With one notable exception.
Neither of them mentioned Lady Rhiannon DeLanyea.
Bryce was glad of it, for he wouldn’t have known how to respond if Lord Cynvelin had spoken of her.
Perhaps when he had been with Lord Cynvelin longer, he might hazard a hint that Lady Rhiannon’s deportment was not what it should be, for a lady. On the other hand, Bryce had heard that the Welsh were morally negligent. Judging by the frequency with which the Welshman bedded tavern wenches, that was apparently true. As astonishing as it seemed to Bryce, perhaps Welshwomen acted in a similar manner.
Thinking that was probably so, he told himself it was no wonder his fitful sleep was troubled by dreams of Lady Rhiannon in his arms, her hair loose about her beautiful face, her eyes shining, her lips parted invitingly. As he had told her, she was the most desirable woman he had ever seen.
And no matter how he tried to condemn her, he couldn’t help admiring her valor. He could think of no other noblewoman who would dare to confront a potential thief, not even with guards close by, or one whose vibrant eyes would flash with such scornful anger at a big, brawny soldier who made a joke at her expense.
“There!” Lord Cynvelin suddenly called out, twisting in his saddle to look back at Bryce and the others, pulling him out of his reverie. “There is Annedd Bach.”
Bryce strained to see past him, looking for anything that resembled a building through the dull gray mist.
Lord Cynvelin chuckled. “There, man,” he repeated, “that thing that looks like a big rock. We have a ways to go yet, you see.”
Bryce followed the lord’s pointing finger and finally he could make out a large gray shape that looked more like a rock clinging to the hillside than a fortress.
“Now we will be getting dry!” Lord Cynvelin cried jovially. He spurred his horse to a gallop, sending clumps of mud flying backward.
As Bryce and the others galloped after him, the castle grew more discernible. It had what seemed to be a strong stone wall and inside, a round stone keep.
Soon enough they were nearly at the outer wall. When they approached, Bryce could see some hovels near the fortress. Not nearly enough to comprise a village, they seemed old and decrepit, as if the rain might wash them away entirely. No persons showed themselves, but that could be because of the weather.
The walls of Annedd Bach looked well made, and the wooden gates thick as they rode through the gatehouse, under the portcullis and into the courtyard. In addition to the keep, there was another rectangular stone building of rough, gray stone, which Bryce guessed was the hall. Other buildings in the enclosure were made of wattle and daub.
Lord Cynvelin called out something in Welsh, and a head appeared in the doorway of the hall. When the man saw who had called, he opened the door and hurried out, holding a ragged woolen shawl over his tattered clothing. His pale face was thin and Bryce thought he looked completely cowed.
Again Lord Cynvelin shouted something in Welsh, and a few more men appeared from one of the wattle and daub buildings, which Bryce took to be a barracks.
Like the first man, the other people’s clothes were ragged and their bodies thin. Their manner was sullen and subdued; they certainly did not look happy to see their lord return.
Bryce recalled one of his father’s favorite sayings, that a well-fed tenant was a contented tenant. For years Bryce had believed his father had taken that too far, allowing his villeins to keep too much of the produce of their farms. When Bryce had learned of the extent of his father’s debts, he had been sure the earl had been far too generous to them and they had taken advantage of his goodness.
Nevertheless, as he watched the servants of Annedd Bach come forward, he thought that his father’s opinion might have some merit after all.
Surprisingly, given Lord Cynvelin’s generosity with his soldiers, he seemed to find nothing amiss in the appearance or the manner of Annedd Bach’s servants.
Lord Cynvelin addressed his Welsh guards, who didn’t seem to notice anything unusual, either. Then he dismounted and smiled at Bryce with his easy familiarity. “Come inside and get warm. Then something to eat, my friend. I do not know what kind of beds we’ll find, but at least we’ll be out of the wet.”
Bryce nodded and handed the reins of his horse to one of the waiting castle servants before following Lord Cynvelin into what was indeed a small, barren hall.
With a disgusted expression, Lord Cynvelin went to stand near the empty central hearth, his hands on his hips as he surveyed the room. A lone trestle table, unmade, leaned against the wall. Rain streaked the whitewash as it dripped from a series of narrow windows set high in the wall.
This place was nearly as dismal inside as out, Bryce reflected.
Lord Cynvelin shook his head and frowned darkly. “Away for a while, and what do I find? They’ve stripped the place!”
“Who, my lord?” Bryce inquired, wondering if this part of Wales was plagued with outlaws. That might explain the servants’ unhappy expressions, although if that were the case, he quickly reasoned, they should be much more pleased by the arrival of Cynvelin and his men.
“The servants, of course!” the nobleman retorted with more anger than Bryce had ever seen him display. “Lazy dogs! I’ve a mind to have them all hanged and let the crows feed on their bones!”
“Would they risk your ire by doing that, my lord?” Bryce reasoned. “Surely they knew you would return. Perhaps they’ve moved things to a storehouse for safekeeping.”
At that moment, they both heard a sound near the door leading to the kitchen. An old woman and some younger women watched them anxiously.
“Ah, this is better!” Lord Cynvelin muttered, and he called out jovially in Welsh.
Bryce glanced at him quickly. Lord Cynvelin’s anger seemed to have dissipated like straw in a flame.
Cynvelin strolled toward the women, speaking to them as if nothing were amiss. The old woman nodded and tottered off while Cynvelin slowly turned on his heel and smiled at Bryce. “You were right. They put the furnishings away, not knowing when I would be coming. Regrettably, they tell me that they have little food. I gather the harvests were not good.” He shrugged his shoulders. “No matter. We have enough provisions in my carts for a few days. And the hunting is good in the hills.” He sighed and once again surveyed the hall. “Perhaps I do not come here as often as I should,” he mused.
When the rest of the men came into the hall, Lord Cynvelin called out to Madoc. The soldier punched his friend on the shoulder and came forward.
The other man was Twedwr, smaller and more compact, but Bryce didn’t doubt who was actually the stronger of the two. Like Madoc, Twedwr always had a glint of hatred in his eyes when he looked at Bryce, although whether it was because of what had happened with Madoc, Bryce’s past or the fact that he was simply a Norman, Bryce didn’t know.
After Lord Cynvelin talked to them, Madoc and Twedwr reluctantly went back out to the courtyard while the others broke into small groups, grumbling. Clearly they, too, had expected better accommodations. Lord Cynvelin sauntered toward them and made placating gestures as he spoke with them in their native tongue.
A serving wench, who looked about fifteen, appeared from the kitchen, carrying rushes which she proceeded to lay upon the stone floor. Every time she bent over, one or another of the men would make what had to be a lewd remark, to judge by the chortles and winks that passed between the men, and the blushes on the young woman’s face. Smiling, Cynvelin made no effort to interfere.
Madoc and Twedwr returned, accompanied by servants carrying baskets and pouches that Bryce recognized from Cynvelin’s carts. The servants continued on toward the kitchen, getting an occasional kick or shove from Madoc to speed them on their way. Again, Cynvelin made no effort to interfere, and Bryce began to wonder how the man customarily treated his servants. He did not like what he was seeing.
Bryce reminded himself that he knew nothing about the people here. Maybe the girl was simply shy, or perhaps even coy,
so her seeming embarrassment was nothing more than a show for their benefit. And maybe the slow-moving men were habitually in need of prodding of some kind.
Besides, now he was a hireling, too. He no longer had the right to chastise or criticize anyone for their treatment of their servants and tenants, so he had to hold his tongue, no matter how that galled him.
Other servants began coming to the hall with furnishings, wood for the hearth, and ale. They worked quickly and silently, occasionally casting nervous glances at Lord Cynvelin, his soldiers and Bryce.
Bryce wasn’t sure what he should do while they labored, so he strolled toward the door. It was still raining. Although every so often he had to move out of the doorway to let a servant or soldier pass, he surveyed the wall surrounding the small castle. It was well built and strong; outlaws wouldn’t be able to make much headway against such defenses if they attacked.
Yet why should the servants look so hungry? Had the harvest been that bad? It hadn’t been in the rest of England—but then, the rest of England wasn’t this wet.
He tumed, thinking he would ask Lord Cynvelin if poor harvests were a common occurrence, and he saw the Welshman talking to the girl who had laid the rushes.
She looked frightened and flustered, her face flushed. Perhaps she had done something wrong, although Bryce couldn’t begin to guess what that might be.
The girl bowed slightly, then hurried off toward the kitchen corridor.
“Annedd Bach usually looks better than it does today,” Lord Cynvelin said, sauntering toward Bryce and then clapping a hand on his shoulder. “It seems you were right. There were reports of outlaws, so they thought it best to hide everything of value.”
“Is that why she looked so afraid?”
“Who?”
“The girl you were just talking with. Have outlaws stolen their food?”
“Ust, man, they have enough to eat. If they seem afraid, I suppose they assume I have come because I haven’t received my rent and there might be reprisals.”
“Forgive the impertinence of my question, my lord,” Bryce said, “but why have we come here?”
Lord Cynvelin’s handsome face grew serious. “Because I haven’t received my rent and there are going to be reprisals.” Suddenly he grinned, then laughed out loud. “Not the kind you seem to be thinking of, Bryce. God’s wounds, you should know me better than that! I have something else in mind for Annedd Bach. A new overlord.”
“Ah!” Bryce hadn’t wanted to believe that the man who had behaved with such kindness and generosity to him would prove to be capable of the kind of cruelty in which some Norman lords indulged. “Who, my lord? Madoc?” he hypothesized, glancing at the glowering Welshman.
“No.” Cynvelin’s grin widened. “You.”
Bryce stared at him. “Me?”
“Indeed, and why not? Madoc and Twedwr and the others are fine fighters, but they’ll never be suitable overlords. Too bloody-minded, for one thing, and I’m sure you’ve noticed they hate Normans like the pox. What would the king say if he knew I’d given command of a castle to men like that? A Norman would please him. Besides, you’ve grown up in a noble household, so you’ll know how things ought to be done.”
“My lord, I don’t know what to say.”
“‘Thank you’ will do for a start. I want you to take command of Annedd Bach at once. There will be the rents to collect, half of which you can keep, and the garrison to command.” Cynvelin’s grin grew rueful. “They’ll probably have to be retrained. You can curse me for a lazy dog if you like, but I fear I’ve been a neglectful overlord when it comes to this estate.”
Cynvelin gestured toward a hearth, where a fire now blazed brightly, and they walked toward it. “This is a fine castle, and with a properly trained garrison, could command the entire valley.”
“Command for whom?” Bryce asked, suddenly mindful of the tales of Welsh rebels. Despite his friendly and open manner, Lord Cynvelin was a Welshman, when all was said and done.
If Lord Cynvelin thought to move against the Normans, Bryce would leave at once. A dishonored, dispossessed Norman he might be, but he was still loyal to his king.
“King Henry, of course!” Lord Cynvelin replied. “I have sworn my oath of loyalty to him, and unlike some Welshmen, I intend to abide by it.”
Bryce relaxed and nodded. “I shall do my best to be worthy of this command, my lord.”
“Good, Bryce, good.” Lord Cynvelin looked at Bryce, his eyes twinkling merrily. “Then you will not mind living in Wales a while?”
“No, my lord.” Not if he was to have a castle to command, and income for his own. No more making a living fighting in tournaments, traveling from place to place like some kind of tinker.
“Excellent. Is there nothing more you would ask as payment for taking on this task?”
Bryce gave him a puzzled look. “My lord?”
“The man who commands a castle should be a knight, at the very least, would you not agree?”
“My lord!” Bryce gasped. He had not expected this. Not at all.
“Not yet, Bryce,” the Welshman said with what sounded like sincere regret. “As much as I would like to, first I must be sure you will be able to control this valley.”
“My lord, I give you my word that I shall do everything in my power—!”
Lord Cynvelin gestured for silence. “I know that, or I would never have given you the command. However, I am afraid that the people here may make it very difficult for you because you are Norman.”
Bryce nodded.
“But I do not think that much of a condition for you, my friend.” Again Cynvelin laid his hand on Bryce’s shoulder. “I am quite certain that in a year, you will be Sir Bryce Frechette.”
“I cannot begin to thank you, my lord.”
“Then let it wait!” Cynvelin pointed at the kitchen corridor. “Here comes the meal, and not a moment too soon. My stomach is flapping against my backbone. Come, sit beside me at table.”
Pleased and honored by all that had happened since their arrival, Bryce joined the Welshman at the trestle table, which had been placed on the dais at the far end of the long hall. Other tables and benches had also been assembled, and the serving wenches began bringing in bread and meat, and pouring mugs of ale. The girl Cynvelin had been speaking with brought two goblets of wine to their table.
She might have been pretty, had she been clean and well fed. As it was, her skin was pale to the point of sickliness, her eyes had no luster, and her dark hair hung limp about her narrow, expressionless face.
Bryce could not help comparing her to her countrywoman, Rhiannon DeLanyea. They both had dark hair, yet beyond that, Rhiannon was like a full-bodied vision of beauty, whereas this girl represented want in the worst form.
“I’ve asked Ermin—the steward, the man who finally answered my summons when we arrived—to gather the rest of the garrison tomorrow. I take it most of the men have been living out of Annedd Bach on their farms. They should be here at dawn. Unfortunately, I fear they won’t be of any real use for weeks yet.”
Bryce nodded, dragging his thoughts away from the memory of Rhiannon DeLanyea.
“Your father was noted for his fine castle and hospitality. Tell me, Bryce, how long will it take to get Annedd Bach ready for guests?”
“I...I have no idea, my lord,” Bryce stammered, completely taken aback by the change of subject. “I would have to see what the sleeping quarters are like, and what linens are in the stores, and the food supply, and fodder for animals.”
“I’m afraid you will have little time for all that, my friend,” Cynvelin replied regretfully. “Your first guest will be here tomorrow.”
Bryce realized that he couldn’t very well refuse the hospitality of Annedd Bach to a guest of Lord Cynvelin, who was still the true overlord. “Who might that be?”
“Lady Rhiannon DeLanyea. We are going to abduct her.”
Chapter Four
“Abduct her?” Bryce repeated in disbelief. “Lady R
hiannon?”
Lord Cynvelin chuckled. “Do not be looking so horrified, Frechette,” he chided, his tone as calm as if suggesting a stag hunt. “I am not talking of a crime.”
“By what other name would you call such an act?” Bryce demanded.
“A Welsh custom,” Cynvelin replied, smiling. “Especially when the groom’s potential father-in-law is a stubborn fellow who fails to see the groom’s merit.”
“A custom?”
Lord Cynvelin’s usual good humor momentarily disappeared. “Aye. An old one, or surely you know I would never propose such a thing.”
“My lord, you’ll forgive me for—”
“Doubting that I am an honorable man?” Cynvelin finished, a hint of a frown on his face. “If so, there is the door, and you are welcome to leave.”
Bryce didn’t respond at once. In truth, he didn’t like the sound of this. Kidnapping as nothing but a quaint custom? It didn’t seem possible, but what did he know of Welsh customs?
Cynvelin’s manner was open and sincere. Surely a man about to commit a serious crime could not behave so blithely.
His companion laughed ruefully. “Forgive my harsh words. I know how this must sound to your Norman ears, but I assure you, my friend, Rhiannon DeLanyea is quite prepared for her abduction, although she’s not quite sure when it will be. Indeed, she’s expecting such a thing and she’ll be disappointed if I don’t come for her.”
Bryce stifled the surge of disappointment that seemed to hit him like an unexpected wave on a calm day at sea.
“And by taking her,” Cynvelin continued, “her father will see how serious I am in my desire to have her for my wife. If I don’t abduct her, her family might think I am a coward. I cannot have that, can I?”
“She will be disappointed if you don’t cart her off unexpectedly?” Bryce asked dubiously, still too wary of the proposal to find it at all droll, as Lord Cynvelin obviously did. “You are contracted then?”
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