Seduced (31 page)

"Father had a hidden space in his solar where
he kept his money chest. It was just big enough for a couple
people. Maud scooped me up and concealed me there, but 'twas too
late for Sybilla and Mother. They ran into the room, but before
they could hide themselves with us, men broke down the door. I
heard their screams as the men raped my mother and Sybilla. I
stuffed my tunic hem in my mouth to keep myself from crying
out.

"I thought all were saved when Father and his
men stormed through the doorway. He slew the men holding Mother and
Sybilla. Mother died two days later. Sybilla barely survived. It
was many months before she could speak. By then, she was swelling
with Agnes.

"From that time on, Father determined that
even children would learn to use a weapon. Once I mastered the
sling, he saw to Leofwan training me in weapons a woman can
handle."

Letia shuddered and wished to forget the
dreadful memories. She looked at her shocked friends and forced a
bright smile.

"By the way, I am quite wicked with the
cross-bow."

Something was different about the great hall.
Raik's brows creased when he walked toward the high table, trying
to find what he sensed. The tables stood where they always were.
Linen cloth covered them. The food was bountiful. He sensed an air
of tension around the men standing near the lower tables. 'Twas
only when Edulf nudged his arm and looked up at the rafters that
Raik followed his gaze.

"Do my eyes deceive me? Were not the rafters
a mottled brown last eve?"

Ranald stopped in mid-stride.

Cormac did an awkward sidestep to keep from
stumbling into his back. "Shite, man! I near knocked you down."

Ranald shrugged, still eyeing the rafters.
"Ye see aright. Hm. They're now a rich brown."

"Aye. How could that be accomplished in but
one day?"

Raik's gaze returned to the men waiting to
sit. Paint splotches dotted their heads, their breeches and shirts,
though they had scrubbed their faces and hands clean. He smiled and
nodded his approval.

"You should have seen them, milord," the
slinger Alfred said. "It was the number of men that did it. I knew
something was amiss when workmen swarmed into the hall carrying
wood for scaffolding."

"Aye," Piers nodded. "Our Lady had only to
ask and every man who could spare time throughout the day wanted to
take part. It soon looked like the ceiling was crawling with big
birds painting away. I wondered where you disappeared to when the
children had their noon meal." Piers playfully swatted Alfred
alongside his head.

"Ha. How could you miss my big arse? I was on
the scaffolding to your right."

As they made their way to their table, the
two men bantered back and forth.

Raik noted Letia and the women waiting beside
the high table. She looked particularly appealing in a violet
kirtle with sleeves slit on the side for a light green smock to
peek through. A woven band of the same green held back a riot of
still damp curls from her forehead. 'Twas strange how beautiful she
appeared dressed in proper women's clothing. Though he had to
admit, when she had visited Raptor with de Burgh, she always
appeared womanly...until Warin spoke of her skills with
weapons.

"Lady Wife, the men did a fine job of
freshening the ceiling."

He felt awkward with the praise as he
assisted her to sit. Too late, he realized he had not acknowledged
her hand in the day's work. She nodded and he sensed she forced the
smile she bestowed on him. Her eyes did not mimic it.

"I wish to seek your advice about a prize for
the advanced children working with Giles. What would be special for
them? They have been working hard on their contest." He settled in
his chair and took a sip of cold wine.

Letia's brows near met in the middle while
she thought.

"I believe what would please them most is
their own adult slings, mayhap with their name tooled in the
leather. They deserve them."

"Thank you, wife." Raik sighed with relief
knowing he had done the right thing, for the smile on Letia's face
near lit up the room.

o0o

That day marked the beginning of Letia's
attempt to please her husband in the hopes that when, not if, he
learned Aubrey was his son, he would soften his anger toward her.
After she nursed the baby that night, Maud brushed her hair until
the curls sprung back with vigor. Letia rubbed oils on her body to
enhance its softness and slipped into bed to await her husband.

The full moon slid beams of light across the
covers, sending a pale glow over her naked breasts and arms where
the sheet fell when she turned. Maud had said virile young men
enjoyed making love by moonlight, so she steeled herself not to
snatch the covers up tight to her chin.

She may as well have. After Raik stripped, he
pulled the shutters closed before he climbed into bed. Was she so
lacking in pleasing curves he did not find her comely? Or mayhap
she was too plump since she birthed her son? She responded to his
caresses without hesitation, making their lovemaking hot and
furious. He was attentive to her needs. When she stiffened in her
release, his rhythm increased, rocking her in a frenzy of passion
until sweat sprinkled his back and his magnificent body shuddered
with his climax.

Raik fell to his side as soon as he caught
his breath. There in the dark, he allowed himself a wry smile. If
Letia had given Warin as wild a ride as she gave him, no wonder the
man's heart wore out.

Being married had its advantages. He no
longer had to withdraw and spend himself on his partner's stomach.
Did all Norman women squeeze the last bit of seed from a man's cock
as Letia did his? And as his unseen seducer had done?

One night, after a hearty meal when Cormac
was in his cups, he would find an opportunity to ask. He seemed to
have the most skill with women. Why, even shy Sybilla did not
skitter away when he touched her shoulder. From the softness in
Cormac's eyes, Raik did not fear he intended to play lightly with
her.

o0o

In the next sennight, Raik found each day
held something different. They started out as usual when he and his
commanders met while they broke their fast. They planned their
mornings, varying the patrols each day so as not to set a pattern
that an enemy could use to their advantage. Edmund set in motion
his plans for the castle's defense, training men at thwarting
raiders. Cormac added extra guards along the castle walls, making
use of some of the men de Mortimer had gifted to Raik.

All ran smoothly and in a pattern. The second
day when they returned for their noon meal, Giles met them at the
stable when they dismounted. He told Raik that Lady Letia had
prepared a special treat and led them to the orchard. There spread
out on the lush grass was a sea of blankets. Everything for their
meal was there, including the table equipment. Pitchers of ale and
cider, their sides dripping with dewy moisture, and the aroma of
steaming food were enough to hurry the men to wash their hands in
buckets at the well.

Cook had the only table. Servants filled
trenchers with generous portions of each dish a man pointed to.
Once the squires knew their masters' preferences, they took over.
'Twas fortunate the weather held warm for 'twas the middle of
August.

As in the previous day, Raik did not see
Letia. For that matter, no women were present except for servants.
When he questioned Giles, he said Lady Letia thought the men might
like a chance of dining without having to guard their tongues.
Boisterous male voices told him she had guessed rightly.

For each day of the following sennight,
Ranald and his men would be with them, Letia surprised her husband
with something new. The great hall changed before his very eyes.
The rafters were a clean brown. Then they found the walls painted a
cheerful yellow that brightened the room so much they did not need
as many candle branches. The picnic gave the carpenters opportunity
to repair and paint the trestle tables.

Several days later, Letia held a celebration
for the young slingers to award their prizes. It was a great
success. The cook and her helpers for the day baked all manner of
fruit pasties and scones, covering a long table set to the side of
the practice area. Benches lined with proud parents and friends,
plus Letia's teams of adult slingers watched and cheered as the
youths competed for the last trial. No one was surprised when
Sybilla's daughter Agnes and the blacksmith's son won their adult
slings.

On Ranald's last night at Seton, the cousins
found bright banners hanging from the rafters. Letia explained that
some had hung in her father's keep; others bore the de Burgh crest.
Even Douglas Castle where Raik fostered was represented, as was
Raptor and Hunter Castles. Ranald's bright yellow banner with two
black eagles separated by a red bar, hung over the high table
beside Raik's own striking red with the screeching yellow
gryphon.

Above the huge fireplace was the largest
banner, divided diagonally from the left lower corner to the top
right. To its left was Seton Castle's colors. The background field
was a soft blue the color of the sky on a new summer's morn with a
white shield at the center with a gold cross stitched upon it. The
right side held Raik's own red background and yellow gryphon.

Ranald nodded at it and thumped Raik on the
back. A surge of pride filled him, for that colorful banner proved
Seton Castle's people accepted him in his position as its
master.

Letia noted the interchange between the two
men and smiled at Lady Joneta and Elyne. The three of them had
worked hours on sewing the big banner. She grinned thinking she had
enough needle pricks in her fingers to be worthy of a good
bloodletting had she needed it.

"Husband, I have a favor to ask of you,"
Letia said as she turned to Raik. She hoped her voice didn't sound
as weak as it appeared to her own ear.

"And what is that, wife?" Raik's piercing
blue eyes studied her face.

Fearing he believed she had wrought this
latest change as a bribe, at first, she felt affronted by his
questioning gaze.

"Could Mother Joneta live here with us? Lord
Broccin has no need of her, and Elyne says her aunt has not been as
happy there since you and Ranald no longer live with them."

"'Tis truth?" Raik's face lit with pleasure.
He leaned forward to speak to his mother. "I would deem it a great
honor to have you in my household, Mother."

"Aye. Elyne has no further need of me at
Raptor. I have become so attached to little Aubrey it would please
me mightily to help care for him." Her face lit with a bright
smile.

"Then it is settled." Raik switched his gaze
to Elyne and grinned. "I dinna envy ye telling Laird Broccin that
his sister will not be returning."

"Fear not. He will soon have other things to
occupy his mind." Elyne grinned at him.

"Still giving Father a hard time, eh?"
Ranald's eyes twinkled.

"No more than usual," she replied. "Father
thinks if I do not take a husband within the next year, I will be
well past the age to be interesting to any man."

"Has your dreams not shown you the man you
will wed?" Letia watched her face with interest.

In the past, Elyne's dreams often were the
opposite of what truly happened, but as she matured, she learned to
interpret them more accurately. Letia had great faith in the
truthfulness of Elyne's dreams, for she was there when one unfolded
as predicted. Now she prayed her friend's dream of Raik holding the
bairn and thanking Letia for his son would soon come true.

"Nay. But they have become," she hesitated
looking for the right words, "hmm, very busy of late. Strange
images of people coming and going, of a man searching for something
whilst another is naught but black shadows." She shivered.

Ranald looked sternly at her. "Remember,
lass. I warned ye afore about hanging out of windows and spyin' on
men when they believe they are alone. A man doesna like that."

"Now, brother, why would I do such a thing?"
Elyne smiled at him and winked.

o0o

That night, Letia sensed a special tenderness
when Raik made love to her. It did not feel as if he was doing his
duty in the marital bed as it had those other nights. Before, she
had felt his resentment. Now, that seemed to fade. Though she
responded to lovemaking, she still held something back, fearful she
would spark a memory.

Mayhap she should have heeded Joneta's advice
and told Raik outright that he was a father. The longer she waited,
the harder it was to confess.

Should she tell him on the morrow, or should
she wait until after her transformation of the great hall? All hope
of sleeping fled as she chewed her lips. Aubrey had begun to sleep
through the night, not awakening until just after that time when
night faded and the sun hesitated to rise. She would welcome the
sound of Maud bringing the babe to her, but the night held
silent.

Raik must have felt her tossing and turning,
for he rolled over to face her.

"Did a sound frighten ye, wife?" His voice
was thick with sleep as he wrapped a warm arm around her to pull
her close.

"Nay."

"Ye tremble. A bad dream, then?"

"Nay, no dream." Should she speak of it now,
afore Ranald and Elyne left on the morrow? She may have need of
them to dampen Raik's anger. "There is something I must speak
about..."

His body stiffened. The flesh that was once
warm and comforting turned hard as the stone walls. He surged up on
his elbow to peer through the darkness at her.

"Ye fear I canna provide adequate protection
against Julian once Ranald leaves?"

Letia could picture sparks coming from the
steely blue eyes staring down at her. When he was angry, his eyes
lightened of their color, reminding her of frozen ice glinting from
tree branches during a winter's storm.