Tapestries 05 - Embroidered Fantasies (12 page)

“It’s cider.” He poured a cup for himself and drank. “There is water if the cider is not to your liking.”

She sipped and then drank a bit more. The drink was tart, with a hint of sweetness, yet refreshing. “It’s good. Thank you.”

Radnor stalked back into the room, something held in his hands. He came around the side of the table and abruptly went down on one knee beside her, dropping the bundle he carried onto the floor beside him. Her hand was shaking so she set her cup back on the table.

He reached beneath the table and drew her left foot onto his thigh. He brushed off the bottom and then reached for whatever it was he’d brought with him. Shoes. He’d brought her shoes. Or rather, soft, supple leather boots that went to just below her knee and were tied in place with leather straps.

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His hands were gentle, yet sure, as he tied the straps and then reached for her other foot. He’d seen her shiver and had immediately gone to find her something to wear on her bare feet. They’d taken care of her, fed her and clothed her. Her heart ached at their generosity.

When Radnor was done, he grunted and stood. Giving her a nod, he went to his seat, grabbed a piece of bread and some cheese and began to eat. Roxanne picked up her cup and took a sip of cider, knowing in that one gesture, she’d surely lost a piece of her heart to the massive, taciturn man seated beside her.

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Roxanne ate a little of the bread and cheese. Her stomach was in knots and she knew it was impossible for her to eat any more. She pushed her plate away. It had been hard to eat with both men watching her every move. Oh, they weren’t overt about it, but she could see them watching her out of the corners of their eyes.

Sednar frowned. “You did not eat much.”

It sounded like an accusation, but it made her smile. “I’m not really hungry.” He persisted. “If the food is not to your liking, I can get you something else.” For all his commanding airs, Sednar was a good man. He didn’t get angry with her for not eating what he offered. His only concern was for her. “The food is wonderful.

Truly,” she added when his frown deepened. “My stomach is just upset from everything that’s happened.” That was nothing less than the truth.

Sednar sighed. “As you wish. If you get hungry, you have only to let one of us know and we will find you something to eat.”

“Thank you.” She was touched by his genuine concern.

Radnor shoved back from the table, his chair scraping against the stone floor. “If you are finished, we would like to show you our home.” Roxanne found she was very curious about both men and the stone fortress they called home. Her glimpse of the outside had only whetted her appetite for more knowledge. “I’d like that.” She pushed her chair away and stood, shaking out the skirt.

It fell halfway between her knees and ankles, but her legs were totally covered because of the boots Radnor had procured for her. It felt very strange and oddly erotic to be completely dressed, yet to feel half naked due to her lack of underwear.

She glanced at the bed. The covers had been pulled up, showing no signs of their earlier sexual activities. She sighed, not seeing her clothing anywhere. She’d have to leave it for now and look later.

Radnor stood beside her, waiting patiently. “Lead on,” she told him.

He reached down and took her hand in his, thick fingers twining with her smaller ones. Their palms touched as he guided her out of the room and down a short hallway to a set of stairs. It was a very intimate sensation to be walking hand in hand with him.

Sednar followed close behind them.

Radnor’s voice was deep as he began to tell her about his home. “Craddocks have been on this land for generations. The original tower itself was built about twelve generations ago, as far as we can tell, and has been added to since.” 65

She couldn’t imagine having a family history that went back that far. She placed her free hand on the cool stone, trying to imagine all the people before her who must have touched the exact same spot.

“It is not as large as some family lands,” Sednar continued, “but it is prime land.” Roxanne could hear the pride in his voice, but she could also hear an underlying defensiveness as well and wondered about it.

They led her through the great hall, which was surprisingly sunny in spite of the thick stone walls. Windows were cut high on the walls, allowing light while maintaining security. It seemed her first impression of the building was correct. It was a fortress, built to protect those who lived within.

Men and a few women scurried about doing everyday chores. None of them spoke to the brothers. Indeed, they seemed to be doing their best to avoid their gazes. Roxanne frowned as a man darted furtive glances over his shoulder as he stoked the fire in the hearth of the great hall.

The room was huge, but sparse. A heavy wooden table sat on a dais at the head of the room with two large chairs placed so whoever sat there would have a perfect view of the entire room. Like the table, the chairs were simply constructed. Sturdy and functional. Four smaller tables sat perpendicular to the larger one with long benches on either side. All were empty at the moment.

“This way.” Sednar strode in front of her and Radnor, leading them toward a stone archway and a set of stairs. They went down the narrow, winding steps. She had to release Radnor’s hand and walk in front of him. The stairwell here was too narrow for the two of them to easily walk side by side. The smells emanating from below told her they were headed for the kitchen.

As they stepped into the room, all activity ceased. An older woman was busy, bent over a table, kneading dough. A man turned a spit over a cookfire. Several younger men and one young woman were peeling and cleaning vegetables and fruit, some of which appeared familiar and some that did not.

The older woman straightened and hurriedly wiped her hands on her apron before giving a small curtsy. “My lords.” Her gaze flitted to Roxanne and then back down to the floor. “I hope the food was to your liking.”

Roxanne could hear the underlying tremor in the woman’s voice and hurried to reassure her. “It was wonderful. Thank you.”

The woman offered her a quick smile of gratitude. She clutched her apron in her hands and waited.

“This is Tamma. She is in charge of the kitchens.” Radnor made the introduction.

Roxanne stuck out her hand on impulse. “Pleased to meet you, Tamma.” The other woman stared at Roxanne’s hand as if she wasn’t quite certain what to do with it. Her gaze jerked to Sednar. He gave a small incline of his head. Tamma reached out and took Roxanne’s hand, giving it a small shake before releasing it.

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Not quite sure what to think, Roxanne settled on giving the rest of them a smile as Sednar introduced them. The atmosphere in the kitchen was tense and she was glad when they moved on.

The men took her on a tour of the rest of the castle, pointing out things of interest as they went. It was fascinating to see how it all worked. There were storage rooms, weapons rooms and barracks for the men who were part of the guards of the keep. The sight of all those weapons of war—swords, crossbows, knives and others she wasn’t quite sure what they were—was a stark reminder that she wasn’t in her own world.

The family living quarters were on the top floor of the keep. The great hall was below it. Then came the kitchens and storage rooms and finally the barracks and arsenal. The layout was functional. Yet the place had an air of oppression about it.

Roxanne blinked and reached up a hand to shade her eyes as they stepped through the huge metal and oak main door. The sun was bright and inviting as they went down the wide stone stairs and into the courtyard.

“The fields are off to the west. The grazing lands to the east.” Sednar pointed as he spoke. “We grow and raise what we need to survive. We fish in the river and lake beyond.”

From their higher vantage point, Roxanne could see the lake off to the west and estimated it at about a twenty-to thirty-minute walk. Not too far, especially on a beautiful day.

The courtyard was abuzz with noise and activity as everyone went about their daily work. A man pulled a cart filled with vegetables toward the back of the keep. Another man seemed to be building something out of wood. In the distance, she could hear the bang of metal on metal. As her gaze wandered, Radnor followed it and explained what she was seeing.

“Hamish is taking the yield of one of the fields to the storage bins in the keep. The land he farms is ours so he must give up a portion of his crop to us. Arron is a master builder. He is currently working on a chair.”

Unlike the chairs she’d seen in the keep, this one seemed to be ornate. The builder was currently carving the back of the seat. She couldn’t make out the design, but it seemed to be vines and flowers. Roxanne smiled to herself. Perhaps it was for Arron’s wife or sweetheart.

She stopped to watch him. “Your work is beautiful.” And it was. Close up, she could see just how intricate the carving was. Back home, he’d get a small fortune for a handcrafted piece like this.

The man nodded. “Thank you.” He glanced at Radnor and Sednar but said no more, going back to his work.

Roxanne sighed. They certainly weren’t a friendly bunch. Maybe it was something about her that put them off. The thought was rather depressing. It was probably as simple as the fact she was a stranger. At least that’s what she told herself.

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Radnor led her toward a building, which was the source of the crashing metallic sound. She walked just inside the large barn-like structure and stilled. A giant of a man, naked from the waist up, stood with a huge hammer raised over his head. He brought it crashing down on a piece of metal sitting on an anvil in front of him. The red-hot piece was held in place by a pair of heavy metal tongs. The man’s arm muscles bulged as he worked. A blacksmith, she realized, watching with open fascination. He pounded the metal several more times before lowering it into a bucket of cool water. It sizzled and steamed. He set everything aside before turning to greet them.

“Good morning, my lords. Lady.” He nodded. “You’ve seen the stable.” He turned his attention to Radnor.

“Aye. The metal work on the doors is perfect. But I expected no less from you, Emon.”

The blacksmith smiled and the men chatted a few minutes. Roxanne observed them. There was a difference in how this man spoke to the brothers. He was more at ease, less guarded.

While they talked, she wandered out to the doorway to take in all the comings and goings in the courtyard. It was like taking a step back through time. She imagined that a castle in medieval times would have looked very similar.

It was quite amazing to watch. There were no power lines, no cell phones, no cars or buses, no hordes of people who were complete strangers. Here everyone knew everyone else. They all went about their business, calling out greetings to one another.

Well, to everyone except Sednar and Radnor. There was definitely a distance there. She wondered why. Maybe it was because they were the lords of the keep, but it felt like more than that.

She rubbed her hands up and down her arms, feeling very alone and out of place.

There were no takeouts, no convenience stores, or movie theaters. No chocolate or tampons either. She chewed on her bottom lip as she wondered what it would be like to live here. Not that she was contemplating staying. Not really. But it was fascinating to think about.

The man she’d seen a few minutes ago—Hamish, Radnor had called him—sidled up to her, glancing behind her in a furtive manner. “You don’t want to stay here, lady,” he whispered. “The Craddock brothers are evil. Killers. Four of them dead and only two left.”

Her heart began to pound as his words sank in. Before she could ask him any questions, his eyes widened and his face paled. He spun on his heel and scurried away.

Roxanne could feel someone watching her. She turned slowly to find Radnor staring at her. His face was totally without expression. She couldn’t tell how much he’d heard, if anything.

He strode toward her and placed his hand on the small of her back. “If you’re ready, I’d like to show you something else.”

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He didn’t look like a killer. But then again, her ex-husband didn’t look like a wife beater either. Not that Radnor wasn’t capable of defending himself against an enemy.

His size and strength was more than evident. The scar beneath his eye whitened and the muscles in his jaw worked, reminding her there were depths to this man. She sensed a darkness within him. Strangely enough, it intrigued her more than it frightened her.

Her throat went dry and she had to clear her throat before she could speak. “What about Sednar?”

“He’s delayed with business.”

“Of course.” She hadn’t even stopped to consider how her presence here must be affecting everyone. They all had work to do. “You don’t have to babysit me. Keep me company,” she added when he looked at her with a blank stare.

“You do not wish my company?”

The inflection in his voice didn’t change, but she was already very attuned to his moods and could sense the hurt beneath it. He’d definitely heard what Hamish had said to her. She was certain of it. Yet he hadn’t offered any denial or explanation.

It was silly to be nervous around Radnor after everything that had happened between them. She trusted him enough to go to bed with him. A few malicious words spoken by someone she didn’t even know couldn’t change that.

“I’m enjoying your company,” she told him. And it was true. There was a quiet strength about Radnor that she liked.

He nodded and grunted. She realized that was as much as she was going to get out of him at the moment. As they walked a bit farther, her mind whirled with the implications of what Hamish had said. How much of it was true and how much was some sort of grudge or personality conflict? Maybe he just wanted her to leave and figured that was the best way to get her to go. She could have told him she wasn’t planning on staying. This wasn’t her world.

Radnor’s hand was warm and firm against the small of her back as he guided her to the far end of the courtyard. Roxanne began to recognize the massive building they were headed toward. “This is a stable, isn’t it?”