“And who else would it be?”
“One of your friends,” she retorted. “That one called Bayard I wager would like to pay me back in turn for what I did to him. Your brother too would like to lay me low.”
“And you fear them?”
“Nay, but I am not fool enough to take them lightly,” she answered.
“’Tis onlymeyou take lightly, eh?” he growled.
She looked at him in surprise. “Why should I fear you, Viking? You have shown me your worst, but in truth, ’twas not so bad.”
He stepped closer to her, his anger mounting again. “Do I carry you the rest of the way, mistress, or will you walk?”
“Nay, I will not go with you. I do not like being roused from sleep for your pleasure.”
“’Tis not my pleasure we’re about, wench.”
“Oh? What then?”
“Will you come?”
Before she could say yea, for her curiosity was pricked, he took her elbow and pushed her roughly before him. She pulled away and halted when the rocks on the ground made her aware of her bare feet.
“Why do you stop?” he asked, his tone impatient.
“Is it your wish to have my feet bloodied? It seems you must carry me after all,” she said with an impish smile.
He hesitated for a long moment, staring at her darkly before he yanked her to him and lifted her off the ground. At once she wrapped her arms tightly about his neck, and heard him grunt his disapproval as she did. With quick strides he reached the back of the house and the stairs leading up to the second floor. He mounted them rapidly, taking two steps at a time. Her weight seemed to be no more than a sack of feathers in his arms.
Once inside the house, he let her slip to the floor, but Brenna purposely kept her arms about his neck a moment longer than she need have before she dropped them at her sides. His face was impassive as he pushed her on ahead of him.
She had not been in this house since the day he took her innocence, and she immediately noticed the changes that had taken place since then. Ornate gold candle-holders were now affixed to the walls at intervals, and between them hung small, brightly stitched tapestries with gold-fringed borders. On the floor a narrow rug ran the length of the wide corridor. It was black and silver, with gold stitching spiraling along the edges. The atmosphere was quite an improvement over the gloomy one that prevailed before.
Brenna hesitated when she saw that they were approaching Garrick’s chambers, but he shoved her inside, then closed the door behind them. She whirled on him, arms akimbo, her eyes flashing stormily.
“Have you deceived me, Viking? For what purpose are we here?”
“Our purpose, as you put it, I expect will be lengthy. Knowing your aversion to drafts, I chose this room since ’tis the warmest in the house at present.”
“How thoughtful,” she muttered sarcastically.
Indeed, the room was cozy. A fire blazed in the hearth, and warmed the large room entirely. Brenna noticed that here too improvements had been made. Two identical huge rugs that nearly joined, covered the cold floor in a bright blue and gold pattern. Two large tapestries hung on the walls. One was of peasants toiling in a field under a brilliant sky, and the other told a detailed story in miniature against a yellow background. A backless divan had also been added to the room. Covered in rich blue and white brocade, it had carved lions’ paws for legs.
Brenna took all of this in with surprise before she eyed Garrick again. “Well, will you tell me now why I am here? And why did you come for me the way you did, in such secrecy?”
He shrugged and walked to the small table where a skin of wine and a plate of cheese rested. “I did not know your mood, so I chose not to risk your making a ruckus and waking the other women. There is no point for them to lose sleep just because you and I have things to settle.”
Brenna stiffened. “We settled everything. What else is there?”
“We settled naught, mistress.”
“Yet I work for you,” she replied, her voice rising. “I earn my keep! What more do you want of me?”
He walked over to the large coffer set against the wall and took from it a gray silk robe trimmed elegantly with white fur. Then he came to stand before her, only inches away, so that she had to tilt her head up to look at him as he spoke.
“Aye, you worked, gladly, but not as I wanted. I gave in to you because at the time I could see no other way. Slaves are not supposed to enjoy their labors, mistress, yet you surely did.” He paused. “No more.”
“Oh?”
