\u2019t mind. Which jests she understood, in both English and French, were funny. The ones she didn\u2019t ken used Sassenach words that had other meanings she did not know.<\/p>\n<p>No one else spoke to her; indeed, no one else noticed her. The mistresses had been nowhere in sight when she left Sir John, so she had slipped into the chair to the left of the earl, where the lady of the manor should normally sit.<\/p>\n<p>When she could no longer keep her eyes open, she had requested excusal and the earl had bid her a quick but hearty good eve over his shoulder so he could go back to his conversation.<\/p>\n<p>Thus, here she stood, still dressed in a peasant boy\u2019s clothes, alone in a close, dark, cold keep in an inadequately lit hall with her meager possessions in her hand, looking into a vast nothingness. She trudged down to the farthest end of the hall and counted six doors not including hers and the earl\u2019s. She snatched the last torch and returned to her chambers.<\/p>\n<p>The chamber was large, but not as large as hers at F\u00e0ileach. There was a massive four-poster bed along one wall, but it looked like it would collapse any second. At least it had linens on it.<\/p>\n<p>There was a man-sized hearth in the corner of the room, but there was no fire, no wood laid, no wood in the chambers at all, and no chairs in front of it. In fact, she saw now, the bed was the only furniture in the room. There was no place to put candles, so there were none of those, either.<\/p>\n<p>There were two large diamond-mullioned windows that had no drapes. There were no tapestries on the walls. There were no rugs covering the stone floor. There were no hangings on the bed.<\/p>\n<p>She took the torch into the antechamber. There was no bed for a chambermaid, no chests, no bathtub, no water pitcher and basin. She went to the garderobe. At least it did not stink, but only because it hadn\u2019t been used in years.<\/p>\n<p>She sighed and dropped her face in her hand.<\/p>\n<p>No one had curtsied or bowed to her when she came in as the new countess. The villeins and servants had ignored her. The groom felt free to chastise her for riding a horse too big for her. The servants had not been gathered and introduced to her. Chambers should have already been prepared for any bride\u2019s arrival, but not only had that not been done, the earl\u2019s explicit order to do so had been completely ignored.<\/p>\n<p>No one had taken her things from her to place them in the chambers if they <em>had<\/em> been prepared. Not even Sir John noticed she had her possessions with her.<\/p>\n<p>Aye, this household was a complete and utter disaster.<\/p>\n<p>Dispirited, she decided to go to sleep and start fresh in daylight. She threw back the linens to find there were no sheets, no blankets, and no pillows. Just one thin coverlet.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not Roger MacFhionnlaigh,\u201d she whispered to herself, near tears. \u201cIt\u2019s not Roger MacFhionnlaigh.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She was just tired. The situation would not seem so awful after a good night\u2019s rest and a hearty breakfast.<\/p>\n<p>She closed the door, dropped her things by the bed, doubled up the coverlet, donned her heavy wedding dress over her boy clothes, and gingerly climbed into the bed hoping it wouldn\u2019t break with all the creaks and groans it made, covered herself, and tried to go to sleep.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">WHEN SHE AWOKE, it was still dark outside. She was freezing, her feet most of all. Now she was too cold to go back to sleep, too tired to find a servant, even if she knew where to look, or get wood and make a fire herself, if she knew where that was, either. It was dark, and she was cold and tired.<\/p>\n<p>She walked across the hall and knocked on the earl\u2019s door.<\/p>\n<p>The chamberlain answered the door. \u201cAye?\u201d he drawled contemptuously.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIs Lord Kyneward here?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe is not,\u201d he sniffed, and slammed the door.<\/p>\n<p>Of course not. He would be with one of his mistresses after so long away.<\/p>\n<p>Wrapped in her coverlet, she made her way downstairs where many knights were barracked, obliging her to pick her way through them to get to the hearth. The fire was banked. She threw more wood on it because she was too tired to take it upstairs and start afresh, poked it to blazing, pulled up an upholstered chair and ottoman, plopped in it, curled up, and went to sleep.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat the devil are you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde was fairly certain that the question was directed at her, but her eyes would not open.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBr\u00ecghde!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMmrmph.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy are you not in your chambers?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCold,\u201d she mumbled. \u201cNo blankets. No fire.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She turned over on her hip away from the earl and mumbled, \u201cWill see to it tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, you will, but for now\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She gasped when she was jolted from her warm cocoon and swept into the earl\u2019s arms, but he moved so fast, she had no time to ask him what he was doing before he took the stairs, bumped his door open, and dropped her on his bed. She sighed and relaxed whilst he tucked her in. She vaguely heard the earl poking his own fire to life whilst the chamberlain apologized profusely, and then felt the earl climbing into bed beside her before she finally fell asleep.<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptchapterhead\">8<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">BREAKFAST WAS long over by the time Br\u00ecghde dragged herself out of the earl\u2019s warm bed, the chamberlain nowhere in sight, went across the hall, divested herself of her coverlet and wedding dress, leaving her in her peasant boy\u2019s clothes, pulled on a pair of her new sturdy slippers, then went down to the great hall, which was empty. She continued on down the stairs to the cellar kitchen for food. It was a relaxed chamber of household servants, cooks, and bakers eating and chatting. She cleared her throat, and was cast glances of contempt and suspicion.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho are ye an\u2019 where\u2019d ye come from an\u2019 why\u2019re ye dressed like a boy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde slipped into a familiar role. \u201cNew \u2019ere. Was told to come to the kitchen for a meal \u2019fore gettin\u2019a work.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho told you that?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSome ol\u2019 man.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, right, then.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A cook arose and put together a very fine platter of food for her, far too rich for a servant, much less one they\u2019d never met. \u201cWhat\u2019s yer name, girl?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBridget.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhatcher duties?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe ol\u2019 man said he\u2019d assign me soon\u2019s I ate. Who is he?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s Sir John, the keep\u2019s steward.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDon\u2019tche worry he\u2019ll catch ye lazin\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Someone snorted. \u201cSir John canna get down the stairs. He\u2019s\u2019na been down here for a year and a half.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMore.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye. Ol\u2019 codger don\u2019t know nuffin \u2019bout what goes on \u2019round \u2019ere.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo housekeeper?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNever had one. Earl don\u2019t know how to be an earl\u2014\u201d Br\u00ecghde already deduced as much. \u201c\u2014an\u2019 the old man\u2019s a merchant by trade, so he don\u2019t know either.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde made sure to talk with food in her mouth. \u201cFine eatin\u2019 for servants.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith Sir John not bein\u2019 able to keep count, we eat what we want when we want \u2019ow much we want. An\u2019 then we take more \u2019ome. Only thing\u2019s sure is don\u2019t let the earl suspect nothin\u2019s goin\u2019 on. Feed \u2019im an\u2019 \u2019is men good, an\u2019 you can \u2019ide everythin\u2019 else from Sir John, so long\u2019s it\u2019s not on the main floor.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat about pay?\u201d Br\u00ecghde asked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDidn\u2019t \u2019e tell ye? Pay once a week, \u2019stead o\u2019 every day. Old man takes some time to get \u2019is body creakin\u2019 to the coin chest. Don\u2019t wanna do it ever\u2019day\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That also made sense.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo it\u2019s like this. Ye do as little as ye can get away with\u2014and pray to God ye don\u2019t get one o\u2019 the hags, \u2019cuz they run ye ragged if they notice ya doin\u2019 a good job\u2014take food \u2019ome at night, sit on yer arse \u2019ere or catch up on yer work at \u2019ome, collect yer wages.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHags?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEarl\u2019s got four \u2019arlots who fancy \u2019emselfs ladies of the manor, mostly that Frenchie one, what\u2019s been widdim for years.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFour, eh?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, an\u2019 any blonde maidservant \u2019e can get \u2019is \u2019ands on.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe only got three,\u201d someone else said around his food.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSeven women\u2019s enough, don\u2019t ye fink?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot fer \u2019im.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde snickered. \u201cOl\u2019 man said ye got a countess yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAin\u2019t seen her,\u201d someone said flatly. \u201cStill abed, like as not.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2019Ja see the look on the Frenchie\u2019s face when the earl put her out o\u2019 her chair?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The room exploded in cackles and Br\u00ecghde didn\u2019t bother to hide her grin.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCan\u2019t wait to see what the new lady\u2019ll do widdem.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>One of the bakers sobered. \u201cDon\u2019t wish too hard. She may be the death of all of us, worse than all the hags put together. So we\u2019ll have them <em>and<\/em> her.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That was, indeed, a sobering thought.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019d best be on up to the ol\u2019 man,\u201d Br\u00ecghde said as she wiped her mouth on the back of her sleeve, \u201csee what he wants me ta do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood luck. Come back for supper, after the betters\u2019ve eaten. I\u2019ll send a bundle home wit\u2019 ye.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, and thank ye.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, ye might wanna watch out for the earl\u2019s bastards. Four o\u2019 them, too. They get inta all sortsa things and last thing\u2019s we need\u2019s the hags down here. They ain\u2019t bad boys, but they\u2019re&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLads,\u201d Br\u00ecghde finished.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, cooped-up ones, which are the worst kind.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She nodded and waved, then climbed the\u2014<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot <em>those<\/em> stairs, girl! The <em>back<\/em> stairs. Where\u2019s yer brain? Ye wanna get caught?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Back stairs. Aye. She\u2019d forgotten. Br\u00ecghde managed to look just confused enough.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat way.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>With another thanks, Br\u00ecghde climbed the back stairs and emerged in a covered walkway in the bailey. She stood there and thought. The servants were stealing the food and getting paid to do as little as possible, but instead of being angry, Br\u00ecghde was sad. Sad that Sir John had built the earldom to prosperousness, tried to control the spending, but did not know what was going on in his stewardship anymore simply because he couldn\u2019t climb stairs, which meant he <em>also<\/em> could not go outside to supervise the villeins.<\/p>\n<p>The earl did not want to be bothered with household business. The keep had never had a lady, so it was no better than a barracks that happened to have four women and four children ensconced at the top of the tower demanding things. None of the mistresses seemed to have any authority to do anything at all, even if they knew what to do or wanted to try. Sir John had been a merchant, so the earldom might be prosperous, but he had no idea how to run a household and <em>did not know<\/em> that he did not know. A skilled and strict housekeeper would have gone a long way, but neither the earl nor his father nor the commoner mistresses knew how a noble house functioned.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSweet Mary and Joseph,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n<p>She didn\u2019t blame the servants; that was what a rational person would do when left unsupervised with the most minimal of duties having to be performed to keep from detection. She didn\u2019t <em>like<\/em> it, but it <em>was<\/em> logical and once upon a time, she would have gloried in serving in a household such as this one.<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde wouldn\u2019t put them out. The food, whether it was being stolen or not, was excellent. She snorted. It was excellent because they were cooking for themselves. All she had to do to keep them in line was visit the kitchen every so often without warning, take quill, ink, and parchment, and make notes. That, to a servant, was terrifying.<\/p>\n<p>She turned to go up the back stairs to the second floor and hoped she could find her chambers. She needed a gown and to rearrange her hair.<\/p>\n<p>She did, indeed, find her chambers, doffed her boy\u2019s clothes and donned one of her new kirtles, a deep rich green that the earl had suggested. It didn\u2019t fit as well as she\u2019d like, being too snug over her breasts, the waist too low, and the hem too long, but it was the best she could do in a color other than black. She still found his reaction to a mere length of cloth a tad disconcerting.<\/p>\n<p>She dug in her pouch for her glass and groaned when she saw what a mess she was. The kitchen servants would <em>never<\/em> suspect the peasant girl they\u2019d fed was the countess. Unfortunately, they would also not suspect this woman was a countess because she was not richly dressed and coifed enough. She looked for a water pitcher, which had not magically appeared in the night.<\/p>\n<p>She dug her brush out\u2014she was ever so happy she had requested the stay in Hogarth\u2014fixed her hair quickly, then licked her fingertips and scrubbed her face. She checked her glass. It would do.<\/p>\n<p>Well rested, well fed, with daylight streaming through her beautiful (if undraped) windows, she felt more able to tackle the day. The trick was to keep herself from getting overwhelmed with all that must be done, and to discern the proper first steps.<\/p>\n<p>She opened the door next to hers. Empty. The door next to the earl\u2019s. Empty. All four of the remaining chambers were also empty.<\/p>\n<p>She went up the back stairs to the third floor where maidservants were milling about looking bored, some sitting on the floor, one lying down. They did not notice her. Br\u00ecghde counted. Fifteen.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d she asked, startling most of them. Two others were sound asleep.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re waitin\u2019 on the ladies\u2019 pleasure,\u201d one said a bit snidely. \u201cAin\u2019t you here for the same thing?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNoooot quite. I\u2019m Countess Kyneward, and I am not happy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Their eyes narrowed as they swept her up and down. \u201cYe think we\u2019re stupid, do ye? Ain\u2019t no countess dresses like <em>that<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This was unfortunate, but entirely foreseeable.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhich door is Lord Kyneward most likely to be behind?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>They all pointed to the same one.<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde took a deep breath, marched herself through the gaggle of maids who were so surprised they did not try to stop her (that would have been a mistake), went to the door and started pounding on it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>GRIMME, GET YOUR ARSE OUT OF BED!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The maids gasped and stepped back.<\/p>\n<p>There was much cursing and scrambling behind the door before it was snatched open to reveal an enraged woman\u2014until she realized the intruder was Br\u00ecghde. Before she thought to take advantage of the situation and deny that Br\u00ecghde was the new countess, which would have caused Br\u00ecghde no end of problems, she dropped a bare curtsy and said, \u201cMy lady,\u201d through gritted teeth.<\/p>\n<p>Two other doors opened and three other tall, willowy, blue-eyed blondes stepped out, who also curtsied and murmured, \u201cMy lady.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thus began the scramble of the maidservants to wake up, hop to their feet, curtsy, and deliver many apologies.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s your name again?\u201d Br\u00ecghde demanded.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEmelisse.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLet me make one thing perfectly clear to all four of you. I do not care about you, I do not care about your dealings with Lord Kyneward, I do not care that you are here, I do not care <em>why<\/em> you are here. I <em>care<\/em> that you\u2014\u201d She twisted and swept her finger at them, then turned back to the favorite. \u201c\u2014have a stable of fifteen maidservants doing <em>nothing<\/em> whilst awaiting your pleasure, I have none, I spent the night freezing in a bed that was not made before I slept in the barracks with the knights before the earl found me and dropped me in his bed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou <em>slept<\/em> in his bed?\u201d the French one shrieked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI did, because <em>I HAD NOWHERE ELSE TO SLEEP!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This was not an auspicious beginning.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBr\u00ecghde?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Oh, and there was Br\u00ecghde\u2019s husband, naked, hair rumpled and swinging around his shoulders, jaw stubbled, coming up behind his mistress. He was more beautiful naked than clothed and she did not bother to look away from his spindle.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s the matter?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde repeated it, only louder this time, because now she was beyond furious.<\/p>\n<p>He spread his hands. \u201cWhat do you want me to do? This is household business. You told me you would relish taking over. Here you are. It\u2019s yours.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe problem is\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He held a hand up. \u201cNo. I do not want to get involved. That was the bargain.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYour chamberlain goes first.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He paused. \u201cI\u2019m listening.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYour order to prepare a room for me last night was ignored,\u201d she growled. \u201cThe bargain was that you enforce my position here. How can you enforce <em>my<\/em> position if your servants ignore <em>you<\/em> and they do not know who I am? Such as, say, your <em>chamberlain<\/em>, who slammed the door in my face last night, forcing <em>a countess<\/em> to sleep <em>with soldiers<\/em> for some warmth.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His face flushed and he immediately disappeared.<\/p>\n<p>With a smug look, the mistress slammed her door in Br\u00ecghde\u2019s face. But conveniently, she had slammed it so hard it bounced, so the latch did not catch such that the door stood minutely ajar.<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde cracked her neck this way and that, looked at the maids who were trying not to giggle, said, \u201cWatch this,\u201d stood back, raised her skirts, and kicked the door open.<\/p>\n<p>The mistress, shocked, looking half terrified, skittered out of Br\u00ecghde\u2019s way as she stalked through the chambers until she found the one with the bed by which her husband was dressing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGrimme Kyneward!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, aye,\u201d he grunted from inside his tunic as he pulled it over his head. \u201cI take your point. No need to kick doors in.\u201d Then his head popped out and he grinned at her. \u201cThat, my lady, was very impressive. I shall have to get you a velvet glove for your iron fist.\u201d Br\u00ecghde gaped at him, but he pointed at her and chortled. \u201cThe look on your face.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She huffed and slumped over, her rage leaving her in a whoosh. \u201cStop trying to make me laugh. This is serious.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAre you laughing? You\u2019re laughing. Try not to laugh. <em>Grimme, get your arse out of bed!<\/em>\u201d he mocked in a high-pitched voice then roared with laughter.<\/p>\n<p>She broke down and snickered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, I know it\u2019s serious,\u201d he grinned, \u201cwhich is why I am going out of my way to involve myself in household business. You\u2019re welcome.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have nothing to thank you for,\u201d she said as he brushed by her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRoger MacFhionnlaigh!\u201d he called on his way out the door.<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde huffed and stalked back through the chambers and out into the hallway where four identical blondes and fifteen maidservants stood frozen. She jabbed her finger at the stairs. They all bolted.<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptchapterhead\">9<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">GRINNING, GRIMME clipped down the stairs and into the great hall and waited for all the women to gather. That, he thought, was the most rousing entertainment he\u2019d had in a while. <em>Grimme, get your arse out of bed!<\/em> He laughed until he was bent over and started to cough. She\u2019d <em>kicked the door in!<\/em> He straightened, met Br\u00ecghde\u2019s somewhat sheepish expression and started to laugh again. She flushed, huffed, and crossed her arms over her chest, but would not look at him because she was trying not to laugh.<\/p>\n<p>That girl was trouble, and he could not <em>wait<\/em> to see what she did next.<\/p>\n<p>He inhaled, his chest expanding, then bellowed,<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>IF I PAY YOUR WAGES, REPORT TO THE GREAT HALL IMMEDIATELY!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It took some time and he gestured for Br\u00ecghde to come stand beside him. He started to laugh again and draped his arm over her shoulders, squeezing her to his side, planting a kiss on the top of her head.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOch!\u201d She dropped her arms and leaned against him.<\/p>\n<p>He was going to lose his chamberlain today, which would <em>hurt<\/em>, but she wanted him to enforce her position as he\u2019d bargained, so that was what he was going to do.<\/p>\n<p>Father Hercule appeared at the door of the chapel, the boys popping up from behind him and squeezing past.<\/p>\n<p>Sir John\u2019s door opened and he shuffled out. Grimme waved him over to his side also.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat is the meaning of this?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy countess is not impressed with her reception last night.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, I know I\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>They waited. And waited. And waited. Until no more servants trickled out. He remained silent until all of them looked appropriately terrified. His women were off to his left, on the side, also looking terrified. His sons were watching with anticipatory glee.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPapa,\u201d Grimme asked, \u201cdoes this look like the correct number of servants?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He sighed heavily. \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Grimme began. \u201cThis is Lady Kyneward, my countess. Other than I, she is the supreme authority here. And with that, I am off.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, no,\u201d Br\u00ecghde said, grabbing the tail of his tunic before he could flee.<\/p>\n<p>He huffed and dropped his head back. \u201cVery well.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>All eyes were on her as she studied them for a few long moments, then she looked at Grimme\u2019s chamberlain. \u201cYou,\u201d she said sweetly, \u201care dismissed. No reference. Present yourself to Sir John\u2019s study with your belongings and you may collect your wages after I have ascertained that you have not stolen anything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The chamberlain, his color gone and his eyes wide, looked to Grimme. \u201cMy lord&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Grimme shook his head. \u201cDid it not seem odd that a <em>brunette<\/em> in an expensive gown whom you did not know was knocking on my door in the middle of the night? <em>After<\/em> I had just returned with a countess? Did you think that <em>perhaps<\/em> you should have fetched me? Or even inquired as to who she was? Begone. Now, my lady,\u201d he said, sketching a deep, mocking bow and sweeping his hand out toward the gathered servants, \u201cthey are yours to do with what you will.\u201d He straightened. \u201cDo not involve me in household business again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And with that, he sauntered out of the great hall, howling with laughter all the way.<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptchapterhead\">10<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">BR\u00ccGHDE LOOKED at Sir John and began to laugh. She laughed so hard she was squeezing tears out of her eyes and the befuddled look Sir John gave her made her laugh harder. \u201cOh,\u201d she breathed, fanning herself as she wound down, wiping her eyes, \u201cwhat a <em>splendid<\/em> morning!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thus she was happy and smiling as she looked around. The chamberlain had dragged himself up the stairs to pack his belongings. She could paw through his things all she wanted and wouldn\u2019t know what he had or had not stolen, but he didn\u2019t know that.<\/p>\n<p>First, she looked at the mistresses. \u201cThe maidservants referred to you as \u2018ladies.\u2019 You shall not be referred to as ladies, because you are not. You shall be addressed as \u2018Mistress,\u2019 as is proper for commoners.\u201d She waited a few seconds for effect, then looked around at the fifty or so servants. There should have been three times that many for a keep this size.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cToday, we start anew. We will consider that today is your first day, and that you have no history here. I do not plan to dismiss anyone else. <em>Yet<\/em>.\u201d She looked directly at the cooks and bakers who had fed her that morning until every one of them recognized her and their eyes grew wide. \u201cCarry on as you have been for now. That is your reward for excellent food and being kind to a stray. We shall go over menus later.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>They bobbed curtsies and bowed and whispered, \u201cThank you, my lady.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI intend to make this a noble house. How many of you know what this means?\u201d About half the servants raised their hands. \u201cExcellent! If you have suggestions, bring them to me. I will listen. You won\u2019t believe me. I ken. Hopefully you will come to trust me as I find problems and repair them. When I have everything the way I want it, I will hire a housekeeper. <em>Tomorrow morning<\/em>, after lauds, you will line up at Sir John\u2019s study, where I will take your names and positions. Now!\u201d she said breathily, clapping her hands together and looking at the mistresses. \u201cWhich one of you is the favorite one again? I can\u2019t tell you apart.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sir John bent to whisper, \u201cEmelisse.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ah, yes, the French one whose face was contorted with rage. \u201cWho is your chambermaid?\u201d Her jaw grinding, she slowly pointed. The girl stepped forward. \u201cAre you happy with her?\u201d Now she looked suspicious, then nodded. \u201cExcellent.\u201d She looked at the chambermaid and said, \u201cShoo.\u201d The girl ran up the stairs. \u201cNow you may choose another maidservant.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She looked very, very shocked, then she surveyed the gathered servants and pointed. \u201cHer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>That<\/em> girl looked as if she had just been told to eat pig shit. \u201cAll right, then,\u201d Br\u00ecghde said. \u201cGo. Go, go.\u201d She looked at the mistress. \u201cYou\u2019re excused.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGaston,\u201d the mistress said sharply at the boys in the doorway of the chapel. \u201cMax. Come.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde looked between them and their mother. They did not want to go. \u201cGo!\u201d she barked. The boys, startled, also ran up the stairs. Their mother gave her a dagger stare and Br\u00ecghde called, \u201cYou\u2019re welcome! Who\u2019s next?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sir John advised, \u201cThe next one is Ardith, the one with no children.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde repeated the process with her and the last two mistresses. The sons of those women were left behind. \u201cWho takes care of the young masters\u2019 chambers?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Four hands went up. \u201cGo on.\u201d They too, flew up the stairs. She looked at the two remaining boys and said, \u201cGo to the kitchen for some sweetmeats or&nbsp;\u2026 whatever suits you, then go out and play.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Shocked, they stayed frozen for some seconds, then raced each other across the hall and down the stairs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho would like to be my chambermaid?\u201d Not one hand. She snickered. \u201cWho is the most experienced one here?\u201d Everyone turned to look at one girl, who shrank into herself. \u201cMy bedchamber <em>only<\/em> has a bed that is about to collapse. It has no linens. I want you to oversee my chambers\u2019 transformation as best you can with what little furniture may be in this keep, and I suspect there is not much. I want to see how you do without direction. If you please me, you shall be well rewarded. You have my permission to command anyone to do anything so long as it is for my benefit.\u201d The lass\u2019s eyes were wide. \u201cWho here is the <em>least<\/em> experienced?\u201d Everyone turned to look at another girl, who nearly whimpered. \u201cYou shall be my other maidservant, and take direction from my chambermaid. I will ask you your names later. I will never remember all of you at the moment. My chambers are across the hall from Lord Kyneward\u2019s. Go. Make of it the absolute best with what is available, as you are outfitting for a countess. You have until midnight.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>They didn\u2019t move, but exchanged glances.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye?\u201d Br\u00ecghde asked kindly. \u201cSpeak.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The experienced one curtsied. \u201cMy lady. We will need manservants to move furniture.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, aye. Of course you will. Stay there.\u201d Br\u00ecghde studied all the men. \u201cWho would like the chance to earn the position of chamberlain for Lord Kyneward?\u201d Multiple hands went up. \u201cAll of you stand over there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She tugged on Sir John\u2019s sleeve and when he bent, she whispered, \u201cWhat did Grimme\u2019s chamberlain do?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGrimme <em>hates<\/em> shaving himself,\u201d he whispered back, \u201cand he\u2019s meticulous about it. A decent barber could be his chamberlain and he\u2019d never know, and he\u2019s been able to dress himself since he was three.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She chuckled, then looked at the pile of men. \u201cWho wants to try shaving the earl\u2019s face without a nick or bump?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Not one hand. She traded glances with Sir John, who looked down in an effort to hide his impending laughter.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cVery well.\u201d She looked to her new maids and said, \u201cTake whom you please.\u201d Some silent communication passed between the two girls and all of the men, and four men disappeared up the stairs with the girls.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cKitchen staff, you are excused.\u201d That left a fraction of servants left. \u201cI do not know what you do, and right now I do not care. Go about your normal duties if you have any.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Father Hercule disappeared into the chapel and she and Sir John were alone. A grin slowly started to widen his face. \u201cOh, my lady. I don\u2019t think Grimme realizes what he has unleashed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She smiled and clapped, looking up at him and quivering with delight. \u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptchapterhead\">11<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">\u201c\u2018GRIMME, GET your arse out of bed!\u2019\u201d he mocked at Br\u00ecghde once he seated her at table for supper. His knights roared, and she grinned. \u201cWe have been laughing about that all afternoon.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo happy I amuse you, my lord.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou have amused me since I abducted you. So much so, I missed you at supper last night and breakfast this morn.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou abducted me eight days ago. How can you miss me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd spent most of every day and night together, and sleeping together. I grew accustomed to laughing and chatting with you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh.\u201d Her mood dimmed a little.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBr\u00ecghde?\u201d His smile faded. \u201cWhat did I say?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, \u2019tis not you,\u201d she hastened to assure him. \u201cI do not make friends very easily. Well, I <em>do<\/em>, but I canna keep them very long. I very much enjoy your company too, but I would rather not spend so much time with you that you grow tired of me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy do they grow tired of you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat, my lord Grimme\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJust Grimme. My mistresses call me Lord Grimme.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAh. Very well. Ply me with food and drink, and I will tell you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019ll do anything for good food and drink, won\u2019t you?\u201d he asked wryly as he poured wine into her goblet.<\/p>\n<p>She laughed and raised the cup to him. He clinked his goblet to hers. \u201cAnd plenty of it.\u201d She looked around whilst she sipped.<\/p>\n<p>The tables were arranged in an E shape. The head table was perpendicular to the other three, on a dais. People sat on both sides of the three parallel tables. Grimme\u2019s place was in the middle of the head table, Br\u00ecghde to his left, Sir John to his right.<\/p>\n<p>The mistresses sat at the middle table at the end closest to Br\u00ecghde and Grimme, two on each side. The laddies\u2014the only children in the hall who were not servants\u2014were to sit next to their respective mothers. Emelisse was flanked by her two. Ardith the barren sat next to Grimme\u2019s oldest. On the other side of the table, Dillena sat closest to the head table, her son next, then Maebh, then the littlest boy. Emelisse\u2019s children were hungry, angry, and restless. The other two were sleepy and slouching from all the sweetmeats they\u2019d eaten all afternoon and tired from being outside, but they were happy.<\/p>\n<p>In the hall, there were almost three dozen knights called vingteniers, who each commanded a group of twenty men called a vingtaine. There were another seven knights, called centeniers, who each commanded a section of five vingtaines to make an hundred men, called a centaine. Three knights, each of whom commanded a force of one thousand, were gone with almost three thousand of Grimme\u2019s men to France. Their seats sat empty to honor their absence.<\/p>\n<p>Grimme\u2019s deputy, Sir Drew, who commanded the entire force of seven hundred that remained at Kyneward, sat to Sir John\u2019s right, leaving four empty seats to his right. Father Hercule sat to Br\u00ecghde\u2019s left, leaving another four seats to his left.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe mistresses and children all used to sit up here, my lady,\u201d Father Hercule whispered to Br\u00ecghde when she asked him why there were so many empty chairs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe displaced <em>all<\/em> of them?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI advised him thusly,\u201d he replied softly, \u201cso as to honor your place as Lady Kyneward. \u2019Twould not be seemly for Lord Kyneward\u2019s mistresses to sit in a place of honor with his wife, and \u2019twould be even more an insult if the favorite mistress and the wife were to sit together.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThank you. I appreciate that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re welcome,\u201d he murmured with a comforting smile.<\/p>\n<p>Grimme knocked his knife against his goblet and stood, tugging Br\u00ecghde up to stand with him. Everyone else stood then. \u201cThis,\u201d he said, splaying his hand on Br\u00ecghde\u2019s back, \u201cis my new wife and countess, Lady Br\u00ecghde Kyneward. Please make her welcome.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The knights applauded and cheered loudly, and the one who had assisted in her abduction and returned with her and Grimme led the cheers. She grinned and waved at him.<\/p>\n<p>The mistresses, however, remained silent and stone-faced.<\/p>\n<p>Grimme seated Br\u00ecghde, then his father, then himself. Everyone else sat, and the food and wine was put out in abundance. In this, the kitchen servants and bakers did not laze about, and \u2019twas no wonder no one noticed anything else falling apart. Or rather, that it had never been put together in the first place.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou were telling me why you have no friends,\u201d Grimme murmured after everyone settled in to eat.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh. Aye. You see, I <em>want<\/em> to have friends, but once I make one, after a while, she will get tired of me and either lose patience or drift away. In some cases, when she is too polite to do either, I can still tell, so I drift away to relieve her of my presence. Mostly I have just learned to keep to myself. \u2019Tis not rare for me to make an immediate friend, such as you or Sir John, but none have ever <em>stayed<\/em> my friend after a few weeks or, if I am lucky, months. My brothers are my only real friends, and that is because we have a common enemy and we can fight amongst ourselves until we\u2019re all too weary and bruised to be angry.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNeither I nor Sir John is going to get tired of you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She looked at him from under her brow. \u201cYou have known me a sennight and Sir John barely one day. Overmuch familiarity engenders disparagement. By the time a friend wishes to part company with me, there is much anger and resentment built up, and friendships do not survive that sort of anger.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMayhap if you argued as you went along and came to agreement, or agreed to disagree, \u2019twould not build up until you cannot reconcile.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn my experience, that is an extraordinary accomplishment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI had a friend once. My very best friend. We had known each other from the cradle, \u2019twould seem. My mother, brother, and I, and he and his mother, lived across the hall from each other above my father\u2019s shop. My friend had even less of a future than I. My father outfitted us both as pages and sent us to a noble. We learned together. Studied together. We competed at everything. I would win one. He would win the other. We were equally matched. We grew and attained knighthood very early, as both of us were large for our size, and smart. We have even been taken for brothers. We fought together on the battlefield. We had saved each other\u2019s lives again and again.\u201d Grimme hesitated, then continued slowly, \u201cOnce, I carried him off the battlefield when he was injured so that he would not be slain in mercy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She laid his hand on his arm, and he blinked at her, surprised. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to tell me,\u201d she said softly. \u201cI can see that it is an unpleasant tale for you to tell.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He laid his other hand over hers and gave her a pained smile. \u201cPerhaps it needs to be told, and I would like to tell it to you, if you will grant me the honor.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She smiled, pleased that he wanted to confide in her. \u201cAs you wish.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He took another deep breath. \u201cAye, well. We were at the Battle of Agincourt, where I earned my earldom and he didn\u2019t, though he had an equal hand in what happened and deserved one as much as I.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAw,\u201d Br\u00ecghde sighed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut that was not the worst of it. He had already begun drifting away from me before that, as he could not bear the burden of his gratitude for carrying him off the battlefield. He would have feigned his happiness for me and finished fading away. It was that I seduced his lady love.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She grimaced.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI swear to you, Br\u00ecghde, I did not know she was his lady love. He spoke of a woman he was wooing. I thought nothing of it, as I do not woo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou <em>don\u2019t<\/em>?\u201d she asked breathlessly.<\/p>\n<p>He grinned. \u201cShe claimed that she allowed him to woo her because she wanted <em>me<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMmm hm,\u201d she hummed and pulled her hand away to take a bite off her platter.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe accused me of taking everything away from him, his dignity, his honor, his chance at nobility, and then his lady love, which, he told me, was why he had never introduced me to her. He refused to believe that I did not know and would not concede that it takes two. She rebuffed him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He stopped talking and began to eat in earnest, as did she, but after a few bites, she said, \u201cWell, I am sorry.\u201d She was.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am not finished.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her eyebrows rose and she looked at him out of the corner of her eye as she ate.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou do not even let a good tale get between you and your food, do you?\u201d he laughed.<\/p>\n<p>She grinned and popped a bite in her mouth to punctuate the jest. \u201cGo on.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe had had a philosophical disagreement of many years\u2019 duration, which was what finally turned us from friends to bitter enemies.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd that was&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI,\u201d he said slowly, now looking at his platter and toying with his food, \u201cam not an honorable knight.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow so?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He raised his eyes to hers. \u201cI want to win. By any means necessary. I identify my enemy, I do what I must to conquer him. I will ambush. I will sneak through the night and slit the throats of hundreds of men silently, like a snake, then lick the blood off the blade. I will lay traps, spy, poison, and run a sword through the backs of retreating soldiers so they do not return to bedevil me another day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde was confused. \u201cWhat about ransom?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOnly when I\u2019m not outnumbered, and those battles have been few and far between. If I do not have the force to take knights for ransom, I take their armor and horses when I\u2019m finished laying a field to waste.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat is the nature of warfare.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He blinked at her as if he had expected her to judge him harshly. His expression softened. \u201cNot when one has been reared to adhere to the chivalric code. The only place I have always fought honorably is on the lists, and that is because I could not win otherwise. My friend found my philosophy dishonorable, but he tolerated it as we fought our way through France, victorious always. He could not see that he needed my warcraft to make it possible for him to ply his.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd I did not come to my philosophy lightly,\u201d he hastened to assure her, as if he\u2019d argued this point for years. \u201cIt was difficult to change my thoughts, but I was simply tired of losing. I do not lose well or graciously and finally determined I would not tolerate losing at all. So, he saw my having had his lady love as the final manifestation of my dishonorable and cowardly way of waging war.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She studied him for a long time, her mouth pursing, her nose scrunching, her lips twitching back and forth. \u201cHe believes your earldom to be illegitimate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, and the fact that he fought honorably, by his code, and deserved one as much as I, and \u2019twas only that Henry saw my fleeting valor, but did not observe his steadfast valor that made the difference.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh,\u201d Br\u00ecghde said sadly. \u201cHow long were you friends?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTwenty years and then a few more. We have been enemies since Agincourt.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat was his name?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAldwyn Marchand. He is Sheffield\u2019s deputy, prime commander of all Sheffield\u2019s forces.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde gasped. \u201cLeading the charge for your death?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m told no, and I would believe that, for that is not Aldwyn\u2019s way. On the other hand, he remains in the service of Sheffield, so he may have changed; I know not. You will likely meet him soon as I expect the duke will insist on visiting to <em>celebrate<\/em> our marriage. If he is still the Aldwyn I know, I have great sympathy for him, as it chafes for any intelligent knight to be subject to a dull-witted noble. Divine right of kings,\u201d he scoffed. \u201cSo many men too <em>simple<\/em> to wage an effective war, and too many men too prideful to wage war to <em>conquer<\/em>, chivalry be damned.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde sighed sadly and dropped her head, shaking it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo you judge me now, my lady?\u201d he asked coolly.<\/p>\n<p>She raised an eyebrow at him. \u201cTrojan horse.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He looked confused.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSomeday\u2014not today\u2014I will tell you why and how I was to be the Trojan horse to destroy Clan MacFhionnlaigh.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Comprehension slowly overcame his features. \u201cMy God,\u201d he whispered, aghast.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI told you you rescued me from more than marriage to an imp.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe horse,\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde smiled wistfully and picked at her food. \u201cAye. But!\u201d she said, sipping at her wine. \u201cDo you care, I am <em>sad<\/em> for both of you, as I understand both your philosophies. My father believes as you do, but his bloodlust is never sated. He continuously looks for battles to pick just to go to war. <em>That<\/em> is dishonorable. I didn\u2019t <em>like<\/em> the MacFhionnlaighs and I certainly did not want to breed with that pack of disgusting dimwits, but they did not deserve to be slaughtered simply because my father is carrying a grudge over a slight.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He blinked. \u201cWould you have done it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde\u2019s mouth tightened and she looked away. \u201cI&nbsp;\u2026 like to think I would not have once I was no longer under his control.\u201d She shook her head. \u201cWe are discussing the nature of friendship, not my moral failings. Your point is that you are not angry with your friend, but he is angry with you. And you saved his life, which he cannot bear at all because it means you are no longer equal in all things. He is in your debt. In his mind, he is inferior, not only because he does not have an earldom whilst you do and he is more deserving, but because he sees himself as having been the weak one and you the strong one, and having lost his lady love to you was the final insult to his manhood.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye,\u201d Grimme muttered with a sigh, looking down at his platter, only half eaten, whereas Br\u00ecghde was busy licking hers clean. \u201cBut that does, in fact, prove my point. For twenty years, Aldwyn and I argued incessantly. Fought. Grew angry with each other. Yet those small contentions did not damage our friendship. One large philosophical contention alone did not break us. It took many contentions and much of fate to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI would argue that that is the privilege of history. My brothers and I are loyal to each other because we are so close in age and we have experienced the same things. \u2019Tis not something that can be claimed with just anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He pursed his lips and thought, then nodded. \u201cAye, I see your point.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde looked up to see that the hall was quiet. Everyone was finished eating and were bored awaiting Grimme\u2019s order for the entertainments to begin. She quickly glanced at the mistresses, two of whom were trying to coax their sons to eat more, but they had come to the table stuffed. One mistress was staring at her empty platter morosely, and the last sat back with her arms crossed, glaring at Br\u00ecghde.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDismissed,\u201d Grimme rumbled, and slid his half-eaten platter over to Br\u00ecghde.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, thank you!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As the hall emptied of those who did not wish to stay and the mummers appeared to begin the evening\u2019s amusement, he snapped his fingers and bid more wine be poured for both him and Br\u00ecghde. The mistresses scattered and took their sons with them.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood eve, Papa! Good eve, Grandpapa!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood eve, boys!\u201d Grimme and Sir John called back to them as one.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cExcellent wine,\u201d she breathed under the cacophony as she sipped, her eyes closed. \u201cThank you, Husband.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He smiled. \u201cI believe we have indeed been disproportionately advantaged.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI agree.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd so I ask again, what makes you so unlikeable?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She put down her goblet and dropped her knife. She leaned back, crossed one leg over the other, stared at the opposite wall. She crossed her arms over her chest. Her jaw slid back and forth, then she turned her face toward him but looked at the floor. \u201cI\u2019m right.\u201d She raised her eyes to his. \u201cI\u2019m <em>always<\/em> right. Even when I\u2019m wrong, I\u2019m right.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Grimme started to grin. \u201cThat is the most winsome thing I have ever heard a woman say.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She laughed, but a little sadly. \u201cI want a friend like yours so badly,\u201d she said softly, \u201cthat I will beg like a dog to have his ears scratched. Sometimes, I make immediate friends, as I said. <em>Sometimes<\/em>, someone will pursue me to be my friend\u2014<em>those<\/em> I am suspicious of, but will still take because I am so desperate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIs that why you acquiesced so easily to this marriage?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She shrugged. \u201cOne reason. You seemed friendly and did not ravish me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYour expectations are too low.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou see, I do not <em>want<\/em> to have small arguments along the way because for me, any argument at all always ends the friendship. I try to be kind. I try to listen and be a good friend, give good counsel. It is not returned, but still I ignore slights and hurtful words, I ignore annoyances and pranks. I ignore the gossip about me, I ignore things I overhear. I ignore my resentment of the hints for coin or this and that and give her what she wants, until I don\u2019t, at which point she stops speaking to me. As for philosophical differences&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;\u201d She sighed. \u201cI\u2019ve never had a friendship last long enough to <em>have<\/em> a philosophical difference. I try. I try, Grimme, but at some point, she is wrong and I am right, and I can no longer bear the weight of my righteousness silently.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Grimme held his hand out, palm up. She looked at it, confused, then raised her eyes to his. He gave her a crooked grin and flexed his fingers. She hesitantly put her hand in his. \u201cIf you will let me, I will teach you that friendships don\u2019t end with an argument or two. You don\u2019t have to beg for ear scratches from me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptchapterhead\">12<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">GRIMME SAT IN his chair just after midnight and Br\u00ecghde had requested excusal. It was quiet but for the scraping of tables being pushed to the side and the erection of cots for his men. He had not realized that all through the meal, his father had been listening and there the two of them sat, father and son, silently contemplating.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrojan horse,\u201d Sir John murmured.<\/p>\n<p>Grimme nodded slowly. \u201cIt worries me, her lack of a sense of loyalty.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSon, she has no reason at all to be loyal to you. You abducted her, and the fact that it suited her purposes does not make it worth any loyalty, for you would have brought her here against her will anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye.\u201d He paused. \u201cAfter our wedding, she wrote a letter to her brother absolving me of an act of war.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh? That\u2019s&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLoyalty to herself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut she<em> told<\/em> you about her father\u2019s plan, which, considered the proper way, is a gesture of good faith.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He did not answer for a long time. \u201cShe has been very free with information. What if&nbsp;\u2026 she is not disloyal or acting in bad faith, but so desperate for a friend she will tell anyone who is kind to her anything and everything in the hopes that they will like her?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat occurred to me whilst she was speaking.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Grimme shrugged. \u201cNo matter. I don\u2019t befriend those I fuck and I don\u2019t fuck my friends.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you don\u2019t intend to bed her, why did you wed her and bring her home?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI <em>do<\/em> intend to bed her,\u201d he said testily. \u201cJust not&nbsp;\u2026 today.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t understand you. How are you able to turn down even the most beautiful of brunettes?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPapa, <em>you<\/em> fucked a dwarf.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe was comely and the price was right.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Grimme rolled his eyes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019d bed Br\u00ecghde myself if I thought she\u2019d accommodate my infirmities.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI knew you would before I brought her home. I regret to inform you she\u2019s married.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNever stopped me before,\u201d Sir John said blithely.<\/p>\n<p>Grimme laughed and clapped his father on the back, rubbing his shoulder. \u201cThat\u2019s my papa.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd with that, I shall find my bed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSleep well.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd you, my son,\u201d he said with a pat on Grimme\u2019s arm.<\/p>\n<p>Grimme sat slouched, his foot on the table, his chin on his fist, still contemplating what it meant to have in his household a woman capable of slaying an allied clan at her father\u2019s behest for&nbsp;\u2026 a slight. How <em>large<\/em> a slight it was, well&nbsp;\u2026 Grimme had avenged himself for a slight before, but not to that extent. The thing that bothered him the most was that she <em>did not know<\/em> if she would have gone through with it once she became Lady MacFhionnlaigh and took up residence.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGrimme.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>Lord<\/em> Grimme,\u201d he growled without turning.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLord Grimme,\u201d Emelisse pleaded, pulling out her\u2014no, Br\u00ecghde\u2019s\u2014chair and sitting in it. She clutched Grimme\u2019s hand and held it to her breast as she leaned forward, tears in her eyes. \u201cDon\u2019t let her come between us,\u201d she whispered in French.<\/p>\n<p>Grimme rolled his head on the back of his chair until he was looking at her. \u201cDid we not discuss this last night? How many times must I tell you that I am not at all interested in bedding her\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut you must! For legitimate heirs. What if you acquire a taste for her?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Grimme laughed suddenly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am not laughing! She is beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat does not signify. She is not beautiful in a way that appeals to me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her nostrils flared. \u201cYou sat at supper whispering with her the <em>entire<\/em> time. I tried to get your attention. Your harlots tried to get your attention. Your <em>sons<\/em> tried to get your attention. A few of your men tried to get your attention. You have <em>never<\/em> sat at supper and whispered with me all the way through.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That was because he and Emelisse had nothing to talk about. He preferred it that way, but even if he didn\u2019t, Emelisse had nothing of interest to say.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNothing could take your attention away from her. She pounded on my door and you laughed. She ordered you to get out of bed and you laughed.\u201d Grimme started to snicker again. \u201cYou see? You would have put me away for <em>days<\/em> had I done such a thing to you. Never mind <em>kicking in my door!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMake sure it\u2019s latched next time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She gnashed her teeth. \u201cGr\u2014<em>Lord Grimme!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe amuses me. Think of her as&nbsp;\u2026 Aldwyn.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat is not what I see. You left my bed when your knight summoned you and you did not return until late morning. Then I learn she slept in your bed last night. You slept with her, did you not?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye. I slept with her almost all the way home from Scotland, too.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She whimpered. \u201cBut\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He huffed, no longer amused. \u201cYou misunderstand my marriage to her. I did not wed a woman. I bought a measure of safety from Sheffield\u2019s plans for my death, and also had God\u2019s blessing to get a castellain and a willing womb. She just happens to amuse me. Now, I weary of this conversation. If the boys are distressed by my having snubbed them, send them to my chambers.\u201d That was the <em>last<\/em> thing he wanted to do, as they would want to wrestle and he was too tired to wrestle little boys.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe is different,\u201d she said flatly. \u201cThere is something about her that draws you to her.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am not drawn to her <em>that way<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNon, there is something else. I am going to lose you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you continue with this, oui, you might,\u201d he burst out, exasperated.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI mean, I am going to lose you <em>to her<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He looked at her with something akin to astonishment. \u201cYou see things that are not there. I bed <em>you<\/em>, not her.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou bed three or more others, too,\u201d she said bitterly, \u201cand do not tell me you did not get your cod satisfied on your journey to get her.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis <em>again<\/em>?\u201d he asked with a raised eyebrow. \u201cYou know why. Do not expect me to curb my lust simply because you cannot pace me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She flushed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI do not disrespect you by demanding you do what you don\u2019t want to do, so do not badger me with your unhappiness that I go elsewhere for those things. As to Brigitte, if you are cordial to her, she will be cordial to you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAfter this morning\u2019s display?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe told you immediately that she does not care about you or why you are here. She was angry <em>at me<\/em> because she was tired because my orders were not carried out because the servants are not under control and you four hoard them all and my chamberlain dismissed her and no one knew who she was so could not command anyone. That was all <em>my<\/em> fault. She has <em>no<\/em> interest in you as anything but a member of the household for which she, as castellain, is responsible.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI will not be commanded, much less by her.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI cannot think what she could possibly want you to do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her eyebrows rose. \u201cOh, you cannot think. <em>This morning<\/em> she felt free to kick in my door\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He somehow controlled his snicker.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2014and storm into it as if it belonged to her. Then she lined me up with your other harlots as if I were a servant and ordered me to choose two maidservants, then ordered me upstairs. <em>Then<\/em> she ordered Gaston and Max upstairs with me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Grimme found nothing truly untoward about that, but kept his thoughts to himself. \u201cShe is just getting the household settled. She will not need to command you to do anything once everything is put to rights.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTell her she is not allowed to command me for any reason at all!\u201d she demanded.<\/p>\n<p>He sighed. \u201cGo to bed. I will be there anon.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It wasn\u2019t long after she left that he heard, \u201cPapa!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He smiled to see his youngest son, of Maebh\u2019s womb, running to him with a big smile.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2019Tis very late, Pierce,\u201d he said and pulled the boy onto his lap. \u201cWhy are you not in bed?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He blinked. \u201cNo one put me there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Of course not. \u201cWould you like me to do so?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, Papa, and will you tell me a story?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMmm, let me see. I will tell you the story of how I plucked Lady Br\u00ecghde straight out of her wedding.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Exaggerated for best effect, of course. He had not gotten through their first night in the woods before the boy drifted off and his body grew heavier against Grimme\u2019s chest until he released tiny snores.<\/p>\n<p>He looked up to find that most of his men were in their cups around the hearth or sleeping. Grimme sighed and stood, the boy cradled in his arms and took him to his chambers, sliding him gently in bed beside his snoring brother. Once tucked in, Grimme looked down at his sons and smiled a little. Sometimes he did not feel as if they were his blood, just any four of many, many children in the keep and the bailey. How did a man <em>feel<\/em> his sons to be <em>part<\/em> of him? The boys\u2019 mothers certainly felt them to be part of them, but Grimme could not capture that feeling. Any sons Br\u00ecghde bore him would be his legitimate sons, but he could not imagine caring for them any more or less than he cared for the ones he already had.<\/p>\n<p>He should start preparing them for their future, the way his father had prepared Grimme, Grimme\u2019s brothers, and Aldwyn. They could be warriors or respected scholars or doctors of medicine or merchants or clerics or craftsmen, sure of themselves. He wanted them to enjoy their occupations as much as Grimme enjoyed his, and he didn\u2019t much care what they were, so long as they weren\u2019t thieves like Grimme\u2019s older brother.<\/p>\n<p>He simply&nbsp;\u2026 did not want them to leave him.<\/p>\n<p>Troubled by his neglect of his sons\u2019 educations, he clipped down the stairs to his own hallway and slowed as he reached the span between his door and Br\u00ecghde\u2019s. Hers was wide open, candles and torches blazing, hearth also ablaze. She had servants running in and out, fetching buckets of hot water and leaving with empty ones.<\/p>\n<p>He leaned against her door frame, his arm up over his head to watch. The girls curtsied to him as they went in and out of the chambers. One, a tall, willowy, blue-eyed blonde, didn\u2019t curtsy. She gave him a long look up his body, met his amused gaze, looked back down his body, then settled her attention on his cod. He smirked. She raised an eyebrow at him.<\/p>\n<p>He shook his head with a wry grin, and she rolled her eyes and shrugged, then went about her business, cupping and squeezing his half hard cod as she went past. He looked over his shoulder and watched her disappear down the stairs. He puffed out a long breath.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh! Grimme! Good eve.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAre you going to keep the maidservants up all night?\u201d he asked, because if she didn\u2019t, he would.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSweet Virgin Mary, I hope not,\u201d she breathed, then flopped in an overstuffed chair and wiped her forehead with the back of her arm. \u201cI\u2019m <em>drained<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFood?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNay, but wine would not come amiss.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He ordered one of the girls to fetch wine for both of them. She curtsied and scrambled, and he watched after her too.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat is that scowl for, Lord Husband?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He grunted. \u201cI have never seen the servants work this hard or this fast.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is a reason for that,\u201d she said lazily, then yawned.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhich is?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey haven\u2019t been working much at all, but this wanders into things you do not want to know about.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIndeed.\u201d He looked around at her chambers. \u201cI would you acquire things of your own taste, not pieces scavenged from forgotten corners. If these chambers are not to your liking, you are free to choose different ones.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, I will, bu\u2014\u201d A huge yawn caught her. \u201c\u2014but there are too many things to be done first, particularly if your duke is going to be visiting anon. Do you know! There are one hundred thirty-four guest chambers in this keep that do not have furniture!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTwenty-four total.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWell, it <em>seemed<\/em> like one hundred thirty-four. We shall need carpenters. And wood.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe will go to Hogarth and fetch some as soon as I can get away.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThank you. Did you need me for something?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI <em>was<\/em> going to ask you to play chess with me, but I see you have a bath awaiting you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She nodded wearily, and said nothing whilst the remaining maid left. His brow wrinkled and he tilted his head to see if\u2014 \u201cBr\u00ecghde, are you crying?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She dashed her fingertips against her cheeks. \u201cI miss my dog,\u201d she whispered. \u201cI have never slept a night that he did not sleep with me since he was a pup and now&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou slept without him on our journey.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI slept with <em>you<\/em> and you are almost as big as he is, and almost as intrusive into my sleeping space. Last night, for example.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Grimme laughed. \u201cWould you have been allowed to take him to MacFhionnlaigh?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe was awaiting me there,\u201d she muttered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s his name?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMercury.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRoman? Commerce?\u201d he asked, confused.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSpeed. Mercury has winged sandals and helmet.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He smiled wistfully and sighed, his smile fading. \u201cAye.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI had a horse once,\u201d he said, for some reason compelled to tell her things he had either never told anyone else or had forgotten. \u201cAres.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGreek god of war,\u201d she murmured.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe was born small and weak. He\u2019d be dead in a couple of days, but my patron knight told me I could have him if I could save him. I was thirteen. I think. I sat with him and his dam night and day, slept with him, kept him warm, poured goat milk down his throat until he could nurse. His dam wanted him to live too; without her, he wouldn\u2019t have survived. I spent every penny I had to keep him alive.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo then, my knight took us to the best trainer in France, and loaned me the coin. I did the bulk of the training, with the trainer\u2019s help, and he trained me how to train a horse to war. Ares carried me through every battle I ever fought as a knight, every tournament I ever entered, across France, up and down England.\u201d Grimme wiped his hand down his face, wishing he\u2019d never said anything, but now could not stop speaking. \u201cI\u2019ve never owned or ridden another horse that could match him. Intelligent. Fierce. A warrior.\u201d She was watching him carefully, which made him angry because she saw too much. \u201cI was approached about breeding him. I was very careful to breed him to mares who could match him and I made a lot of money. I have two of his sons and I only ride one or the other.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat happened to him?\u201d she asked softly.<\/p>\n<p>Why had he thought he could end the story there?<\/p>\n<p>Because the story didn\u2019t end there. It hadn\u2019t ended at all.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSheffield has him. Marchand\u2014my friend\u2014rides him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde gasped, her eyes wide and her hands over her mouth. Indeed, her eyes were glistening again, and now he was happy because she could cry for him, that he had someone who <em>would<\/em> cry for him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSheffield demanded him as tribute,\u201d he muttered, looking down and scuffing his boot on the stone. \u201cI had no choice. You will likely get to see him, too, when the duke visits.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, Grimme,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n<p>He pushed himself away from her door jamb. \u201cGood eve, and sleep well.\u201d He halted, then said over his shoulder, \u201cWhen the duke comes, he will tour the stables. Whatever you do, do not let him know how much you love Troy. He\u2019ll demand him and I\u2019ll have to give him to him because he\u2019s my liege and God knows, Sheffield wants to possess everything I love.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptchapterhead\">13<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">\u201cMY LADY. LAUDS.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde sighed at the hand on her shoulder, but did not open her eyes. She was so very comfortable in the old but sturdy bed with a new mattress. \u201cThank you, Avis. Bring me the green kirtle.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She arose, allowed her chambermaid to help her dress, then sat on a stool whilst the girl brushed her hair, braided it, and dressed it. She looked in the glass. \u201cThat is very lovely. Thank you.\u201d She could see the girl blush and smile in the glass. Br\u00ecghde turned and said, \u201cYou did very well with my chambers, and by the time I set. I am pleased. If you continue to serve me this well, I shall double your wage.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThank you, my lady,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n<p>She looked around. \u201cDoes <em>nothing<\/em> match? Where is everything? Certainly the last occupant of this keep left <em>something<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Avis shook her head apologetically. \u201cNot very much, my lady. We searched every corner of the keep for even this much and\u2014\u201d She shrugged helplessly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s a new mattress. Where did you find it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She pulled her lips between her teeth.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTell me,\u201d she teased.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou said all maids were to obey our orders, aye? We ordered one of the hags\u2019\u2014<em>mistresses\u2019<\/em> maids to bring us one of their mattresses that had not been swived upon. They have several, stacked upon each other.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde beamed, and the girl ducked her head to hide her smile. \u201cExcellent work. Very good thinking.\u201d She leaned closer. \u201cWhich hags and how did they react?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The maid giggled before she caught it in her hand. \u201cMaebh and Ardith, mum. They only grumbled because they had to get out of the bed before we could get to it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou and I should get along very well.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, mum,\u201d she whispered shyly. \u201cYou must hurry, however. The servants are lining up for roll.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAh, aye. Thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>If Br\u00ecghde wanted to get all the servants accounted for before breakfast, she would have to skip morning prayers and go straight to Sir John\u2019s study, where he was awaiting her with his ledger. She went to the study door and said, \u201cKitchen staff first.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>They went quickly, Sir John checking them off, verifying their positions and wages. The serving staff next, who had to hurry to get the tables readied for breakfast. Next, the chambermaids and on down to the last servant in the keep.<\/p>\n<p>There were many not accounted for and many important positions not filled. Sir John shook his head wearily. \u201cI cannot keep up,\u201d he murmured. \u201cIf they were dismissed, if they disappeared&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;\u201d His eyes were shiny with tears of frustration, and Br\u00ecghde would have comforted him, but it was time for breakfast.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCome, come. A good meal will make everything look brighter. Can you go outside?\u201d she asked as she accompanied him to the table.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOnly with help. Getting down the stairs outside the keep is dangerous business.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAh.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She and Sir John stood by their chairs and awaited Grimme, who appeared in simple breeches, tunic, and boots, which was standard clothing for a soldier to wear under his gambeson, mail, and armor.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood morn, Papa. Br\u00ecghde,\u201d he said cheerfully.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood morn, Grimme.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He seated her, then his father, then he sat. Everyone else then sat and breakfast was served. Br\u00ecghde looked at the mistresses\u2019 spots. \u201cWhere\u2019s your family?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEmelisse is sleeping. The boys are likely also asleep. The others, I don\u2019t know. When are you going to get me a new chamberlain?\u201d he muttered, scratching at the copper-gold stubble on his jaw.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI asked who would like to shave the earl\u2019s face without a nick or a cut and no one was interested.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Grimme and Sir John chuckled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIs there anything <em>else<\/em> you need from a chamberlain?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSee to my clothing,\u201d he mumbled as he ate. \u201cSee to my comfort when I\u2019m there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid you like him?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s been with me for eight years, so&nbsp;\u2026 aye.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde pursed her lips and thought mayhap she had been a little too quick to take offense.<\/p>\n<p>He slid a glance at her. \u201cBut I want someone I don\u2019t have to train. I train enough pages and squires and men-at-arms. And horses. I don\u2019t want to have to do it at home, too.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde nodded. \u201cFair. Who occupied this keep before you? There is <em>no<\/em> furniture in this house.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo you said,\u201d Grimme said around a bite. He was wolfing down his food and must want to get out to the training field. \u201cIt was empty when we got here. Papa saw to furnishing it for our needs, but that was five years ago, so&nbsp;\u2026 Kyneward has a dower house that may have something in it, but I doubt it. It\u2019s boarded up. I haven\u2019t been there, nor has anyone else, I don\u2019t think. Papa?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNay.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere is it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn the southwest corner, just inside the border between Kyneward and Sheffield.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow far is that?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSeven miles.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere are the keys?\u201d she asked breathlessly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have them,\u201d Sir John said.<\/p>\n<p>Grimme slid her another glance. \u201cNot this week. I will send knights with you, but we are conducting important training practice. Sheffield guards the border heavily to make sure we know they are there, and I don\u2019t want them to mistake you for a wench who\u2019s lost her way, and they would be <em>very<\/em> happy to see a beautiful woman alone and vulnerable. <em>Wedding<\/em> you would not be at the forefront of their thoughts.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It irritated her, but she could see his point. \u201cVery well. I have things to do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, and one thing you must do is adjudicate the villeins\u2019 and merchants\u2019 complaints against one another and against us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She looked at him, aghast. \u201cYou do not have a manorial court?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA what?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde thought she would never overcome the shock at what this earldom lacked. \u201cUh&nbsp;\u2026 do <em>you<\/em> not adjudicate them?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Grimme shook his head with finality. \u201cNo. My method of adjudicating conflict is to let the soldiers fight it out until one of them surrenders or dies.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen&nbsp;\u2026 who does do it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFather Hercule, when he can. Otherwise, no one.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo they\u2019ve been arguing amongst themselves all this time?!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She leaned over her platter to look at Sir John. \u201cDo you not have a lawyer here?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sir John and Grimme both looked at her strangely. \u201cWe should have a lawyer?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, sweet Virgin Mary and Joseph,\u201d she moaned, planting an elbow on the table and rubbing the bridge of her nose.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBr\u00ecghde,\u201d Grimme said stiffly, \u201cI am the bastard son of a wealthy merchant, <em>not<\/em> a noble. I should not even have been made a knight, much less an earl and I have very rarely been in a noble\u2019s home, and that only to sup occasionally. I have been an earl a mere five years, more than half of which I have spent in France. Neither of us knows how a noble household runs, which is something that has become painfully obvious to both of us over the last two days. We have done as well as we can with what little knowledge we have. There is no such thing as lessons in how to be an earl.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd I,\u201d Sir John said darkly, \u201chave been busy building a fortune, at which I excel, in case you haven\u2019t noticed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde swallowed at the chastisement and wondered if she would lose both her new friends in all of three days.<\/p>\n<p>Grimme went on, \u201cI don\u2019t even know how to get my sons legitimized, and my incessant missives to London have gone unanswered. We understand that you are learned in these matters, and we are grateful that you are, and that you have consented to see to putting us to rights. However, if you could refrain from pointing out how dimwitted we are, we would appreciate it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She flushed. \u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d she muttered. \u201cI\u2014 My mother is\u2014 I try not to be like her but&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cForgiven. <em>Do<\/em> you know how I can legitimize my sons?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI only know Scots law,\u201d she mumbled, flushing, utterly ashamed of herself because she had suddenly turned into her mother and she had sworn never to do so. She looked at Father Hercule next to her. \u201cPlease tell me you studied law before you took your vows.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He smiled. \u201cI did.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow can Lord Kyneward legitimize his sons?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe doesn\u2019t have to legitimize them; he only has to declare an heir.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat is not what I want,\u201d Grimme said. \u201cI want to legitimize them, not name one of them my heir. Making a wise decision as to an heir amongst my sons is not only difficult at their ages, it would cause much strife amongst their mothers. I want my heir to be legitimate because none of my women have any expectations as to their sons being the heir. I don\u2019t want the conflict.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou cannot legitimize them, my lord,\u201d Father Hercule returned.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOut of curiosity,\u201d Br\u00ecghde asked Grimme, \u201cwhich one would you name?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2014don\u2019t\u2014know!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She turned back to Father Hercule. \u201cYou know the laddies. What do you think?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPierce,\u201d he said immediately. \u201cHe is shrewd, learns quickly, and he also has a bit of a ruthless streak, which, if it can be nourished in the correct way, will be what he needs to be earl.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s five,\u201d Grimme drawled impatiently. \u201cHow ruthless can he be?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat is whom I would choose and that is part of my reasoning,\u201d Father Hercule said firmly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re hired,\u201d Br\u00ecghde told Father Hercule. \u201cSend for a new priest.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">WHEN SHE RETURNED to her chambers just after midday meal, after having sequestered herself with Father Hercule to build a list of complaints to be heard and to set a regular weekly court day, her chambermaid was stacking wood by the hearth.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh! Good afternoon, my lady,\u201d she said, curtsying.<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde smiled. \u201cCome. Let us talk.\u201d She offered her one of the mismatched chairs in front of the hearth and Br\u00ecghde took the other. The girl looked scared.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo you know Lord Kyneward\u2019s chamberlain?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She flushed. \u201cHe\u2019s&nbsp;\u2026 me uncle, mum.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, is that so!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, mum.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTake me to him.\u201d Her eyes popped out of her head. \u201cI am not going to accuse him of thievery. Lord Kyneward values him, and I would offer him his position back.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her face lit up. \u201cOh, mum, <em>thank you!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde hopped up and gestured at the lass to hurry. She clipped down to the kitchen, surprising the kitchen staff, and asked where she could find carrots. They scurried to get them for her and she sweetly said, \u201cThank you,\u201d then ran back up the stairs. It was pleasant to walk outside, as she had not been outside in a full day. \u201cCome, we must visit my pet first.\u201d She led the girl to the stables and Troy snuffled at her as soon as he saw her. \u201cGood day, my sweet wee laddie,\u201d she said and puckered up to smooch his snout. He lipped her nose. \u201cToday I have carrots for you.\u201d He gobbled them as fast as she could pull them out of the sack. \u201cSweet Mary! Do they give you <em>nothing<\/em> to eat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPardon, my lady, but he\u2019s spoilt.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She turned to see whom she assumed to be the marshal. He bowed, but was trying to keep his smile in check.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAre you accusing me of spoiling this magnificent charger?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, my lady, I am.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She turned to Troy and nuzzled his snout again. \u201cI can spoil you all I want, can I not, my beast?\u201d She looked over her shoulder and said, \u201cHe\u2019s a <em>Trojan<\/em> horse.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, mum,\u201d he chuckled. \u201cDo you need him saddled?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, no. I am going to walk. I just stopped by to pet my pet. Aye, he is. Who\u2019s a good laddie? <em>You\u2019re<\/em> a good laddie.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAh, mum, I was wondering\u2014 We do need him to train and\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAny day, any time after breakfast. If I need him, I will try to request him in advance. Tomorrow, in fact.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He bowed again. \u201cThank you, my lady.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAre you going to breed him?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAlready done, by Lord Kyneward\u2019s orders, mum.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLet me see her.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The marshal led her across the outer bailey to a different stable. \u201cThis is where we keep the breeding mares.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh! \u2019Tis why you have so many horses!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, mum. Lord Kyneward breeds and trains horses for sale. As he had Ares and now his sons, his horses are much in demand and nobles from all around come to purchase.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He took her to a stall where a lovely bay mare who was almost as big as Troy stood munching oats. \u201cOh, good day,\u201d Br\u00ecghde sighed, holding her hand out for the lass to sniff. \u201cWhat\u2019s her name?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHelen.\u201d Br\u00ecghde gaped at him. \u201cAll our mares are named Mary until Lord Kyneward decides upon a name. We have mares who\u2019ve been with us two or more years who still haven\u2019t been named. Since this one and Troy took a liking to each other almost immediately and she was already in heat, \u2019twasn\u2019t difficult to get him on her. So my lord named her Helen. He has a gift for knowing which stallions to breed to which mares and he spends quite a bit of time with their lineages.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, what a lovely lass you are,\u201d Br\u00ecghde cooed, but Helen did not seem to appreciate her attentions, so she stepped back. \u201cI suppose I\u2019ll not be riding <em>her<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo, you will not. Nobody has been able to ride her but my lord and then only barely. She\u2019s thrown him dozens of times.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAh, \u2019tis not just me, then.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo. She is five, but her previous owner practically gave her away for she could not be trained. If anyone can train her, \u2019twould be my lord.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDoes Ares have a consort?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, he does. Come.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The mare was mostly white with big black splotches, and mixed black-and-white mane, tail, and feathers. She too was almost as big as Troy. \u201cWhy, good day to you, Mistress Aphrodite.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, no, mum. Her name is Enyo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde searched her mind for an Enyo, and could think of nothing. \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know. You\u2019d have to ask Lord Kyneward.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo you breed her?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe do, but Lord Kyneward would rather not, as we don\u2019t have Ares and Lord Sheffield will not allow him to mate her. At the moment, she\u2019s not in heat, but we cannot afford to leave her fallow, as her foals are too fine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy did Sheffield not take her too?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe doesn\u2019t care about mares.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIdiot.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The marshal chuckled.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike Helen, Enyo seemed to like her quite well, even going so far as to wrap her neck around Br\u00ecghde\u2019s shoulders to hug her, and Br\u00ecghde fell in love. \u201cOh, you bonny lass,\u201d she cooed, with her arms around the mare\u2019s neck, scratching her. \u201cI am pleased to make your acquaintance and shall return to see you soon, aye, I will. What a bonny wee lassie you are! Thank you, Marshal. We\u2019ll be off!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The day was overcast, but warm for April. Br\u00ecghde paid careful attention to the villeins\u2019 cottages, all of which needed a few repairs. Kyneward would need a land steward before those few minor repairs turned into many major repairs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis way, mum,\u201d Avis said softly, and led her off the main lane through a pathway cut between cottages three rows back from the lane. She stopped at a cottage and knocked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGo\u2019way.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHamond, \u2019tis me, Avis.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGirl!\u201d came the gasp and the door was ripped open. \u201cYe shouldna be away from the keep! Go back afore ye get\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Avis tilted her head to the left. He looked at Br\u00ecghde and though he was surprised, he kept his expression carefully back.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI made a mistake,\u201d Br\u00ecghde said crisply.<\/p>\n<p>Both Avis and her uncle gaped at Br\u00ecghde. A noble admitting error was unheard of and possibly scandalous, but doing so made one seem trustworthy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLord Kyneward values you highly and he allowed me to dismiss you to honor a bargain he and I made, but he did not like it. Thus, since he has said nothing about it, much less complained, and he will not ask me to request your return, I would like to honor his gesture to me. If you would care to return, I will double your wages.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Avis gasped and Hamond\u2019s jaw dropped open. \u201cMy lady,\u201d he breathed, stepping out into the small pathway.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBefore you accept or refuse,\u201d she said, \u201cwe must have a bargain amongst the three of us. I don\u2019t know you. You don\u2019t know me. Hamond, Lord Kyneward values you. Avis, you showed me your worth when you put my chambers together within your power and in the time I gave you. This is all I have to guide me; however, I <em>must<\/em> trust <em>someone<\/em>. You two must be my eyes and ears. I mean to set the keep to rights the way a noble household should be run. I need to know what goes on belowstairs or I will be crawling all over the keep at all hours of the day and night and nobody will see or hear me and I do not like to hear bad things about myself because then I will get angry. I want to know all the household goings-on. Who\u2019s swiving whom. Who has a grudge against whom for what reason. Who is stealing what from whom, where, and how. Who\u2019s a layabout. Who causes trouble. And I need to have your word you will not let your personal grievances against a good servant inform me whom to dismiss.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hamond was nodding along and Avis seemed to be soaking up the instructions as if she had accepted the terms.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI do <em>not<\/em> want to know anything about where Lord Kyneward puts his spindle.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>They both choked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo we have a bargain?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, my lady.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAvis?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, aye, my lady.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cExcellent. If we hurry, we can have you in livery by supper.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And the livery was awful. Br\u00ecghde grimaced when she saw Hamond dressed in his finest. The three of them stood in Grimme\u2019s chambers and Br\u00ecghde tilted her head. \u201cWhen was the last time you had new livery?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI couldn\u2019t say, mum.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde groaned and dropped her head in her hand. \u201cSo much.\u201d She mimicked sobbing for a moment and then drew up a deep breath. She turned to Avis. \u201cHow long have you had that?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She shrugged. \u201cDon\u2019t know, mum.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Then Br\u00ecghde glanced at the unmade bed, which a maidservant should have made, which Hamond would have made sure she did. She pointed to the bedsheets. \u201cThose are very worn. In fact, so are mine. That\u2019s not something an earl and countess should be sleeping on.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s the best we have, mum.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde sighed and closed her eyes. \u201cVery well.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Suddenly the chamber door opened and there stood Grimme, in his mail, who stopped short. \u201cOh. Good afternoon, Hamond.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood afternoon, my lord,\u201d he said, bowing.<\/p>\n<p>Avis curtsied.<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde opened her mouth, but Grimme held his hand up. \u201cHousehold business.\u201d With that, he dropped to his knees, looked under his bed, pulled out a sword, and left.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHamond,\u201d she said suddenly, \u201cdo you know why Lord Kyneward does not like black?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He looked surprised. \u201cHis tournament armor is black and his horse, Ares, is black.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHrmph. Suffice it to say, your new livery will <em>not<\/em> be black. Suggestions?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptchapterhead\">14<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">GRIMME AND HIS knights were deeply engaged in whatever drills they were practicing, so much so that the next morning, he and they all bolted down their breakfasts with barely a word.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWait,\u201d she said as she caught him when he arose to head out to the practice field. Grimme looked at her, irritated, distracted. She snapped her fingers in his face. \u201cPay attention.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s your favorite color?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His mouth dropped open and then his expression hardened and his nostrils flared. \u201cBr\u00ecghde.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am absolutely serious. I am going to order new livery. I know you hate black, and I want to know what would please you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBlack,\u201d he snapped and scraped his chair back so fast it fell over, then stalked out of the hall, all his knights following him.<\/p>\n<p>She and Sir John exchanged looks. \u201cDid you say you are going to order new livery?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, and bedsheets. Why?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sir John\u2019s brow wrinkled and he slowly arose and shuffled toward his office, gesturing for her to come with him. He sat heavily at his desk and sorted through his very tidy stack of papers that were arranged in some way she did not understand. He pulled out a bill and handed it to her. \u201cThat is from the seamstress in Waters. Livery. Bedsheets.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde studied the bill. \u201cFirstly, I would not order good livery from Waters. Secondly,\u201d she said slowly, \u201cthere is no new livery in the larders and nothing but worn bedsheets upstairs. I had my maid ask the paramours\u2019 maids about the state of their bedsheets, and \u2019tis the same. A countess, an earl, and his mistresses should not be sleeping on bare threads. Thirdly, if you didn\u2019t order it, who did?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m sure it\u2019s just an error,\u201d Sir John said wearily.<\/p>\n<p>He didn\u2019t believe that.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI will rectify it,\u201d Br\u00ecghde murmured.<\/p>\n<p>He flopped back in his chair and said, \u201cHow long will it take you to get the keep into the order it should be?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUh&nbsp;\u2026 I don\u2019t know. Grimme is convinced the duke will be coming soon, but I don\u2019t know what that means. We must be ready, and I am hurrying. Why?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am tired and I want\u2014\u201d He snapped his mouth shut.<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde\u2019s mouth twisted and she looked away.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGo,\u201d he muttered. \u201cJust&nbsp;\u2026 go.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI&nbsp;\u2026 will need coin,\u201d she said uncertainly in a small voice.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCoin?\u201d he barked. \u201cTo go do&nbsp;\u2026 whatever you do?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo,\u201d she said, confused. \u201cI\u2019m going to Waters. To find out about this bill.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He blinked. \u201cOh. Aye. I suppose you will.\u201d He made shooing gestures as he arose and she left his study, closed the door, and waited for him to open it and put a pouch in her hand. She counted it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat should be enough.\u201d She smiled at him. \u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He did not smile back. He nodded wearily and closed his door.<\/p>\n<p>She hurried up to her chambers to tell Avis where she was going, then across the hall to ask Hamond if he felt Lord Kyneward needed anything. Razors. She clipped down the stairs, out the front door, and ran across the inner bailey to the outer bailey, to the stables. \u201cGood day!\u201d she called.<\/p>\n<p>Grooms popped out of the stalls and fell all over themselves to bow and serve her. No, here, they would not be able to laze about as the indoors servants had done before Br\u00ecghde had come to set them aright. This was the marshal\u2019s domain and he would know if the slightest, most insignificant straw were out of place.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI would like my horse, please.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAll pardons, my lady,\u201d one ventured. \u201cWhich one is yours?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe golden destrier with the white mane and tail.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Their mouths dropped open, which Br\u00ecghde found extraordinarily satisfactory, and she preened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut&nbsp;\u2026 my lady&nbsp;\u2026 that\u2019s&nbsp;\u2026 a <em>really<\/em> big horse.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNow, please.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Once Troy was led out, she admired his deep golden hide and nearly white mane and tail, and the thick white feathers about his hooves.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy lady, all pardons, but the only side-saddles we have belong to the mistresses, and they are not big enough for your horse. Are you <em>sure<\/em> you would rather not ride one of the palfreys? Or at least a gelding?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo,\u201d she said airily, \u201cI would not. Saddle him with what he came with.\u201d She put her nose against her horse\u2019s and scratched his cheeks. He huffed and nibbled her nose with his velvety lips. \u201cI grew rather attached to this lad on our journey, did I not? Aye, I did,\u201d she told the horse. \u201cYou are a pretty lad, aren\u2019t you? Aye, you are.\u201d She hugged his neck and spoke to him, then fed him carrots whilst the grooms saddled him. \u201cHave you seen your consort today? She doesn\u2019t like me.\u201d When her bag of carrots was empty, they assisted her in mounting.<\/p>\n<p>Once again, she arranged her skirts so that they would protect her against the leather yet allow her knees movement. She started when a saddled sway-backed nag was drawn up next to her and a groom mounted, then looked at her expectantly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He gestured to the portcullis. \u201cWhenever you\u2019re ready, my lady.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She laughed. \u201cOh, no. You are not coming with me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut if I don\u2019t, my lord will\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd if you do, I will. You stay here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy lady,\u201d he begged. \u201c<em>Please<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>Nooooo<\/em>.\u201d With a laugh, she kicked her stallion into a flat run and thundered out the portcullis and down the lane, leaping carts, children, sheep, and gates.<\/p>\n<p>For the good livery the upper servants would wear, the clothier had to visit Kyneward for an extended stay, but she had no furniture. It would have to wait until they had some. But the candle was burning down quickly until there would be an unannounced visit by the duke. She would go to Hogarth soon to start outfitting the keep in earnest.<\/p>\n<p>She let the horse have his head for as long as he wanted. After years of being pent up in either her chambers or her father\u2019s study, allowed out with the heaviest of guards on the worst horses in the stable, it was absolute heaven being alone outside on a powerful horse, free to go where she would as fast as she wanted to.<\/p>\n<p>When Troy finally slowed, she pulled him back to a walk for a while, then cantered the rest of the way into the village.<\/p>\n<p>She garnered many a shocked look as she clip-clopped merrily into the hamlet. She waved. \u201cGood morn!\u201d she called to that farmer. \u201cGood morn!\u201d she called to this baker. \u201cGood morn!\u201d she called to the seamstress, which shop was the first place she was headed. She stopped her horse and dismounted (not without some difficulty). \u201cI am Lady Br\u00ecghde Kyneward,\u201d she said to the still-dumb woman.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know,\u201d she whispered. \u201cYe came through here three days ago with the earl.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde smiled. \u201cExcellent! Then you likely know I need clothes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, but my lady, I do not carry such finery, nor do I know the latest fashions. I provide linens and rough livery for scullery maids and the like.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her eyebrows rose. \u201cBut I do not <em>need<\/em> the latest fashions today. I need <em>you<\/em> today. Would you rather I take my business elsewhere?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She gasped. \u201cNo, no! Welcome. Welcome, my lady. Come in, come in.\u201d With that, she yelled a boy\u2019s name into the shop and presently, one popped up. \u201cTake my lady\u2019s horse to the livery.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde nodded approvingly and followed the woman into the shop. She looked around. It was unimpressive at first and stayed that way throughout her inspection. The fabric was rough and in uninteresting colors, half of it black. She sighed.<\/p>\n<p>Black was her favorite color.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNow, I must tell you,\u201d Br\u00ecghde said finally, \u201cthat I am a working lady, and will soon take over Sir John\u2019s duties.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh?\u201d she asked carefully.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye. Serve me well today and you shall have all the business you could dream of.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She bobbed a curtsy, but looked more afraid than delighted. She might not know how to manage more business. Oh, well. She would learn.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am in need of more rough gowns such as I am wearing and servants\u2019 clothing for myself. \u2019Tis why you are perfect for my needs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The woman\u2019s jaw dropped. \u201cBut my lady\u2014!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo, no. I am serious. Please take my measurements and get me three daily gowns, ten white shifts, and four sets of pages\u2019 clothing. Can you do that in a week?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She gulped. \u201cYes, my lady.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd&nbsp;\u2026 oh. Sir John was teaching me the ledgers, and I saw some of your bills and I thought that mayhap a delivery of bedsheets and livery was not accounted for properly? I could not find the merchandise.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The woman struggled to keep her smile in place, but her skin paled. \u201cI must have mixed up the bills, my lady. The bedsheets are awaiting delivery when the livery is finished.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cExcellent! Also, I was wondering if we have any credit against future purchases? Or perhaps we have not settled our accounts properly? I have not been able to go over all the bills, you see. I would not have you go unpaid.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She gulped. \u201cI don\u2019t think so, but I will go over my records and calculate it. If so, \u2019twould have been an honest mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde waved a hand. \u201cEveryone makes errors,\u201d she said reassuringly. \u201cI\u2019m sure everyone in Waters has made errors at some point or another, no?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2014I wouldn\u2019t know, my lady.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMayhap,\u201d Br\u00ecghde said softly, \u201csome other merchants might like to be made aware of any errors in calculations for goods to the keep. Oh, and in future, please direct the deliveries to me. Now!\u201d she resumed brightly. \u201cAbout my new clothing&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">SHE SPENT THE day going through the hamlet ordering what she could from the few resources available and making sure every single merchant knew they would be undergoing scrutiny by the new countess. Kyneward had merchant credit all over Waters so she needed few coins. Now, how to keep that from Sir John so as to spare his feelings, she did not know.<\/p>\n<p>She bought a good pair of scissors and several razors from the blacksmith in coin, as the blacksmith would admit to no credit there. She went to the cobbler and ordered another pair of boots, but could not order slippers or fine shoes, as he did not trade in finery, either. She purchased an entire set of sewing implements. The only other thing she purchased outright was a wheel of a particularly good cheese (which made the cheesemaker preen) and a loaf of bread, then a bag of pears for Troy.<\/p>\n<p>She sighed sadly. His name was particularly poignant to her, considering the task Walter had assigned her in anticipation of her becoming Lady MacFhionnlaigh. Aye, it was indeed worth promising children to a strange man who intended to force her to marry him if it meant she would be forever free of Roger and her father. That the earl was kind, funny, and handsome was even more fortuitous. When the time came, lying under him would be no hardship.<\/p>\n<p>Her brow wrinkled. Unless&nbsp;\u2026 he was <em>so<\/em> averse to brunettes he could not rise for her at all, ever, and if his collection of tall, willowy, blue-eyed blondes (including three maidservants) was anything to go by, it would be quite the hardship for <em>him<\/em> to lie with <em>her<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>She could admit that did bruise her vanity, as she was not accustomed to being rebuffed for her appearance. Why would it be a pleasurable experience for <em>her<\/em> if she knew all along that he was disgusted by her? She couldn\u2019t bed him if he had to force himself, for she would have to beg and why should <em>she<\/em> beg to carry <em>his<\/em> babe? It wasn\u2019t <em>her<\/em> earldom under attack.<\/p>\n<p>She was not so desperate to keep him as a friend as to be able to swallow that insult without stating her opinion.<\/p>\n<p>His aversion to brunettes was one thing, but his insistence that she not wear or buy black made her wonder if one had anything to do with the other.<\/p>\n<p>\u2019Twas almost sunset when she and Troy trotted into Kyneward\u2019s stable, where the grooms barely spoke to her, would not look at her, and stayed as far away from her as possible. She huffed and stomped her foot. \u201cWhat has happened that you barely acknowledge my existence?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey have been roundly berated for allowing you to go out alone,\u201d came the earl\u2019s deep voice, filled with anger, from the entrance to the stable. She turned to see him standing by his destrier, reins in hand, glaring at her. \u201cAnd they may be even more severely disciplined, once I decide upon it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She clucked. \u201cOh, <em>really<\/em>,\u201d she huffed. \u201cThey tried, and I ordered them not to. Then I outran them. They had no chance even had they disobeyed my order, especially with that nag they had saddled. And then <em>I<\/em> would have berated and disciplined them. Recant your beration.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWife,\u201d he growled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>Hus<\/em>band,\u201d she mocked with wide eyes and fluttered her eyelashes at him.<\/p>\n<p>She knew she had him when his mouth started to twitch. He opened his mouth, pointed at her, took a breath, and said\u2014 Nothing. He simply started to laugh. \u201c\u2018Beration\u2019 is not a word.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is now. Give your reins over, tell them you won\u2019t discipline them any further, and inform them that I will go out whenever I please with or without whomever I please on <em>that<\/em> horse\u2014\u201d She turned and looked at a groom. \u201cHis name is Troy. He is <em>mine<\/em>. No one else rides him when he is not occupied in training or warfare. Have my purchases taken to my chambers, the ones across from his lordship\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, my lady,\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n<p>She turned back to the earl. \u201c\u2014and to pamper him <em>shamelessly<\/em> with pears and carrots and whatever else he asks for.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Grimme sighed and threw up a hand. \u201cYou heard her.\u201d He handed over the reins to his horse and offered her his arm, which she took, and strolled with him out of the stable, through the outer bailey, inner bailey, and up the stairs to the great hall.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI never thanked you for offering me your bed the first night.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re welcome,\u201d he smiled warmly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow did you know where to find me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou disturbed one of my knights, who fetched me, as he was horrified that a countess had to sleep in a chair amongst men of war. And,\u201d he said slowly, \u201cI&nbsp;\u2026 apologize for snapping at you this morning. I have much to think about.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2019Tis well.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThank you also for returning Hamond to me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was very angry,\u201d she said simply, \u201cbut after some thought, I realized that because you immediately honored the bargain at great sacrifice to yourself without complaint, I wanted to show you my appreciation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He slid her a glance. \u201cYou didn\u2019t want to find a new chamberlain.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She snickered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGreen.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy favorite color is green.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptchapterhead\">15<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">BR\u00ccGHDE WAS IN the chapel early the next morning to pray as she had always done at home but had not yet had a chance to do here. Her customs were all awry, but they would have been anyway, as the last time she had had any custom was the morning before her wedding, after which she would have had to establish new customs at MacFhionnlaigh, which would have involved avoiding Roger\u2019s mother. And father. And Roger.<\/p>\n<p>Whilst she plotted to disappear forever.<\/p>\n<p>If she lived that long.<\/p>\n<p>Kyneward was not MacFhionnlaigh, and she was here to stay, so she was free to create customs she would not have to abandon. The only person who commanded her was her husband, who did not seem to care much about commanding her at all. Here at Kyneward, there were no plots, no angry fathers, no overbearing mothers, no husband she could not abide, much less his family, no swiving a disgusting imp (although now <em>she<\/em> was the disgusting imp) and she had a <em>friend<\/em>. Finally. <em>Two<\/em> friends!<\/p>\n<p>Until she was right and could no longer suffer being right silently.<\/p>\n<p>She finished her prayers, crossed herself, and stood, turning to see Grimme kneeling with his rosary. She sat quietly so that she would not disturb him as she passed by to leave.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAmen,\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n<p>She arose to leave, but he caught her with a smile. \u201cGood morn.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood morn,\u201d she said, taking a seat beside him when he moved over. \u201cHow was your night?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBusy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Her brow wrinkled. \u201cWhat could you\u2014 <em>Ohhhh<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He chuckled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo you go to confession for that?\u201d she asked cheekily.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy bother?\u201d he drawled. \u201cDo you suppose God has blessed us? You and me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde looked at him, once again noting how fine of face he was. \u201cI do,\u201d she answered simply.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTell me about the Trojan horse.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Surprised, though she should not have been, she began. \u201c\u2019Tis not much more than you could deduce from what I said. The finer point was that once established as Roger\u2019s bride, I was to host a feast of all the MacFhionnlaighs from far and wide, choose a propitious moment, and poison the lot of them. And then Walter would ride in with his army and lay waste to MacFhionnlaigh\u2019s troops, who would, hopefully, be dead drunk.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou speak of it as if \u2019twere just another Sunday for you. It&nbsp;\u2026 bothers me, as your propensity for loyalty\u2014or lack thereof\u2014bothers me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She supposed she deserved that, and he wasn\u2019t wrong.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou said your loyalty could be earned, but not compelled. You profess no loyalty to your father, yet you were poised to do as he commanded you. Please help me understand.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She took a deep breath. \u201cNo one knew of the plot except Walter and I. I was supposed to wed Roger two years ago, but MacFhionnlaigh offended him somehow\u2014don\u2019t ask, I don\u2019t know what happened\u2014and he wanted revenge. If he had said, \u2018They are weak and I want their lands and I will go to war to obtain them,\u2019 I would have thought nothing of it, for they are weak and I don\u2019t like weak men. But for a slight&nbsp;\u2026 It didn\u2019t have to be anything big.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Grimme was nodding. \u201cIf my neighbor\u2019s weakness bore a consequence to my land, say, allowing invaders to cross because of a lack of defense, then aye, I would take it. If not, no. But certainly \u2018I want your land\u2019 is a better reason than \u2018You hurt my feelings.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She laughed. \u201cIt is. Thus, he kept me at his side for two years, plotting and planning. I learned potions and poisons. I learned how to wield my dagger and sword more effectively. Not once did he say a derogatory word to me the entire two years. He didn\u2019t praise much, either, but I didn\u2019t expect any. It was&nbsp;\u2026 Grimme, it was <em>wonderful<\/em>. In those moments when I was at his side, I would have done whatever he asked to keep his approbation. But then I would go to my chambers and wonder what spell he had me under.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Grimme tensed just slightly. \u201cBut at the wedding, he had a sword in your back, and you said he walled off all your options for rebellion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She heaved a sigh. \u201cAye. After all that and he didn\u2019t trust me not to rebel.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou said no one would be surprised if you had been plotting to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye. But since I could not outwit him <em>before<\/em> the wedding, I would have to do so <em>after<\/em>. I intended to run away, as I did from the convent, but how long would it take me to prepare so that I never had to return? Could I hold Roger off long to escape his spindle and Walter\u2019s plan? Could I keep from doing it at all if he caught me before I did what he wanted?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Grimme looked a little befuddled. \u201cOnce you were with MacFhionnlaigh, wouldn\u2019t you have his protection?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot&nbsp;\u2026 necessarily. Walter would have visited often, ever threatening to kill me if I did not do as he said. He would have gotten impatient enough eventually to do so. But if I <em>did<\/em> do as he wanted and succeeded, the other clans would have executed me. He would have disavowed all knowledge.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>What?<\/em>\u201d he breathed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI do not <em>know<\/em>, but I <em>believe<\/em> that his intent was to be able to take MacFhionnlaigh, aye, but stage it as if I had acted alone and his seizure of it would have been to protect MacFhionnlaigh from me and he arrived too late. Then he could turn me over to the clans for execution. I was terrified to do it, and terrified not to do it. Either way, I would have died, by the clans\u2019 hand or his.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBr\u00ecghde,\u201d he whispered, looking quite horrified.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf I am right\u2014and some days I could not believe he would go to such lengths to avenge himself for my rebellions\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy could he not simply kill you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy mother. She has some hold on him that none of us has ever been able to ken. He gives her whatever she wants. He had to have a way to get me killed without doing it himself. At this point, I could easily be convinced he will do anything to kill me without making my mother suspicious that he had done so.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>They sat in silence for a moment or two before Br\u00ecghde realized she needed to wipe a tear from her cheek.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you poison your father?\u201d he finally asked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOch!\u201d She waved a hand. \u201cHe\u2019s had tasters for as long as I\u2019ve been alive, and that\u2019s simply because he has not hardened himself to <em>every<\/em> poison in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That seemed to intrigue him. \u201cAre <em>you<\/em> hardened to poison?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOnly the one I was to use. He wouldn\u2019t dare poison me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause your mother would know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Grimme nudged her. \u201cShould I fear you will wreak havoc upon my household and supplant my rule with yours?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She snickered at his teasing. \u201cWere your brains suddenly to turn to mush, I would of course assume power,\u201d she teased in return, \u201cbut I\u2019ve no fear of that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou might,\u201d he said wryly, \u201cshould my helm be battered on the battlefield and I return with the wits of a vegetable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen you shall go into battle knowing your estate is safe in my hands.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut I do <em>not<\/em> know. I\u2019ve yet to see you with complete control.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019ve seen my iron fist already.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He started to chuckle again. \u201cI\u2019ve yet to get you that velvet glove.\u201d He paused. \u201cI shall think on what you have said, but know this: I will not let him harm you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She smiled softly at his sincere tone. He believed what he said, and he would do what he could to protect her, but in the end she would offend him and he would no longer be her friend and then he wouldn\u2019t care.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAh&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;\u201d he began delicately. \u201cOn to something entirely different.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAm I in trouble?\u201d she asked warily.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo, no! My youngest son, Pierce. Maebh\u2019s. The five-year-old.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde nodded encouragingly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe lurks and skulks about the keep. He has seen you pass through, and is distressed that you have not said good day to him though I tell him time and time again that people who cannot see or hear him cannot say good day. He doesn\u2019t understand. He finds you fascinating.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde blinked. \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe hates Emelisse,\u201d he said flatly. \u201cYou showed him Emelisse is not as powerful as she thinks she is. He wants your protection from her\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde had many thoughts on <em>that<\/em>. \u201cOh.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd perhaps a little attention. May I introduce you? And&nbsp;\u2026 will you be kind?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOf course,\u201d she said in a small voice, hurt.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBr\u00ecghde,\u201d he said softly, picking up her hand and running his thumbs over the veins, \u201cI don\u2019t know you. Please do not hold my requests against me. I don\u2019t want them to fear their stepmother.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She took in a deep breath and nodded. \u201cI\u2014 Hm. Um&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSay it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cVery well. Sir John asked me to intervene, as I have brothers and might understand your sons. I said no, because I do not want to get between a mother and her child. Yet&nbsp;\u2026 what little I have seen\u2014and it has been <em>very<\/em> little\u2014and have heard, they need to be allowed to be wee laddies. More, they need your guidance.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He nodded wearily. \u201cI know. I hesitate to take them away from their mothers, as they are so attached\u2014 Rather, Emelisse is attached.\u201d His mouth tightened. \u201cI know that Gaston and Max need to be apprenticed out to a knight as pages, and Terrwyn is that age now. Pierce enjoys his studies with Father Hercule, so I suspect he may thrive as a scholar. I was surprised at Father Hercule\u2019s assertion that Pierce has a bit of a ruthless streak, as he is only five.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe gets it from his father,\u201d Br\u00ecghde said wryly, which made him laugh.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, I suppose. But quite frankly,\u201d he said, his voice a little hollow, \u201cI don\u2019t know them as well as my father knew me, my brother, and Aldwyn at those ages, so I cannot tell which of them are suited to the battlefield or possibly commerce, as my father and brothers are.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou do not send them away so that you can observe and do for them what your father did for you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHave you been?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHave I been what?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cObserving them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He slid her a glance that made his irritation clear. \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She refrained from saying <em>I didn\u2019t think so<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut you knew that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She shrugged. \u201cHow can you observe them when they spend their days in their chambers or running around the inside of the keep and you are out on the practice field?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCome,\u201d he said, assisting Br\u00ecghde out of the pew, walking together out of the chapel to see the boys already running about. \u201cBoys!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPapa!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Then they were surrounding him, jumping on him like excited puppies. He picked up the littlest, who watched Br\u00ecghde with great curiosity. \u201cGood morn, Master Pierce,\u201d she said with a smile, and held her hand out.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTake her hand like this,\u201d Grimme murmured and demonstrated, \u201cand then kiss her knuckles.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He tried it and pressed his mouth so hard against her knuckles he would wake up with a fat lip. Br\u00ecghde kept her laugh to herself. \u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBoys, this is Lady Br\u00ecghde. She is my wife.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe know,\u201d Gaston muttered with a hateful glare.<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde looked at him with a wry expression and said, \u201cI am not going to try to be your mother, but if you allow me to, we might be able to be friends.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He rolled his eyes and turned away.<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde looked at the other two and said, \u201cMax? And Terrwyn? Aye? Very nice to meet you also.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The three older lads looked to start playing tag in the great hall whilst the servants were readying breakfast. \u201cGrimme,\u201d she said softly, \u201cwill you allow them to run in the bailey?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, I think so,\u201d he said, putting Pierce on his feet. \u201cCome, boys. I will play with you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>They turned into the four happiest lads in the world, and she waved at Pierce, who was craning his neck around to look at her as he was shuffled out the door. He returned her wave hesitantly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou stay away from my sons.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde turned to see the French mistress snarling at her. Br\u00ecghde rolled her eyes and took a few steps away from her, but was jerked back by a long bony hand wrapped around Br\u00ecghde\u2019s entire upper arm. It hurt. But she merely looked at the hand, then up at Emelisse and murmured, \u201cGet your hand off me before I cut it off.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The woman was so shocked she did, in fact, drop her hand.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe can be friends,\u201d Br\u00ecghde said flatly, \u201cor we can ignore each other, but I would rather not be enemies because I dispose of my enemies, which requires more work than I care to perform. Do not make me work harder than I absolutely must.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou have Grimme. You do not get my sons, too.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI do not <em>have<\/em> Grimme. I do not <em>want<\/em> Grimme.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Emelisse was surprised, if not shocked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNor do I want your sons. But,\u201d Br\u00ecghde said low, stepping forward and looking up at the utterly beautiful woman Br\u00ecghde could not hope to compete with even if she wanted to, \u201cI will treat them\u2014and you\u2014any way I feel moved to. Stay out of my way and we will have no trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>With that, Br\u00ecghde stepped around her and continued upon her way.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMay your womb one day find too many choices to make.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde did not stop walking, but shivers ran down her spine. It was said in a whisper, in sing-song French. It <em>sounded<\/em> like a curse, but instead of panicking, she simply raised her hand with the middle finger up prominently.<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde smirked at the witch\u2019s gasp of outrage.<\/p>\n<p>There were advantages to having grown up with six brothers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptchapterhead\">16<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">\u201cSIR JOHN,\u201d BR\u00ccGHDE murmured after breakfast as the two of them sat on the same side of his desk whilst Br\u00ecghde wrote out her purchases of the day before and their exact amounts. \u201cYou referred to the paramours as witches. Did you <em>mean<\/em> that?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He cast her a sober glance. \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEmelisse <em>cursed<\/em> me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe has cursed me also.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She dropped her quill and wrung her hands. \u201cHas it come true?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sir John heaved a sigh. \u201cBr\u00ecghde. The thing you must know about curses is that they only work if you believe them, and even then almost never.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde was confused. \u201cBut that\u2019s&nbsp;\u2026 <em>witchcraft<\/em>. \u2019Tis of Satan!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cConsider: If you were Satan\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She gasped, her eyes wide at his blasphemy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo, no. Listen to me for a moment and ponder. I want an answer. If you were Satan, and you wanted to exploit all the evil in the world, would you waste your time on trifles such as curses and potions and possession of animals?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She worried that in her mind.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith all the evil that humans are capable of\u2014say, your father. Sheffield. When those two are wandering the earth wreaking havoc on anything and everything for sport, when men have warred with each other from the dawn of time\u2014 The man my son idolizes, Henry of Monmouth\u2014 He is not a good man. Grimme was with him when they took Rouen. They starved the town out, so it released twelve thousand of its poor, thinking Henry would let them through his forces to find sustenance.\u201d He shook his head. \u201cNo. He let them starve and <em>my son<\/em> was there at his side and saw nothing wrong with it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde looked at him without understanding.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWell?\u201d he barked. \u201cIs that or is that not evil?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Confused, Br\u00ecghde said, \u201cThat\u2019s&nbsp;\u2026 war.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sir John\u2019s forehead thunked on his desk. \u201cThere\u2019s two of you,\u201d he groaned. He raised his head and rubbed the bridge of his nose. \u201cDo you pray to God?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOf course!\u201d she said, horrified that anyone would question her devotion.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMm hmm, and does God give you what you want when you do what He says?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye,\u201d she said firmly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, <em>really<\/em>,\u201d he drawled with a bit of disdain. \u201cWhat was the last thing you prayed for that you got?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA miracle to keep me from marrying Roger MacFhionnlaigh,\u201d she said flatly.<\/p>\n<p>Sir John, shocked, blinked at her but looked at Br\u00ecghde\u2019s list. \u201cAh. And so where is God on the battlefield?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith the victor,\u201d she replied helplessly, unable to understand his point.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne innocent person is slain, it is murder. Slay twelve thousand, but that is just&nbsp;\u2026 war?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd what about your father\u2019s plan for MacFhionnlaigh?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde\u2019s mouth tightened. \u201cYou say Satan does not waste his time on trifles such as potions and curses, but exploits the larger evils that men do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWalter wanted to lay waste to MacFhionnlaigh because they offended him in some way that they probably don\u2019t know they did. Instead of saying, \u2018Och! Ye hurt me feelin\u2019s!\u2019 so MacFhionnlaigh could say, \u2018Och! I\u2019m verra sorry!\u2019 he plotted for two years to slay the entire clan. His vanity is a trifle that Satan exploits. Do not say Satan will not use every trifle, even the fancies of a jealous French mistress; he has the time, energy, and demonic army to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sir John heaved an exasperated sigh. \u201cNever mind.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDoes Grimme know? About Emelisse, I mean?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe can\u2019t. He prays every morning. He is superstitious and has a very deep fear of witches, demons and such, which I don\u2019t know how he acquired, so if he thought she were a witch, he would\u2019ve put her away immediately. As for her witchcraft, I don\u2019t find it any worse or better than anything the church teaches, and St. Augustine was clear on its irrelevancy to the gospel or anything else, but let\u2019s not debate theology any longer, as I am a bitter old man.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It bothered Br\u00ecghde that her friend Sir John had such a blasphemous opinion of the church, and she wanted to talk about it, but trying to show him where he was wrong would distress him and she did not want to lose her friend, so she tried not to think about it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy son believes in witchcraft, but I do not. Emelisse is<em> not <\/em>one. I have seen no evidence that she has been any more detrimental to a household than any other man\u2019s mistress, which is to say if she <em>is<\/em> a witch, she is a very inept one. There is no reason to plant those seeds in his mind, which would throw the household into more chaos than it already is, and my very strong advice to you\u2014since I cannot command you\u2014is to keep your belief to yourself. He doesn\u2019t need to know, I don\u2019t want to discuss it, and it would immediately make him suspicious of you and your motives.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye,\u201d she murmured, properly chastised.<\/p>\n<p>He then went back to her list. She could tell when he began paying attention and shrank in on herself in dread.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBr\u00ecghde,\u201d he said slowly, \u201cwhat&nbsp;\u2026 Do I read this correctly? You spent almost no coin yesterday, but you returned with merchandise.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She pulled out the coin purse and dropped it on the list. \u201cThere is the balance,\u201d she sighed. \u201cSir John&nbsp;\u2026 I don\u2019t know how to say this, but&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;\u201d<\/p>\n<p>By the time she was finished, he was nearly in tears, and she despaired that she had had to hurt him so. She did not like hurting her friends, as those hurts built, and then the friendship ended.<\/p>\n<p>But she was training to be castellain of Kyneward and she was right, and she also could not bear the burden of being right without a way to repair the situation. To repair it, he had to know and she was the only one who could tell him. Hesitantly, she reached out and put her hand on his back, but he waved her away, so she decided not to tell him about the kitchen staff, as she had already managed the situation. She arose quietly and left the study, pulling the door closed and standing there, sad and helpless. She had made her friend cry.<\/p>\n<p>The midday meal was called then and she stood behind her chair to await Grimme, as did his paramours and their children. He entered the hall with three of his men, laughing. One of his men said something, which made the rest of them roar. Grimme\u2019s face was red and shiny with sweat. His blond-roux hair was wet and dark. Though he had taken off his mail and gambeson, clad in only breeches and a belted tunic over it, he was still a very large man, at least twice her size, as he could sleep curled around her almost doubled over.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBr\u00ecghde!\u201d he called, grinning at her. He turned to his man and said, \u201cTell my lady.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His face flushed. \u201cAh, \u2019tis not fit for a lady, my lord.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The others jeered him, so Grimme turned and, as he walked toward her, as his men stopped at their own chairs, he told the jest. It was bawdy, she knew, but this jest also used Sassenach words whose double meaning she did not ken. She laughed anyway when the rest of the knights began to roar yet again.<\/p>\n<p>She took quick glances at the paramours, three of whom seemed to understand the jest no better than Br\u00ecghde and one who rolled her eyes. Br\u00ecghde supposed that was the English one.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBoys!\u201d Grimme called.<\/p>\n<p>The lads, standing behind their own chairs restlessly, waved at him. \u201cPapa!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He stopped and, squeezing between two of his men, he stepped up on the table, his leg perfectly defined in his hose, flexing with his effort, then he dropped onto the floor behind his smallest son with a thud. The wee laddie fair jumped into his arms, whilst Grimme clasped the next youngest to his side and ruffled his hair. Then he looked across the table with a wide grin to inquire of his two oldest, flanking their mother, as to how their morning studies had gone.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey were not present this morning, my lord,\u201d Father Hercule said matter-of-factly from beside Br\u00ecghde. She had not even noticed he\u2019d joined the table.<\/p>\n<p>Grimme\u2019s smile disappeared and he looked stonily at their mother. She met his look defiantly, her chin high. His mouth tightened and his nostrils flared as he took a deep breath. He set his second youngest aside and put the youngest down. He leaned across the table and pressed the woman\u2019s ear to his mouth and spoke for quite a while. She flushed, her jaw tightening angrily, then she whirled and ran down the aisle, around the end of another table to the stairs, then disappeared up them.<\/p>\n<p>Without a look in Br\u00ecghde\u2019s direction, he stepped on that table, then stepped on the head table, his foot right between her place and his, then dropped with a thud next to Br\u00ecghde. He scraped his chair away from the table and plopped his arse in it. The rest of the household then were free to take their seats and the meal was served.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAre you and Troy going out this afternoon, Br\u00ecghde?\u201d he asked pleasantly as he stuffed a piece of meat in his mouth.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s in the field today. Tomorrow, we are going to Hogarth. I must discuss livery with the clothier, drapes, hangings, and such. I must order nice gowns and slippers. Then we must hire carpenters for new furniture, as I must fetch the clothier here, but I have nowhere to put him or his retinue. I need to hire a clerk, a land steward, and a housekeeper. As well, I need everything else, as my bridegroom did not allow me to bring any of my possessions with me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAll apologies,\u201d he said, not at all apologetic. \u201cIf your father refuses you your possessions, I will send for your things.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She gasped a little, her hand to her breast. \u201cYou would do that for me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He cast her a glance as he ate. \u201cAye. I\u2019d not have you go without your pet.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThank you!\u201d she breathed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWould you like company tomorrow?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She gestured to his knights.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019ve trained without me before.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She looked at him with mock suspicion. \u201c\u2019Tis to keep me from going alone, aye?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He flashed her a grin.<\/p>\n<p>She huffed. \u201cThen a \u2018no\u2019 would be ignored.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cVery much so.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She laughed. \u201cI would enjoy it. After breakfast. How was your morning?\u201d she asked to be courteous, but apparently he heard it in her voice.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI will not bore you with my occupation any more than I will allow you to bore me with yours.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThank you,\u201d she breathed, which made him laugh.<\/p>\n<p>As a servant passed behind Br\u00ecghde\u2019s chair, she caught her and murmured, \u201cI want several barrels full of water heated to boiling by the time this meal has been completely cleaned up. Find all the soap in this keep, brooms, brushes, cloths, scrapers, and such, and gather every unoccupied servant in and out of the keep, and I know there are many of those.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The girl, looking half terrified, curtsied, said, \u201cAye, my lady,\u201d and scurried off.<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde turned back to her platter to see Grimme looking at her. \u201cTime to clean the floor,\u201d she said archly. He grimaced, but she refrained from pointing out how filthy it was; that was something her mother would do. \u201cOh! I was perusing your stables with your marshal yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI heard. How did you find them?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>Very<\/em> impressive,\u201d she said sincerely.<\/p>\n<p>He gave her a warm smile. \u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe said this is a breeding estate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye. \u2019Twas something I started by accident once my trainer and I had Ares battle-ready.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho is Enyo?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne of Ares\u2019s consorts. Goddess of war, Ares\u2019s counterpart.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAh, <em>that<\/em> is why you did not name her Aphrodite, as I assumed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He nodded. \u201cEnyo has been considered Ares\u2019s wife, sister, mother, or companion-at-arms, \u2019tis not clear, but I think of her as his wife and dearest companion, who rides at his side into battle, along with his sons Phobos and Deimos.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde looked at him in confusion. \u201cYou don\u2019t have a mare named Aphrodite?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Grimme shook his head.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut Enyo is also Ares\u2019s lover?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOnly to produce warriors like them. Enyo is more valuable to Ares than Aphrodite.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAh. Who are the sons you said?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPhobos and Deimos, gods of fear and dread. Deimos is the red I rode to F\u00e0ileach. Phobos is silver with the same black mane and tail as Deimos.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho\u2019s their mother?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe beasts or the gods?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe gods.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He hesitated. \u201cThey\u2019re Aphrodite\u2019s sons. As for the beasts, they\u2019ve got different dams. I\u2019ve bred Ares to a dozen select mares across France and another two dozen in England. The royal stables are filled with his get. God only knows what Sheffield\u2019s done with him or even if it\u2019s occurred to him at all, and I\u2019ll never know if Ares has sired any others whilst he\u2019s in Sheffield\u2019s possession, which will disturb my recordkeeping.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI would like you to take me on a tour of your stables, if you please.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI will soon, but not this week. I was told Helen was not pleased to meet you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She sniffed. \u201cEnyo loved me. What is wrong with Helen?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe\u2019s difficult and she doesn\u2019t like anybody.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen why would you buy or breed her?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFirstly, I would pay any price to have her dam and sire, but they will never be for sale. Secondly, she was cheap. Whether she can be trained or not, I could spare the coin to at least try. Thirdly, she is\u2014was\u2014a maiden. I hadn\u2019t found a stallion yet that could mount her, but she fell in love with Troy the minute I walked him past her stall and is completely tractable in his company. I decided to see what comes of it. Thus far I\u2019m the only one who\u2019s been able to ride her, and only for a few seconds before I land on my arse in the dirt.\u201d His brow wrinkled. \u201cWould you be so kind as to ride the mares when Troy is out on the field? The stable is growing, my marshal can\u2019t hire enough grooms fast enough to exercise them, and they need to be ridden. My women go riding almost every day, but they have their own mounts and are not willing to ride any others and they won\u2019t ride astride.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Flattered, she said, \u201cOf course! Thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe grooms will tell you which ones need to be ridden. In fact, mayhap you and I should go out together and see if Helen is as tractable with Troy whilst riding.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat sounds like fun! Speaking of Ares and the duke, you said he will call upon us? To <em>celebrate<\/em> our marriage?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye,\u201d he said around a bite.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow soon can we expect him?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA month at the latest.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhether he does that or not, \u2019tis not proper. He and the duchess should be expecting an invitation to Kyneward Keep. <em>We<\/em> shall prepare a celebration of our marriage and invite all the local nobles. But we must decide on a date soon so as to forestall a surprise visit.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He paused. \u201cSummon the enemy on our terms and our territory,\u201d he mused, then looked at her. \u201cI hadn\u2019t thought of it. We have never hosted any such thing, I have no wife, and I\u2019m always gone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>Had<\/em> no wife.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut if you think an invitation three or more months hence for a f\u00eate will forestall a surprise visit, think again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She grimaced. \u201cThat is what I fear. However, our cooks are excellent and I shall have them prepare a feast for the ages.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat look in your eyes is terrifying.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She grinned at him.<\/p>\n<p>Grimme leaned against her and whispered in her ear, \u201cPlease do not poison my liege.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou <em>want<\/em> me to,\u201d she whispered back.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat I want is of no matter. Just <em>don\u2019t<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She started to laugh, then realized he was not jesting. She decided not to protest. \u201cAye,\u201d she grumbled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPromise.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI promise I will not poison your liege.\u201d Grimme sat back in his chair and continued to eat. \u201cThis time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He looked at her out of the corner and she granted him a sunny smile. He pursed his lips as he studied her, then said abruptly, \u201cWhen I give the order.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That surprised her. \u201c<em>When?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe covets what I love, aye, and he is bitter about having been promised this land, but he has not been here in years. Once he sees Kyneward as it is now, once you have it repaired and dressed in finery, he will be ravenous for it on its own, not because it was denied him after being told to expect it. I am generally of a mind to strike first, but I need evidence he is about to plot my death to be able to justify it to the king.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde\u2019s bottom lip slowly dropped open and her eyes had widened. \u201cYou fear him,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo,\u201d he corrected as quietly. \u201cI am wary. He will enjoin Aldwyn to lay the plans, and he is who worries me. Aldwyn is clever and we have not fought together since Agincourt. He will have learned much since then and I do not underestimate my enemies.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut you are wily. He can\u2019t know what you have learned since then, either, and wily defeats frontal attacks.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd what he does not know,\u201d Grimme again said in her ear, \u201cis that my wife is a Trojan horse and I will wield her to her fullest capacities.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He drew away from her and studied her soberly. She was no less sober. \u201cYou trust me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo,\u201d he rumbled. \u201cBut I need you and I can only pray you will not betray me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptchapterhead\">17<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">THAT NIGHT BR\u00ccGHDE dropped into her bathtub with a hiss and a sigh, leaning back and thinking about how sore she was going to be on her ride to Hogarth with Grimme in the morning, to which she was looking forward a little less now. Riding forty miles round trip after a day of hard labor was no mean feat.<\/p>\n<p>It had taken a mere fifteen minutes for some forty servants to scrub all the tables and chairs in the great hall with hot water and lye soap to her satisfaction and take them out to the bailey to dry.<\/p>\n<p>However, it had taken hours for the forty of them\u2014and Br\u00ecghde\u2014to dig up several inches\u2019 worth of compacted filth, discarded rotting food, and dog shit upon the stone floor with scrapers. It had taken Br\u00ecghde a half hour to teach them what she expected and <em>how to do it<\/em> and <em>on her hands and knees<\/em>, by the Virgin Mary, and she had spent the rest of the afternoon tending them to get the floor completely clean and a thick carpet of rushes and herbs laid by suppertime.<\/p>\n<p>Three of the paramours had drifted down the stairs just in time to see Br\u00ecghde, dressed in her boy clothes, on her hands and knees digging and scrubbing. They had begun to snicker and whisper. She had looked up and said, \u201cUnless you want to join us, I suggest you go find something else to do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>They simply curled their lips at her. She got to her feet and approached them. In disgust of her filthy clothes and hands, they backed up with contemptuous grimaces\u2014all the way up two flights of a spiral staircase as Br\u00ecghde stalked them with a vicious glare, threatening to touch their persons with hers.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, the lads, who had been ordered to stay indoors although the day was a perfect day for four wee laddies to be outside playing, thought all the water on the floor was for splashing.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, Br\u00ecghde could take no more.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLads!\u201d she said with forced gaiety. \u201cLet\u2019s go out to the stable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>They stopped splashing immediately. Pierce dashed outside. Terrwyn followed. That left Gaston and Max, the two oldest. \u201cWe don\u2019t take orders from you,\u201d Gaston snapped, crossing his arms over his chest.<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde shrugged. \u201c\u2019Tis not an order. You may stay here if you want.\u201d She gestured to Max. \u201cShall we?\u201d When he hesitated, she said, \u201cYour father approves.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That got him out the door. She left Gaston behind without a glance. Once she\u2019d gotten the other three to the stable, she asked the grooms to take them in hand and have them brushing the warhorses. \u201c\u2019Tis a great responsibility,\u201d she said gravely down at them, \u201cgrooming knights\u2019 steeds. They must be <em>beautiful<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy lady,\u201d the head groom whispered to her, \u201cthey\u2019re all out in the field. May I suggest the ponies? They do need to be groomed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t care. Just put them to work.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, my lady.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>When she walked back into the hall, there was Emelisse standing at the bottom of the stairs, unwilling to walk in the water, Gaston beside her looking triumphant.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat have you done with Max?\u201d she demanded.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s working in the stable,\u201d Br\u00ecghde grunted as she walked around to correct this servant or that servant, and to point out missed spots.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGaston, go get him and bring him back.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSweet Virgin Mary!\u201d she burst out. \u201c<em>Nothing<\/em> is going to happen to him in the stable with a legion\u2019s worth of grooms. Quit being such a bloody coward and let him go play with his brothers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Emelisse snarled at her and snatched Gaston up the stairs after her, but Br\u00ecghde didn\u2019t miss the quiver of his bottom lip and his longing look at the keep door.<\/p>\n<p>Sir John did not appear at supper, and she dared not seek him out to see to his welfare though she did send a lass with a tray and wine. Grimme did not ask her about it.<\/p>\n<p>Now she lay in the bath, her eyes closed, almost asleep, when the door opened suddenly, and she started and whirled, crossing her arms over her breasts.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEmelisse said you sent my sons out to the stable today,\u201d Grimme growled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGet\u2014out.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is <em>my<\/em> house.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am in the bath <em>with no clothes on<\/em> and you are holding my door open for any passerby to see.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He slammed the door.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAgain. I have <em>no clothes on<\/em>. Go away until I am bathed and dressed, and we can argue like civilized people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re my wife,\u201d he said flatly. \u201cI have the right to see you naked and I will argue with you whenever and wherever I bloody well please.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She curled her lip at him, turned and laid back down in the water, hoping it was dark enough he couldn\u2019t see. \u201cWhat is wrong with having sent them out to the stable?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2019Tis not that you <em>did<\/em>. \u2019Tis how you did it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, sweet Mother Mary and Joseph,\u201d Br\u00ecghde grumbled, her brogue thickening with her irritation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo <em>not<\/em> speak to my sons that way again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLike this? \u2018Lads! Let\u2019s go out to the stable.\u2019 Like that?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat is not how you said it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou weren\u2019t there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI didn\u2019t have to be. Emelisse told me all about it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe has absolutely <em>no<\/em> reason in the world to lie to you about me, none at <em>all<\/em>, nooooooo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He was silent.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid you ask your sons?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re asleep.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWake them up.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He sighed heavily, went to the hearth and dropped into a chair, his back to her, and dropped his head back on its top. \u201cI do not,\u201d he muttered, \u201cwant to be drawn into a war.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat, exactly, do you think happens in a household of four women sharing the same man\u2019s spindle? And what did you think would happen when you brought a wife home?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Silence.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI did not draw you into any war. Your mistress did. The laddies were splashing in the water all over the floor\u2014as if that is the most interesting thing in the world, which is pathetic. I wanted them out of the house for the duration, so I bade them do something productive. Wee laddies make trouble in a house when they are bored, and they are intolerably bored.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIntolerable for you or for them?\u201d he muttered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor all of us in equal measure. <em>You<\/em> aren\u2019t paying attention to their needs. <em>I<\/em> need them out from underfoot. <em>They<\/em> need firm guidance <em>away<\/em> from their mothers, who need to keep their hostilities to themselves. I care not what your women think of the way I treat your sons. Someone has to take them in hand, and since this is my domain, it is my responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat of my opinion?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou have had no opinion for ten years, so it is of little use now. As far as I can see, the laddies\u2019 only value to you is their devotion to an indulgent father. Papa! Papa! Papa! Papa!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat is not true. And although I might be willing to concede all the rest of your points, I demand you leave my women be. They are the mothers of my sons and they have done nothing to earn your hatred. Did you call Emelisse a coward?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFirstly, I do not hate them. I don\u2019t care enough to hate them. Secondly, aye, I did call her a coward because it\u2019s true. And there poor Gaston goes, up the stairs, when his brother is out in the stables having a semblance of fun, and he wants to be allowed to go too. He thought she\u2019d go fetch Max and the boys could be miserable together, but that is not what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBr\u00ecghde,\u201d he sighed wearily.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGrimme,\u201d she said crisply, rolling her R contemptuously, \u201cthe bargain was that I would bring order to your house and you would enforce my rule so that I could do that. You have forced your father to work around them for years, and look what has happened. I will not work around them because my primary goal is to get this earldom working like an earldom <em>in spite of itself<\/em>. That was the bargain.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat has happened,\u201d he said tightly, \u201cis that my father and I don\u2019t know how an earl\u2019s household works.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut I do and you are now asking me not to do it. You cannot have it both ways. <em>No one<\/em> wants things to change, and your bringing home a wife is a most drastic change indeed, much less one who intends to turn the house upside down and shake it out, which they and everyone attached to Kyneward fears, including the merchants in Waters. And with good reason. If you do not want to be drawn into these battles, keep your women away from me and your sons occupied in the things they <em>should<\/em> be doing. The two older boys <em>should<\/em> have been sent out two years ago to apprentice as pages.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat have the merchants in Waters to do with anything?\u201d he asked slowly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHousehold business,\u201d she sing-songed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIndulge me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey and the servants are cheating you. Sir John is overwhelmed and too frail to keep up. I had to tell him and by the time I left, he was sobbing over his desk, and I didn\u2019t tell him about the servants because I have managed that already. \u2019Twas why he was not at supper. This is what happens when you willfully ignore household business. This is <em>your<\/em> earldom, <em>your<\/em> ultimate responsibility, but you have not paid attention to the burden your father carries, which is vastly heavier because you gave him no authority over your women and children. If you expect me to pull you out of this mess, I need you to keep your women away from me and your sons occupied.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There was a long silence.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGrimme, the water is cold and I want to get out.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She saw the silhouette of his hand waving in the firelight. \u201cGet out,\u201d he sighed. \u201cEven if I were looking at you, I am not going to suddenly find ardor that wasn\u2019t there an hour ago.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde was starting to shiver, so she took the chance. He didn\u2019t turn when she snatched her towel and scurried to Avis\u2019s antechamber to dry off, then she peeked around the threshold and saw him still facing the hearth. She bound to her bed and dove in, pulling the covers up to her head.<\/p>\n<p>He chuckled, but it was a sad, weary one.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI ken you don\u2019t want to send your sons away to apprentice,\u201d Br\u00ecghde said quietly as she arranged herself under her covers as well as she could without throwing them off to start again. \u201cSo why not assign them to men in your forces?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTheir mothers would harry me and I do not want to get involved in their squabbles.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Br\u00ecghde said nothing to that. Her mother harried her father over many things, but sending her sons off to become pages to other knights was not one of them. \u2019Twas the way of nobility.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re the earl,\u201d Br\u00ecghde said softly. \u201cYou have the ultimate authority here and you are allowing women to lead you around by your spindle.\u201d He growled at her. Well, she\u2019d already lost Sir John. What did it matter if she lost Grimme too? She was here permanently, she had a task to perform, he didn\u2019t want to bed her anyway, and she was <em>right<\/em>. \u201cThey are your sons. They aren\u2019t three years old anymore and wee laddies grow into men. What kind of men do you want them to be? And are you going to allow their mothers to rear them as useless, simpering ones lazing on their father\u2019s successes simply because you don\u2019t want to tell your women to shut up and sit down? Because if you don\u2019t, I will.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wingding\">\u203b<\/p>\n<div class=\"navblock\">\n<p class=\"leftnavblock\"><a class=\"arrowsmall\" href=\"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/\">\u2190 Back to the Dunham Universe<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"rightnavblock\"><a class=\"arrowbig\" href=\"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/kenard\/babeinwinter\/\">Kenard Book 2  \u2192<\/a><br \/>How would <span class=\"biob\"><em>you<\/em><\/span> like to have to walk<br \/>1,300 miles to get to the nearest ATM?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"date\">20260331<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kenard Chronicles #1\u00a92020 Moriah Jovan233,500 words (612 pages) Book 1 in the Kenard Chronicles Buy direct: &nbsp; Amazon Kindle \u2022 paperback Barnes &#038; Noble Nook \u2022 paperback Apple iBooks Google Play Books Kobo eBooks 1420 England and France are at war. Newly made English earl Grimme Kyneward must take a Scots noblewoman to wife to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":19786,"menu_order":51,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-9986","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9986"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9986"}],"version-history":[{"count":71,"href":"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9986\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25715,"href":"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9986\/revisions\/25715"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/19786"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9986"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}