Fire and Ice by J. E. Christer Read Free Book Online Page B

liked Ulfric more than any man she had ever known.  He had made her want him without even trying, but it was useless because all he needed was a mistress and had no interest in marriage.  She had to give him credit for not forcing himself on her since he had arrived, when men like de Gant would have taken her forcibly.  It was true that any other woman would have considered it a privilege to sleep with the new lord of the manor and she had noticed some of the younger servants looking at him coyly from under their lashes when they served him food.  How would she feel if he took one of these girls to his bed?  She felt sick at the thought.
    Taking a deep breath she realised that in order to keep Ulfric happy she would have to give in but she would fight him for her honour at every opportunity.  She would give in to his demands she knew that , but he would know that it was with reluctance on her part and she would not give herself fully until he married her.  That was her plan - but how she would resist him until then she did not know.
     
    ***
    Ulfric heard the door open and was on his feet with his sword drawn in a split second.  He saw Juliana was wet through and shivering although whether through fright or fear he could not tell. Was it cold she felt in her body or fear she was going to be cut down?
    “My lord, please, put down your sword.  I am wet and cold from the storm and I need to change my clothes ,” she said through chattering teeth.
    Ulfric put his sword down at the side of the bed and went to call the servants to bring hot water for their mistress to wash but changed his mind and went in search of his men.  Within half an hour he had returned but by this time she had dried herself as best she could. Her teeth were still chattering even though she had wrapped herself in her cloak.  Ulfric began dragging a large keg which had been split lengthways down the middle into the centre of the room.  He then instructed the servants to bring as much hot water as possible and fill the keg in order that Juliana could bathe. 
    She laughed when she saw how it rocked from side to side but he was not to be outdone and pushed the chest to one side and a large bench to the other to stop it moving.  He then left her and went down to the Hall below finding Hilde stitching in front of the fire.
    “Hilde, please see to your daughter before she catches her death of cold.”
    Hilde flew up the stairs and entered the bedchamber and helped Juliana to step into the hot water.  She lowered herself into the make-shift bath and laughed.
    “This is marvellous, mother.  I love this contraption Ulfric has made for me.  You must try it.”
    “No, daughter, I will wait and see how you are afterwards.  Shall I bring you some soap?”
    “Oh, luxury – yes please!”
    Juliana soaped herself all over and Hilde washed her hair for her, shouting to the servants to bring fresh water and leave it outside the door. Afterwards, Juliana felt refreshed and cleaner than she had for a long time and vowed that she would use the bathing keg again.  Hilde left her alone wrapped in animal furs and she began to drag her fingers through her hair to dry it, thinking how thoughtful Ulfric had been to think of such a wonderful thing. 
    A knock on the door brought her back from her musings and she open ed it to find the servants waiting to empty the bath.  They filled buckets and then dragged the keg away out of the room.  Ulfric walked in when they had finished, anxiously looking to see if she had stopped shivering.
     
    ***
     
    Juliana looked so relaxed when she smiled and held out her hand to him to sit beside her both of which he took to be a sign of encouragement. 
    “Did you enjoy your hot water bathe, Juliana?” he asked.  “It must have been better than diving into a cold beck.”
    “It was the most beautiful experience of my life, Ulfric, and I want to thank you for providing it for me.  I was thinking that we could have