peeped out from under the white sheet when she arched and stretched, her graceful movements reminiscent of a kitten who had basked long and lazily under a summer’s sun. Brand grimaced at his erection. He had climaxed mere minutes ago. ’Twould be most uncomfortable to have to meet with the king while stiff and aching.
“’Permission to build a new cottage or enlarge one already standing. Who gets which spot on market day.” She yawned and cupped a hand over her mouth.
“Stay abed and sleep.” He finished lacing his boots, strode to the bed, and caught her up for a quick kiss.
“Nay. I cannot. Hilde will scold me for being late as it is.”
“I will call for Gavin. I do not want you wandering about the keep unescorted while Irvin is here.” Brand suspected Irvin’s reason for returning to Caul Cairlinne to be a complete falsehood.
“No need to call for Gavin. He or one of the others will be in the alcove awaiting me.” She darted off the bed and snatched her leine and chemise from the floor.
He grinned when she colored from brow to wriggling toes and ducked behind a screen positioned to the side of the bed. “What alcove?”
“’Tis concealed by the tapestry of Mother Mary and the lord Jesus.”
Frowning when he could not recall the wall hanging she described, Brand hurried out of the chamber. He scanned the long hallway and spied the tapestry at the very end, adjacent to a pair of shuttered windows.
Before he reached the spot, Gavin’s head poked out from under the embroidered fabric. He glanced at Brand, emerged into the corridor, and straightened. “I heard the door creak.”
Cocking his head, Brand smirked. “Methinks it has not been oiled for a reason. Does my wife know of the squeak?”
Gavin reddened. “Nay. She is wont to try to avoid giving us worry and sneaks away oft. It took Larkin and I several days to get that blasted slab of oak to list enough to groan.”
“What occurred to make you resort to a squeak?” Brand tapped a booted foot and studied the warrior.
“Lady Étaín decided to watch o’er the blacksmith’s hut the night Margie and Darren wed. She had some notion Darren might injure Margie unintentionally. The captain of a trading ship docked in the harbor mistook her for a tavern wench. ’Twas a close call.” Gavin grimaced and locked one hand around his sword’s hilt.
“Did her father not take her to task for being so foolish?” He would not allow Étaín to get away with deliberately putting herself in danger.
Gavin averted his eyes. “Nay.”
“I will speak with him on this. He is too lenient with her.”
Gavin rocked on his heels. He opened and closed his mouth, but then blurted, “My lord, if I may speak freely?”
“I will not take offense and prefer plain speaking. I am more apt to punish omissions than a statement I do not agree with.” Brand stated, letting his words give Gavin the measure of him as a leader of men.
“When the king rescued Lady Étaín from Eachan, she did not speak for an entire season. She was so timid that if anyone frowned at her, she trembled, and would not eat or drink for the day. I know not the details of what Eachan did to her, but it broke her spirit completely. We are all under the king’s orders. She is not to be admonished.”
‘You have been her guard since then?” Brand studied the man closer. He judged him to have seen a score and five summers. Built like fortified pillar, Gavin had a solid chest of immense girth and the hardened arms of one who practiced swordplay daily.
“Aye.”
“What caused her to begin speaking?”
“She came across a laborer beating a young lad.” Gavin’s grip on his sword tightened, and his knuckles whitened.
Brand decided to spend an hour or two with the warrior in a tavern on the morrow and coax the tale of Étaín, the young lad, and the laborer out of him. “Stick to her side. I am leery of her cousin. What know you of him?”
“Lord Irvin covets Caul Cairlinne. I
“’Permission to build a new cottage or enlarge one already standing. Who gets which spot on market day.” She yawned and cupped a hand over her mouth.
“Stay abed and sleep.” He finished lacing his boots, strode to the bed, and caught her up for a quick kiss.
“Nay. I cannot. Hilde will scold me for being late as it is.”
“I will call for Gavin. I do not want you wandering about the keep unescorted while Irvin is here.” Brand suspected Irvin’s reason for returning to Caul Cairlinne to be a complete falsehood.
“No need to call for Gavin. He or one of the others will be in the alcove awaiting me.” She darted off the bed and snatched her leine and chemise from the floor.
He grinned when she colored from brow to wriggling toes and ducked behind a screen positioned to the side of the bed. “What alcove?”
“’Tis concealed by the tapestry of Mother Mary and the lord Jesus.”
Frowning when he could not recall the wall hanging she described, Brand hurried out of the chamber. He scanned the long hallway and spied the tapestry at the very end, adjacent to a pair of shuttered windows.
Before he reached the spot, Gavin’s head poked out from under the embroidered fabric. He glanced at Brand, emerged into the corridor, and straightened. “I heard the door creak.”
Cocking his head, Brand smirked. “Methinks it has not been oiled for a reason. Does my wife know of the squeak?”
Gavin reddened. “Nay. She is wont to try to avoid giving us worry and sneaks away oft. It took Larkin and I several days to get that blasted slab of oak to list enough to groan.”
“What occurred to make you resort to a squeak?” Brand tapped a booted foot and studied the warrior.
“Lady Étaín decided to watch o’er the blacksmith’s hut the night Margie and Darren wed. She had some notion Darren might injure Margie unintentionally. The captain of a trading ship docked in the harbor mistook her for a tavern wench. ’Twas a close call.” Gavin grimaced and locked one hand around his sword’s hilt.
“Did her father not take her to task for being so foolish?” He would not allow Étaín to get away with deliberately putting herself in danger.
Gavin averted his eyes. “Nay.”
“I will speak with him on this. He is too lenient with her.”
Gavin rocked on his heels. He opened and closed his mouth, but then blurted, “My lord, if I may speak freely?”
“I will not take offense and prefer plain speaking. I am more apt to punish omissions than a statement I do not agree with.” Brand stated, letting his words give Gavin the measure of him as a leader of men.
“When the king rescued Lady Étaín from Eachan, she did not speak for an entire season. She was so timid that if anyone frowned at her, she trembled, and would not eat or drink for the day. I know not the details of what Eachan did to her, but it broke her spirit completely. We are all under the king’s orders. She is not to be admonished.”
‘You have been her guard since then?” Brand studied the man closer. He judged him to have seen a score and five summers. Built like fortified pillar, Gavin had a solid chest of immense girth and the hardened arms of one who practiced swordplay daily.
“Aye.”
“What caused her to begin speaking?”
“She came across a laborer beating a young lad.” Gavin’s grip on his sword tightened, and his knuckles whitened.
Brand decided to spend an hour or two with the warrior in a tavern on the morrow and coax the tale of Étaín, the young lad, and the laborer out of him. “Stick to her side. I am leery of her cousin. What know you of him?”
“Lord Irvin covets Caul Cairlinne. I