There Your Heart Will Be Also (19 page)

“Would ye stop ye pacin'?”

“Sorry
,
”
replied Cedric.

“I'll have ye supper ready in a moment.”

“I'm not worried about eatin'
.
”

“Aye
,
”
said a distracted Megean.

“I'm worried about
,
about
—
”
Cedric hesitated in finishing his sentence. The woman didn't need to know about his personal concerns.

“Well I knew ye wasn't worried about eatin'.
Figured
ye
had other worries on ye mind.”

One of the Megean's children came into the room
,
interrupting the ongoing conversation
.
“M
um
, can I have a drink?”

“Aye, Eithne.”
Megean worked to extract
her round form
from the chair.

Cedric stopped her.
“I'll get it.”
Then speaking directly to the little girl, “What would ye like
,
lass?”

Eithne batted
long
eyelashes coyly.
After he placed the cup in her hand,
her lips twitched at the corners
.
“Are y
e
m
e
new daddy?”

Cedric gasped and sputtered.
Megean immediately reacted.
“Eithne!
Get back in ye
r
room.”

The young girl skipped back to her room
leaving behind a flustered
Megean.
“I should have told ye.
Ye have to leave soon.
My husband will be back and I canna have ye here.
As it is, I am not sure m
e
children won't tell
their da that
I had a male visitor while
he
was away.
”

“But I thought ye let the room to others.”

“Nay.
Ye are the first
. I mean it was always me plan to have bo
a
rders when me husband found himself away. But ye are the first person to actually stay. Now I'm not so sure it was the best of ideas
,” Megean said shyly.

Cedric shook his head.
More trouble.

His hand resting on the table was patted as Megean continued to explain,
“I'm sorry.
But the
ir
da has been gone for months and I needed the funds.
The mistress is kind and helps us with food and the like.
In fact she shares the garden with everyone.
But there are other things I need.
Cloth, ribbon, and the like.
Merchants want coin.
Of course I'll explain ye
r
presence to my man when he arrives
,
but if ye are here I don't know if ye will make it away with ye
r
life.”

Cedric rolled his eyes.
Why had he not anticipated such a disaster?
Without speaking
,
he walked to hi
s room, gathered his belongings
and
headed
to
the door.

“Where are ye going?”

“To acquire
other
lodgings.”

Megean laughed.
“Ye are going out in this?”

“Aye.
I am.”

Cedric opened the door.
The wind whipped, threatening to rip it from its hinges.
Pushing it closed, he wrapped his plaid around hi
s shoulder
and headed for shelter.

****

Imagine having to go to the privy!
Every chamber pot in the keep must be in use.
Too bad the first
level
garderobe wasn't real.

With a candle in hand,
Sarra
moved
down
to
the kitchen and out the back door.
The rain poured.
Her gown was soaked and sticking to her before she reached the privy situated not more than ten steps away.
Entering the small dark closet, a steady drop of rain shower
ed
her head.

As she stepped
out into the blackness of night, her
foot
slipped
and
slid
into a deep
mud
hole.
Sarra
glanced
down
and
groaned.
The mud
swallowed
her
black footwear
.
The wet, gooey substance seeped up around the top and sank inside. Her toes
squirmed
in hopes of gaining traction.
A sigh upon her lips, Sarra realized w
ith th
is
consistenc
y
, t
h
e ground
would take forever to dry.

Disheartened
,
Sarra took
hold of
waterlogged
skirts
and
headed for the back door.
As she rounded a corner, a hooded figure st
epped
in front of her.
A scream
welled from her throat and
threatened to escape, until a familiar voice
was heard
.

“What are ye doing out here
,
lass?”

“Cedric?”

“Aye.”

“Where did you come from?”
she asked, still breathless from the unexpected encounter.

“I believe I asked ye first.”

“I was using the…
,
”
words caught in her throat.

From the light of her burning candle, Sarra could see u
n
derstanding li
gh
t
ing
Cedric's face
.
“Ye better get back inside. This weather
will be the death of ye
.”

“Aye.
But what of you?
Where are you staying?”

Beneath his covering, Sarra could just make out a grimace.
Before he could answer, she said, “Would you like to come inside?
We are rather crowded but I'm sure there is room for one more.”

“Aye.
I think I would.”

Together they walked toward
the keep.
When they reached the back door, Sarra placed her hand on the handle and pulled but nothing happened.
Then she pushed, still nothing happened.

“Is something wrong
,
lass?”

“I don't know.”

“Can I try?”

Sarra stepped aside and Cedric mimicked her actions.
Looking at her, he said, “I believe they have locked ye out.”

“What?
Nay.
That is not possible.”

Sarra raised fists and began to beat against the wood.
Calling out to any and all
who
might hear her, she yelled until
the sound came out in a
hoarse
whisper
but no one came.
With a hand cupping the flickering flame of her melting candle, Sarra walked to the other entrance. Again
with her
fist
she
beat against the wood to no avail. Cedric was correct. They had locked her out.

“Sarra…”

“What?”

“We must find other shelter.
Ye cannot stay out in this weather.”

Already
the
gown stuck to her
skin
,
and her
hair
was
plastered to her head.
“But where?”
she asked in a whisper.

Then
as
if by a miracle, a
beam of light
shone through the clouds
land
ing
on the stables.
Cedric grabbed Sarra's hand and pulled
her
along.
But
the
wet dress was too heavy and she stumbled and fell.
Cedric bent down and
scoop
ed Sarra up, cradling her to his chest
.
H
e walk
ed
toward the stables
, and
o
nce inside,
set
her
down.

Cedric mumbled under his breath, “I hear the patter of rain, so there must be a leak, but nothing of great significance…”

Finding a stall empty of animals, Cedric opened the gate and beckoned Sarra to enter.
Shuffling her feet, Sarra shivered
as he
followed her
inside
.

“Ye need to change.”

“And how do you suggest I do such a thing
when
I
brought no
cloth
ing
with me to the privy and if I had they would have been wet!”
The
damp
cold
made
Sarra irritable.

Cedric
shrugged.
“I saw a blanket.
I'll get it for ye and then leave ye be until ye can change.”

Cedric
left her standing in the middle of the stall.
Shaking with fury, Sarra took deep breaths.
Before her anger completely abated, Cedric returned.

He handed her
a
blanket and walked back out of the stall,
obviously
expecting her to follow his directions without further comment.

Sarra understood the wisdom of what
Cedric
said.
To sit around in wet clothing
was uncomfortable and c
ould make her ill.
But the thoughts of changing while he waited outside sent shivers up her spine.
What should she do?

Cedric paced outside the stall.
Sarra shouldn't be taking so long to get out of her wet clothing.
She would catch the ague.
Why would the woman not listen to good sense?

When he pushed the door, a chastisement was on his lips.
But a
s the door creaked open
,
the sight of her rendered him speechless.
Sarra was standing in the middle of the room with
the coverlet
draped partially around her
shoulders
.
The water from her hair was running down her back in a
tiny
stream.

At the sight of Cedric, Sarra shrieked and lunged for the drooping cover.
“
Wh-
what are you doing in here?”

Cedric closed his eyes and took a big gulp.
Breathlessly, he answered, “I was just checkin' on ye.”

Slowly
,
Cedric
opened his eyes
.
Sarra
still stood before him, her legs
exposed
. H
is
gaze was
drawn to the
slender length of lily white
, and so were his thoughts. He lost his ability to speak.

S
arra grunted
,
“
If you wish to speak to me please look at my eyes, not my legs.”

Raising his
gaze
level with her face, Cedric cleared his throat before responding
.
“Aye, aye, of course.”

“Well?”

“Well, what?”

“Did you have something to say?”
S
he hitched the cover a little higher
,
wrapping it tighter around her body.

Cedric relaxed and ca
u
sally leaned back against the stall door, making himself
c
omfortable.
He was prepared to stay put for awhile.
“Nay.”

“Would you refrain from staring at me?”

“Nay.”

“Nay?”

“Nay.
I believe I like starin' at ye.”

“Cedric—“

“Ye need to wrap
it
a little tighter before it slips to the ground.
Do ye need help?”

Hitching the cover around her frame as tight as she could manage
with just one hand
, Sarra said, “I do not.”

Cedric snickered under his breath.
Turning his head away
,
he removed
his
tunic and wrung out the water.
He heard Sarra
's
swift intake of breath as his upper torso was revealed.
When
his hand went for his waist, Sarra spoke.

“You will not
undress
in this stall.
Go to another.”

Cedric
glanced
at her and winked.
Her eyebrows rose as he walked out of the stall and removed his plaid.
The wool was full of water and would take hours to dry.
Unfortunately he had nothing else to wear.
Being
a
gentleman, he placed the wet garment back on his frame before reentering.

Sarra
stood
against the wall
w
ith
her
eyes
closed
and
h
er
head
resting on
the wood.
She appeared asleep but when
Cedric
stepped closer, Sarra's head
turned
and her eyes opened.
“You can stay on
that
side.”

“Are ye sure?
If we sit together we
'
ll stay
a mite
warmer.”

“Nay.
You're wet.”

“True.
I am wet.
But ye wouldn't want me to
take ill,
would ye?”

“I'm not sure.
Maybe I would.”

Cedric laughed as he slid down
to the hay
-
covered
floor.
The wind howled outside but they were safe.
Would anyone look for the small maid before morning?

Cedric
twisted a piece of straw in his hands.
“How did you come to be here?”

“What?”

“How did you come to be the maid of the mistress?
Ye seem awfully young.
Were
ye born to ye
r
position?
Or d
id
the mistress
purchase y
e
?
Will
the lady
have someone come and look for y
e
?”

The
young lass shift
ed
uncomfortably.
What had
he
said
to
worr
y
her?

A
s
he watched,
Sarra's legs wobbled and she slid to the ground
, making certain to
grasp the coverlet
on her way down
.

Was
there going to be an answer
?
It was on the tip of his tongue to ask the question again, but before he could, Sarra said, “Nay.
I don't believe I will be missed.”

“Are ye so insignificant or does ye
r
mistress just not care about ye?”

If
Cedric
wasn't
mistaken
,
a bit of
fire
flashed
in her eyes
.
Had she been clothed he might have had a fight on his hands.
As it was
,
Sarra
remained in
a
seated position.

“Can we just go to sleep?”
she asked.

“Ye want to lie down and go to sleep?”

“Aye.
I do.”

“So no one is going to come and look for ye?”

Sarra's eyebrow rose.
“Why do you keep asking
the same
question?
Do you have some ill will planned for me?
Do you intend to harm me?”

Cedric was dumbfounded.
Of course he intended no harm to the lass.
But how could she know
that
when s
he knew nothing of his character
?
Sarra turned to lie
upon her side
,
o
ne hand
tucked
under
neath
her head, the other grasp
ing
the cover tightly to her chest.
Cedric
's protective feelings surged, and he
wished he had more to offer.
A warm place to sleep and food on the table.
Perhaps a whole house full of
babes
?

With a shake of
his head, Cedric
forced himself
to quit thinking
of her in that way
.
C
ommit
ment
to owning this land
was all that mattered
.
In order to
accomplish his mission,
he had to marry the mistress.
Enough pretending he had a free will to do what he pleased.

“Sarra, I must ask ye a question.”

Sighing, Sarra pushed up on one elbow,
parting
one eyelid.
“Aye?”

“Tell me about the mistress.”

Sarra sat bolt upright.
The cover slipped from her shoulder.
Cedric eyed the creamy white skin
which
came into view.
Gulping deeply he
shifted his eyes
away.
The mistress was his focus
, not the maid
.

“Why do you want to know?”

Cedric scratched his day
-
old beard before answering.
“Ye see I've just come from England and there are some interestin' rumors about this place and the mistress.”

“Such as?”

“Let me think.
They say the keep is fallin' in on itself.
There is a disease of the bowels
going
around.
Why
,
one man said he saw a head in ye
r
garderobe.”

“Naught but fanciful tales,” said Sarra, a red hue
coloring
her cheeks.

“Of course
,
exactly
what I thought.
But it makes for a riotous evening.
One man told this story about meeting the mistress for the first time and the
King
almost fell from the throne with his laughter.”

Cedric saw a
smile quirk at
the
side
s
of Sarra's lips.

“
Was the mistress described?”
she
inquired.

“
Aye
.
Old and all bent over with gnarled and knotted hands.
Knobby knees, wrinkled skin, stringy hair.
They claimed y
e
could see flames shoot from her eyes.
Then
,
of course
,
there was the matter of her hair standing straight up in the air and moving around like the snakes of Medusa.
Aye, there
were
all matter of interesting stories about the mistress.”

Sarra shifted uncomfortably.
And Cedric continued, “Ye see, I haven't been completely honest with ye.”

“You haven't?”

“Nay.
I haven't,” Cedric said,
worriedly
running
his hand
through his
hair.
He needed her to know the truth.
His feelings for Sarra were becoming hard to control.
Perhaps if she shunned him it would make it easier to stop thinking about her.

“Cedric, perhaps we should talk about this in the
morning
.”

“Nay.
It canna wait.”

Sarra sighed
heavily
.
“Fine.
What do you need to tell me?”

“The
King
sent me here.”

Sarra was visibly shaken.
Cedric
,
confused by
her
reaction
,
kept talking.
“The
King
awarded me Greenbriar because of my loyalty.
The only thing is I have to marry the mistress to claim my land.
Which
is why I ask ye, what is the mistress like?
I've yet to meet
her
.
It seems she never comes out into the light of day!
No one in the village ever talks about her.
Why
,
if she is half as ghastly as the townsfolk believe, the villagers should be runnin' scared.”

Sarra's jaw clenched.
“Why are you telling me this?”

“I'm not tellin' ye.
I'm askin' ye.
What is the mistress like?”

A light suddenly entered Sarra's eyes.
“
Perhaps t
omorrow I will introduce you to the woman you are to marry.”

Cedric wanted to say more but wasn't given a chance.
Sarra lay back down
with
her back toward
him.
Was she upset?
Of course she was upset.
He'd kissed her, ogled her,
eaten
with her,
and
defended her.
No doubt she believed he had feelings for her, and now
…
well now
,
he
'd
told her
he
needed
to marry the mistress because he
had come
for land.
Cedric felt
terrible
.
But there was nothing
that
could
be done
.
Land was
his future
.