The Falls of Erith (11 page)

“Please
do,” he said huskily.

His
passion had left her dazed.  She licked her lips, tasting him on her flesh.
“What… what if you change your mind?”

“I
will not.”

They
walked back to the fortress without another word between them. They didn’t have
to.

CHAPTER
FIVE

Erith
was a fortress under construction.

Three
days after making his declaration, Braxton had transformed from a mercenary
into a Master Builder. True, all of his men carried varied talents and were
well paid for their worth, but now they were focused on building something
rather than killing people. And the activity around the dying fortress made
quite a site.

Braxton
had sent Dallas and Geoff into the nearby town of Levens to recruit workers.
They had returned with about thirty men to do a hard day’s work at good wages.
The next day, those men had brought another fifty men with them looking for
work, most of them farmers hoping to earn a decent wage.  By the third day,
there were nearly two hundred laborers from all over Southern Cumbria working
on the fortress; repairing walls, rebuilding the stables, and even building a
new structure against the inner wall. Braxton called it the barracks and the
men were building it in sturdy stones quarried from a small valley three miles
to the east.  The area had once been a river bed, long ago, and had tons of
stone perfect for building.

Braxton
had also put the word out over the countryside that Erith was seeking servants
for the domestic chores. He swore to Gray that she would never again have to
churn butter or mend an apron. In fact, he made sure that those female servants
who could sew were already working on garments made from the fabric he had
brought. He wanted to see Gray in something lovely, as she was meant to wear.
He seemed to be trying to make up for her difficult life all in just a few
days.  He couldn’t seem to do enough for her fast enough.

As
overwhelming as it was, it was also bewildering. Gray struggled to keep her
wits about her as Braxton worked to take away all of her troubles.  She kept
thinking that she was dreaming and that she would soon awaken back to the life
she had always known, but so far, each day seemed to improve. There was food
aplenty, the fortress was being repaired, and Brooke was the first family
member, on the third day, to wear a brand new surcoat with a pretty beaded belt
to match.  Gray had wept at the sight of it.  Braxton had merely smiled.

Through
all of the building and sewing and restoration, Constance remained persistently
arrogant and existed under a sense of entitlement. As far as she was concerned,
Braxton could build Erith into a golden palace and it would be fine with her. 
She’d not spoken to Gray about it more than to simply voice her approval. Gray,
of course, had not mentioned anything about Braxton’s intentions to her mother.
It would only serve to bring about some manner of disapproval from Constance.
Moreover, Gray wanted to see if Braxton still felt the same by week’s end. He
could very well change his mind after a few days, realizing he’d gotten himself
into far more than he’d bargained for. So until then, Gray kept their little
secret. But it was a deliriously wonderful one.

Without
her usual chores, Gray had very little to do. She had been in her father’s
solar most of the morning, watching three of her serving women work on surcoats
made from emerald brocade and off-white silk. Both were exquisite. She wanted
to help but didn’t want Braxton to catch her ‘working’.  He had caught her
earlier in the day helping the cook carefully measure brown flour and had given
her an earful, however gentle it was. He didn’t want her lifting a finger any
longer.

The
result was boredom. Growing tired of watching women sew, she wandered from the
solar and out to the kitchen yard.  There were more laborers there, rebuilding
the big oven that had partially collapsed a few years before.  The cook and her
fat daughter huddled near the door to the store room, grunting and hooting like
frightened animals.  They acknowledged their lady with a panicked gesture in
the direction of the oven.  Gray assured them that the men were only repairing
it, not removing it. The women didn’t seem convinced but Gray guaranteed that
it was entirely true.

All
of the activity at the castle was new and disturbing; the cook and her daughter
weren’t the only servants she had reassured that morning. All of the occupants
of Erith seemed a little edgy. Leaving the wary women in the kitchen yard, Gray
meandered out into the stable area.  She watched the laborers rebuilding part
of the stable before noticing the puny chickens seemed harried by the activity.
They were huddling in their coop.  Gray went to the chicken coop and noticed
there were several eggs inside that had not yet been collected.  She reached in
and plucked them out.

“What
are you doing?”

She
whirled around to find Braxton standing behind her. His eyebrows lifted in
disapproval. “Well?”

She
gestured weakly at the coop. “I was… gathering the eggs.”

He
frowned at her, though it had no force. “I thought I told you that you are no
longer required to do domestic chores,” he took a step closer to her, looking
down upon her. “The servants will collect the eggs. You are the lady of the
castle and these tasks are not for your lovely hands any longer.”

She
found her tongue. “But, my lord, I am bored senseless. I must do something.”

It
was difficult for him to maintain his harsh stance with her. “You will call me
Braxton in private,” he muttered. “And you will do something. You will learn
leisurely tasks that fine ladies occupy themselves with.”

“What
leisurely tasks?”

“Well…,”
he shrugged. “Knitting, I suppose, or whatever it is fine ladies do with a
needle and thread. Don’t you know any?”

She
gave him an intolerant look. “Whatever tasks I know are necessary ones.”

“Then
learn some
unnecessary
ones.”

She
put her hands on her hips. “You cannot place me on a glass pedestal like a fine
porcelain doll. I will not break. And I am not one to sit around when there is
work to be done.”

He
lifted an eyebrow at her. Then he reached out, took her hand, and tucked it
into the crook of his elbow.

“Walk
with me, madam.”

“Gladly.
At least I shall be doing something.”

He
fought off a grin. “You ungrateful wench. My men and I have been breaking our
backs repairing your castle and all you can do is complain because you are
bored.”

She
looked up at him, a grin on her face to melt his heart.  When he finally
cracked a smile at her, she beamed wide at him. “I simply wish to help,
Braxton. Can I not help?”

“Help
with what? Can you lift stone or build a roof?”

“Can
you?”

He
tried to show her how outraged he was by her question, but he only ended up
laughing at her. “I could rebuild this entire place myself if necessary. And I
have it on good authority that you are about to be spanked if you do not curb
this rebellious attitude you are displaying.”

She
was properly contrite, though it was all an act. “I have no wish to be spanked.
But I would like to help.”

He
came to a halt, sighing with mock frustration. “Very well, then. What do you
want to do?”

She
lifted a timid eyebrow. “Sew my own dresses?”

His
lips curled. “There are servants to do that.”

“Please?
I enjoy it.”

He
just shook his head. “You are the most ungrateful woman I have ever had the
fortune to come across. Very well, if it pleases you, sew your own clothes.” As
she grinned triumphantly, he moved closer, caressing the hand he held against
his arm. “You are also the most glorious woman I have ever had the fortune to
come across. I want to spoil you, madam. Why do you resist?”

Braxton
was awakening feelings in her she had never known herself capable of. A look
from him could provoke giddiness, a word could provoke elation. Gone were
thoughts of self protection, of suspicion. Those feelings had fled days ago.
Without even realizing it, she had learned to trust him completely. Not
necessarily for the kindness he was doing for her or for Erith, but simply by
his manner.  If he’d meant to capture her heart, he was well on his way to
doing so.

“I
am sorry if I seem unappreciative,” she replied softly. “I have simply never
known anything else but hard work. I feel quite useless sitting around while you
hire an army to work on my fortress. I do not want others to think I am taking
advantage of your generosity.”

“What
others?”

She
shrugged. “These people are from Levens.  They will talk and tell tale of the
Lady of Erith sitting idle while an army of mercenaries repairs her keep. Soon
all of Cumbria will hear such things.”

“Soon
all of Cumbria will know that the repair of the fortress was my wedding gift to
you,” he patted her hand gently; though he desperately wanted to kiss it, he
would make no such move. He did not want those who might witness such a thing
to believe the lady compromised. “Worry not what others think, madam. You and I
know the truth.”

She
gazed up at him, studying the lines of his handsome face. She hadn’t known the
man a week and already she felt more comfortable with him than she had with
anyone, ever.

“I
suppose we do,” she agreed softly.  She saw the same look in his eyes that she
had seen when he had kissed her and, not wanting to make a spectacle for all to
see, she backed away. “I shall go now and help the women with my clothes.
They’re nearly done, you know.”

He
was reluctant to release her hand. “We shall go into Milnthorpe tomorrow to
obtain more fabric. Between you, your mother and your daughter, the fabric is
gone.”

“We
do not need more fabric,” she insisted. “What you have provided us is more than
generous. We are very grateful.”

He
winked at her. “You must have a new garment for every day of the week. And I
think I shall purchase some jewels for you as well.”

Gray
just stared at him.  “Jewels? What on earth would I do with them?’

“Wear
them.”

He
kissed her hand then, swiftly, hoping that no one would see. It was a sweet and
tender moment, however brief. But he was distracted by someone was calling his
name from the direction of the front gates and he turned to see Dallas
approach.  He discreetly let go of Gray’s hand as Dallas walked up.

“My
lady,” the knight bowed to Gray before focusing on Braxton. “There is a small
party approaching from the south, my lord. Shall we send out riders?’

“Indeed,”
Braxton nodded. “Are their banners evident?”

Dallas
shook his head. “They are still too far out.”

“Then
make haste to identify them. How much time until they are upon us?”

“Less
than a half hour, my lord.”

“Then
be gone.”

Dallas
excused himself and was gone. Gray tucked strands of blowing hair behind her
ear, her expression one of concern.

“What
does that mean?” she asked. “Who would be coming to Erith?”

Braxton
had many different theories at that moment, most of which he would not verbalize. 
He remembered Brooke’s words to him the day he met her, how her Grandmother had
sent invitation to various Houses to vie for the girl’s hand. He didn’t know
what that particular thought popped into his head at the moment, but it did.
He’d very nearly forgotten about it. And, as Brooke had told him, Gray
apparently knew nothing about it. He just couldn’t imagine that she did simply
from her obvious attitude.

Though
Braxton had seen little of Lady Constance since his arrival, he suspected the
time had come for him to better acquaint himself with the self-aggrandizing
woman.  Though he would love to have Gray all to himself, she came with a
daughter whom he was very fond of and a mother he was not.  If he was going to
declare his intentions to Gray, he would have to declare it to all of them. 
And part of his declaration would include setting matters straight between
himself and the arrogant Lady de Montfort. 

“Do
not worry yourself,” he took her by the elbow and turned her in the direction
of the keep. “Go to your sewing now and I shall deal with these visitors.”

“Though
I appreciate your offer, I am still the Lady of Erith,” she said, firmly but
politely. “This is still my keep, Braxton. I shall greet our visitors.”

He
didn’t want to argue with her, but if the approaching party had something to do
with Lady de Montfort’s solicitation, he did not want her to be shocked.  The
party was less than a half hour off, which gave him little time to figure this
out.

“Then
wait in the keep until they are upon us,” he said. “There is no need for you to
wait out here in the sun. Come inside and be comfortable.”

That
produced the hoped for result; she walked with him into the keep. Once inside,
he left her in the solar with the sewing women and excused himself on a weak
pretext.  What he really intended to do was find Lady de Montfort.  A passing
servant told him where to find the woman.