Chapter Five
Edenthorpe Castle
“They men are hungry tonight,” the old cook said, wiping sweat from her brow with the back of her hand. “They’ve already gone through the meat we had. I’ve sent men to the stores to bring out the salted pork.”
It was a busy night in the steamy kitchens of Edenthorpe Castle.
The bread ovens were running full-bore and two enormous hearths were cooking all manner of food for the hungry Doncaster men.
Servants rushed to and fro, bringing food to the masses, or stirring pots, or helping the cook as she served up the dishes.
And Dacia was in the middle of it. She was keeping track of everything that had been cooked and served, and she was the one who had instructed the cook to procure more meat for the men, who were gobbling up the boiled beef that had been prepared.
With so many men to feed, Dacia was always the one to direct the meals and the portions, keeping everything tallied in a neat book she kept in her grandfather’s solar.
Doncaster was run quite efficiently. In fact, and the duke had nothing to do with it.
He’d long since relinquished those duties to his majordomo, Fulco, and his granddaughter.
If it seemed like real work, then he didn’t want much to do with it.
He was a very intelligent man, however, and could do complicated sums in his head when it came to his money or expenses.
That was never the issue. But he didn’t want to work at it or keep daily track of his empire, so he left that to Fulco and Dacia.
Fulco was essentially in charge of everything other than the keep and the kitchens.
Anything that had to do with the male sex, like visitors or kings or soldiers or housing visiting knights was his domain.
But anything to do with the keep and kitchens purely belonged to Dacia.
Although she had never been sent away to foster, she had been well taught by a fastidious Italian priest hired by her grandfather, from whom she received an unconventionally classic education.
Her education had included everything that well-bred young women usually learned, including languages, mathematics, writing, music, and scripture because her grandfather was well-read and insisted that she be also.
But the priest went a step further, educating her on the classics of literature from Greece and ancient Rome, things usually reserved for scholarly men.
That meant that Dacia was far more educated than most young women who had spent years fostering in the finest households.
She was quite smart with household budgets and a master at organization, which was why she was invaluable in the kitchens when her grandfather was feeding his army of fifteen hundred men.
Like tonight.
Food was being prepared, and eaten, at an alarming rate.
“Make sure they know to bring the fatted pork and not the ham,” Dacia said, wiping the sweat from the steamy kitchens off her brow. “We are saving that ham. Let them eat the meat that spoils more quickly.”
The cook nodded, her red jowls quivering. “I’ve got enough beans and peas to make a good stew with it,” she said. “I’ll get it started tonight and make enough to carry us through tomorrow.”
“Excellent,” Dacia said. “But you’d better keep the bread ovens going. If we can fill them up on the bread and ale, we will not need to feed them so much additional meat tonight.”
“Aye, m’lady,” the cook said, clearing off a big portion of the kitchen table because the men were starting to bring the sides of fatted pork in. “You needn’t worry. I know what to do.”
And she did. Dacia stood back as a slab of the meat was slapped onto the old wooden table and the cook went to work on it.
Everything was running efficiently, as always, and she backed away from the activity, stealing a hunk of currant bread and chewing on it as she went to the door that overlooked the kitchen yard.
It was her moment to relax, at least briefly.
The cool air on her face felt wonderful.
It had been a busy evening and the men seemed hungrier than usual.
Mouth full of the sweet-tasting bread, Dacia looked up to the night sky, seeing a blanket of stars across the heavens and a nearly full moon low in the sky.
It was a beautiful night, capping off an interesting day.
Cassius de Wolfe.
She’d been thinking of him ever since she’d met him.
It had been a mortifying moment when he’d come across her in the river because being on her hands and knees, with a dog running circles around her, hadn’t been exactly the best position for an introduction.
They had visitors at Edenthorpe all the time, but it was rare when Dacia had contact with them.
She remained in the background, making sure the guests had plenty of delicious food and ensuring their chambers were comfortable and warm.
It was rare when she was expected to interact with them, even though she was an excellent conversationalist, witty and intelligent.
But she let her grandfather take charge instead.
It was better than entertaining guests while clad in her veils, self-conscious and unsure.
Therefore, meeting an unexpected knight like she did today was somewhat rattling.
She wasn’t used to meeting new people. She hadn’t been expecting to see anyone so close to Edenthorpe’s walls, so it was a reminder to her to always be prepared.
Fortunately, she had been able to cover her face a little with her wet apron, so she hadn’t been completely exposed, but she knew she had looked like a fool doing it.
She should have run for the castle the moment she saw the stranger, but something made her stay.
Mesmerizing blue eyes had been looking at her.
Oh, but he was a beauteous lad. She couldn’t have run from that face even if she’d wanted to.
With blue eyes and black, curly hair, she had never seen such a handsome man.
His features were perfect and even, his nose straight, his jaw square.
And he was taller than any man she’d ever seen.
The more she stared at him, the more entranced she had become, and her reaction had frightened her.
She’d tried to get away from him, but he ended up helping her. His grip had been like iron.
That iron grip had made her feel weak in the knees.
Cassius de Wolfe.
She would remember that moment for the rest of her life.
Dacia continued to stare up into the sky, eating more of her bread and thinking on a blue-eyed knight that had the power to make her feel weak just by looking at her.
She thought on his smile, something that had caused a strange buzzing in her head, as if she were about to faint.
Even the memory of it made her grin, just a little, a moment to tuck away and revive from time to time when she wanted to think on the most handsome man in all of England who happened to cross her path.
A sweet memory, indeed.
As she stood there and chewed, the last of her bread in her lowered hand, something began tugging at the crust. Frowning, she looked down to see Argos, that naughty dog, pulling the last of the bread from her hand and chomping it down.
Her eyes widened when she realized that de Wolfe’s dog had found her yet again.
When the dog swallowed the bread in two bites, it wagged its tail furiously and bumped into her, licking her hand.
She recoiled.
“You again?” she said, outraged. “How did you get into the kitchens?”
“He came with me.”
Dacia heard the voice from behind and, instinctively, she lifted her apron, covering her nose, mouth, and cheeks before she even turned around.
Cassius de Wolfe was standing behind her.
Those blue eyes were glimmering at her and Dacia began to feel weak-kneed again. She stepped back, startled by his appearance.
“Why…” she stammered. “Why are you here? Is something the matter? Do you require…?”
He cut her off, though it was gently done. “I require nothing, my lady, I assure you,” he said. “Dacia of Doncaster, I presume?”
She hesitated before nodding. “You know?”
He nodded. “Your grandfather told me,” he said, a smile playing on his lips. “He told me that his highly efficient and brilliant granddaughter managed his kitchens and I wanted to thank you for an astonishingly good meal. You are to be commended.”
Dacia was still feeling lightheaded, now made worse with his flattery. The man made her feel all shades of giddy. She ended up backing out of the kitchens, out into the moonlit yard, simply to put distance between her and Cassius because she didn’t know what else to do.
He followed.
“It was all in the course of my duties, my lord,” she said, holding up that apron in front of her face and again feeling like a fool because of it. “You honor me with your gratitude.”
His smile was growing. “Not at all, my lady,” he said. “I am just sorry we were not graced with your presence, but it seems as if you have been very busy in the kitchens.”
By this time, Dacia had come to a halt, gazing up at the man who was so tall that she had to crane her head back to look up at him. If she kept backing away, she’d end up backed against the wall of the kitchen yard, so she bravely took a stand.
“That is usual at the evening meal, my lord,” she said. “There are over a thousand men to feed and it must be done in an organized fashion, so that is my task.”
Cassius nodded. “Your grandfather explained that you were very diligent in your duties,” he said. Then, he paused, clearly studying her beneath the moonlight. “Why did you not tell me you were Dacia of Doncaster earlier today?”
She shrugged, lowering her gaze. “It does not matter who I am,” she said. “Moreover, it is not polite for a lady to introduce herself to a man. We should have been introduced by others. It is the proper thing to do.”
“You are correct,” he said. “I apologize if I seem forward. But I have a reason for seeking you out other than thanking you.”
“What reason?”