Fires of Winter (21 page)

“Why did you take so long?” Brenna asked. “I am famished.”

He wondered bitterly if she had only put the room to rights after hunger had gnawed at her belly for a while.

“Aye, ’tis late,” he replied. He built up the fire, then stood up and waited for the tirade to begin. When it did not come immediately, Garrick eyed her speculatively and moved toward the table to join her, finally feeling his own hunger. Brenna was deep in thought as she ate, a frown creasing her brow.

“You were detained, then?” she finally asked.

“Nay, I simply forgot that you would be waiting on my return,” he answered rather sharply.

Then suddenly she laughed, causing Garrick no small amount of confusion. “Good. I am glad that you can forget me so easily, Viking.”

“Why so?”

“Why not?” she countered, a smile on her lips. “You think I want myself bandied about in your thoughts? Nay, for I know not the direction of your thinking. Whether ’tis good or bad, I do not wish to weigh on your mind.”

He grunted. “You have odd ways of proving that, mistress, what with your behavior thus far.”

“So I have been on your mind?” she asked innocently, humor in her voice. “I
am
sorry, Garrick. I suppose I will have to change my ways, then.”

He put down his food and looked at her hard. “What game are you playing, wench?”

“No game.”

“Am I to understand you will serve me now?” he questioned, bewildered by this sudden change.

“Aye, is it not what you wished? I bend to your will, Garrick. How does it feel, to win this victory?”

He felt the loser for some reason, but he would not tell her that. “I am glad you finally came to your senses.”

“Did you give me a choice, Garrick?” she replied, a slight note of bitterness in her voice now.

He watched her as she continued eating, her eyes averted from his. Still he could not fathom this change. After such stony resistance, after the way she would have defiantly faced a beating, he would have expected her to endure at least a few days without nourishment before finally giving in. Was it really just a test all along, as her sister had said, to see how much she could gain?

“Your chamber is in order, Garrick,” Brenna said, breaking into his thoughts. “And your robe is repaired.” She pushed her empty platter away and stood up. “If you have no further need of me this night, have I your permission to return to the women’s quarters?”

He hesitated before answering, his clear aqua eyes riveted to hers. “Nay.”

“Oh? What is there needs be done, then?”

“There is naught to do, mistress, but you will not stay with the others any more. From now on you will sleep in the room Yarmille uses when I am gone. ’Tis across from the sewing room.”

“Why?” she demanded curtly, her eyes darkening to a stony gray, her hands on her hips.

His brows raised questioningly, and there was a hint of mockery in his voice when he replied. “I thought you would bend to my will, mistress. Did you speak falsely?”

He could see her back stiffen, and her eyes sparkled with fury, but her voice was surprisingly calm when she answered. “As you wish.”

Then she left the room with cool dignity, leaving him to wonder at his reasons for wanting her near at hand.

B
renna entered the cooking area tired and blurry-eyed, for she had slept little during the night. Janie was busy at the table, cutting up a hind of beef for a stew. The young woman looked exceptionally lovely in a clean gray shift, her coppery hair tied back neatly at the base of her neck. She looked serene and fresh, which made Brenna feel even more tired. Dog perked up when he saw her and left his perch by the roasting pit. He came and nudged her hand until she petted him. Then, his tail wagging, the big animal returned to its resting place.

“Good morn,” Brenna said finally, to get Janie’s attention.

“Oh, Brenna!” Janie exclaimed as Brenna joined her at the table. “God’s mercy, we have been so worried about you. When the master locked you up, we did not know what to think. And we dared not ask him why, for he has been in such a mean mood of late.”

“’Twas only that my working with Erin did not agree with Garrick. Nor my long rides,” she added. “He would have me work here instead. ’Twas my own fault that he kept me confined to his chamber, because I refused to do as he wanted.”

“But you have agreed now,” Janie stated. “Master Garrick said this morn that you would help us henceforth.”

“Yea, I will.”

“You do not sound pleased,” Janie replied. “There is really not that much to do, Brenna.”

“’Tis not the work I am against, Janie, but that Garrick would have me serve him as a slave when I was prepared to serve him as a wife. This is what galls me, that I must bend to him without the benefit of marriage.”

“Pretend he is not the one you would have married,” Janie suggested.

Brenna grinned. “I doubt that would help very much.” She ladled herself a bowlful of oatmeal from a small pot over the fire and returned to the table. “You said there is not much to do. Why then were you so tired all the time when I first came here?”

Janie made a grim face. “That was when Yarmille was here all the time, as she is whenever Garrick is away. She owns no slaves herself, and so takes delight in her authority over us. She is also a woman who cannot abide idle hands. She would have us clean a room that is already spotless, just to keep us busy at all times. ’Tis fortunate she only comes once or twice a week when Garrick is home.”

“Does Garrick know what a hard taskmaster she is?” Brenna asked.

“Nay, but ’twould bode ill to tell him. In a sense, Yarmille is family. Her bastard son is Garrick’s half-brother.”

“I see.”

“She is also the only one around who has no family or farm to tend, so Master Garrick needs her. Others have a wife to leave in charge of their household when they are away—Garrick has Yarmille.”

“So he would think twice before he would reprimand her for her severity.”

“Yea, I would imagine so.”

“But that is terrible!” Brenna said in outrage. “He really should be advised of the situation.”

“’Tis not so bad, Brenna. He is home more than he is away. Except for last winter, of course. That should not happen again, however. Besides, he does not demand much of us when he is here, only that he be served according to his needs, and that when he has guests, they be treated with respect.”

“And their every wish granted,” Brenna added in obvious disgust.

Janie smiled. “Ah, these Vikings do like their pleasure.”

“Lusty bastards is what they are!” Brenna spat, her gray eyes sparkling with contempt. “A servant I will be, but not in that respect. He can starve me if he will, but I will
not
be his whore!”

“Is that what he did?”

“Nay, but he threatened to,” Brenna admitted. “He plays the game most foully.”

“Mayhaps you need not worry,” Janie offered. “When guests come, you can hide as you did before. They come to our quarters looking for us, but you could stay in the sewing room again.”

“I will not be going back to the quarters,” Brenna replied. She still did not understand why. “Garrick has bid me stay in Yarmille’s room.”

Janie grinned. “Mayhaps you really have no cause to worry. It seems Garrick would keep you for himself.”

“Nay, if that were so, I would have had a hard time this last week in his chamber, but I did not. He has no interest in me that way.”

“He has not taken you yet?” Janie asked in surprise.

Brenna’s face reddened considerably. “Yea, but only twice,” she snapped in embarrassment. “And he will surely regret it if he tries again!”

“No doubt ’twill be awhile before he does,” Janie remarked. “The man tries hard to do without women, he distrusts them so. And if you recall the reason for it, mayhaps that is why he has been in such a dark mood of late. Morna has returned.”

“Returned?”

“Yea, a few days past. Perrin told me of it. It seems her rich husband perished of consumption. She has returned to her family a wealthy widow. It can mean only trouble.”

“Why so?”

Janie frowned. “Perrin thinks she has it in mind to turn her attentions to Garrick again.”

Brenna’s back stiffened. “And he would take her back?”

“She was his first love and not easily forgotten. Yet in truth she hurt him badly,” Janie said, then shrugged. “’Tis my opinion he would be a fool to want her again after what she did to him. But who can say what is in a man’s heart?”

“Only the man, and most times he will not,” Brenna murmured with a slightly bitter edge to her tone. She would give anything to know Garrick’s thoughts.

Janie and Brenna spent the rest of the morning and afternoon doing the wash. Brenna did the scrubbing while Janie kept water boiling from the huge vat of rain water beside the house, and then hung the clothing to dry. Brenna rubbed Garrick’s clothes over the scrubbing board with a vengeance, tearing seams that she only had to repair afterward. As there were not many hours of actual daylight, the clothes did not dry with the help of the sun, but had to be thoroughly wrung out and hung in the cold wind. It was near eventide when the clothes were brought in, and it was then that Brenna saw the northern lights for the first time. She was frightened at first by the strange formless glow until Janie explained that the greenish yellow light appeared frequently in the sky. She also warned Brenna that the light took different shades, and was sometimes white. The more beautiful lights were blue, red or even violet. Brenna was enthralled, and looked forward to seeing more. This land of many mysteries, so different from her own, was another world entirely.

It was late when Garrick finally came in for his meal. Brenna’s eyes were drawn quickly to his blood-stained trousers, the crimson red standing out on the tanned deerskin, and then she peered questioningly into his face.

“I did not know you had enemies in your own land,” she said speculatively, her voice husky.

“’Tis the truth, but I met none this day,” he replied, his lips turning up in a slow grin as he came closer. “I must disappoint you, wench, and tell you that the blood is not mine, but that of the doe Avery is now skinning.”

“Avery?”

“He is another of my slaves.”

Garrick’s patent reminder of her status was not lost on Brenna. Color flushed her cheeks hotly and her silver gray eyes flashed at him.

“’Twould appear you bungled the kill,” she remarked derisively, her gaze returning to the blood stains. “Are you not aware that an arrow through the head makes a cleaner wound and a finer pelt?”

He laughed. “First you wager you know horses better than I. Now you would instruct me on the merits of hunting. When will you cease to amaze me, Brenna?”

She was rankled for a moment. She did not like it when he used her given name. He had only done so before in a tender moment.

“Your meal awaits you,” she said woodenly, anxious to be away from him as soon as possible. “Where will you have it?”

“Does this mean you will serve me?” he asked, his eyes looking over her body much too boldly for her liking. “Where are the others?”

“Mayhaps you do not know ’tis late, Viking,” she retorted irritably. “The others have retired for the night.”

“And you waited patiently for me?” He was behind her now, removing his heavy fur cloak. “This change in you is truly remarkable, Brenna. I find it odd that you did not seek your bed and leave others to see to my needs. Could it be you yearn for my company?”

“Ohh!” she gasped and sprang to her feet to face him. “You conceited jackal! I would sooner spend my time with a braying ass than with you!”

She started to stalk from the room but his sharp command stopped her after only a step. “I did not give you leave to retire, mistress!”

She turned furious, smoky eyes on him, but gritted her teeth and waited for him to continue. She bristled at the mocking smile that curled his lips. He was enjoying this!

“You will serve my meal,” he said in a level tone. “First you will prepare water for my bath.”

“A bath? Now?” she asked incredulously.

At his nod she groaned. Her hands were stiff and sore from the washing, for they were unaccustomed to the chore, the scalding water and abrasive soap. Now she would have to lug buckets of water up to his chambers! She balked at the thought.

“Why do you hesitate?” Garrick questioned, seeing the fleeting emotions cross her face. “A bath is a simple matter.”

“Then you do it!” she hissed. “I will not carry water up to your chamber.”

“I did not ask you to,” he replied. “I will have the bath here. Will that suit you?”

Indeed it would, she almost sighed. Instead she answered stiffly, “As you wish.”

She picked up two large buckets and went outside to the huge vat of fresh rain water at the side of the house. The cold wind lifted her skirts and sent a chill up her back. She filled the buckets, then almost dropped them when the handles bit into her sore fingers as she hauled them back into the house.

Garrick had moved the barrellike tub that had been beneath the stairs over in front of the fire. He stood back and watched her silently as she emptied the cold water into the tub. Her unconscious grimace left Brenna’s face when the buckets were light again. She reluctantly walked out of the warm cooking area of the hall to fill them again.