Page 82 of Viking in Love

Geoff rolled his eyes. “They have become great friends with Sybil, and the three of them are turning the estate upside down in plans for the marriage ceremony and feast.”

“I have not heard from Wulf. Have you?”

Geoff shook his head. “But then, I did not expect to. You know how Wulf is when on a mission.”

“I can only assume that no news is good news. Are you not fearful that Dunstan may put a stop to your wedding?”

“We held a handfast ritual as a safeguard, and, of course, consummated the union.” He grinned at him to show it had been a satisfying consummation. “But just in case, I should be there when they arrive.”

The first thing Caedmon did after seeing Geoff off, promising he would come for his wedding, was to wake Henry. “Take fifty of the hirdsmen and patrol the northern borders. In fact, erect some temporary quarters for them there. And do not return until you have word from me that it is safe.”

Henry did not need to be told that Dunstan would take one look at the hundred and twenty-five and more soldiers residing here and force a goodly number of them to return with him to Winchester to join the royal troops.

“I will be out shortly to see them off.”

Henry scurried off. He might be old, but he knew what to do in an emergency, without any fuss and bother.

Gerard must have been alerted by the sudden activity and was pulling up his breeches as Caedmon approached. “What is amiss, m’lord?”

Caedmon explained briefly and said, “We will need to make provision for sleeping quarters for the archbishop and of any nobility traveling with them, in the event they stay overnight, God forbid! Henry will take care of the guardsmen who accompany him. Make sure there are clean bed linens. Including mine.

“Also, check to see what shape the chapel is in. I will send out huntsmen for more game, and fishermen for fresh fish.”

“What about the children?”

Caedmon pondered the problem of ten children, mostly illegitimate, running about under the priest’s judgmental nose. “Lady Breanne will take care of them.”

Gerard raised his bushy eyebrows.

“I will leave it to you to make that chore known to her. Mayhap you could teach her that whistling trick.”

After that, Caedmon went searching for Amicia. Finally, he found her in one of the bed closets with Dafydd, the Welsh stable hand. It was a sight he would not want to see ever again. Amicia was as tall as he was, and some might say just as muscular. Dafydd came about chest high on both of them and gave proof that the size of the boot had naught to do with the size of the cock, by huffing and puffing like a stallion as he plowed a squealing Amicia good and well.

Caedmon turned his back until they were done. Then he told Amicia, “Come. You have much work to do. Archbishop Dunstan and his group are on their way.”

With no embarrassment at all, Amicia stood and adjusted her gown. Dafydd was splatted out on his back, already half asleep.

Caedmon nudged him with his boot.

“Wh-what?” Dafydd sat up.

“Two dozen of the king’s men, including Archbishop Dunstan, will be here on the morrow. Make sure there is enough feed in the stables and that the stalls are mucked out.”

Grumbling something about bothersome holy men, Dafydd rose and tugged up his breeches, which had been bunched at his ankles. Before he stomped off, he gave Amicia a lustsome wink.

Now that she had tasted Dafydd’s “charms,” Amicia seemed to be uninterested in the stable hand, and so she ignored his wink. “Dunstan? Fer goodness sake! I need to go find a few of the kitchen maids so we kin get started on the bread making. The monks and their minions are allus picky about their bread bein’ fresh.”

Caedmon nodded, and while they walked side by side, he told her that fish and game would be forthcoming, hopefully by noon.

And not to worry about making the meals fancy, as Ingrith had been teaching her. “We do not want them to get too comfortable here with fine fare and soft beds.”

“So I should put out some of that maggoty venison that has been in the scullery since God was a child.”

And end up in a pillory. “I would not go that far.”

She grinned at him.

“I mean it, Amicia. Toss out the bad meat.”