Lord of Misrule (Below the Salt #8)

Chapter 16

I t had been two days, and Tolin’s responsibilities with all the Christmastide festivities had been so demanding that he still hadn’t gone to town to find Kit. Finally, he’d had enough of this and decided he was going and no one would stop him.

He rode with his squire to town as the snow started falling.

“My lord, what will you do once you find her?” asked Jarvis.

“I am going to bring Kit back to the castle with me. Where she belongs.”

“What if she won’t come?” asked Jarvis.

Tolin hadn’t thought of that. After all, the girl didn’t have a home. Why wouldn’t she return to the warm castle where food was abundant?

“We’ll deal with that if it comes to it.” Tolin slowed his horse as they rode into town when he saw the burned-out shell of what was once the bakery. It was on the end of a row of businesses, and luckily the only one that seemed to have been destroyed by the fire.

“God’s eyes, that looks horrible,” said Jarvis, hopping off his horse.

“Yes. It is most unfortunate.” Tolin dismounted and handed the reins to Jarvis. Once inside the establishment, he looked around, almost gagging from the smell of smoke. Hot coals were still smoldering in parts. He heard a clanking from the back of the shop and headed over. His boots crunched the remains of the shop underfoot, remains of what was left of Kit’s life.

“Kit?” He spotted the back of a woman standing by the ovens. She wore dusty clothes and her head was covered with a scarf.

The woman spun around. “Tolin,” she gasped, dropping the bottles she’d been holding. They fell to the floor and shattered. She groaned. “Well, there goes what was left of my life. Not even old bottles will be able to be salvaged now.”

“I’m so sorry,” he said, looking around, heading over for her. “I promise I’ll find the man responsible and see that he is brought to the gallows for what he did.”

“Nay, you won’t,” she said, turning and busying herself by sweeping the floor. “I already know who it is and you will not raise a finger to harm him.”

“Why not? What are you saying?” Tolin moved closer to her, not understanding at all what she meant. With the roof open and gone, snow fell, making a dusting on Kit’s shoulders.

“The whole thing was an accident,” she informed him. “Willis said he’ll help me in any way possible, but he and Vivian don’t have much money. I can’t expect him to give me money when he will need it to raise their baby.”

“Are you talking about your sister-by-marriage and her husband?”

“Yes,” she said, stilling the broom and looking over her shoulder at him. “They are to have a child, and I will do whatever I can to support them.”

“Listen to yourself. That is nonsense,” spat Tolin. “You have your own family to support. Kit, it is this man’s fault that you’ve lost everything. How can you even consider helping him?”

“He is my family too,” said Kit in a small voice. “I cannot abandon him or Vivian in their time of great need.”

“I cannot believe how selfless you are. You need help for your family more than anything and yet you are putting others before it. You don’t even have a place to live.”

“Willis said that we can stay with them until we are on our feet again.”

“All of you in one small shop?”

“I don’t have another choice,” she told him.

“Yes. Yes, you do, Kit. You can come back with me. To the castle.”

“To do what?” She raised her chin and glared at him. “Warm your bed like the rest of those tarts you like so much?”

He took a few steps closer but when she backed away from him, he stopped. “The only tarts I want are yours,” he said, meaning her baking. But when he saw the look on her face, he realized that it had not come out sounding the way he’d meant it to. “I mean your baking, Kit.”

“Oh. So you want me as your servant is what you are saying.”

“No. I want you at the castle as my...as my...guest.” Tolin stopped himself from saying wife, even though it was what he wanted to say. But he couldn’t. He didn’t know Kit well at all. Their lives were so very different. And Tolin wanted to give his father what the man longed for regarding his children. That is, by marrying a noble. Or so he thought. Right now, Tolin still wasn’t sure if he wanted to get married to anyone.

“Your guest?” she asked, sounding more than disappointed. “Tell me, how long would I be there as your guest, Tolin? Would I be expected to be in the kitchen, baking every day? And what about my family? Would we all be in servitude to you in exchange for this favor?”

“Kit, I am trying to help you and your family. Quit fighting me on this.”

“Excuse me, Lord Tolin, but I have a shop to clean up.” She continued to sweep.

“This isn’t a shop,” he said, looking around. “But it could be rebuilt.”

“Without money, that will be hard,” she said, without turning to look at him.

“Then let me help.” Tolin risked everything by reaching out and putting his hand on her shoulder. “I have money. I will hire workers right away to rebuild your bakery so you don’t have to do it.”

Kit felt a surge of heat go right through her when Tolin touched her. She cried out in her mind for him—to feel him again inside her as they made love and held each other until they fell asleep. But that would never happen again. She couldn’t let it. Tolin Blake was used to women falling at his feet and giving him everything he desired. She wasn’t one of those women and he needed to know it. As hard as it was to reject his offer, she couldn’t accept it. Accepting it, even though it would be an answer to her problems, would only say to the man that he could get away with playing with her feelings.

“What would you want from me in return for rebuilding my bakery?” she asked him curiously, wondering what he would say. She looked over her shoulder into his smoldering eyes, seeing his intent, knowing he longed to make love with her again, as much as part of her wanted it, too.

“Nothing,” he told her, slowly shaking his head. His eyes never left her.

“Nothing?” She wasn’t sure if he was telling the truth, although sincerity showed in his bright blue orbs. Still, she couldn’t take such an elaborate gift without paying it back somehow. It just wasn’t who she was. She didn’t like taking without giving. Kit always repaid her debts.

“So, what do you say?” he asked, reaching up and gently stroking her cheek with the edge of his finger.

For a mere second, she wanted to close her eyes and bask in the warmth of Tolin’s touch. His scent of leather and whisky drew her in. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips, almost able to taste his last kiss, still reveling in the softness of his lips. Damn, she wanted him more than she’d ever wanted anyone in her life. Mayhap she should go back to the castle with him after all, because in her heart she wanted to be anywhere close to him.

“My lord? Will the girl be coming back to the castle with us?” Jarvis walked in and Tolin quickly dropped his hand to his side. It was almost as if he was embarrassed to let Jarvis see him touching her. “Those breads and pastries aren’t going to bake themselves for the rest of the Yuletide celebrations.”

“Dammit, Jarvis, wait outside.” Aggravation resounded in Tolin’s tone.

“Yes, my lord.” Jarvis looked confused, but turned and left as instructed.

“So, what will it be, Kit?” Tolin directed his attention back to her.

After hearing what Jarvis said, it made Kit feel as if Tolin only wanted her back to bake in his kitchen. Dropping his hand from touching her when Jarvis walked in told her everything she needed to know. He hadn’t even mentioned making love with her, and neither did he ask her why she’d left the castle. Kit had almost been swept up in his charms once again, and she needed to be careful.

“I don’t need or want your help, Lord of Misrule. Therefore, I will be staying right here for now until I am able to make a home again for me and my family.”