Chapter 4 Obey me witch

"The gods be damned, Lord Williams! You said you would be bringing no more than six back with you."

Kristen stared curiously at the woman holding the crying baby. She was tall and thin and looked to be close to fifty. She had deep wrinkles on her forehead and around her eyes, and her black hair was pulled back into a severe bun.

She jiggled the baby impatiently as he screamed louder. "This one has done nothing but cry since you left."

Arthur took the baby from her, patting his back and lightly bouncing him up and down, as the others climbed out of the wagon. They stretched their legs and stared curiously at the campsite. Maya held Kristen's hand and squeezed it nervously. Kristen smiled reassuringly at her. "It will be fine, Maya."

They were in a large clearing in the forest just off the main road. Several horses, their short leads staked to the ground, were grazing at the edge of the clearing. A small carriage was standing close to the road, and there were four tents situated around a large campfire. Two men approached the horses and helped Marshall untie them and lead them to where the other horses were grazing. Two women were at the campsite. One was tending to a pot of boiling liquid over the fire. The smell of cooking rabbit drifted to them on the soft breeze, and both Kristen's and

Maya's stomachs growled in response.

The other was sitting close to the fire, a basket of mending in her lap, and she stared at the small group. When her gaze fell on Kristen, she gasped and crossed herself nervously before standing and backing toward one of the tents.

Kristen, used to the reaction, winked at her and the woman covered her mouth and stumbled into the tent, closing the open flaps firmly behind her.

"What is that?" The older woman stared in horror at Kristen. "You bought a Red? What – what were you thinking?" She glanced down at Sophia who was holding Kristen's hand firmly. "Tell me she is not the nanny for your children!"

Arthur was still trying to soothe the wailing baby. "Mrs. Lanning, these women here," he nodded towards Marian and the others, "will be your new house staff."

He stared at the women. "Mrs. Lanning is the head of the household. You will obey her without question. Do you understand?"

They nodded as Arthur approached Maya and Kristen. The baby was screaming now, his small fists flailing and his thin face bright red. His tiny body twisted and squirmed in Arthur's arms, and his nose was running steadily. His screaming turned into a bout of coughing, and Kristen winced as his small body was racked with sudden shivers.

Arthur held the baby out to Maya. "Your sister says you have a way with babies. Now is the time to prove it."

Maya took the shrieking, wailing baby and glanced timidly at Arthur. "Do you have a blanket for him?"

Arthur nodded and turned to the girl who was standing by the pot. "Laura, grab his blanket please."

She disappeared into one of the smaller tents before returning with a small, thin blanket. Maya took it from her with a nod of thanks and knelt on the ground, holding the wriggling baby carefully against her. She spread the blanket out and laid the baby in the middle of it. With quick, practiced movements, she wrapped and folded the blanket around his body until he was swaddled completely. Only his thin, red face peeked above the blanket, and Maya picked him up before standing. She placed a soft kiss on one red cheek and swayed back and forth, crooning softly to him under her breath. The baby quieted and stared at Maya's face as she used one edge of the blanket to wipe the snot and tears from his face.

"Husha, baby," she sang softly. "Go to sleep, little baby."

Kristen gave Arthur an 'I told you so' grin, and he snorted and turned back to Mrs. Lanning.

"This is Nicholas and Sophia's new nanny. Her name is Maya." He cupped the back of Sophia's head. "Sophia, show Maya to yours and Nicholas' tent. I need you to show her where all of Nicholas' clothing and supplies are. You and Nicholas will sleep with her in the tent tonight." Sophia nodded and Maya held her hand out to the little girl. She took it willingly enough and led her to the tent that Laura had pulled the blanket from. Kristen could hear her chattering to Maya about Nicholas as they disappeared into the tent together."

"What about this one?" Mrs. Lanning looked at Kristen with revulsion. "What am I to do with

it?"

Arthur smiled at her. "I bought her for you, Mrs. Lanning. She has experience with plants, and I know how much gardening hurts your back. She'll relieve you of your garden tending duties and allow you to focus more on the house."

"Do you trust her with our food, my lord?" Mrs. Lanning argued.

"I do," Arthur spoke in a tone that brooked no refusal, and Mrs. Lanning sighed before looking over the group of women.

"They smell horrible and they'll all need new clothes. They probably carry bugs, and the gods only know what other diseases."

Arthur glanced at the darkening sky. "They can go to the lake tomorrow and bathe and wash their clothing before we leave. Tonight, we'll get food into their bellies," he glanced at Kristen's thin face, "and give them a good night's rest."

"And where do you propose I put all of them? We have only one tent for the household staff – we'll never fit all of us in there." Mrs. Lanning looked at Kristen as she spoke.

Arthur smiled at her before leaving to join Marshall and the other men. "I'm sure you'll think of something, Mrs. Lanning. You always do."

* * *

Kristen picked her way carefully across the campsite toward the tent. She had stopped by

Maya's tent to say goodnight, and dark had fallen like a thick blanket. The campfire was down to coals and she could barely see the man standing guard in the trees just beyond the clearing. She nodded in a friendly way to him and he nodded back impassively.

She stepped on a rock, hissing as it dug into her barefoot, and lifted the flap of the tent. Mrs.

Lanning appeared immediately at the entrance. "There is no room for you in here."

"Where would you suggest I sleep then?"

"You can sleep beside the wagon." She held out a thin blanket to her.

"I'll join Maya and the babies in their tent," Kristen said.

Mrs. Lanning grabbed her arm and dragged her toward the wagon. "You're not going anywhere near those babies. You heard the lord, Williams. I am the head of the household and you'll obey me without question."

"I am not sleeping outdoors!" Kristen tried to dig her heels in, but her body was weak from months of poor nutrition, and the larger Mrs. Lanning easily overpowered her.

She pushed her to the ground next to the large wooden wagon. Before Kristen could rise to her feet, Mrs. Lanning had pulled a metal cuff from deep within a pocket in her skirt and latched one end to the wheel of the wagon and the other to Kristen's left wrist.

Kristen pulled on the cuff. "Have you gone mad, old woman? Release me now before I start screaming."

Mrs. Lanning crouched next to her. She had a short but sharp knife in her hand, and she traced it across Kristen's cheek. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. You may have the Lord Arthur fooled, but I know exactly who and what you are. I won't hesitate to slit your pretty throat. Do you understand me?"

Kristen nodded, her body tense, as Mrs. Lanning smiled. "Good. Obey me, witch, and we'll have no quarrels between us. Disobey me, and I'll do everything in my power to convince Lord Arthur that you should be burned at the stake. I've been in his employment a long time, and he trusts me. If I tell him that you and your pretty little sister have been practicing witchcraft, he'll light the fire himself."

Kristen stiffened when she mentioned Maya, and Mrs. Lanning stood and smiled down at her before tossing the thin blanket at her. "Make not a peep, little witch, and I'll release you in the morning."

She turned and disappeared into the tent. Kristen sighed and curled up into a small ball before wrapping the blanket around her shivering body. It would be a long night.