When five women crowded into the small room, not counting the lady who remained by the door, Kristen finally became annoyed and stood up. “I can wash myself, lady.”
“God’s mercy, and here I thought I would have much trouble making you understand.”
“I understand perfectly. I am to bathe. I will do it gladly, but I do not need assistance.”
“Then you do not understand at all. ’Tis Royce’s order that the women will wash you, and so they shall.”
Kristen was not one to take issue over something so minor. Nor would she give it another thought once she had conceded. She shrugged carelessly, waiting for the men to be sent from the room. When they were not, yet the women all began to crowd about her to remove her clothes, she shoved them back so forcefully that two of them fell, shrieking.
“Listen, lady”—Kristen had to shout over the cries of the fallen two—“I will allow your women to wash me, but not in front of men.”
“How dare you tell me what you will allow? They are here to protect my women from you, for you cannot be trusted alone with defenseless women.”
Kristen almost laughed at that. Five women, six counting the lady, and they called themselves defenseless against one. Yet they just might be if they insisted on stripping her in front of serfs. And if the women were that afraid of her, it might not hurt to brazen it out.
She pointed a finger at the two men, who were wide-eyed now at the prospect of having to subdue her. “They are the ones who will need protecting if they do not leave.”
The lady sputtered in anger and began shouting orders. Kristen picked up the bench she had been sitting on and threw it at the two men.
Royce could hear the shrieks and screams as he approached the hall. He entered just in time to see Uland literally tossed out of the bathing room. Aldous stumbled out right after him, and then tripped over the younger man and went sprawling too. By the time Royce reached the room it was much quieter, though Darrelle was still making shrill noises in her anger.
“What the devil is going on here?” Royce bellowed from the door.
“She would not let us bathe her!”
“Tell him why, lady,” Kristen managed to gasp.
She was lying flat on her back on the floor, with four women sitting on top of her. They had come at her from behind just as she chased the old man from the room. Tripping her to the floor, they had pounced on her immediately. She could barely breathe now, with one on her chest and another on her stomach.
“God’s breath, Darrelle!” Royce stormed. “I give you a simple thing to do, and you make a shambles of it!”
“She started it!” Darrelle protested. “She would not let them undress her. She lives alone with dozens of men night and day, yet she is shy now in front of two serfs.”
“My order was for the women to bathe her. I said naught about men.”
“But she is a Viking, Royce! You certainly could not expect us to be alone with her.”
“God’s breath, she is just a woman!”
“She does not look like a woman. She does not act like a woman. And she attacked those two cowards with a bench! And you want to leave her alone with us?”
“Get off her!” he growled at the women as he walked to Kristen, jerking her to her feet as soon as she was free. “You cause any more trouble, wench, and I will deal with you myself. You will not like it.”
“I was ever willing to have the bath, and glad of it.”
Royce frowned at her calm reply. “Then have it,” he said. To the oldest woman in the room, he instructed, “Eda, bring her to my chamber when you are done with her.”
“Royce!” Darrelle protested.
“What?” he snapped at her.
“You cannot mean to—to—”
“What I mean to do is question her, Darrelle, not that it is any of your concern. Now, be about your business. They do not need you to supervise a scrubbing.”
Darrelle’s cheeks brightened as she stalked out of the room ahead of him. But Royce was in no mood to placate her. Of all the ridiculous things! A simple bath could not even be accomplished without an uproar.
Alden was still waiting for Royce in his chamber upstairs, still standing at the window where his cousin had left him. “You saw it all?” Royce queried.
