lost. But this time his look was deceiving, for he was in fact annoyed that the
first thing she had done upon her release was to castigate him, when after the
past three days she should have been too intimidated to don any mantle of noble
outrage.
?Mayhap you are not as bereft in wisdom as you are in intelligence,? he said in
response to her capitulation, but then added in a growl ?Get you from my sight
ere I take exception to what you did call me.?
Rowena needed no further prompting, did not even spare him a parting glare. She
hurried over to Enid, who was waiting anxiously below the dais, and followed her
out of the hall and down one floor to the kitchen.
The kitchen could usually be found in a separate building out in the bailey, but
it was becoming popular in recent years to have the kitchen moved right into the
keep, particularly in areas that received a great deal of rain and foul weather.
Fulkhurst?s kitchen was one such new addition, having taken the large area where
the castle garrison used to be quartered.
There were at least twenty people busy at different tasks in the large room.
Preparation of the evening meal was already under way. A huge fire pit was being
stoked under a roasting side of beef. Cooks surrounded a long table where
vegetables were being peeled, pastries made, meat chopped. The wardrober was
doling out spices. Two men at arms were eating a hasty meal standing up while a
pretty maid flirted with them. A dairymaid was cuffed for spilling a bit of milk
from her bucket when she tripped over one of several dogs underfoot. She in turn
kicked the dog, which only yelped, but did not relinquish its seat near the
butcher?s block. A scullion was washing out tankards from the morning meal. The
baker was sliding new loaves into his oven. Two hefty serfs were coming up from
the basement with heavy sacks of grain.
Because of the room?s size, it was not oppressively hot, but it was exceedingly
warm and smoky with so many fires going and so many wall sconces burning. Rowena
took it all in with dread. The steward was there, just leaving the clerk?s
office up on a higher level above a store area. But it was not to him that Enid
took her. It was to the large woman who had cuffed the dairymaid. Blond, florid
faced, and quite tall for a woman, at slightly over five and a half feet, she
was not a serf but a freewoman, and wife to the head cook.
?So yer the other one from Kirkburough,? Mary Blouet said as she looked Rowena
over from head to foot, as just about everyone else in the room was also doing,
though not so openly as Mary.
? Twas rumored it were a lady kept in the dungeon, but yer being sent to me puts
the lie to that right quickly. Ye will call me Mistress Blouet, and give me no
airs or back talk. I have had right well enough of that from that haughty
Mildred, and her having the lord?s favor, I cannot give her the back of my hand.
But ye be not so favored, are ye, wench??
?Indeed,? Rowena replied, unable to keep the dejection from her tone ?I am so
ill favored/tis my lot to be eternally punished.?
?Punished?? Mary frowned.
?Nay, not unless it be needful. Well, come along, then. I have to make my rounds,
or naught will ever get done, not with the lazy sluts I have in my charge. I
will explain yer duties on the way.?
Rowena was surprised.
?I am not to work in the kitchen, then??
?Here?? Mary laughed with genuine humor.
?They have enough hands down here to not need more, and my husband does not like
my wenches in his domain. He cannot abide laziness in his workers, whereas I am
cursed with naught else, and can find no cure for it, not when that bitch Celia
belittles my authority the moment my Jjack be turned. And she gets away with it
because she be Lord Warrick?s favorite slut, and everyone knows it. How I wish??
The thought was left unfinished as Mary mounted the stairs back to the Great
Hall. Rowena dragged her feet, dreading another encounter with Warrick, but he
was no longer in the hall. Not as many ladies remained by the hearth either. And
there was no sign of Mildred.
?I have no say over the ladies? maids,? Mary said when she noticed the direction
Rowena was looking toward.
?But yer not so lucky as that Mildred was, to be getting such an easy job as
that.?
?Has Mildred been here long??
?Nay, she came with the lord. Why? Do ye know her??
?Aye.?
?Well, stay away from her. There be levels of hierarchy amongst the castlefolk
here as in any keep, and her having the care of the lord?s daughters puts her
higher up even than the other ladies? maids, which be all higher than ye. But
yer higher than those kitchen lackeys, so stay away from them, too. Ye will have
enough wenches to choose yer friends from that be under my care, but do ye take
my advice, ye will not make that Celia one of them.?
Rowena was not interested in ?that Celia,? even if she was Warrick?s favorite.
She was more concerned with her own predicament. She knew she was to be one of
Mary?s
?wenches,? but she had yet to be told what that entailed.
Her shock over her new servant status was only mild, for she had already
suspected that her fate would be something of that nature by the clothes she had
been given. And one of the first things Warrick had said to her, back in
Kirkburough, was that she was lady no longer. The irony was that she could
remember wishing for this very thing, that she were no more than a lowly serf
with naught to her name that could be coveted and fought over. Verily, she would
have to be more careful of her damn wishing in future.
Warrick could not, however, make her a true servant, for she was nobly born and
raised, and that could not be taken from her, no matter how much he might wish
it. But he could have her treated like a servant, had already ordered it so, and
there was naught she could do about it, for she was, in truth, a prisoner at his
mercy. Yet when it occurred to her that he could have had her sent back to the
dungeon instead, and without the kindly John Giffard?s protection, she had to
consider herself lucky, more than lucky. A servant had free movement, went about
almost unnoticed. A servant could escape.
Chapter 19
?This be where ye will spend most of yer time,? Mary said as she opened the door
to the weaving room on the floor above the Great Hall.
Three women immediately dashed from the window where they had been watching the
men practice arms in the exercise yard. But they did not quite resume their
seats before Mary noticed. And she could not help but notice the spindle with
thread attached that rolled across the floor to disappear under her skirts. One
of the women had quickly tried to continue spinning with it, but had dropped it
instead.
Rowena took in the small room while Mary glowered at her workers. There was a
basket full of spindles with stone whorls, enough to spin a great amount of
thread if there were more women to do it, but there were only these eight.
Larger baskets of newly treated wool lined the walls, ready for spinning into
thread. There we
re six large looms, and another stack of smaller hand looms in
the corner, but only three of the large ones were presently threaded, and only
one had woven cloth nearing completion. The single window gave ample light, so
at least there would not be the problem of candle smoke staining the newly made
cloth.
Mary finally got around to blasting the women with her displeasure.
?Wasting time again, are ye?? she admonished sternly.
?Ye will finish what yer due for the day, or there will be no dinner for the lot
of ye. And if I find ye idle one more time this week, ye will find yerselves
demoted to the laundry. There be others than ye with nimble fingers, if I have
to bring them up from the village.?
So saying, she slammed the door shut again, surprising Rowena into saying,
?I thought I was to work here.?
?Aye, ye are, but there be enough for ye to do the rest of this day, for ye not
to start weaving and spinning now, and sharing in the punishment of those lazy
wenches.?
Rowena could not agree more after what she had already suffered, and in
gratitude, she informed Mary ?I know how to produce a fine thread, though it
takes longer with a double spinning, and I am capable of instructing the weavers
to get a better quality cloth, fine enough for the ladies of the castle.?
She had had little opportunity to direct servants in the past three years, other
than those Who served only her. But she had been ten and five when her life
changed so drastically, and her mother had already taught her all that she
needed to know in the running of a castle. And anything that she could direct to
be done, she could do herself, for how could she direct properly unless she knew
exactly what needed doing? Yet there were some things she could do better than
others.
Having gained Mary?s complete interest, she continued.
?But my talents would be wasted in this area, for I am better skilled with a
needle.?
?So my lord must have thought, for he has also ordered ye to have the care of
his clothes, and the making of new ones for him, though we have better than the
spun wool for that. But ye can teach others to get a finer weave, ye say??
Rowena was still flushing over what she considered a further punishment, to be
forced to handle his clothes, so she only nodded stiffly. But Mary did not
notice her high color in the dimly lit corridor; she was merely surprised.
?Did ye have the care of the weavers at Kirkburough?? she asked.
?Nay, I was not there long.?
?Well, I would not take it amiss did ye do a little instructing of my wenches
whilst ye do yer own weaving, but ?tis not what I was ordered to have ye do, and
ye will have little enough spare time with all ye do have to do.?
And then she turned to leave, adding only ?When ye finish for the day, ye can
return here to sleep with the others.?
Rowena pictured that small room with so little cleared floor space and asked ?All
of them sleep in there??
?Nay, only three. The other five are as sluttish as Celia. They all have men
they sneak off to at night.?
Mary stopped at the top of the stairwell to pin Rowena with narrowed eyes.
?Yer not of that bent, are ye??
Rowena knew that people had seen her enter the lord?s solar three days ago, and
others had seen her leave it this morn. Though Mary did not seem to know that,
she was bound to hear of it eventually. If Rowena was to be under Mary?s care
and discipline, as it seemed, she did not want to make enemies of the woman by
leaving her to be surprised later by facts that Rowena could make clear to her
now. And Mary did not seem to be a mean woman, just a beleaguered one. Mayhap
she could even help Rowena, if she could gain her sympathy.
?I would be immensely grateful, Mistress Blouet, if you could keep all men away
from me, butthere is a thing you should know, if your lord did not tell you. He
kept me in his solar these last three dayschained to his bed.?
?Nay, he would never!? Mary said indignantly.
?Why do ye lie??
The last thing Rowena expected was to hear someone staunchly defend that cruel,
vengeful man. Was it possible Mary had no idea what kind of man he really was?
?Enid knows ?tis so, and I doubt your lord would deny it, for he had reasons to
punish me so. I tell you only so you do not wonder if he singles me out for
further punishment, for ?tis not likely he is through having his vengeance on me.?
Mary still looked skeptical, though she allowed ?Aye, likely not, for yer other
duties, now I think on it, can be seen as a punishment if they be not to yer
liking. Ye are also to serve Lord Warrick at table for all meals, see to the
cleaning of his chamber with only Enid?s help, and attend him at his bath, which
Celia is likely to take umbrage at, for ?twas previously her duty, and one she
relished.?
Rowena felt sick to her stomach. And she had thought at least the worst was over,
that being demoted to servant class would be the end of it?
?There is one other thing you should know. I am with child, and Lord Warrick
knows ?tis his.?
?And he gives ye more work than any other serf here? Nay, I cannot believe that
either.?
?Why would I lie when the proof will begin to show in a few months? time??
?Then he does not know of it,? Mary insisted.
?No other has ever touched me, Mistress Blouet. The child is his and he even
means to to take it from me.?
Mary gasped.
?Now ye go too far in yer accusations, girl. If it be true yer breeding, likely
my lord will find ye a husband, so say no more about it to me. Now come along.
Ye have the cleaning of the solar to do the rest of this day, for it has been
neglected these? last? three?
Mary did not finish what, in truth, supported one of Rowena?s claims. She pursed
her lips tightly and headed down the stairwell.
Rowena did not follow immediately, feeling overcome with a new dread that Mary
had unwittingly given her. Warrick could marry her off, and to a serf, to the
meanest villein. Please, God, do not let that occur to him.
Rowena hated entering that solar again, but found it was not nearly so
oppressive when she was not lying bound in the bed. Getting anywhere near that
bed was out of the question, though. She would rather scrub the floor on her
hands and knees, and did, while Enid saw to changing the bedding, dusting, and
general tidying. Rowena would have taken the rugs out for a beating, too, but
Enid shook her head. They had laundry to see to today instead, Enid the linens,
Rowena his clothing. She was told this by having the clothes dumped in her arms
and Enid, with her own arms full, beckoning her to follow.
Rowena had washed clothes only once before in her life, though she knew well
enough how it was done. ?Twas not a pleasant chore. The sheets could merely be
soaked in a wooden trough with a solution of wood ashes and caustic soap, then
pounded, rinsed, and hung out to dry. The servants? coarse woolen clothing could
be done the same, but not so the lord?s fine clothes. These had to be boiled and
washed by hand with a milder soap, then boiled again and rinsed not once but
>
three times before they could be hung.
With the great cauldrons of water in the washhouse constantly boiling, the
wilting steam, the milder though still abrasive soap reddening her delicate skin,
Rowena decided this still was not the worst of her chores, especially since the
other laundresses were all friendly, and some even came to help her once Enid
left. Nay, she had not gotten to the worst chore yet, but hopefully the Lord of
Fulkhurst was not a fastidious man to demand a bath more than once a week, and
mayhap she would have a few days? grace before she had to deal with that duty.
When she returned to the hall, it was to find the trestle tables for the evening
meal already set up. Warrick was not present yet, but the lord?s table was
beginning to fill with those privileged to eat there: his daughters, several of
his knights, the steward, who was also a knight, and a lady past the middle
years who was tutor to the daughters in the household arts.
One of the knights there was Sir Robert, and Rowena made haste to the kitchen to
see what needed carrying to the lord?s table, hoping she would have a chance to
speak privately with him before Warrick arrived. She had not forgotten the
knight?s help in assigning her John Giffard, or her promise to thank him for it.
And it would not hurt to cultivate his friendship, for help given once might be
gained again, and she would need all she could get to escape this place.
But when she returned with her first tray of meats, Warrick was in his seat, and
his eyes lit on her the moment she entered the hall, nor did they leave her
until she was gone from sight. She did not see this, she felt it, for she
refused to look at him again after that first glance. But there was something so
unnerving about his regard, she did not mistake it.
She was amazed to find Warrick waiting for her at the top of the stairs when she
came up with her second tray. And his expression definitely boded ill for her.
?Did I not warn you to watch me when in my presence?? he demanded.
?II forgot,? she lied.
That only half appeased him.
?Will you forget again??
?Nay.?
?Nay, what??
?My lord,? she gritted out.
That appeased him.
?Mayhap you need something to remind you of who you belong to now,? he said in a
Lindsey, Johanna - Prisoner Of My Desire Page 13