Chapter Eight
Hell, utter and absolute hell, was where Ariel found herself, and she did not think she could make it through the night. After making her point very clear to Broc, she had returned to her pallet. To make her rejection even more complete, she had curled onto her side so she faced the wall.
One of the women laughed. “Maybe this one is still a little boy. What do you say, my lord, are you man enough for the two of us?”
“Now I cannot leave one of you ladies wanting. It would not be polite.” The women’s breathy laughter filled the room.
With her back to the bed, Ariel could not see what took place. If only she could have blocked out the sounds emanating from it. She tried pulling the blanket over her head, even stuck her fingers into her ears, but nothing helped.
As the women groaned in pleasure, sleep became impossible. Having to hear them was bad enough, but the moans they elicited from Broc affected Ariel far more. They reminded her of her first time with a man, with that very one on the bed. She wanted to rage at him. Yell at him, How can you do this to me? How could he betray her like that? She had not wanted another man in that way, much less two at the same time.
Her body turned traitor. She had been able to ignore the women, but Broc’s moans were something else entirely. She remembered when he had made those sounds at her touch, when their bodies had joined as one. Remembered the feel of the hot, hard length of him moving inside her. Wetness pooled between her legs.
Finally, the sounds of passion gave way to silence. Ariel prayed they would sleep, but once again fate did not go her way. The noises started again after a short interval. The only option she had left to her was to lay there and wait for it to end.
Before the night ended, Ariel vowed to make Broc pay for his behavior. As for her being his squire, a few changes had to take place. She would accept his lessons, but being his servant was out of the question.
* * * *
Pain shot through his head the moment he opened his eyes. Groaning, he shut them once more. Broc usually did not drink heavily, but last night had been an exception. He had tried to forget the memory of Wulf’s face, how it had looked when he had wanted to kiss the boy. It had not helped. It only left him with a pounding headache.
Broc opened his eyes again and realized it was still very early. Something had brought him out of the deep sleep he had been in. He turned his head to look about the around. He did not sleep alone. Two women lay on either side of him. He slightly lifted the blankets and found them all to be naked.
He could not remember much from the night before, but what he did, sickened him. Bad enough he had tried to force Wulf into taking one of the women, but what made it even worse, he had taken both of them to his bed. That was something he had thought he was not capable of doing. A sound came from the far corner of the chamber. He turned his gaze in that direction. Wulf lay curled into a ball on his pallet. He was dreaming. The small sounds coming from him had awakened Broc.
Gently as he possibly could, Broc climbed out of bed. He looked over his shoulder to make sure the women had not been disturbed. They had not awakened. He pulled on one of his longer tunics and then went to where the boy slept.
Broc grew more disgusted with himself the longer he looked at Wulf. He not only lay curled into a tight ball, but one of his hands covered his ear. He had been in the chamber the whole time. Flashes of himself telling the boy he could not leave almost made him ill. How could I have done that to Wulf? He already knew why. His damn pride demanded he prove he was still a man. Wulf whimpered in his sleep once more. Hoping to comfort the boy, he reached out and brushed the hair away from Wulf’s eyes.
*
The feel of someone touching her brought Ariel instantly awake. She had thought the woman had taken the hint to leave her alone. Once her eyes focused on the face before her, she stiffened. She did what she had wanted to do all night. She punched Broc square on the jaw. Not suspecting the blow, it knocked him onto his backside. Those gold eyes of his widened in surprise. She rubbed her bruised knuckles.
“I deserved that.”
Ariel surged to her feet and looked down at Broc. “Aye, you did. How could you?”
“I do not know. I have never done anything like that before. I apologize.”
“You cannot actually expect an apology will help. If this is how you Normans act, you can keep your knighthood. I will have none of it.”
Ariel had to get away from Broc. Her body did terrible things to her just at the mere sight of him. Anger waged war with desire. His moans of pleasure still echoed in her mind. She stepped around him to leave. Once again he held her back. This time he had a hold of one of her ankles.
“Wait, do not go.”
“I refuse to stay, and you cannot make me. I am not your squire anymore, so release me.”
In one graceful move, Broc surged to his feet. Before Ariel could step away, her arm was held in what felt like a band of steel. As he pulled her out of the chamber, she fought him every step he took. It did not do any good. He just dragged her behind him. He did not stop until they stood in front of the hearth in the hall. He turned her to face him.
“I did not release you. As far as I am concerned, you still are my squire.”
“I told you I do not want the knighthood. I will not serve a man I cannot respect.”
Broc closed his eyes as if Ariel’s words had brought him pain. “I can understand your feelings, but I want to continue your training.”
Ariel shook her head. “Why is it so important you knight me?”
Broc shrugged. “I do not honestly know. It is something I feel I must do.”
Ariel thought over her next words. “If I decide I want to continue, I want some changes made.”
“Such as?”
“I will not serve you at the hall nor will I sleep in your chamber. All I want is the training in arms. The king’s house carls has to mean something.”
Broc paused, then answered. “Agreed.”
“I am not finished yet. My father told me you are going to court for Christ mass. When you come back, I want you to knight me.”
“That depends if I deem you ready.”
“Oh, I will be ready. I am a fast learner. Do you agree?” Ariel held her breath, hoping she had not gone too far.
Broc took his time before he answered. “Aye, I agree. We will start your training when your shoulder is healed.”
Ariel shook her head. “I want to start tomorrow. It is better.”
“Fine. If I see you in pain, I will stop the training session.”
“Agreed. If I have your permission, I would like to get some sleep.” Before she could move, Broc held her back.
“I agreed to you not sleeping in my chamber, but not to you leaving the hall. Go to your old chamber. I will have your belongings put back later.”
Ariel wanted to scream. She did not want to be even that close to him. It seemed she would not have much choice, especially if she wanted to become a knight. Nodding, she spun on her heel and left.
* * * *
Broc returned to his chamber to rid it of any evidence of last night’s activities. He still could not believe what he had done. It sickened him. The sooner he put that behind him the better.
The two women still slept stretched out across the bed. Broc had no idea who they were. He did not even remember meeting them. All he wanted to do now was get them, as quickly as possible, out of his bed and the hall.
From what Broc could remember about last night, they had not been virgins. If anything they were the opposite. Their clothes could, by no means, be mistaken for the silks and fine linens of a lady.
Without further ado, Broc walked to the bed and then shook each woman awake. “Get dressed. It is time for you both to leave.”
They grumbled at being awakened so early, but at Broc’s commanding tone, did as he ordered. Neither one of them made a move to touch him. Once they had donned their clothing, Broc ushered them out of the hall. He closed the door behind the two, leaving them to find their own way home.
* * * *
After having slept for a few hours, Ariel went to her father’s hall. Broc had not been around, which suited her just fine. She could not trust herself not to do him bodily harm. Once she crossed the threshold of the new hall, she relaxed. There she could truly be herself—a daughter, a mother, a woman. All the people who cared about her most in the world dwelled there.
Colwyn sat on her father’s lap, both intent on the other so they did not see her until she was halfway across the room. The baby saw her first. He wiggled his little body until he could reach out to Ariel.
Ariel rushed over, scooped up her son, and swung him around in a circle, then clutched him to her chest. It was exactly what she needed to make her feel better. As Colwyn stared at her, she could not resist the urge to place a big kiss on his small mouth.
“So, what happened to your Norman? Did he come home?”
“Aye, he did.”
Ariel swung Colwyn onto her hip and then sat next to Swein. She really did not want to tell him what had happened last night, but Elmstead was small. Most of the villagers probably already knew about the two strange women who had come out of the Norman’s hall this morning. Her father would find out sooner or later. She thought it best if he heard it from her.
“He did not come back alone.”
“What do you mean? Did he come back with soldiers?”
“Nay. He had not one but two women with him.”
Swein’s mouth opened and then shut before he spoke again. “You slept in his chamber. Please tell me he told you to leave.”
Ariel looked down. “Sorry, I cannot do that. One of the women had been meant for me. I refused, so he took both to his bed. He ordered me to remain, even though I did not participate.”
Her father’s rage came unexpectedly. Ariel almost did not make it off the bench before Swein stood and sent it swiftly flying. His face turned red and he clenched his hands into fists at his sides.
“Where is that bastard? I will kill him for that. How dare he? Just because he is Norman and we are Saxon it does not mean he can treat us without any respect!”
Swein’s last words came out in a bellow. Lily, who must have been in another chamber, came into the hall to see what had upset the thane. Ariel shook her head and passed Colwyn to her. She returned to her chamber without saying a word.
Ariel turned and found her father pacing as he grumbled to himself. “Calm down, Father. You can do nothing about what happened.”
“Aye, I bloody well can.”
“Tell me what exactly? Broc still thinks I am male. You cannot very well take drastic action. He will become suspicious.”
Ariel’s words brought Swein to a halt. He looked at her with a scowl. “Something has to be done.”
The double meaning of what her father spoke of was not lost on Ariel. She knew what he asked, but it was out of the question. “Sorry, Father. I will not be the one to tell him.”
Ariel closed the gap between them and wrapped her arm around her father’s waist. The feel of Swein holding her calmed her like nothing else could.
“As for the other, I think Broc already regrets what he has done. So much so, I wrung a few concessions out of him.”
“Are you sure they are enough? I know you have feelings for the Norman, no matter what you tell me. It must have hurt, his seeking out others while you are near.”
“Do not concern yourself. There is nothing I need from Broc, except for one thing—the knighthood.”