Knight of Runes (12 page)

Arik’s encounter with Rebeka the night before left him frustrated and uneasy. Had he touched his lips to hers like an inexperienced boy? Angrily, he shoved the thought out of his mind and raked his hand through his hair. He spent too much time on this.

He stood in the tower room. The high perch had been his favorite place in the Manor as a lad, and he ran his hand over the table, smiling at the memory of warm fires and the safety he always felt here. There was little furniture. A table, chair, bed, a long mirror—and the secrets of his past. He rarely came here since Letty died. He wasn’t sure why he was here now.

He stood at the window to enjoy the sun peeking over the horizon and brightening the day. His shoulders relaxed and calmness began to spread through him. He looked down at the village gate and saw the woman greet the guard while she waited for him to open the gate for the day. She started down the path to the forest edge. The guards reported her morning routine but he had never witnessed it.

He breathed in the earthy scent. He always felt at peace here. The tower still held its magic. He was about to turn away from the window when he saw her emerge running from the trees onto the wagon path. She ran and grabbed at her clothes. Ready to raise the alarm, he stretched out the window and searched to see who was pursuing her, but he saw no one. He turned his attention back to her, startled to see her take off her clothes and drop them by the lake.

He stood rooted to the spot, unable to turn away. His heart raced as if he ran up all the stairs in the tower. What clothes she left on were odd and showed almost all of her. He gaped at her long, shapely legs, the tops vanishing under legless britches, the rest of her covered by a close-fitting jacket.

She ran in place for a few minutes then took off around the lake at a moderate pace. After five turns, she raced up the high slope overhanging the lake. She didn’t look like she intended to stop. If anything, she gathered speed. He grabbed the edge of the window. Did she know about the steep drop? When she approached the lip of the slope, she vaulted into the air, tucked into a ball and made one rotation. She uncoiled, forming a perfectly straight line with her arms stretched out in front of her and dove into the water without a ripple. Her head popped up moments later and she moved to float on her back for a while.

Relieved, he let out his breath. He watched her swim and mulled the events over. He had imagined how her body would look and he wasn’t disappointed. He wondered if the rest of his musings were as accurate. Her lean muscular legs suggested she trained.
That’s it.
With of burst of insight, he knew that was exactly what she was doing. She wasn’t running from anything or anyone. She did this every day, just as his men marched and trained.
Yes, she trained, but why?

Her abandon at jumping in the lake and swimming reminded him of his own escapades as a boy. He remembered how he ran up the hill hundreds of times and jumped into the water. He never tried to be quiet about it. The more splash the better. He stood at the window as she swam, enjoying being able to look at her without restraint.

She got out of the lake where she dropped her clothes. He admired her sleek body. His breathing labored while she slowly ran her hands over her limbs and stomach, sluicing the water off. He closed his eyes, trying to retain control, a harsh groan escaping his lips. He could feel the heat of his own arousal as she took off the rest of her clothes. Obviously, in no hurry, she eventually went back into the water. When she began to wash he reluctantly turned away to give her some privacy.

Shaken, he ran his hand through his hair and paced the room. She would be the death of him. They argued, agreed on nothing, and she interfered without any restraint. Every time he thought she understood, she did something to frustrate him even more. Her manner was commanding and her desire to control was something the king wouldn’t easily tolerate. That and her beauty would make her a target in his court. Perhaps that’s why he sent her to him. He sat heavily on the edge of the bed, a somber expression on his face. Another responsibility, another duty. The words echoed in his head.

She was a temptress. He saw it in her eyes the previous night when he held her so close. The desire that ripped through him when he touched her surprised him. He was a man who knew how to control his cravings. But this hunger he had for her, he found difficult to control. Maybe he didn’t want to control it. After all, he was a man of action. Perhaps it was simply lust of one for the other. He could imagine that easily. He smiled at the thought. Making her yield to him had possibilities. Definite possibilities.

But if she was here to scout out his defenses, if she dared to harm anyone, no matter how much he wanted her, he would act. He needed to be patient. Wait and see was all he could do. Once she made her move, he would be ready. He would not be fooled.

He marched down from the tower with a strong steady step and met Marcus who gave him the morning report. Arik nodded. “Marcus, make certain no one goes into the tower room,” he said. No one but him.

Refreshed and invigorated, Rebeka dressed and harvested herbs for Jeannie before she returned to the Manor. Her stomach growled when she entered the kitchen and placed the full basket by the door. The kitchen bustled with activity and mouth-watering aromas. Her stomach rumbled again when one of Jeannie’s staff passed by with loaves of hot bread.

“Here, my lady, so you don’t faint from hunger before you reach the Great Hall,” said the baker, handing Rebeka a piece of crusty bread. The woman was gone, absorbed into the crowd of kitchen servants, before Rebeka could thank her.

Eating the bread, Rebeka entered the Great Hall. She enjoyed breaking her fast with the family. Once a quiet table, now an agreeable banter and free discussion punctuated the entire meal. It had taken only a few questions to loosen their tongues and start conversations. What a unique opportunity to understand the workings of a manor, the mindset of leaders, even firsthand information on the political thought of the day. It excited her.

“Uncle Logan, what will you do today?” Aubrey slathered honey on a piece of bread.

“Arik, Simon and I are going to see about the stock. Would you like to come along?” He winked at Aubrey as he had his morning draft of ale.

“Logan, you know Aubrey can’t go with you. And, Logan, I hope you don’t address your brother that way in front of others.” Katherine played with her chatelaine. It was a trick Rebeka had noticed before, as if the keys were a talisman of power.

“Katherine, what’s wrong with Aubrey going with Logan and the others?” asked Rebeka as she selected her food from the sideboard and took her seat. She chose the nutty oatmeal with sweet succulent berries today. Hungry from her exercise, she dug right in.

“It’s none of your concern, Rebeka,” retorted Katherine.

“You do know, Katherine, even the king and his brother are on a first name basis, when they talk to each other, when they write.” In her research, Rebeka marveled at the casual tone of the royal messages between family members.

She noticed Arik’s reaction, his slight hesitation and tightened muscles. Katherine’s mouth gaped open and closed like a fish.

Aubrey brought her napkin to her lips to hide her smirk. Logan gave her a wide grin.

“What do you think, Arik?” asked Rebeka, ignoring Katherine. She took a bite of bread spread with honey.

“Katherine is doing a fine job.” Arik sounded distracted. He picked up his tankard and drank some ale. He hesitated for a few moments, appearing to be in deep in thought. Finally, he set down the tankard like a man who had come to a decision. “Katherine, have you been to see Mary?”

“No, m’lord.” She turned to him, a look of surprise on her face.

“You’ll go and see her today. Make certain she has everything she needs for the child’s birth. You’ll be assisting her when her time comes.” His manner was casual.

“M’lord, surely Jeannie can go see Mary. After all, she’s only the miller’s wife. Jeannie can make certain all is in order and attend her.” She straightened in her chair and set her napkin on the table. Her voice carried a condescending tone.

Simon entered and stood at the hall door.

“One minute, Simon.” Arik faced Katherine with one raised brow. His eyes bore into her. Everyone could see his displeasure. “You will represent me to the miller’s wife, not Jeannie. Do I make myself clear?”

The rest of the table remained quiet. Katherine’s pale white skin flushed with embarrassment. She gave him a nod and dropped her eyes to her lap. She couldn’t hold his stare. “Yes, m’lord. I’ll go directly after the meal.”

Without another word, Arik and Logan joined Simon and left the hall.

Katherine’s eyes followed his retreating back with a hot fevered stare.

“Rebeka,” asked Skylar, “what will you be doing today?”

“I will be in the library going through some more of the documents.”

“And when will you be finished with the books? I have no idea what you think you’ll find in them. I’m not certain if you even know how to read them.” Katherine’s explosive burst took everyone by surprise. She glared at Rebeka.

“Cousin Katherine!” Skylar seemed shocked by Katherine’s statement.

“Don’t worry, Skylar. At the moment, I’m reading the land grant for the property. It’s very interesting. Did you know—”

“Come, Skylar. Come, Aubrey. You will excuse us, Rebeka,” Katherine said. The girls gave Rebeka an apologetic glance and left the hall, leaving Rebeka in the middle of her sentence and alone at the table.

She didn’t get up but sat and finished her oatmeal. She would redouble her efforts to complete her research. The tension here distracted her.

“Are you done, m’lady?” Jeannie entered the hall.

“Yes, thank you, Jeannie. Please thank Cook for the delicious meal.”

“Many thanks, m’lady. I’m certain she will be glad of the compliment.” Jeannie picked up the dishes and cleared the table.

“Is it customary for the Manor lord to be represented at a birth? Does he tax the villagers? I’m not familiar with this custom.” Rebeka gathered some dishes into a stack and followed Jeannie into the kitchen.

“Tax the villagers? No, m’lady, not at all. It’s a Fayne Manor custom. Lady Leticia attended all births ever since Molly, the blacksmith’s wife, had a bad time. With Lady Leticia’s help, everything turned out well.”

“Oh, and Arik has continued the practice even though Leticia is no longer here.”

“Yes. Here now, give me those.” Jeannie took the dishes from Rebeka and handed them to the scullery maid. Deep in thought Rebeka left the Manor. How odd that Arik would insist on keeping this custom.

“Come here, Rebeka! Here, next to me. Let me see you.” The old woman, her gray hair neatly tucked into a bun at the nape of her neck, pulled her shawl around her and struggled in her chair to sit up. Rebeka had found Elfrida sitting under a shady tree in the front of her cottage, but was surprised the woman knew who she was. She sat down beside her. There was recognition and—was that relief?—in Elfrida’s eyes. How odd.

“They tell me you’re reading all the books in the library. It’s not all in the books. They only have what one person thinks anyway and what they think is important. Bah! What do books know?”

Rebeka knew the limitations of the books. She smiled. The old woman put her strangely at ease. She relaxed. This might be interesting.

“You’re right. Not many people think the lightning and weather are important. I’ve found very little about the strange weather in any of the estate books.”

“Why are you interested in the weather?”

“I’m trying to help Lord Arik. The strange storms seem to be damaging the land.”

“The strange storms you say. Arik thinks he can stop it.” She chuckled but something was happening. Rebeka stepped closer to get a better look. A change had come over Elfrida. Her eyes grew misty and she began to rock back and forth. “It’ll get worse before he stops them.” The rocking grew more insistent. Back and forth. “The lightning comes from out of nowhere. Not from any rain or storms.”

Her eyes were wild now.
She’s terrified,
Rebeka thought.
What have I gotten myself into?
Was Elfrida mad? No. There was something…she couldn’t describe it…there was something soul-wrenching about the old woman. Something that spoke of truth. Rebeka couldn’t leave her. She sat and watched, holding Elfrida’s weathered hand in her own, trying to soothe her. She chanted quietly, soothing herself and, she hoped, Elfrida.

The rocking slowed and came to a halt. Elfrida’s eyes closed and she rested her head against the back of the chair. Rebeka let out the breath she had been holding. Whatever Elfrida had struggled against, it was over. The woman opened her eyes and smiled at Rebeka.

“You’re still here, child.” She was calm again.

“Will you be all right now? The breeze is picking up. Would you like me to help you into your cottage?”

Did she remember anything of what had transpired in the past few minutes?

“No, I have all I need now. I want to stay out here and enjoy the day. I’ll be done with the outside soon enough. You want to know about the weather. If you are interested in the lightning, you need to know from the beginning. Not only the end.”

Rebeka scrambled for her notebook as Elfrida began to talk. The old woman spoke of Arik’s childhood, and his family. She spoke of Fayne Manor. There was nothing about the weather but Rebeka didn’t care. The information was perfect for the National Trust. At least one project was moving forward.

Rebeka followed Jeannie into the hall and watched her place the midday meal on the sideboard. The rich aroma of lamb stew with sage and parsley made her smile. Jeannie had made one of her favorites.

“Tell Cook Lord Arik and Logan will be away for the next few days,” Katherine told Jeannie.

“Uncle Arik said they were going to Sir Stuart to mate Spirit and Sir Stuart’s mare, Nyx,” said Aubrey.

Rebeka prepared her plate to take it into the library.

“Quiet, Aubrey. Mind what you say,” Katherine called out. “Rebeka…”