“I do not know, lady,” the baker replied nervously. “I have not left the bake house since the intruders came. I am safest here, I think.”
“Aye,” Cailin agreed, “you are. Do not fear, Wulf Ironfist will come soon, and then these men will be driven from Cadda-wic.”
Cailin left the bake house and hurried to the storage barn. “Come out,” she called to the women servants. “It is morning, and the invaders lie drunk in the hall. It is safe now.”
The women climbed up from the cellar beneath the barn and stood before their mistress. She viewed them carefully. Two were young and very pretty. They were still apt to be in danger, but the others, older and plainer, would not be unless the men were very drunk and very randy. She sent the two pretty maids to the bake house.
“Tell the baker you are to remain with him. You should be safe if you stay there. If any of Ragnar Strongspear’s men come in, keep your heads down, your eyes lowered, and if you must look up, twist your faces to look ugly. It may be your only protection. Go now. The yard is safe and empty. Our men seem to have disappeared.”
The two girls ran off, and Cailin then told the remaining women, “Go about your duties as you normally would. If Wulf Ironfist does not come today, then you must hide here again tonight. I will not be able to come for you when the time is right. You must help yourselves. It is all I can do to stay out of Ragnar Strongspear’s clutches.”
The trespasser and his men finally awoke and stumbled from the hall to relieve themselves. Cailin and her women swept the hall free of debris and all signs of sickness. Fresh rushes were laid, mixed with fragrant herbs. The morning meal was served, but eaten by few before being cleared away.
Ragnar sat at the high board, a large goblet of wine gripped in his fist. “Where are your men?” he demanded of Cailin.
“I do not know,” she said. “I thought, perhaps, that you had locked them up somewhere. When I awoke this morning, they were gone. If they knew a means of escape, I am angry at them that they did not take me with them,” she concluded, and her irritated tone convinced him more than her words that she was speaking the truth.
He nodded. “Very well. I see your women have returned.”
“I sent them into safe keeping for the night,” Cailin answered tartly. “I will have no rape or abuse of the women in my charge. Where is Aelfa? I have not seen your niece all morning.”
“She is to marry Harald at Lugh. They are probably somewhere making the beast with two backs. Aelfa is a very passionate girl.”
“She has the morals of a mink,” Cailin observed dryly.
“Aye, she does,” Ragnar said with a hearty laugh. “I have warned Harald that she will make him a very bad wife, but he is determined to have her, so what can I do? My brother has given his permission for the marriage. I could not withhold mine.”
The remainder of the day seemed to pass more slowly than any day she could remember. As the sun began to set, Cailin was pleased to see that the women had all disappeared once again. She hurried to reach the solar before Ragnar Strongspear could find and stop her. Her breasts were near to bursting with her milk, and it was already leaking through her clothing once more. Quickly climbing the ladder, she pulled it up behind her, closing and bolting the door. She shoved the clothing chests atop the door and sighed, relieved. Stripping off her garments, she reached for the basin and began to relieve herself of the pressure that was making her breasts ache so unbearably. Where was Wulf? If he didn’t come soon, her milk would finally run dry. Then she would have to give her precious Royse to some other woman to nurse.
“What are you doing?”
The sound of Ragnar Strongspear’s voice rendered her icy with fear. Her eyes widened as he climbed from her bed space. “How did you get in here?” she demanded. Her heart was beating wildly.
“I climbed the ladder,” he said simply, and she silently cursed her stupidity that she had not hidden it. “What are you doing?” he repeated, his dark blue eyes sweeping admiringly over her lush form.