by Maura Seger
Roanna could not suppress the soft giggle that broke from her. "Considering what it led to, I will be magnanimous and pardon you."
That earned a soft swat on her bottom. Satisfied that the misunderstandings of the last few days were banished, they were about to drift back to sleep when Colin remembered something he had forgotten to mention. Softly, he said, "I may not be here in the morning when you wake. The King wants me to go down to East Anglia to see if I can convince a couple of recalcitrant Anglo-Saxon lords to come to court"
Half-asleep, Roanna had to struggle to understand him. Thickly, she murmured, "Why is he sending you?"
Colin shrugged. "I suspect he wants a demonstration of my loyalty before he confirms my right to my lands. At any rate, it is not a difficult task. I should only be gone a week or two at the most"
Reassured, Roanna closed her eyes again. She hated the thought of being parted from him even so briefly. But if the journey enabled them to return home soon, it would be worthwhile. Much too content to harbor any concern, she gave up the struggle to stay awake. The dreams that carried her far from shore bore no resemblance to the nightmare about to descend on them both.
Chapter 14
The rain continued without let-up through all the following day and night. Much of it fell in too great a torrent to be soaked up by the parched ground. The dirt-packed roads quickly turned to mud and became all but impassable. Gushes of water poured down the peaked roofs of the houses. Huge puddles formed, spreading into each other until they became rushing streams. By the second day, basements and storerooms had begun to flood.
Roanna and her ladies were kept busy supervising the servants and what men-at-arms could be spared from guard duty to help carry supplies to safe ground. Despite their best efforts, it was almost impossible to keep anything dry. Precious grain and flour had to be hastily transferred to tin vats lest they become rancid.
Bags of charcoal and stacks of wood had to be stored on the main level above the kitchens, which quickly became unusable. The household was reduced to cold meals that only added to the all-pervasive air of dank misery.
As the rain continued into a third day, Lady Margaret brought the unwelcome news that the backyard latrines were beginning to flood. The stench wafting over the city indicated they were not the only ones with that problem.
Wearily, Roanna said, "As soon as the men finish patching the roof, set them to work with buckets. They won't like it, but there is nothing else to be done."
Lady Margaret nodded calmly. She had not forgotten how to order men to onerous tasks. The retainers might protest, but they would obey.
Fastening a shutter more securely against the sodden grayness, Roanna asked, "What about the stables? How bad are they?"
"At least four inches is on the ground and more coming in."
Neither woman had to be told that the horses and other livestock could not be left standing in so much water. They would have to be moved to the higher ground farther behind the house and a temporary shelter put up for them there. Yet another task for the already overburdened men.
"I'll speak to Alaric about that," Roanna began, only to break off when she saw the quick flash of disappointment in the older woman's eyes. "On second thought, would you take care of it?" She could not suppress a smile at her friend's eager assent Lady Margaret was a wonder. Even in the midst of such dismal weather, she could find something to be happy about
Sighing, Roanna wished she could be as good-natured Since waking alone in her bed after the night of tumultuous lovemaking, she had waited anxiously for Colin's return. Even without the storm, the journey would take at least a fortnight If the Anglo-Saxon lords proved difficult, he might waste days more convincing them their best hope lay with William. Hooded roads and washed out bridges would further extend the time they were apart Even a single day without him was too much. She wondered disconsolately how she would get through long, empty weeks.
The flood and all the damage it brought at least provided some distraction. But she could hardly be glad of it when the very basics of life were threatened. Besides the danger to food and livestock, the storm brought an even more serious peril. As the flood spread beneath ground, the inevitable consequence of poor sanitation began to show throughout London.
Rats driven from the burrows along the riverbanks appeared in the streets. At first there were only a few, hardly alarming to a populace accustomed to seeing vermin rooting among the uncollected garbage and carcasses. But their number rapidly increased.
Made reckless by hunger, they quickly took to prowling during the day. Swarms of hundreds, even thousands descended on the city, terrorizing children and horrifying even the most impervious adults. For the first time in living memory, a thriving market developed for the usually maligned cats, who were suddenly worth their weight in gold.
Roanna, whose kindly heart had caused her to begin feeding half a dozen strays when she first moved into the house, was now rewarded by their predatory skills. But as the infestation grew, she was forced to buy several more fierce tomcats who soon found themselves hard pressed to keep up with the teeming mass.
It became a regular morning chore to sweep out the remains of rats killed during the night and beat off with brooms those too bold to withdraw on their own. Food supplies had to be constantly checked against their inroads, no open source of water could be left untended without attracting them, and anyone so foolish as to stick an unwary hand or foot anywhere was liable to receive a vicious bite which quickly became infected.
Unable to bathe or change to clean, dry clothes, too sickened by the constant stench and the rustle of vermin to eat, and so overtired as to make sleep almost impossible, Roanna succumbed to the malaise that inevitably descended upon all the residents of. London. Like everyone else, she wanted only to huddle in a corner and not move until she could see warm sunshine and vermin-free streets.
In the midst of all this virulence, Robert d'Almaric chose to come visiting.
He arrived just as she was about to acknowledge a losing battle against the influx of green slime that was spreading in patches over the peeling walls. Wearing a damp, wrinkled tunic, with her hair pinned up haphazardly beneath a kerchief, she hardly thought herself a sight to gladden anyone's eye. But Robert was apparently of a different mind.
Barely had he stepped over the piles of mud and rubble to enter the great hall when his face lit up. Coming hastily to her side, he exclaimed, "I'm so glad you're here! I thought you might have left"
Since that was exactly what Roanna wished she had done, she could only glare at him discouraging^. Long moments passed before she remembered her manners. "Robert . . . How nice. . . . What brings you out in such weather?"
Her tepid tone did not faze him in the least Enthusiastically, he said, "Why, you, of course. You've been on my mind constantly." His voice dropped meaningfully. "How are you?"
Roanna's eyes widened slightly. How on earth did he think she was? Tartly, she snapped, "Wet tired, and disgusted, like everyone else. Aren't you?'
A bit taken aback by such sharpness, Robert retreated a step. "Uh, yes, of course." Gallantly, he added, "But seeing you more than makes up for it."
Fighting down a hysterical urge to laugh, she shook her head. "No amount of flattery will make me believe I look anything but horrible." Seeing his distress, she allowed more gently, "But I appreciate your trying."
Such kindness, Roanna realized too late, was a mistake. Robert took it as license to pursue his cause with unseemly ardor. Seizing her hands in his, he implored, "Please tell me my impetuosity at court did not cause you harm."
Despite herself, Roanna blushed. She recalled only too clearly where the spur to Colin's jealousy had led. But before she could say a word, Robert misinterpreted her look and struck out angrily.
"By God, if that oversized husband of yours hurt you, I will make him rue the day he was born! He'll answer to me on the field of honor! I'll challenge him to combat, and then I'll. . ."
"Robert!
Don't say such things! You have no right to presume there is anything but love and devotion between Colin and myself." Dismayed by the mere suggestion that she might be the cause of a confrontation that could only end with the young man's death, Roanna did her best to soothe him quickly. "I appreciate your concern, but it is misplaced. My husband is all that is kind and gentle."
Unsure whether he was really glad about this, Robert frowned. At length, he muttered, "He had better be, or I'll know the reason why."
Mentally shaking her head over the boastful foolishness of men, Roanna quickly changed the subject Guiding him to one of the few parts of the house left more or less habitable, she asked, "How are things at court? Are they coping any better?"
"Hardly! No one there has your good sense or skill." Looking down at her adoringly, he continued, "We are all suffering for the lack of a woman's touch. Even the King, who never seems to notice the greatest hardships, has said he would give a good portion of his new realm if Matilda could join him."
Roanna hid a smile as she thought of the changes so spirited and strong-willed a woman would make at William's ramshackle court. The men might quickly find that hot food and clean clothes were a steep price to pay for the end of their rough-and-ready male domain. But she said only, "I'm sure the Queen will come over as soon as the situation is secure. And when she does, she will undoubtedly bring a bevy of Norman ladies to gladden the heart of even the most grizzled knights." Glancing up at him, she added, "Perhaps one of them will catch your eye, if some English girl hasn't already claimed it"
Robert looked away uncomfortably. "You know that won't happen. Especially now that I've found you again."
At a loss as to how to deal with such an inappropriate declaration, Roanna tried to dismiss it lightly. "Oh, you couldn't possibly disappoint the ladies like that After all, you are now a man of property as well as a respected knight Naturally, you will want to marry and have children."
Robert did not disagree, but neither did his brooding manner lighten. Anxious to get back to her work, Roanna wished he would take his leave. Good manners required her to be hospitable, but she had difficulty controlling her irritation as he lingered on through a tense hour. Several times she had to head him off adroitly when he showed signs of once again declaring his devotion to her. When he at last departed, her nerves were stretched taut and her head pounded. By comparison, even the trials of the flood were preferable.
But her relief was short-lived. Robert returned the following day, this time determined to be of help. Roanna could hardly turn him away when he made such a show of helping the men-at-arms to drain the latrine, shovel out the stables, and stoke small wood fires in some of the rooms in the hope of drying them out
Though he appeared to work hard, he still managed to be frequently near her. She would look up suddenly to find him staring at her. The naked yearning in his eyes was a clear danger signal she should not have ignored. But unwilling to hurt an old friend she had already badly wounded once, Roanna told herself she had nothing to be concerned about
After all, she was in her own home, surrounded by her husband's retainers, and chaperoned by Lady Margaret and her friends, who quickly grasped the situation and were careful never to leave her alone with her callow admirer. With such precautions, she should be able to put up with Robert a while longer, at least until Colin returned. She did not doubt that her husband's presence in the household would be enough by itself to put an end to the visits.
The rain at last stopped, but the overburdened rivers and streams kept the city awash. Roanna was numb now to the constant dampness and the continuing plague of rate, but she was increasingly uncomfortable with the problem Robert posed.
Having worked his way into her household against her better judgment, he was no longer content merely to see her each day. Instead, he found numerous excuses to touch her, never more than on her hand or arm, but enough to make her acutely wary. Again she told herself she should ask him to leave. And again she hesitated in the name of friendship.
Matters finally came to a head ten days after Colin's departure, when she unexpectedly found herself alone with Robert in the family quarters. He had followed her up there on the pretext of bringing more wood for the drying fires. But once the logs were neatly stacked away, he showed no sign of leaving.
Instead, he came over to where she was shaking the lumps from the feather mattress. Glancing over her shoulder, Roanna was startled to find him right behind her. She straightened hurriedly, propelled by the fevered look in his pale^eyes. But she was not quick enough to stop his sudden lurch toward her. Embracing her clumsily, he pressed his length against her softness.
"Oh, Roanna! How much longer are you going to torment me? You're the only woman I've ever really wanted. I can't bear to do without you!"
Choking down a panicky scream, which would have brought Colin's retainers rushing into the room and undoubtedly have cost Robert his life, she struggled to break his grip. "Let go of me! Are you mad?"
"Yes! You've driven me to a frenzy! I can't stand the thought of that Anglo-Saxon boor touching you when you were meant to be mine!"
"Don't you dare speak of my husband like that! He's a thousand times the man you are! Why, if he were here, he would ..."
"But he isn't here! We are, and by God I mean for us to make,the most of it!"
Blind rage gave Roanna added strength. She managed to get an arm free and lashed out, striking him solidly in the mouth. A thin trickle of blood seeped from his bottom lip as Robert stared at her witlessly.
"You didn't mean to do that," he whined. "I know you didn't You just think you have^ to make some show of defending your honor. But believe me, my love, it isn't necessary. You will always be the most respected and honored woman to me. Only come away with me and let me prove ray devotion!"
"Come away with you! I want nothing to do with you! You are lower than a swine to try to take advantage of me when I have felt only friendship for you!" Kicking out with a slender leg, she managed to catch him just below the knee. Robert winced in pain as his grip on her loosened. Persevering nonetheless, he attempted to press a wet kiss to her lips.
Roanna evaded him with difficulty. Seizing the first object that came to hand, she brandished a candlestick as she snarled, "A pox take you, Robert d'AImaric!You are a false friend! Get out of my sight before I forget I ever had a kind thought for you!"
He opened his mouth to protest, only to be stopped by the door flying open behind them. Lady Margaret gaped at the pair, hardly believing the testimony of her eyes. Roanna's clothes were pulled askew, her face flushed, and her arm raised threateningly. Robert looked angrily chagrined as he put a trembling hand to his wound. Stumbling past the older woman, he vanished down the stairs without another word.
Roanna collapsed on the bed, torn between tears and laughter. "He was ... he wanted to . . ."
Lady Margaret quickly sat down beside her, easing the candlestick from her clenched hand and putting a comforting arm around her shoulders. "Hush, now, it's all right. He's gone, and I warrant he won't be back. At least not if he has any sense. The men would make short work of him, not to mention what your lord would do if he ever got wind of this."
Roanna trembled at the mere thought. Now that her relationship with her husband was back to normal, she could not bear for anything to upset it. "God forbid! He was angry enough when Robert only spoke to me at court If he found out. . ."
"He won't," Lady Margaret reassured her swiftly. "From the look of it you managed to send that young whelp packing."
"I should have realized what was going to happen when he kept coming here," Roanna murmured remorsefully. "But I kept telling myself there was nothing to worry about." Looking at her friend, she said, "If you hadn't arrived when you did, I might have been left with no choice but to call the guards. Then Robert would have died, all because of my foolishness."
Lady Margaret privately thought the Norman lout deserved death for trespassing on the friendship of one so kind and gi
ving as Roanna. But she refrained from saying so, not willing to upset the young girl further.
Instead she kept up a soothing chatter as she gently helped her to undress and tucked her into bed. Firmly, she said, "You're going to rest now whether you want to or not These last few days have been a terrible strain on us all, but you've worked harder than anyone. It's onty right we look after you for a bit"
Roanna meant to protest that there was too much yet to be done and that she really needed to be up and about But somehow the words never passed her lips. Under Lady Margaret's gentle eye, she drifted into the first sound sleep she had known since Colin's departure.
Her rest, though desperately needed, was all too short
Scant hours later she was awakened with the news that one of Lady Margaret's friends had been taken ill. The woman had a high fever and was barely conscious. There was a red rash on her neck and blisters under her arms. Roanna speedily made a tincture of herbs she remembered her sister-in-law recommending and applied cold compresses in an effort to bring the fever down. But she saw no improvement a short while later when Alaric brought word that two of the men-at-arms were similarly stricken.
By morning, the total number of ill in the household had risen to six with at least one likely to die.
Roanna hurried from patient to patient, changing compresses, brewing more medications, and trying desperately to stem the rising tide of sickness, which threatened to engulf the house.
Because of the flood, there was no ice available anywhere nearby. Unable to find another way to bring the fevers down, Roanna dispatched Alaric with a group of thegns and a wagon to seek out a supply. They returned with a block large enough to serve their needs for several days, but also with the news that the fever was spreading throughout the city.
"It seems to have started down by the docks," the old housecarl explained. "Several shiploads of sailors have died of it and at least a dozen merchants. In the poorer neighborhoods, they say, people are dropping like flies."