The Succubus (2 page)

After Daniel's member had grown to its full size, she'd really feared she couldn't do it. But touching his firm skin, rubbing her fingers through the thick hair on his chest, and perhaps even his musky scent had caused something strange to happen. It had made her want to feel him inside her, and then she'd become wet and slick so she could slip down over him. He had stretched her and filled her as she'd never been filled before, and she'd liked it so much that she'd almost lost control of her own body, only at the last minute remembering the way Esmeralda had told her to pump his seed from him.

It wouldn't be difficult to do this every night for a fortnight. She only hoped the potions Kendrick was slipping into Sir Daniel's brandy wouldn't do the young man harm.

* * * *

In the next room, Kendrick carefully repositioned the dragon's head that concealed the peephole in the St. George bas-relief. It had worked. His stupid wife had actually followed Esmeralda's instructions and gotten the results Kendrick had ordered. Still he couldn't help feeling a bit disgruntled over the enthusiasm she'd shown for the chore. She never bounced around on top of him like that.

Ah, well, as long as she accomplished his objective, he supposed he shouldn't begrudge her a little pleasure while doing it. His nephew was impressively hung.

Kendrick limped toward the door. Now he had to get the slut out of Daniel's bed or she'd fall asleep, stay there until morning, and ruin everything.

Daniel awoke the next morning with the aching head and dry mouth that always followed a night of heavy feasting, but his cock was crusted with dried juices.
Last night's mysterious visitor had been more than a dream, but was she human?

The servant his uncle had assigned him brought hot water and urged Daniel to hurry with his toilet, or he'd be late for the main meal of the day. Lord Kendrick, he explained, liked the meal served promptly at eleven o'clock and was displeased with any who were late. Daniel hurriedly shaved and dressed and rushed over to the great hall. The trestle tables were set up, and the gathered diners stood at their places beside them.

As Daniel reached the table at the head of the room, his uncle came out of the solar directly behind it. He stopped beside the high-backed chair at the center of the table, motioned for Daniel to move to his right side, and nodded to the priest. Father Clemens said a short grace. Lord Kendrick sat and everyone followed his example.

Daniel looked at the faces along the table and tried to connect them to the jumble of names he remembered from last night. Fortunately, there were fewer people here today. Some of last night's guests had been knightly tenants and their families. Apparently they were not invited to spend another day at the castle.

He became aware of how quiet the room was. Servants moved about efficiently carrying platters of food and pitchers of ale, serving the diners as unobtrusively as possible. Once food was piled on the trenchers, everyone attacked it vigorously, but no one talked. This was good for Daniel's aching head, but unlike any meal he'd attended in the halls of other castles. Usually, voices rose to a boisterous roar as everyone conversed with their tablemates or even with people at other tables.

Finally, Lord Kendrick put down his knife, took a long swallow from his ale horn, and turned toward Daniel. “Father Clemens tells me you did not attend mass this morning.”

Daniel felt heat in his cheeks, which was silly since he was a grown man and had the right to miss mass if he chose, but he did not want his uncle to think he made a practice of drinking until he could not rise the next morning. “Ah, no, sir, I'm afraid I overslept this morning.”

“Perhaps you're not used to the hours we keep.”

“Oh, we start at first light at Bettany, and I usually have no trouble rising.”

“Ah well, you had a long journey and then I kept you up late last night. I'm sure you needed the rest, but I want you to know Father Clemens has mass every morning at six.”

The meek priest nodded and smiled at Daniel encouragingly. Daniel smiled back. “I look forward to attending.”

Waving the leg of a roasted duck about, Kendrick said, “I don't often go myself but I wanted you to know the services are available here at Tewsbarrow.” He took a large bite of the duck.

Daniel fastened his attention on his food to hide the wave of irritation he felt toward his uncle. At first it had seemed as if the man were chastising Daniel for not attending mass, but then he readily admitted he had not gone himself. Of course, with his crippled leg he might find walking to the chapel too arduous. Daniel didn't know what to think. At least the strained silence in the room eased as small, soft-spoken conversations broke out around the various tables. Apparently everyone had been waiting for Lord Kendrick to speak first.

“Sir Daniel,” the long-faced, middle-aged woman two places down from him called for his attention. “Have you been to court recently?”

“No, ma'am. I have not been there in at least two years.” He couldn't remember who the woman was but felt sure she wasn't Lord Kendrick's wife. Hadn't he heard something last night about that lady being ill?

“I thought, since Bettany is closer than Tewsbarrow, that you would go more frequently,” she said.

“Baron Giffard is often there, but I'm not in his personal guard.”

A man with a grizzled, gray beard patted the woman's hand. “Lavinia, you're wasting your time questioning a young man like Sir Daniel. Even if he went to court, he'd have little interest in the gossip you care about.” Then he looked at Daniel. “My wife was once a lady-in-waiting to the queen and sorely misses court gossip.”

Daniel remembered the man was Sir Alfred, the castle constable. “Your husband is right, Lady Lavinia. Even if I hear court gossip I don't know who is being spoken of, so I quickly forget it.”

The lady's mouth turned down in a disappointed frown.

Lord Kendrick chuckled. “Some see Tewsbarrow's isolation as a disadvantage. To me it's a virtue.”

Lady Lavinia waved her hand as if flustered. “Tewsbarrow is most pleasant, my lord. It's just that we women like to hear news of old acquaintances.”

“Indeed.” Kendrick gave her a dismissive look and turned to Daniel. “As soon as you finish eating, I'd like for you to come to the solar so we can discuss plans for your stay here.”

Daniel clearly heard the man's impatience and hastily emptied his ale horn. “I'm finished now, my lord.” He followed his uncle to his private quarters, feeling a bit wary of the man. His frequent smiles, graying hair, and rotund body gave the impression of a good nature. But it was obvious his own people feared him, and they knew him far better than Daniel. And Daniel didn't know him because of the long rift that had existed between Kendrick and Daniel's father. Another reason to think Kendrick was not to be taken lightly.

As they entered the solar, Daniel stared about in amazement. A large bed and a couple of chests stood in one end of the room, but shelves and tables covered with books or rolled parchments filled the rest of it.

Kendrick smiled at Daniel's apparent surprise. With a sweeping gesture, he said, “As you can see, I'm a scholar. I've nearly completed the history of Tewsbarrow. Do you read, young man?”

“Yes, sir. Lord Giffard requires all his squires to learn so he can send them written orders when they become knights.”

“That's fortunate.” Then he chuckled. “And not just so you can read my history. All my stewards keep detailed records of the manors they manage and each man comes to me once a month so I can personally check their ledgers. Even though Father Clemens often acts as my clerk, I check the books myself, and being familiar with what has gone on in the past, I can quickly spot irregularities.”

“How many stewards do you have, my lord?”

“Three. Wilmont is the steward for all the land surrounding the castle. Sir Vincent manages my western estate, Ostbridge. Sir Theobald my eastern estate, Whitmere. I have knights as stewards in the separate estates because they are also in charge of defense. Here we have a constable to look after such, so it isn't necessary for the steward to be a knight.”

“I didn't realize your holdings were so extensive.”

Daniel had merely expressed his surprise at the size of the estate, but his uncle's pleased smile showed he had taken the words as praise of himself. “Ostbridge is an entirely new estate added during my time, and I've also increased the size of Whitmere. All the economies I practice allow me to accumulate ready coin, and when some witless spendthrift runs into trouble with his creditors I'm able to help him and myself. I know some think I'm too frugal in my ways, but the proof is in the pudding. Yes, indeed, in the pudding.”

“I can see I have a great deal to learn about running a baronetcy.”

Kendrick nodded. “That's why I urged you to visit. Not that you can learn everything in one fortnight. But, hopefully, I'll be around long enough to supervise a number of such visits.”

“I'm sure you will be. You look hale and hearty.”

A look on great sadness came over Lord Kendrick's face. “As your father's sudden death showed, one cannot know what the future holds. I always thought that one day he and I would settle the differences between us. Then he was gone, and I realized I'd waited too long.”

Mention of his father's death created a tightness in Daniel's throat.

With a tortured expression, Lord Kendrick said, “I hope he didn't feel great bitterness toward me all these years.”

“Actually,” Daniel felt his face redden, “he never spoke of you, except when he told us tales about his boyhood here at Tewsbarrow.”

“I took my position as the older brother seriously, never realizing how much Otis resented my authority. One day he couldn't take it anymore and left. I expected him to get over his pique and come back, at which time I fully intended to forgive him. Now I realize I should have asked for his forgiveness.”

Daniel was surprised by this humble confession. While his father had never spoken ill of Kendrick, his mother had not hesitated to refer to the man's arrogance. Of course, she may have resented the reduced circumstances they'd had to endure by living without support from her husband's noble relative.

Kendrick sighed and then straightened. “Enough of this talk about things that cannot be remedied. I've arranged for you and Father Clemens to go over the master records I keep of all my estates. He should be waiting for you out in the hall. I know this will be dull work for a young man, but it's vitally important to the running of any estate.”

“Yes, sir.” Daniel stood. He hesitated as he remembered the woman who had come to him last night. If his uncle had sent her, Daniel would be remiss not to express his thanks. If his uncle had not sent her, he might think Daniel somewhat deranged. But the man had just been so forthright in discussing the difficulties with his brother that Daniel felt Kendrick would not jump to unwarranted conclusions about him. After clearing his throat, he said, “I had more to drink last night than is my usual custom. But I seem to remember a lass coming to my bed. If you sent her, I thank you.”

His uncle looked shocked for just a moment and then shook his head. “We don't use serving women like that at Tewsbarrow. If a woman came to your bed it was none of my doing.”

Daniel felt a bit lightheaded. “Ah…well…perhaps it was a dream.”

His uncle chuckled. “And a wet one I'll wager. Ah, to be young again.”

* * * *

Kendrick watched his young nephew color with embarrassment and then stride out of the solar with long, sure steps.
So he remembered being with a woman last night, did he? Perhaps an added drop of Wanda the Witch's potion would be in order for tonight.
Of course Daniel was so dumb, Kendrick could probably give him nothing at all and then convince him the whole thing had been a dream.

He'd obviously been surprised by the size of Kendrick's holdings, and well he might be, since Kendrick had increased them by at least a third since his brother had left, and he'd done it through cleverness not by waving about a bloody sword. The young man had fairly drooled at the prospect of being the heir to so much. Showing again how stupid he was to think he could fill Kendrick's shoes. No, Kendrick intended to have his own son, one he could teach to follow him properly.

* * * *

After the first hour, Daniel had trouble paying attention as Father Clemens pointed at entries in the large ledger and explained what they represented. The fact that the good father barely spoke above a whisper made it even more difficult for Daniel to stay awake. When two servants walked past speaking in normal voices, the father shushed them. In an aside, he told Daniel, “Lord Kendrick is a great scholar and needs quiet for his work.”

It was another example of the awe the people here had for Lord Kendrick.
Was it based on respect or fear?
Would the people be as loyal to me when I become the baron? If I become the baron.
He mustn't let himself care too much about being the heir. Lord Kendrick was not elderly. He had said his wife was ill. If she died, he might remarry and produce an heir of his own.

While every landless knight dreamed of someday owning an estate of his own, most hoped to gain it through feats of bravery or plunder. As luck would have it, the peace of the current era made the chances of winning a fortune exceedingly slim. Being his uncle's heir might be his only chance to rise above the level of a mercenary.

But now, here at Tewsbarrow, something didn't feel quite right. The castle was too quiet, too stark. At one moment, his uncle was a generous, welcoming host and the next distant, almost hostile.
And what about last night's strange happening?
He felt sure the woman in his bed had not been a dream, but if not,
what was she?
Undoubtedly the many cups of ale he'd drunk before going to bed had seriously impaired his abilities to judge what had happened. Tonight he would drink more temperately. In fact, he would conduct himself more circumspectly during the rest of his stay at Tewsbarrow, lest his uncle think him unworthy of being the next baron.