Autumn's Touch (Seasons of Fortitude Series Book 3) Page 13

  “Give me the keys, Lady Autumn.” Benedict stuck his hand through the bars. He didn’t like the girl making deals with him, and especially not in front of his men. It made him look weak. He couldn’t give in to her wishes. If so, the guard would tell everyone that he was taking orders from a woman.

  “I don’t want to come out when your dogs are there,” she finally said, making it clear why she’d shut the cell door and why she hadn’t come to dinner in the great hall last night either.

  “Joseph,” he said to his dungeon guard, calling him by name. “Take the hounds to the kennel for now.”

  “My lord?” Joseph looked very surprised. “Will I still be put in the stocks?”

  “Is what you say, the truth?”

  “It is my lord, I swear it.”

  “Then you’ll not be put in the stocks.”

  “Thank you, my lord.” The guard reached down to get the dogs.

  “However, you will be punished for falling asleep at your post.”

  “My lord?” He stood upright, waiting for his sentence.

  “You’ll clean out the stables for a sennight and replace whichever guard is on night duty at the barbican for the rest of the month.”

  “Yes, my lord. Thank you.” He bowed his head.

  “Now go! Sampson, Goliath, go with him,” he told his hounds.

  The dogs did as commanded and followed the guard out the door. Then Benedict held his hand through the bars, once more, losing patience with Lady Autumn. “Give me the keys.”

  “I am not one of your hounds to jump at your command,” she said, slapping the keys into his palm. He opened the door and walked over to her, standing so close that they almost touched.

  “I don’t like your attitude,” he told her. “If you are going to be living in my castle, you’ll need to learn respect for your lord.”

  “Then send me home if you don’t approve of the way I act. But I won’t keep a still tongue when there are so many people being wronged by the way you rule.”

  “Lady Autumn,” said Lester in a hoarse whisper. “Heal me.”

  “I will,” she said, hunkering down on the ground next to him. It broke Benedict’s heart to see a noblewoman on the floor of such a disgusting place. She was so pure of heart that she didn’t even hesitate to kneel on the dirty floor next to him. Autumn was a healer who thought of others before herself.

  “Nay, I won’t let you.” He pulled her to her feet.

  “Please, don’t deny me the right to heal him. He needs my help,” she said.

  “Aye, I understand. You will heal him, but not here. I am moving him up to the south tower where he will be locked inside with a guard at the door day and night. Now get your basket of herbs and follow me. And I warn you; I’ll not hear another word about it.” He pulled Lester to his feet and steadied him, helping him to walk as they left the cell. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Autumn picking up her basket of herbs and potions. Sticking out from under the lavender was a loaf of bread. She was a better liar than he thought. He’d believed her story of only being there to help him. But this only made him wonder if she had planned on helping him escape, too. If so, he might have to start locking her up as well.

  Chapter 14

  Autumn closed the door to the tower room, bringing her basket of herbs with her after spending hours with Lester. She nodded to the guard posted at the door and headed down the stairs where she found Benedict waiting for her. His hounds crowded around him, causing her to stop before she reached the bottom.

  “How is he?” asked Benedict.

  “He will take a while to heal.” She had tried to use her healing touch on him, but all it seemed to do was drain her of energy. She didn’t understand. Ever since she’d been struck by lightning, she seemed to have more than her share of energy. But ever since she came to Ravenscar Castle, she felt as if that was slipping away little by little.

  “Didn’t you use your healing touch on him?”

  “I don’t want to use it unless it is absolutely necessary,” she told him, not wanting him to know that she felt as if her gift was dissipating. She needed to talk to Nairnie about it since she didn’t understand what was happening. “I need to go outside the castle walls to find more herbs.”

  “Of course,” he said. “I will go with you. Come.” He held out his hand, but she stayed frozen on the stairs just staring at the dogs. Her heart raced in her chest and she felt her knees shake. “Lady Autumn? You aren’t really afraid of the dogs, are you? They won’t hurt you.” Two of his dogs barked and jumped up. He picked up one of his smaller dogs and cradled it in his arms as he walked up two steps to join her. “Go ahead and pet him,” he said, nodding toward the small, brown dog. “His name is David. He’s the smallest of my hounds so should be the least intimidating.”

  “Nay,” she said, keeping a stoic face as she eyed up the dog.

  “Give me your hand.” Benedict reached out and Autumn slowly put her hand in his. Her skin felt soft and her fingers dainty. Her small hand almost disappeared in his big, gruff palm. His fingers closed around hers and, ever so gently, he reached out and petted the dog on the head with her hand in his.

  The dog looked up and its little, wet nose touched Autumn’s fingers. She pulled back quickly, but Benedict didn’t let go. He repeated his action. Then David licked Autumn’s hand. Benedict swore he saw her stone face almost crack when her lips turned up at the corners slightly.

  “That wasn’t so bad, was it?” he asked.

  “I guess not. It’s the big dogs that really frighten me.”

  “Then I’ll make sure to only have small dogs around you until you’re feeling more comfortable.”

  “Thank you.”

  Ten minutes later, they were outside the castle walls, riding horses toward an open field where Autumn wanted to collect herbs. Benedict drank in the beauty of her long, red braid bobbing up and down as they rode toward the sea. Her dark green gown was a striking contrast, even though it was dirty from her travels. He would have to see about getting her into clean clothes soon.

  “We’ll stop here,” she said, slipping from her horse even before he had the chance to help her dismount. The sun shone down upon them, making him feel happy. There had been so much rain lately that he’d started thinking there was a gloomy cloud that always hovered over Ravenscar Castle.

  “Look at all the sunflowers,” she said excitedly, running through the field with her gown billowing out in the soft breeze behind her. He had been so wrapped up with the late Ravenscar’s illness and then his own, that he hadn’t been outside the castle walls in some time now. It felt good. Damned good! And he was going to enjoy it.

  He didn’t care what anyone thought since his men were back at the castle and the two of them were the only ones here. Therefore, he ran after her, playfully running his hand over the top of her head as he passed her by.

  She jerked and brushed off her hair, looking up at the sky thinking it was an insect. Then when he started laughing, she realized he was playing games with her.

  “You did that, didn’t you?” she asked.

  “Mayhap I did. And mayhap I’ll do this, too.” He plucked a tall stalk with a dozen small sunflowers at the top, and reached out with it and touched her on the nose.

  “Stop that,” she said with a slight smile, brushing it away.

  “Nay,” he answered, doing it again. To his surprise, she shot forward, knocking the stalk from his hand.

  “If that were a sword, you’d be dead right now,” she told him with a crooked smile.

  “And if I were a bear, you’d be eaten by now.” He scooped her off her feet, turning in circles until she screamed out. When he became dizzy, he fell to the ground with her in his arms. The tall sunflowers shielded them from anyone possibly watching from the castle, making it a private moment.

  They both laughed. It felt good to laugh and play again. Benedict hadn’t done anything like this since he was a child. When she fell atop him, her chest was pressed up against
his. Her long braid hung over her shoulder. He picked it up and rubbed it against his cheek, breathing in the smell of lavender and sunshine.

  “Your hair smells good,” he told her.

  “Thank you,” she said with a shy smile.

  “I’d like to see it loose.”

  Fear shone in her eyes and she pushed up off his chest. “I need to collect my herbs.”

  “In a minute. What’s the rush?” He boldly reached up and unwound her braid, running his fingers through her hair to loosen the strands. As her freed hair lifted softly in the breeze, he drank in her beauty. He decided she was more breathtaking than any fae could ever be.

  Autumn knew she should get up off the ground, but she didn’t. She liked the fact Benedict was unraveling her hair and running his hands through it. No man had ever done this to her before. It felt sensual and alluring. She longed for adventure in her life, always having played it safe. How would it feel, she wondered, to be more daring like her sister, Spring? Or bold like her sister, Summer? Even her unmarried sister, Winter, had a more exciting life than hers. Winter loved spending time at the forge and making weapons. No matter if she was a lady or not, she didn’t care. She lived life to the fullest.

  Aye, decided Autumn. Mayhap it was time for her to take a risk as well.

  Before she could talk herself out of the daring move, she leaned forward and kissed Benedict. By the surprised look on his face, she could tell he didn’t see it coming.

  “I’m used to being the aggressor,” he said.

  “I’m not used to waiting for what I want.” The words left her mouth so quickly she didn’t have time to stop them.

  “What is it you want, Autumn?” There he was using her Christian name again without her title. Why did it excite her?

  “I want another kiss,” she said before she could change her mind.

  He kissed her then and it was more passionate than she’d expected. She thought it would be gentle like the way he’d kissed her in Ravenscar’s solar. But he wasn’t acting like the proper nobleman now. He pulled her to him and kissed her deeply, taking her breath away. Then he continued to kiss her, letting his tongue slip inside her mouth.

  She pulled back, holding a hand to her lips. He’d entered her body! Her heart raced and a searing heat engulfed her, traveling from her mouth all the way down to her groin. It surprised her and scared her at the same time. It also excited her like never before.

  “What’s the matter, my little flower blossom?” he asked her. “You’re not afraid of kisses the way you’re frightened by dogs, are you?”

  She didn’t answer. He pushed up to a sitting position next. “Are you?”

  “I – I don’t know what you mean.”

  “Now you’re a horrible liar. You’ve never been with a man before have you?”

  “Of course I have. Besides – it’s none of your concern.”

  “Somehow, I don’t believe you.” He pulled her back into his arms, kissing her so sensually that her eyes closed and her head fell back when they finally parted. Then his mouth was on her neck, his kisses trailing lower. One hand clasped around her waist and the other – the other closed over one breast in a slight squeeze.

  “Enough!” She pushed him away and jumped to her feet. After she brushed off her gown, she quickly put her hair back into a braid.

  He had the nerve to laugh at her. He got off the ground, brushing off his hands. “I can tell by your reaction that you are a virgin. How old are you?” he asked.

  “I’m seventeen. Tomorrow.”

  His craggy brows raised in surprise. “Tomorrow is your birthday?”

  “It is,” she said, not able to look him in the eye after what they’d done. She needed to go to confession now to erase the blackness from her soul.

  “Then we shall have a huge celebration.”

  “Nay. I don’t want one,” she said, walking back to pick up her basket. She headed over to an area past the sunflowers, but didn’t see any herbs.

  “Oh, I forgot. You’re used to living like a nun. In more ways than one.”

  She turned to face him. “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “It means you enjoyed our fondling more than you are letting on.”

  “I did not! I’m a lady.” She plucked at grass and weeds, pretending to collect herbs so that she wouldn’t have to face him. “I will not couple with a man until I am wed. I warn you, don’t even think I’ll fall for your wily ways again.”

  “You can still enjoy the pleasures of life without – actually coupling,” he told her.

  “Nay. That’s impossible.” She shoved the weeds into her basket and shook her head.

  “Is it? Tomorrow you will be seventeen, and more of a woman than you are today.”

  “What does that have to do with anything?”

  “I am going to awaken your womanly urges.”

  “I have no such . . . urges.” Once again, she couldn’t meet his eyes when she spoke.

  “I’ll bet you do. All women do. If they didn’t, they’d be dead. I will teach you how to enjoy the pleasures of intimacy and still be a virgin on your wedding night.”

  “I don’t want you to teach me anything. And I never want you to touch me again.” She ran for the horse.

  He chuckled and chased after her. Then he grabbed her around her waist and helped her atop her horse. “There are no real herbs here and I think you knew it all along.”

  “I don’t know what you mean.”

  He grabbed a handful of grass and weeds from her basket, holding it up before he dropped it to the ground. Then he pulled himself into the saddle and turned his horse in a full circle. “You wanted me to kiss you. You even said so.”

  “Mayhap I did, but now I’ve changed my mind. I don’t want you to kiss me again.”

  “There is so much more than mere kissing that can fan the fires of desire, Autumn. I will teach you. And soon, I promise you will be begging me to show you more.”

  Chapter 15

  “Nairnie, he kissed me and I liked it,” Autumn told the old woman the next morning in the kitchen. Nairnie was busy preparing food and little Rab was sitting on a stool watching her.

  “Who kissed ye?” asked Nairnie.

  “Benedict.”

  Nairnie’s head snapped up. Then she nodded toward the boy, letting Autumn know her mistake. She should never have spoken so freely in front of the child.

  “Rab, why don’t you go join the other boys?” asked Autumn.

  “They dinna want me. They’re playin’ dice with the stableboy.” Rab reached out, stole a chunk of carrot and popped it into his mouth.

  “They are?” asked Autumn, laughing. “All right. Then why don’t you go out to the garden and look for butterflies? I’ll meet you there in a minute.”

  “There’s no garden at Ravenscar,” came Benedict’s voice from right behind her. He had several hounds at his heels but, as he promised, the larger dogs weren’t with him. She breathed a sigh of relief.

  “What do you mean there is no garden?” asked Autumn. “Every castle has a garden.”

  “Not this one. All this one has is a big weed patch behind the mews.”

  “A garden is important to a castle and especially to a healer,” she told him.

  “Feel free to garden away to your heart’s content,” said Benedict. “Now, please leave as I need to talk to Nairnie.”

  “You want me to go?” She was disappointed. After the kiss that they’d shared yesterday, she had hoped to get to know him better.

  “I have important things to discuss. Now go.”

  “All right. I will. But before I go, I wanted to talk to you about the children.”

  “Children? What children?”

  She realized it almost sounded as if she meant their children and the thought embarrassed her.

  “I’m talking about the orphans. Rab and the others,” she said. “I’d like for them all to have a pallet to sleep on, as well as a blanket and pillow.”

  “
Next you’ll want me to clothe them like a noble, too, I suppose,” he grumbled.

  She looked over at Rab who was now standing on the stool and sticking his finger into a bowl. He didn’t even have a pair of shoes. “A change of clothes and a pair of shoes for the little one doesn’t seem like too much to ask.” She looked up and smiled. He gazed into her eyes and let out a breath, shaking his head.

  “I’ll have your tower room supplied with sleeping arrangements for the children, but the girls will have to act as your handmaids from now on,” he explained. “The boys will be your pages.”

  “Oh, I don’t want servants,” she protested. “Neither do I want the orphans to be servants either.”

  “If you don’t want them, they can stay in the undercroft then. It doesn’t matter to me.”

  “Nay!” she exclaimed. “That will suffice. Come along, Rab, let’s go see this weed patch that Lord Ravenscar is growing.” She held out her hand. The little boy jumped off the stool and held her hand as they headed outside.

  Benedict waited until Autumn left before he spoke to Nairnie.

  “Nairnie, I want to talk to you about a feast we’ll be having later today.”

  “Hmph.” She was still angry with him. There was no mistaking that by the way she acted. One thing he remembered about Nairnie was that nothing scared the woman. Not even nobles of a high rank.

  “If you’re still angry at me for the other day, don’t be.”

  “Ye need to treat Autumn like a lady.” She scolded him as if he were still that eight-year-old boy getting into trouble. “Benedict, ye are turnin’ into the meanest man I’ve ever met.”

  “Nay, I’m not. How can you even say that?”

  “Ye keep those poor children in rags and actin’ like servants when they’re no’.”

  “Yes, they are.” He glanced over his shoulder. Oxley was still listening. “They are the orphans of war, not sons and daughters of the nobles. And they’re Scots!”

  “Ye are an orphan of war, too, must I remind ye? And dinna forget, I am a Scot!”