Lord of Misrule (Below the Salt #8)

Chapter 19

T olin awoke the next morning feeling cold, hungry, and achy, with King licking his face.

“Stop it, King,” he mumbled, turning over the other way on the floor of the great hall, not even having had the good luck of getting a spot close to the fire. By the time he’d returned from getting kicked out of his room, most everyone had already settled in for the night. The only spot he could find to sleep was the floor under the dais table.

“Lord Tolin, it’s time to get up,” he heard Parker say.

Tolin opened one sleepy eye and then the other. The boy was kneeling down looking under the table at him.

“What is it you want, Parker?” he asked.

“I want you to take me for a ride in the wagon. King and some of his dog friends want to go down to the lake.”

“You’ve got to be jesting. I don’t give rides to dogs. Nay. Go away and let me sleep.” He rolled over the other way.

“I thought you said as Lord of Misrule I could ask anyone to do anything and they’d have to do it. Did you change the rules of the game again?” asked the boy.

“Nay, I didn’t change anything,” he answered with a sigh. He sat up, bumping his head on the underside of the table. “Ow!” he groaned.

“My lord?” Jarvis hunkered down and looked under the table next. “The wagon is ready for you. I’ve had the kennel groom put a dozen of the dogs in the back of the wagon for the outing. You’d better hurry, though. I’m not sure how long they are going to stay put.”

“I’m not going,” said Tolin, rubbing his head.

“Oh, yes, you are.” Raven peeked under the table next. “If you don’t follow the command of the Bean King no one is going to respect you. Now hurry up, brother. You need to be back in time to lead Hunt the Slipper. The children are looking forward to that game. And the men are really looking forward to the Mould-My-Cockle-Bread that takes place tonight after the children go to sleep.

“Hunt the Slipper is fine, but cancel Mould-My-Cockle-Bread,” he told his squire running his hand through his long hair. The latter was a game where the women stood on tables and lifted their skirts and pretended to be kneading bread with their asses. He couldn’t watch that and not think of wanting to make love with Kit. Normally he loved that type of entertainment, but now it was the last thing he wanted to see.

“Lord Tolin, King is ready,” said the boy, holding the dog as it barked playfully, hurting Tolin’s ears.

“All right, all right,” he grumbled, crawling out from under the table getting a bath from King’s tongue once again. “Egads, your breath stinks,” he told the dog. “What have you been eating?”

“He had rabbit and eel and pork and deer yesterday,” the boy proudly announced.

“King got all that and I didn’t?” What was the world coming to? Tolin found himself jealous of a damned dog! “Let’s go,” he grumbled heading for the stables. “I can’t wait for Twelfth Night to be over.”

Kit waited in the back of the wagon with the dogs, trying to keep them from eating the food she had packed up in a basket. It was her way of making up with Tolin. After keeping him from eating yesterday and then taking his bed at night, she was sure the man was in a foul mood this morning. Then again, he had the right to be. He was lord of the castle but was being treated worse than a servant. It was funny at first, but she started to feel bad about it. It wasn’t right. No matter what the Lord of Misrule ordered him to do.

“We’re here, so let’s go on a dog ride.” Parker hopped into the back of the wagon and King followed. Kit got stepped on by a dozen excited dogs.

“I’ll put the board over the back of the wagon to keep the dogs from jumping out,” said Jarvis, securing it in place.

That’s when Tolin noticed Kit was in the wagon along with all the dogs.

“Kit? What are you doing here?” he asked. “Whispering more addled ideas into your son’s ear?”

He obviously knew she had been telling Parker what to command as the Lord of Misrule. “I’m going along on a ride to the lake today,” she said with a smile.

“To try to drown me?” he asked under his breath, climbing up onto the bench seat. Jarvis hopped up and took the reins.

They hadn’t gone far before Kit realized it was a mistake to sit in the back with the dogs. She crawled over to the front of the wagon with the basket of food over her arm. “Can I sit up there with you?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” said Tolin, staring off in the distance rather than to look at her. “Mayhap you’d better ask the Lord of Misrule, since my word means nothing anymore.”

“I’m sure Parker won’t mind.” She started to climb over the sidewall onto the seat. The wagon wheels hit a bump in the road and she fell, landing right in Tolin’s lap. Kit looked up only to find herself staring into Tolin’s beautiful blue eyes once again. “Sorry about that,” she said. “I’m a little clumsy it seems.” It felt good to be in his arms again, even if it was by accident.

He cleared his throat and looked the other way once again, but held on to her so she wouldn’t fall out. “It’s fine.”

“It’s a beautiful day for an outing.” She tried to make small talk, but he didn’t seem to be in the mood.

“It’s a beautiful day for sleeping as well,” he grunted.

“I brought food,” she said, finally getting him to look directly at her.

“Food? Where?” That took his interest. The man was probably very hungry.

“It’s in the basket in the back. I’d better get it before the dogs eat it.” She got off his lap and sat next to him. When she tried to reach for the basket, his long arm shot out and he got to it first.

“Get away, you mangy hounds,” Tolin said, swishing the barking, jumping dogs away. “You ate my food yesterday and will not get it again today.” He put the basket on his lap and opened the lid. “God’s teeth, you are wonderful, Kit.” His eyes lit up when he saw the roasted chicken and apple fritters.

Just that small endearment, calling her wonderful, made her heart soar. This was the first step in repairing the damage that had been done between them.

“Mmm, that smells good. What is it?” Jarvis looked over in curiosity.

“It’s nothing.” Tolin slammed down the lid. “Don’t think you’re getting any when you had the nerve to eat the last honeyed seed cake right in front of me last night. Jarvis, why don’t you give me the reins. You can go in back with the boy to help keep the dogs from becoming too wild.”

“I’d rather stay up here and have some of whatever it is in that basket.” Jarvis looked over with hungry eyes. “All I managed to get this morning was a piece of dried salted beef that I brought with me but haven’t had a chance to eat yet.” He patted his pocket to show where it was.

“Jarvis, the dogs want to play with you,” came Parker’s voice from the back.

“There you go. The Lord of Misrule has spoken.” Tolin nodded at his squire and raised a brow.

“Fine,” grumbled Jarvis handing Tolin the reins. He flipped his body over the back of the wagon and immediately disappeared in a sea of dogs licking his face and sniffing his pocket. “Heeeelp,” he squeaked out.

“Do you think he’ll be all right?” Kit looked over her shoulder in concern.

Tolin chuckled. “Not with that beef in his pocket and all those dogs, but it’s his problem, not ours.” Tolin opened the basket, pulled out a leg of chicken, and held it in one hand while he gripped the reins with the other. “I love you,” he said, sinking his teeth into the meat.

Kit’s heart jumped. Was he speaking to her or the chicken leg? She was sure he’d only said the words meaning he was thankful that she brought food. Still, it was nice to hear it even if he meant naught else by it.

“Tolin, I’m sorry about having slept in your bed last night while you had to sleep on the floor.”

“I don’t mind you in my bed.” He looked over from the corner of his eyes. “As long as I’m in it with you.”

Kit looked down to her hands and felt the blush rise to her cheeks. So he was still attracted to her after all. That was good to know.

“You’re not shaking,” he noticed.

“Nay. I’m dressed properly for the cold weather.”

“That’s not what I mean. It seems you tend to tremble when you are close to me.” He tossed the chicken bone over the side of the cart. Three dogs jumped out after it and Parker shouted for them to return. “Damn,” he said. “I guess that wasn’t a good idea.”

“Do you think we should go back to get the dogs?” Kit looked back over her shoulder.

“Nay, they’ll follow the wagon. After all, now that they know we have food they won’t stray far.”

“I didn’t bring that much food.” She opened the basket and looked inside. “But mayhap we can share it with the hounds.”

“Over my dead body. What else do you have in there?” Tolin reached down into the basket at the same time as she. Their hands ended up touching. Kit went to pull hers away, but before she could, his fingers closed around her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. When he didn’t release it, she looked up to see him staring back at her. That look of want had returned to his eyes. This time it wasn’t just lust, it was something more, although she couldn’t explain what. Admiration perhaps? Or mayhap a longing to break down the walls between them? She hoped for the latter.

“I’m concerned about you, Kit.” His voice was deep and serious. “Where will you go? How will you live? You don’t deserve the hand that life has dealt you.”

“I’ll be fine,” she said, flashing a smile, not sure if she really believed it. She tried her hardest to be strong. “We will rebuild our bakery and our home. Eventually.”

“It is going to happen sooner than you think,” he said, leaving her feeling confused.

“What do you mean?”

“I left orders for some of my men to start rebuilding your bakery, starting today.”

“You did what?” Her eyes snapped up to his. “Tolin, I told you I don’t want charity.”

“It isn’t charity, sweetheart. I want my tarts and fresh bread and everything else you bake. The sooner you get your bakery back up and running, the faster I’ll get my food. Right?”

“Oh. Yes. I suppose so.” She smiled and looked down, still holding his hand. Even though she didn’t want pity or charity, she did like having his concern for her well-being. But it sounded to her as if he only had his own interests in mind after all. Not hers.

“I told my workers to add on two extra rooms to the bakery.”

“Whatever for?” she asked. “It was sufficient the way it was.”

“Nay, that won’t work anymore. Your family is growing. This way, you and Parker won’t have to share the same room with Oliver and Brenna and their baby.”

Kit’s heart swelled. So he was thinking of her after all. Mayhap she was being too stubborn about this and should accept his help. “Lord Tolin, that was so thoughtful of you. It makes me very happy. Thank you.”

“What would make me happy is if you stayed at the castle and never went back to the shop at all.”

“Never went back home? I can’t do that,” she said, slowly slipping her hand out of his hold. “I am responsible for my family and cannot and will not leave them.”

“Then why don’t you all stay at the castle,” he told her. “There is plenty of room. Think about it, Kit. Mayhap it is time your life changed.”

“Live at the castle? You mean as servants,” she said softly. “Nay, Lord Tolin, I cannot agree to that, I am sorry.”

“Why not? It would be a better life for all of you.”

“I am a free woman, if I must remind you. I am also a guild member and a business owner. I won’t give that up to live as a noble’s servant, even if it is in the castle. Not ever.”

Tolin released a deep sigh and looked off into the distance again. After a few minutes he spoke once more. “What if you all lived at Blake Castle but weren’t servants?” he asked.

“What do you mean? How could we live there as anything but servants? We are commoners, not nobles if I must remind you.”

“I am well aware of that, Kit.”

“Then tell me. What did you mean?”

“You could...you could...marry me. And be my wife.”

Her eyes opened wide and her mouth became so dry she couldn’t swallow. Had he just proposed to her? Surely she must have heard him wrong. Their gazes interlocked once again. Her heart beat so rapidly she thought it would jump right out of her chest. “I...could, I suppose. However, I don’t love you,” she said in a mere whisper.

“It’s all right,” he said with a shrug. “Nobles seldom marry for love.”

“But this won’t be an alliance either,” she pointed out. “And I am sure you don’t love me either.”

He looked deeply into her eyes, seeming as if he were searching his feelings. Finally, he spoke. “I am not sure what love even feels like,” he admitted. “I have never been in love before. Have you?”

“Aye. Once,” she told him. “With Parker’s birth father.”

“How did you know it was love? What did it feel like?” he asked, leaving her speechless again. She couldn’t admit that it felt a lot like the way she was feeling at this very moment.

“I’d have to think about it,” she told him, feeling confused and as if she needed to talk to another woman about this before she gave him an answer. “Tolin, do you really feel like this is the best thing for both of us? That a marriage between a noble and a commoner could really work?” Her body started trembling so much now that she couldn’t control it. Was this really happening to her? Mayhap her luck was changing. Suddenly, she could think of nothing else but how it would feel to be the wife of Lord Tolin Blake.

“I think—oh hell, no!” He looked forward and his eyes opened wide. A deer ran across the road right in front of them. The horses reared up in surprise and he struggled to control them to keep them from running. The dogs saw the deer and they all jumped over the side of the wagon barking, chasing after the buck. “Damn it! It’s going to be hell getting all those dogs back in the cart now.” He stopped the wagon and jumped down. “Jarvis, Parker, help me hunt down the hounds. Do whatever you can to get them back here. They go wild when they see a deer as most of them are hunting dogs.”

“Aye, my lord.” Jarvis jumped out and helped Parker get to the ground as well.

“King will help us too,” said Parker. “Go get the other dogs, King,” the boy gave the command and surprisingly, the dog seemed to understand and ran off after the others.

“You’re going to need something to lure them back.” Kit picked up the basket and got to the ground. “I have a basket full of food that might help.”

“Oh, nay,” moaned Tolin. “Anything but my food.”

“Come here, little dogs,” called out Kit, holding a pork chop in the air and waving it around over her head as she walked. By the look of dread on Tolin’s face, she could see this was the last thing in the world he wanted her to do right now. Secretly, Kit was happy about the whole situation because this would give her time to think and to calm her body from trembling. She’d been taken by surprise when Tolin asked her to marry him. Part of her wanted that more than anything. Yet another part of her wanted to stay in town at her bakery, taking care of her family on her own.

Life had just become so confusing that Kit wasn’t sure which road to take. She needed a mother right now, but hers was inaccessible and didn’t want her. The next best thing would be talking about this with her sister, Brenna. Now, Kit just needed to keep Tolin distracted until she could figure out how to give him an answer.