The door to the chamber was open. A young squire was just leaving the room with
Sir Sheldon?s heavy armor. Steam rose from the tub that had been set in the
center of the room. Buckets of cold water had been left to temper the hot. And
Sir Sheldon stood next to the tub, rubbing the back of his neck as if it pained
him. It took him a moment to notice her standing just inside the door. When he
did, his surprise became quickly evident.
?Yow are to assist me, lady?? Lady? So he knew. Warrick had told him about her
and then sent her here, making it all the worse for her. Damn that monster and
his diabolical methods of revenge.
She lowered her head and gritted out ?I am ordered here by Lord Warrick.?
?I would not have thought? he began, but ended with a slight flush.
?I am grateful.?
That single word put a new light on what she had to do and took the shame out of
it. Were she lady of this castle and married, she would not think twice about
assisting an honored guest. Her mother had frequently done so, and did the guest
require more than a bath, he would be sent a willing light skirt of whom every
castle had its share. Granted, virginal ladies were not expected to assist at a
bath, but Rowena was not exactly virginal any longer. Twould be best to treat
this as any other chore and see first if Sir Sheldon made any untoward advances
before she condemned him.
With that settled in her mind, Rowena moved forward to help the man out of his
tunic, which was already half unlaced. She was still slightly nervous, so
thought to make small conversation to distract herself.
?Did you travel far, Sir Sheldon??
?Nay, not overly.?
?I was told you are a good friend to Lord Warrick. You have known him long, then,
have you??
?Aye, he was my squire.?
?Yours??
He grinned down at her.
?Why does that surprise you? Thought you he came to knighthood without the
training??
She grinned back at his gentle teasing. She had barely noticed this man in the
hall, her attention so set on Warrick, but on closer inspection, Sheldon was not
nearly as old as he had seemed at first glance. Verily, he seemed not much older
than Warrick.
?So you knew him ere he turned so? To call the man?s friend what she would like
to would not be very wise, so she settled for ?Hard?? But that word made Sheldon
burst into laughter.
?You do not know him very well, damosel, if all you can call him is hard. Most
women call him terrifying.?
Rowena flushed.
?I do not claim to know him at all, yet does he not frighten memuch.?
He laughed again, a deep, rich sound. She yanked hard on his chausses to show
him she did not appreciate it.
?What do you here, wench?? Rowena gasped at the sound of that voice and looked
toward the doorway whence it had come. Warrick filled the opening that she had
not thought to close and put the lie to her last words, for he looked terrifying
indeed in his present anger, of which she could not begin to guess the cause.
?You ordered me here, my lord,? she dared to remind him, but that just made him
look angrier.
?Nay, I did not, nor would I have. Your duties are exact, wench. Do they
increase or decrease, I will tell you so myself. Now get you to my solar and
await me there.?
She was hot cheeked with indignation, but she did not care to argue with him in
front of his friend. She left without another word to either man, but had gone
not even halfway down the stairs before Warrick caught up with her, roughly
yanking her about and shoving her up against the stone wall. The arrow slit that
gave light to the stairwell was blocked by his wide back, so she could not see
clearly just how angry he still was. His voice told her, however.
?Explain to me why I should not punish you for being where you do not belong!?
?I thought ?twas a punishment, my being sent to him. Now you tell me I am to be
punished for doing as I was bidden? If you dare?
He shook her once.
?You were not bidden to come here. If you speak that lie again, so help me, I
will not order you beaten, I will do it myself!?
Rowena swallowed the retort she would have made. The man was simply too angry,
and beginning to seriously frighten her with it.
She made her.tone soft and placating.
?I know not what to tell you but the truth. I was told I was to assist Sir
Sheldon at his bath, and that ?twas by your order.?
?Who told you??
?Celia.?
?She would not dare.?
?Mistress Blouet can tell you how much Celia dares, if you do but ask her. And
the other weavers all heard her send me here, not just to assist your friend,
but to please him in whatever way he required.?
She winced as his hands bit more into her arms.
?Do not take my word for it, my lord. The other women will vouch for what I say?
She paused, her stomach turning with dread as a thought occurred to her.
?Unless Celia has bidden them to lie. Mistress Blouet says they do all follow
her lead and?
?Did he touch you??
Rowena blinked at the new subject, which could not help but prod her bitterness
and release it.
?Nay, but what matters if he did? A servant has little say in these things. You
told me so yourself.?
?You have no say in what I do to you, wench, but no one else is to touch you.?
As if to prove it, his hand went to her thick braid to hold her head still and
his mouth closed over hers. ?Twas an angry kiss, punishing and claiming at once.
She did not like it. She liked even less that her loins heated, preparing her
for his further invasion.
But he did not intend to take her there in the stairwell. He ended the kiss, but
she was still pressed to him. And his hand tightened in her hair as he demanded,
?Would you have pleased him did he ask??
She did not even think to goad him with a lie.
?Nay, I would have refused, and did that not work, I would have fought him.?
She felt the tension leave his body, and the hand in her hair loosened its grip.
Then she goaded him.
?But little good it would have done me without weapon to hand, which I am not
allowed.?
?Nor will you be allowed one,? he growled, angry again.
She did not heed his anger this time because she felt too much of the same
emotion herself.
?Then what is to stop any man from raping me, when you dress me as a serf and
when female serfs are considered fair game? Even your menat arms would not
hesitate? She stopped when she saw his grin ?My interest in you has been noted
and understood. No man here would dare to touch you. Nay, wench, you still will
find yourself bedded only by mebut then, you are coming not to mind that
overmuch. You protest, but not for long.? She knocked away his hand, which had
moved to caress her cheek.
?I hate it, as much as I hate you!?
But that only made him laugh, infuriating her so that she pushed away from him
and ran the rest of the way down the stairs. He let her go, but the thought that
he could have stopped her if he wanted only increased her f
ury.
All the power was his. He had control over her body, control over her emotions,
control over everything she did. She could not even get angry without his leave,
for he knew well enough how to frighten the anger out of her.
Twas intolerable, such utter domination, and she could bear it no more. She had
accepted it as her due for what had been done to him, but she had been punished
more than enough for that, and still had the worse punishment before her, the
taking of her child. Well, she was done with meekly accepting her lot. If
Mildred?s suggestions could shift some of the power, to give her even a little
sway over that insufferable man, then she would try them.
Chapter 28
Warrick had not noticed before how many of his men watched Rowena just as he did,
but the moment she entered the hall, many eyes besides his were on her. He did
not like that at all. In fact, he so disliked it that he did the unthinkable and
called for complete attention to himself for no reason other than to show his
displeasure.
His men knew him well. They did not mistake what had displeased him. But
ironically, he was even more annoyed that they did understand and did not look
toward the girl again. His action smacked of jealousy, which was absurd. God?s
blood, she was no more than his prisoner. Yet? yet what he had felt just now was
no different from what he had felt earlier when he had found her with Sheldonnay,
that had been more powerful. Utter rage had consumed him to see her kneeling at
his friend?s feet, in the process of disrobing him.
?You did not like the shape of your tankard?? Sheldon asked as he took the seat
next to Warrick at the lord?s table.
?How so??
But Warrick looked at the vessel in his hand and saw that the soft metal had
collapsed under his grip. He threw it away angrily and called for another, which
a page quickly supplied, along with the ale to fill it. She should have been
there already to do it. What the devil was keeping her in the kitchen? But then
she appeared with a large platter of meats, and he schooled his features to
conceal his rioting emotions.
?You must do better than that if you do not want her to know how she affects you,?
his friend warned, trying unsuccessfully to hide his amusement.
?You are wound so tight?
?Go to hell, Sheldon.?
The older man laughed, but said no more, leaning to his left to speak with
Beatrix, with whom he was to share a trencher. Warrick did try to relax, only it
was impossible. The closer Rowena came to the table, the more he tensed, as if
expecting a blow. And it did seem as if he received one when he saw her smile at
him.
?What will you have, my lord?? she asked pleasantly as she set the platter down
in front of him.
?A sampling of each??
He did not even look down at the meats she was offering.
?Have I made things too easy for you, wench??
?Nay, my lord.?
?Then why do you smile at me??
The smile vanished instantly.
?I forget myself. What is it you require? A frown? Indifference? Mayhap fear?
You need only say?
?Be quiet!? he grumbled and waved her off.
Rowena could feel his eyes boring into her back as she hurried from the hall,
and it was all she could do not to laugh before she was out of his sight. Lord
Vengeance was going to be easier to confound than even Mildred had thought. With
no more than a smile, she had soured his mood and received no punishment for it.
She wondered if she could force herself to touch him next, without being bidden
to. ?Twas not something she wanted to do, but she had made the decision and so
could not cavil over the means.
?So ye heard, did ye??
Rowena started and looked around until she spotted Mary Blouet. She knew not
what Mary referred to, but ?twas unwise for her to look so pleased with herself
where others could note it.
?Heard what??
?That the high and haughty Celia got sent away to Dyrwood keep. I know not how
ye did it, wench, but ye be having my thanks for it.?
Rowena could not speak for a moment, she was so incredulous.
?He actually sent her away??
?Aye, and good riddance, I say. But why do ye look so surprised??
?But I did naught that would I mean, I only told him she gave me an order in his
name. I did not know she lied, and he was angry, but I? he actually sent her
away??
Mary chuckled.
?Did I not say so? And what ye did be more than anyone else wouldst dare. I
should have warned him myself of the advantages she took of her position, but a
man is funny about such things. Like as not the bearer of tales gets the brunt
of his displeasure.?
Rowena tamped down the pleasure she was starting to feel, reminding herself that
what Celia had done was outrageous and deserving of some kind of discipline.
Warrick certainly had not done it for her sake. He had merely been made aware
that Celia had overstepped herself, and he had acted swiftly to punish her for
it. After all, the man thrived on meting out punishments. Why should his
favorite leman be excluded from them?
Rowena hurried back to the hall with another platter of food, her plan to baffle
and subtly seduce her tormentor forgotten for the moment. She noted, however,
that his mood had taken a turn for the worse. There was that risk, of course,
that instead of merely confusing the man and making him wonder about her, he
would get angry instead. The frown that followed her to the table now said he
was definitely angry about something.
She hesitated to get near him when he looked so forbidding, but there was no
help for it. Her duty was to serve him his food, not merely set it before him.
?Does aught tempt you here, my lord??
Rowena did not realize the implication of that innocent question until she saw
the fire leap into Warrick?s eyes. She flushed. She had not meant to be
deliberately provocative, yet so she had sounded. And to her amazement, his
frown turned into a grin, not of that cruel humor she abhorred, but of genuine
male amusement.
?Come you here, wench, and we shall see what if aught will tempt me.?
Sir Sheldon guffawed beside him, as did a few other knights within hearing.
Rowena?s flush turned to hot flames. But she did not hesitate this time. She
hurried around the table and came up to stand beside his chairand found herself
pulled onto his lap.
?Twas the perfect opportunity to further her seduction of himif she could forget
that they were the center of attention. But she could not forget that there were
other nobles present, including ladies, including Warrick?s young daughters, and
all she wanted to do was crawl into a hole and hide for the next decade. Verily,
if she were given even a little of the respect her true status was due, Warrick
would never have treated her so before his entire assemblage. But she was
classed as a lowly serf, beneath the notice of ladies, defenseless against
lustful innuendos as well as lustful assaultsat least by the Lord of Fulkhurst.
?What think you, wench, will tempt my palate?? he continued to tease her. br />
?Do you select it and we shall see.?
A reprieve? She could fill his trencher and be gone? She wasted no time in
leaning forward to reach the nearest platterand felt Warrick?s hand come to her
leg, then press between her thighs. She sat back so fast, her head cracked his
chin. They both winced, but then he chuckled.
?Think you none of the viands will tempt me, then??
Rowena groaned inwardly. There was no way she could win this game he had
instigated, but she did not think he would simply let her leave his lap did she
try. If she could bear his touch for a few moments, he might grow tired of the
game and recall that he was sitting here to eat, not to amuse himself with his
newest plaything.
She leaned forward to try and fill his trencher again. But his other hand groped
beneath her skirts until he found a bare thigh, and she felt a wave of heat that
had naught to do with embarrassment. Suddenly she was horrified that he might be
able to bring her to the state he had last eventide, right there with hundreds
of eyes avidly watching.