Fire and Ice (11 page)

“Sire, forgive me.  We have been waiting for your return and now you find us unprepared.”  He jumped up from his chair and bowed to Ulfric.  “As your Reeve I would like to speak to you privately, my lord, as soon as possible.”

Ulfric did not miss the sideways glance he gave to Giselle and wondered what other mischief this unwelcome guest has caused in his absence.  Just then the ball of fluff named Kyle, bounced into the room and sniffed around until he found Juliana’s scent and bounded up the stairs.

“What was that?” Erik asked.

“That is Kyle and is a gift to Juliana from the King himself,” Ulfric laughed.  “I fear he’ll be more trouble than he’s worth but Juliana has taken a liking to him, so what could I say?”

Erik smiled, “It’s good to have you home again, sire,” he said with feeling.

Ulfric slapped him on the back and laughed again, “It’s good to be home, Erik.  I will speak with you as soon as I’ve seen the lady Hilde.  Tell me,” he whispered, “has she suffered badly at the hands of Giselle?”

Erik again glanced at Giselle who was standing with her arms crossed listening to their words.  “You must decide for yourself, my lord, once you’ve seen her,” he mumbled in return.

Ulfric turned on his heels and pushed past Giselle without looking at her and climbed the stairs, knowing what she was capable of and fearing for Hilde.  He heard Juliana crying through the door of her mother’s chamber and Kyle was lying outside seemingly aware of his mistress’s pain as he whimpered to be let in. Ulfric stood for a while bracing himself to enter.  Eventually, he composed himself and eased the door open, pushing the dog back into the corridor, but what met his eyes was worse than he had expected.  Hilde was lying propped up on pillows.  She carried bruises along both sides of her neck and face and her eyes were tightly closed by swelling and discolouration.  One side of her face had dropped and Juliana sat with a cloth and mopped her mouth as she dribbled.

“How?” he whispered as he approached the bed.

“How do you think, Ulfric?”  Juliana was in no mood for small talk.  “Are we always to be blighted by these de Gants?  Look what she has done to my poor mother – I can’t bear it,” she leapt from the bedside and flung herself into Ulfric’s arms. He enfolded her gently and stroked her hair whilst she gave vent to her tears.  Ulfric held her tighter and wondered what on earth he was going to do about their unwanted visitors.  He and Thorvald had been taken in by their father at such a tender age and the older man had given guidance and even love to the young boys so Ulfric felt duty-bound to honour that debt.  He looked over Juliana’s head to the woman who had suffered so much from the Norman hand and decided that enough was enough. 

Juliana sniffed away her tears, completely spent now and moved away from Ulfric to sit once more by her mother’s bedside.  “I wish Alice was still here, she would have cared for my mother as well as anyone.”  She thought for a while then added, “Ulfric, can I bring Sara here to look after her with her potions?”

“Of course, my love, she can sleep on a pallet next to the bed.  Anything she can do for your mother to aid her recovery will be rewarded.  Come now, there is someone outside who wants to say hello to you, listen!”

The sound of whining from behind the door brought a smile to Juliana’s face and Ulfric went to the door to let Kyle in.  The dog seemed to sense the atmosphere in the room and approached the bed cautiously.  Juliana picked him up and his wriggling body seemed overjoyed to be reunited with her, his long tongue lashing out at every opportunity to lick her face. 

“I’ll leave you with Kyle, Juliana.  I have something to do downstairs.”  He kissed her forehead, receiving a lick from Kyle which he wiped away with the back of his hand.  “I can see I have competition for your affections,” he smiled as he left the room.

Downstairs once again Ulfric barked an order for Erik to fetch Sara from her cottage and for the servants to make up a straw pallet in Hilde’s room.  The knight gave no quarter and dragged Giselle from her stitching and pulled her from the Hall and into the woods until she called for him to stop.  Once alone he turned on her, “What by all that is holy, have you done to Hilde?” he snarled; his face so close that he could feel her breath.

“Nothing that she didn’t deserve,” she replied curtly.

“She looks as if you tried to hang her once you had beaten her senseless.”

Giselle gave a small grin, “It’s true, Ulfric, she disobeyed me so I tied her with the hounds with a rope around her neck, but I didn’t beat her – she fell down the stairs.”

“A likely story!  She bears the signs of punches to her face and her eyes didn’t swell and close of their own accord.”

“She is a disobedient servant, Ulfric.  Let it be a lesson to all the other servants that we are a strong and mighty nation and will brook no disloyalty.”

“Hilde is the mother of my...
of Juliana who is now the lady of the Hall.  You have no power over them, Giselle, and when your brother arrives back from Lincoln he can take responsibility for you.  I will
not
tolerate your abuse of my people – is that understood?”

“Richard won’t agree with you.  He’ll think as I do.”

“I don’t care what Richard thinks.  You and he are alike in so many ways but neither of you take after your father.”

“Our father is weak like you.  He always showed you favour over us, Ulfric.”

“That’s untrue, but even if it were it still doesn’t give you the right to beat my people.  Now, I want your word that you will observe the courtesies I show to the people around me, ladies and servants alike or I will throw you out of the Hall together with your brother.”

Giselle considered his threat and tossed her head in defiance, but knew she w
as beaten.  If Ulfric told her father of her misdeeds then he would send her back to Normandy but she was tired of that place and wanted some adventure.  Under his stare of disapproval she lowered her eyes and nodded her head.  “So be it, Ulfric, but don’t think this is the end of the matter.”

“For your sake I pray that it is!” he said and walked past her back to the Hall cursing the day he ever met the de Gants.

Chapter 12

The weeks following Giselle’s attack on Hilde were long and difficult for all concerned.  Even Richard de Gant held his tongue but he and his sister could be seen huddled together in conversation and if anyone approached they stopped talking.  Juliana was at her wits end attempting to cope with Giselle’s demands and trying to keep the peace.  Hilde herself began to make a slow recovery once Sara moved in and took over her care.  Potions were made and as the autumn approached, she and Juliana began collecting fruits from the hedgerows and replenishing stocks of herbs to continue the treatment. 

Father Matthew attended frequently, showing his gratit
ude for the work to replace the church’s spire.  His small room on the upper floor above the nave was less damp and he was looking forward to a warmer winter than previous years.  Ulfric suffered his suggestions that he should marry Juliana with as much grace as possible, but eventually began to contrive to be away from the Hall if he knew the priest would be calling.

The time arrived when he had to go to Lincoln for a month in accordance with the King’s orders but Thorvald was left behind to oversee the Hall and try to keep Juliana and Giselle from killing each other.  The night before
Ulfric was due to leave he and Juliana were in their bedchamber discussing his absence.

“I wish you didn’t have to go, Ulfric,” Juliana began, a slight wobble in her voice betraying her dread.

“You know I have to obey the King’s orders and Thorvald will be here.  I can’t take you on this occasion as I’ll be with the men.  The sooner a permanent garrison is in place the better.  I don’t relish the thought of sleeping in cold and draughty quarters any more.  I must be getting soft, Juliana. I will miss your charms and comfort,” he laughed, trying to lighten the moment.

“Will Sir Richard be going
with you?”

“Yes, at least I won’t have to worry about him and Giselle plotting together.  I wonder what they find to talk about huddled in their corners.”

“I’m worried, Ulfric.  Do you think they plan to take over the Hall?”

“No, that would be insane.  This Hall and all the lands around here are mine by deed of the King.  William would not stand for the de Gants trying to take what is mine.”

“If there is need, do I have permission to send Thorvald for you?”

“Of course my love, you are my lady and can send whomever you wish.  But let’s not spoil our last night in this way, come and give me some of your fire.”

Juliana wished she felt like his lady but without the blessing of a marriage she still felt cheap and used. She knew beyond doubt that she loved Ulfric and wondered how long she could keep up the pretence that marriage did not matter.  As he slept after their love making she wondered about Alice and whether or not the baby had been delivered yet.  She pondered on many things during the night, unable to sleep because of her inner turmoil and wondered how long it would be before she became with child and would be sent away somewhere.  Perhaps Ulfric would take another woman to his bed when she could no longer please him.

***

Ulfric remembered his last night with Juliana with an ache in his heart and body.  She had shown him her love in a way that he had never known she was capable.  They had shared such intimacies but when their passion was spent she still cried into her pillow and he was left wondering what on earth he could do. 

In response to his thoughts and as a way of pushing away his frustration, he drove his men hard.  Their ride to Lincoln took only one day as they were unhampered by carts and women.  He missed Thorvald though.  His friend and step-brother was never far away from his back and guarded him at all times so riding without him Ulfric felt strange and vulnerable.  De Gant rode with his own men and he too was thinking of Juliana, but not in the same way as Ulfric. The Norman’s thoughts were on revenge and how Giselle would help him to accomplish his goal – to rid himself of Ulfric and to take Juliana as his own wife or, if needs must, he would take her by force.  Such was his hatred for Ulfric that he was blinded to common sense and saw only that the King had given Bertone to the wrong knight.  He remembered his father’s words of censure for not securing land for their family on English soil but Sir Richard was determined to prove himself worthy despite the King’s obvious favouritism.

***

Back at the Hall in Bertone Juliana was sitting at the table eating her breakfast of porridge and boiled
eggs when the now familiar tone of Giselle’s complaining reached her ears.  Sighing she put down her wooden bowl and rose from the table to find out what the latest offence was. 

“Sit down and finish your breakfast, Juliana.  I’ll go and see what ails her this time,” Erik said, raising his hand to indicate she should return to her food.

“I’m no longer hungry,” Juliana said, “we’ll go together.”

They climbed the stairs with Kyle at their heels and followed the sound of Giselle’s voice to Hilde’s bed chamber.  Juliana raced to the door and pushed it open, “What on earth are you doing in this room, Giselle
?  You have no right here – I’ve told you to stay away from my mother.”

Hilde’s bruised face had almost healed and the marks on her neck were gone apart from slight reddening, but one look at her terrified face was enough to alarm Juliana.  Giselle was looking in trunks and pulling out clothes, holding them against herself to see if they would fit then discarding them on the floor. 

“Where’s Sara?” Juliana asked Erik.

“Gone to get herbs for her potions, I think,” he replied, noting the flash of anger burning in Juliana’s eyes.

“I repeat – what are you doing here?” she glared at Giselle and took a step towards her.

“This old hag isn’t going to wear these clothes anymore, is she?  So I thought I’d take them – they’re far too good for her,” she stated as a matter of fact.

Juliana stood with her hands on her hips and looked the other woman up and down, “What makes you think you would fit into these clothes, Giselle?  You are tall, admittedly, but you are so skinny you could never, ever, look as fine in them as my mother does.”

“I care not for your opinion
,” she spat, “Why would a servant need gowns like these? The cloth is fine and I can alter them to fit.  Have a servant bring them to my quarters.”  She dropped the gowns and deliberately kicked Kyle as she walked out of the door calling back, “Be thankful I haven’t taken yours!”

Juliana rushed to her mother’s bedside and pulled her into her arms in an effort to comfort and reassure her.  Since the attack Hilde’s face still drooped on one side and her speech was difficult to understand, but lately had improved slightly.  Now, Juliana could see that she had reverted to not being able to speak at all and made grunting noises amidst her sobs. 

Erik looked on with compassion remembering how elegant Hilde had once been and always so particular with her appearance.  Hatred grew afresh in his heart for this sister of de Gant and he silently vowed he would seek revenge whenever and wherever he could.  Taking Kyle who had yelped and cowered away from Giselle after her cruel kick, he returned downstairs, leaving Juliana to look after her mother.  He met Sara at the entrance to the Hall who was returning from her forage into the countryside, and quickly turned her about and, surprised, she followed him wondering what had happened.