Seduced (21 page)

He could do nothing. Instead, he must wed her
afore nightfall.

Deep brown eyes glared up at him. He reached
over to pull off the cap. Curly brown hair tumbled about her white
face and over her shoulders. She raised an impatient hand to shove
it away.

His gaze swept her from her tousled hair to
the dust on her boots, then back up again. His brows drew together
when his gaze lingered mid-chest. He blinked in disbelief as a
stain darkened the tunic and began to spread. Leaning sideways in
his saddle, he sniffed at the yellow spot on her shoulder. His nose
wrinkled.

Sour. A bairn's spew.

Raik jerked upright. His temper erupted.

"Lucifer's cruddy tar...teeth!"

She blinked at his shout.

"Ye put yerself in the way of an injury
without a thought to Seton's heir! Lady, get ye inside the keep. Ye
will stay within yer chamber till I deal with ye."

"Do not dare to ..."

"Silence yer tongue, woman," he snapped out.
He ignored her spluttering to turn to Cormac. "Select two men to
escort her there and stand guard to see she does not leave. And
find old Maud. 'Tis obvious our manly widow has neglected her wee
bairn overlong."

"I did not..."

"God help me, woman. Get ye gone!"

The thunderous shout caused more than one
brave man to startle. Cormac motioned for two men to follow him
then grabbed her elbow and leaned close to her ear. "Come, my lady.
'Tis best ye do not test him. He has not slept..."

Raik glared at Cormac's back and had the
satisfaction of seeing his shoulders flinch. He lengthened his
stride as he near hustled Lady Letia from the field.

Letia's heart tripped behind her ribs like a
captive bird. Saints above! What gremlins prodded her to do such a
foolish thing? Had she killed the dratted man, the king would
likely have hung her. Had she injured him, Raik would have just
cause to thrash her.

"...yer bairn."

"Hm?" She drew her mind back to the man who
grasped her elbow, not unkindly but gently. Where amusement had
softened his face before, lines now formed between his brows.

"The bairn. He sounds right needful."

Heavenly saints! Aubrey's mewling cries
coming from her bedchamber started her breasts leaking so fast she
near cupped them tight to still the flow. Freki snarled warnings on
the other side of the door.

When Cormac attentively leaned around her to
open the door, Letia sprang between him and the dog. 'Twas good she
had, for Freki was crouched to leap. She motioned him down. His
yellow eyes gleamed and his lips curled back to show his lethal
teeth as he snarled. A man would be a mindless fool if he were not
fearful.

Not taking his eyes off the beast, Cormac
backed through the doorway, cleared his throat and bowed.

"Lady, should ye have need of aught, send yer
nursemaid to the guards."

She shuddered, hearing the latch snap in
place when the door closed. 'Twas one thing to secure the door
herself. To have the Scotsman's warrior do so turned her bedchamber
into a prison.

Maud hastened over, raising her voice over
the squalling babe held high on her shoulder.

"Thank the Saints! Now you know why you
should have a wet nurse. If for aught else, for such times as
this," she scolded.

"Nay. Other women may do as they wish. Only I
will feed my son." Her jaw thrust out with disgust on thinking of
her babe suckling on breasts other than hers.

Letia pulled a chair close to the window
opening and the weak rays of the sun beginning to strain through.
She hurriedly unbuckled the belt around her waist and dropped it to
the floor. Grabbing the tunic's hem, she tried to whip it over her
head, but it tangled with the long-sleeved shirt beneath.

Ugh! Aubrey had spewed on her shoulder that
morn before Raik arrived at the gate. She'd been too busy to
change. She wrinkled her nose at the smell then flushed on
remembering how his elegant nostrils flared when he leaned down.
She also remembered the unwelcome twinge deep in her body when his
cheek was close and she caught a hint of pine and musk. Mumbling
unintelligible sounds, she near tore the offending garment off and
tossed it over her shoulder.

She yanked the shirt ties open as she sat and
exposed one leaking breast. Reaching out to Maud, she took her
frantic little love and clasped him to her breast.

"Shh, sweetling." Aubrey's red face was wet
with tears. His rosebud mouth rooted frantically for her nipple,
spreading her mother's milk over his nose and soft cheeks. He
latched onto her with a mighty suck, and his beating hands and feet
stilled. Little hitches in his breath tore her heart, knowing he
had cried overlong in hunger.

Suddenly fearful, Letia hugged him with
fierce protection.

"What is it? You have gone white as an egg
shell." Maud head tilted, studying Letia's face.

"'Tis an ugly idea." She cupped Aubrey's
downy head and gently rubbed it. "Maud? He would not take him from
me. Would he?" Her voice quavered.

"When he was injured, he did not seem a man
who would do such. But 'twas a hapless thing you did to defy him
so."

Letia frowned. "I wanted him to go away or
wait a day until I was ready. If I'd wanted to kill him, my first
arrow would have pierced his eye. I meant to keep my promise to
Warin but seeing Raik below was more than I could bear. I must pray
and beg Warin's forgiveness for being a coward. Leofwan is angry. I
should have listened to him."

"Aye, ye should have."

Sudden terror knotted Letia's heart. "I want
everyone to leave us alone." She waved her hand toward the window.
"Why must all these strange men be here? And it won't stop at them.
They will have families to join them. More mouths to feed!"

"It could be worse. What of all the castles
that greedy men have besieged? Think of the baron's sister-by-law
when the raiders killed his brother. Had the baron not been here,
she would have had nowhere to go."

"You are right. I am forever being selfish
and wanting things to be easy."

"Phah. Never have you thought of yourself
first. You sacrificed your honor to keep everyone in this castle
safe."

Letia held Aubrey close in her arms for most
of the day. Servants brought food up to the solar, and she relied
on Sybilla to see that the noon meal was as Letia had ordered it.
She felt caged in the room. Though to be honest, she was glad not
to be in the Scot's presence.

What a coward she had become in such a short
time. But on seeing Leofwan, Edmund, Raik and his men walking the
ramparts, she nibbled at her lips. Why, when Raik stopped to
gesture at something and speak, the men nodded as if they agreed
with everything he said. She gritted her teeth, regretting she was
not there to overrule any foolish order the Scot was likely to
give.

Aubrey's lips relaxed on Letia's nipple after
finishing his afternoon feeding. He sighed and stirred, well
content. She eased him to her shoulder and covered his back with a
soft blue blanket. It took naught but ten pats afore he puffed out
a burp against her neck. A handful more of little sucking sounds
and he was deep in sleep. Still, she was reluctant to put him
down.

"Come, now. 'Tis too late to be biting your
lips and guessing what happens below."

Maud clumsily patted Letia's head as she
started for the closed door. Finding Freki's big body stretched out
in front of it, she stopped and looked at him, her hands on her
hips.

"Call this big beast away. You need to bathe
afore Lord Raik sends for you." She shook her head and muttered,
"Seems strange to call him lord, it does."

"I'd as soon be as I am. Mayhap he will leave
me alone in disgust."

"Nay. A sweet smelling woman can sway a man
far more than one reeking of spewed milk and babe's piss."

By the time Letia's bath water arrived at the
solar, Maud had everything prepared and waiting. Letia gently
sponged the babe's face and slipped clean garments on him without
awakening him. Now, swaddled and in a wooden cradle close enough to
the hearth to be warm, his little mouth nursed in his dreams.

Though Letia had said she'd as soon meet Raik
with her smelly clothing, she sighed with pleasure when she lowered
herself into the warm water. She was tired, her mind distraught
with worry over what would happen when they again met.

"'Tis sorry I am, sweets. I failed to note we
had used the last of your lily soaps."

"No matter. We had far more pressing things
to worry about than my favorite soap. Heather will do as well."

Letia blinked and shook her head to erase the
memory of preparing Warin to lay at rest in the marble tomb and
Aubrey's birthing so soon after. She dipped her fingers in the pot
of soft soap, closed her eyes and spread it over her neck and arms.
She worked up a fragrant lather before using a bathing cloth to
work the soap over her body.

Maud washed Letia's hair and back while she
bathed her legs and feet. They were rinsing her hair when Freki
growled and stalked over to the door. Without a scratch or call to
enter, it burst open. Startled, Maud dumped the remainder of water
over Letia's head. She gasped and scrambled to cover her chest with
the bathing cloth.

"Father Paul agrees..."

Raik's deep voice faded to a halt.

Freki silently stalked toward him, low to the
ground. His lips bared strong, vicious teeth in a snarl. Raik
ignored him and stared at Letia, her hair streaming over her face,
fumbling with the cloth. As he took in the cradle and the
bedchamber door standing wide, his lips tightened.

"Do ye not ken what stay within yer chamber
means, Lady?"

"I am within my chambers,
Lord
Raik.
We have always used the solar for bathing."

Raik's eyes narrowed but he did not look at
her. He fixed his gaze on Freki.

"Maud. The screen propped against the wall
gives far more privacy when put to use. See to it."

Freki's guttural snarls became even more
menacing as he advanced another paw toward the towering man in
armor. Raik stood his ground.

"Lady?" Maud whispered. "Do ye not think it
best to call off the beast?"

Letia knew she should. She did not. It gave
her too much satisfaction to see the man held at bay. Besides, as
both man and beast advanced on each other, she was not certain
which one had control.

Raik's gaze locked on the huge black beast,
but from the corner of his eye, he noted the lady held the sopping
cloth over her naked breasts with one hand while gesturing
frantically with the other for Maud to hurry with the screen. Her
motions caused the cloth to slip and near bared her left breast to
his gaze.

And to the three men behind him.

He scowled and glanced to see Cormac, Leofwan
and Edmund dutifully stared at the floor. It was near his undoing.
In that wee matter of time, he near missed seeing the dog's
intent.

Freki, his mouth slavering, leaped.

The beast's teeth slashed out at Raik's
throat.

Raik threw up his left forearm to protect his
neck from Freki's snapping teeth. The dog latched on to his mailed
wrist, holding tight. He snarled and shook Raik's captured arm like
a big bone tossed to him to savage. Raik right arm struck the dog's
chest under its forelegs. Grunting and using all his strength, Raik
heaved the beast backward. The two crashed to the floor, the noise
resounding off the stone walls.

Raik rolled, straddled the dog's torso and
gripped it with his knees. He slammed his right arm on the dog's
neck to pin its head to the floor.

The men's feet came close, tensed and ready
to spring should he need aid.

The dog's nails scraped his chain mail. He
growled back with his own bestial sounds, keeping the dog pinned
while he stared into the yellow eyes. Freki, unlike most dogs, held
his gaze and did not look away. Raik increased pressure on the
dog's neck until the massive jaws opened and released his arm.

Letia cried out, no doubt fearing he would
kill the dog.

"Nay, lady. Lord Raik will not hurt yer
little pet." A chuckle rumbled through Cormac's voice. "He is
showing him who the fiercest beast here is."

Raik ignored them as he stared into the dog's
eyes forcing it to make contact; challenging and showing it he was
not afeared. He lessened the pressure holding the dog down. Leaning
forward, his nose near touched the dog's snout. His hand flew up
and fiercely clamped the flesh aside the dog's neck, imitating the
bite of a larger dog than Freki.

"Ssst! Ssst!"

Raik kept repeating the threatening sounds,
lowering his tone until it was little more than a soft breath
coming from his lips.

Freki's ears twitched. He whined, low, then
calmed. The yellow eyes softened.

Raik released his fingers and eased his
forearm from the dog. Slowly, he came to his feet. Freki lolled on
his back, his neck and belly unprotected for a few heartbeats,
before he shook his head, flipped on his side and heaved up,
looking confused.

"Go to yer mistress." Raik pointed to the
screen.

Freki swung his head to give a warning glare
to the other men. After a few grumbling sounds, he sought out
Letia.

"Lady, we will wait in the hall for the count
of sixty. Return to yer chamber and clothe yerself to go afore yer
people. 'Tis near sundown."

He strode over to the cradle and crouched
down to peer at the sleeping bairn. Such a soft wee bundle. Silky
black hair stuck straight up on the bairn's head. His little
rosebud mouth worked as if he sucked still. Raik reached out to
caress the tiny cheek with the back of his fingers.

"Do not!" Letia burst from behind the screen
clutching a green robe tight to her chest.

Raik ignored her and continued to marvel on
the softness of this tiny boy.