Devil of the Highlands (Devil of the Highlands #1)(27)
Author: Lynsay Sands

"Well, they could not have got up and down in that time," Fergus pointed out, sounding frustrated. "It had to have been an accident."

"They could have waited up here and slipped away while I was in the room, and you were below fetching water," Cullen pointed out.

The point did not please the man. He shook his head stubbornly, and insisted, "It had to have been an accident. I cannot believe anyone would—"

"It wasna an accident," Cullen interrupted furiously, then added, "In future, whoever is guarding my wife is to remain in the room with her, or follow wherever she goes. Understood?"

"Aye," Fergus and Tavis said as one.

Cullen let his breath out on a pent-up sigh. He wasn’t satisfied. Evelinde had nearly died, and it was leaving him with an urge either to make love to her and hold her close for a good several hours or, alternately, to smash something. Unfortunately, Mildrede had rushed off to the chamber to see that her mistress was all right as soon as he’d begun yelling at the men, and the servants even now were trudging up the stairs with the tub and water he’d ordered before laying into Tavis and Fergus for allowing this to happen. Making love to his wife was out, and as much as he’d like to, striking one or both of the men before him was not an acceptable choice at the moment either. Angry as he was, he might very well kill one or both of them.

He needed an outlet, however, and turned abruptly away from the men to head for the stairs. A rant with Mac, then a hard ride on his mount should help him use up some of the heated blood pouring through his veins, Cullen thought, but paused and scowled with frustration as he realized he couldn’t get down the stairs until the women got up them with the tub.

His angry glare was on the women as he waited impatiently, but then it turned to a concerned frown as he noted the struggle the women were having with the tub. It was taking four of them to cart the item, which made negotiating the stairs with it a tricky business, and Cullen suddenly recalled his wife’s claiming that a couple of men to work in the keep would ease the burden somewhat. It would only have taken two men to handle the tub, which would have speeded up the process and made it less difficult.

As he was thinking about the matter of men in the castle, Cullen was recalling the last time they’d had boar for sup. The beast had been spice and cooked on the spit, then stuffed and presented on one large platter. It had taken six women to bring the beast out, and the animal had landed in the rushes when one of the women stumbled and the tray tipped and the carcass slid off. They’d quickly stopped and replaced the beast on the tray and continued forward, and the meal had still been good, but they’d had to pick off the pieces of rushes and other unsavory bits that had stuck to the animal after the fall.

Men to help with the heavier kitchen tasks might have saved such an accident. It also would have freed the women to serve the other dishes more quickly. And really, having three or four men in the castle to help with such tasks would hardly leave him lacking men to train, and the men could take turns at it; a day in the castle, three or four at practice perhaps. His wife’s suggestion really was a good one he admitted reluctantly. He would have to arrange it.

"I wish to take a bath and cannot do so with the two of you standing there watching," Evelinde repeated with exasperation, finding it impossible to believe her husband had really ordered the men to stay in the same room with her. What had he been thinking? Obviously, he hadn’t been thinking at all when he’d given that order. At least he hadn’t been thinking about the fact that he’d ordered a bath for her as well. Good Lord! Were the two men going to crowd into the privy with her when she needed to use it?

Evelinde tried to push that thought out of her mind the moment it entered. Just thinking about it was likely to make her need to relieve herself, then she’d be in a real pickle.

"The laird ordered that we are to stay in the same room with ye," Fergus repeated stubbornly. He was looking a bit angry and annoyed at the whole business. Obviously, he was displeased with getting into trouble and unwilling to risk disobeying Cullen’s order. Tavis, on the other hand, was grinning like an idiot at the idea of her having to bathe in front of them.

"Now, this is just folly," Mildrede said with exasperation, weighing into the fray. "You cannot stand there while she bathes."

"And we cannot leave," Fergus said firmly. "She will just have to wait until Cullen returns to bathe."

"Oh, that would be a waste," Tavis protested. "The water will get cold, and after the ladies worked so hard at heating and bringing it up here."

Evelinde scowled at her husband’s cousin, knowing he didn’t care a fig for all the work the women had put into preparing the bath. Otherwise, he would have helped carry up the bloody tub. Shifting impatiently, she headed for the door, asking, "Where is my husband?"

When she got no answer, Evelinde glanced back to see that while they were following her, their expressions suggested they had no idea where the man had gone. Shaking her head with exasperation, she pulled the door open and sailed out of the room, aware that the men were still following. Evelinde paused at the top of the stairs, her gaze sliding over the great hall below with irritation. She’d hoped to find him below dealing with some business or other, but he was absent from the nearly empty room and could be anywhere. He might have been in the bailey, the stables, working in the practice field or he may even have left the castle. How annoying!

Evelinde stood at the top of the stairs, undecided as to what to do. Then she nodded firmly to herself and swung back around. Fergus and Tavis broke apart to make way for her and followed as she moved quickly back along the hall, but when she reached her room, Evelinde opened the door just enough to slip inside, then slammed it quickly closed as the men realized what she was doing and rushed forward. She barely managed to slam the bar into place before they thumped against the other side of the wooden panel.

"Me lady!" Fergus snapped from the hall. "Open this door! We are not to let you out of our sight."

"I shall open the door as soon as I have finished my bath," Evelinde announced serenely as she started across the room toward the tub, where Mildrede was chuckling softly as she checked the temperature of the bathwater.

"Oh, now, Evie," Tavis wheedled, making Evelinde’s eyebrows rise at the use of the nickname only Mac had ever used. "Ye’ll be getting us in trouble. Open the door, lass, and let us in. We promise not to look."

Evelinde snorted at the claim as she quickly began to strip off her gown. She would have believed that Fergus might not look, but Tavis? Not likely. The man was as ruttish as a bull and with every single female around as far as she could tell. There didn’t appear to be a woman the man didn’t like. She’d seen him with the young, the not so young, blondes, redheads, brunettes, and women with ebony hair. She had seen him with thin women, large women, and every size in between. She suspected he was trying to fill the hole left by his mother’s apparent withdrawal when he was young, but couldn’t be sure. And it mattered little anyway. He would never be able to fill that hole by hopping from woman to woman.

"In you get, love," Mildrede murmured as she finished helping Evelinde to remove her gown and chemise.

Thanking Mildrede for her help, Evelinde stepped into the tub, releasing a little sigh as the warm water closed around her soot-stained skin. The temperature was perfect, and it would have been a lovely bath were it not for the continued bellowing and shouts from the men in the hall.

Really, their increasing volume and panic over her refusal to let them in rather ruined the whole experience for her. Grimacing, Evelinde moved quickly through her bath, washing away the soot covering her as swiftly as she could. Apparently she wasn’t the only one to find their bleating annoying. She had never known Mildrede to wash her hair so quickly, and it seemed like just moments before Evelinde was hurrying out of the tub, running a dry linen over herself, then donning clean clothes.

" ‘Tis well past time we sort out all these accidents and who is causing them," Mildrede said grimly as she helped Evelinde with her laces. "I think I shall ask some questions myself. Perhaps I can learn something of use from the other maids here."

"Nay," Evelinde said sharply. "I shall not have you endangering yourself that way."

"But—"

"Nay," Evelinde repeated firmly. "Leave it to me. I shall figure it out and sort the matter myself."

Mildrede’s mouth tightened, but she didn’t argue further, and Evelinde moved toward the door. Her hair was still damp and needed brushing, but she was bathed and dressed, and that would have to do. She could not stand the noise Fergus and Tavis were making for another moment. If they were so determined not to let her out of their sight, they could stand about and watch the less-than-titillating show of her brushing her hair by the fire to dry it. No doubt it would be like watching wheat grow for them, Evelinde thought, and hoped it bored them to tears.

It was midday when Evelinde finished drying her hair and led the way below to the great hall. Mildrede had a small smile of amusement on her face as she descended the stairs next to her, but she was the only one of their group enjoying herself. Fergus and Tavis had paced about her room, sighing repeatedly and loudly as they’d waited for her to finish with her hair. Evelinde herself was finding their presence less than enjoyable. If her husband had been below when she stepped off the last step, she would have had a word or two for the man.

However, he was nowhere in sight. Evelinde released a heavy sigh and started toward the head of the high table for the nooning meal. She had crossed perhaps half the distance when the great hall doors opened, drawing her gaze. Evelinde stopped abruptly on seeing Tralin Comyn entering, and nearly tumbled forward to the rushes when one of the men didn’t stop quickly enough and crashed into her back.

"For heaven’s sake," she said with exasperation when someone quickly caught her to keep her on her feet, and she turned to see that Tavis was the culprit. "There is no need to walk on my heels. I am not going to run off anywhere."

"Sorry," Tavis muttered, appearing amused despite the word.

Clucking under her tongue with irritation, Evelinde turned away and crossed toward Tralin rather than her seat.

"Good day, my lord," she greeted. "My husband is not here at the moment, but I am sure he shall return soon."

"Aye." Tralin smiled. "Mac said Cullen had gone out for a ride when he took my mount. He thought he should return soon, too."

Evelinde felt her mouth tighten with irritation. It did appear everyone else seemed to know things she didn’t, and truly it was annoying. Would it really have been such an effort for Cullen to have sent someone to tell her he was going for a ride?

Shaking the thought away, she said, "Well, you are welcome to join us for the nooning meal while you wait."

"I did not realize it was so late in the day when I left," Tralin said apologetically. "But, aye, if ‘twould be no trouble, I would be pleased to join ye in a meal."

" ‘Tis no trouble at all," Evelinde assured him, slipping her arm through his to guide him to the head table. In truth, she was glad to have the opportunity to speak to the man.

"Mac also told me there was some trouble this morning," Tralin said quietly, as they settled at the table. His gaze slid over her. "Ye appear to have come through well enough."

"Oh, aye, I am fine," she assured him, pausing to scowl at Tavis as he settled himself so close next to her that he sat on the skirt of her gown. Tavis merely grinned and shifted a little to tug the skirt out from under him as Fergus took a seat on his other side.

" ‘Tis not the first bit of trouble ye’ve had since arriving," Tralin murmured, reclaiming her attention. "Cullen told me about the paddock, the arrow in the tree, and your fall down the stairs when the two of ye last visited at Comyn."

Evelinde hesitated, then said carefully, "I appear to be troubled with accidents of late."

"Cullen didn’t appear to believe they were accidents," Tralin said solemnly. " ‘Tis why I rode over today. I thought to come to the two of ye and be sure all is well."

Evelinde’s mouth tightened. He’d come to see if all was well, only to discover there had been another accident. "We are fine," she finally said. "Fortunately, whoever is causing these accidents appears to be rather ham-handed since none of the attempts has succeeded."

It had been an offhand comment, one to ease her own discomfort, but the effect it had on the men on either side of her was interesting. Tralin looked startled and concerned, while Tavis gave a burst of laughter that drew several eyes their way. Fergus, on the other hand, was scowling.

" ‘Tis that attitude that will get ye killed, me lady," Fergus growled with irritation. "Ye’ve been lucky so far, but do ye no let us guard ye as we’ve been ordered to do, ye may find yerself no so lucky with the next attempt."

Evelinde rolled her eyes at the reprimand, then, catching the curious arching of an eyebrow Tralin was giving her, she explained, "Fergus is just upset because I wouldn’t let him and Tavis watch me bathe."

Tralin’s jaw dropped at her words, then he grinned at the older soldier. "Why, Fergus, ye ruttish devil. I’d expect that of Tavis, but no of you."

"Cullen ordered us to stay with her at all times," the man snapped, his face reddening. "But she tricked us into leaving the chamber and locked us out."

"I am sure my husband did not mean for you to oversee my bath," Evelinde said calmly.

"He—" Fergus began, but fell silent as several women rushed from the kitchens and paused before them with platters of food.

"Thank you," Evelinde murmured as she peered over the selection and chose some meat and cheese. They all fell silent as they began to eat, but when Evelinde felt Tralin’s shoulder shaking as it brushed against her own, she glanced over to see him silently laughing, his face wreathed in amusement as he glanced at a still-disgruntled Fergus.