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signal, servants cleared the tables and the
entertainments began. A succession of performers took over the
center of the room.
    Moridac twirled the wine chalice, making
Catalin fear it would upend at any time. He insisted she sip each
time he drank. Had she not eaten like a veritable pig, she feared
she would have been unable to steady herself when she stood to
retire.
    As it was, her knees were none too firm when
she started up the stairs with the other women.
    o0o
    Old Hannah awaited Catalin within her
bedchamber.
    “You should be snug abed, not biding your
time in these big, drafty rooms, Hannah.” Catalin spoke slowly, for
her words did not sound right to her. She threw her arms around the
old woman and hugged her.
    Hannah clucked her tongue and sniffed. “Too
much wine, lovey.”
    She expected a scolding, but instead Hannah
shooed the servant away and helped Catalin prepare for bed. When
she stretched and found they had heated the bed with a warming pan,
she sighed with comfort.
    “Thank you, Hannah. You have been like a
mother to me.”
    “Then heed me, girl. Strong wine is for men.
It causes them enough trouble. You do not want to find what it
could cause a young lady. Sleep now.”
    Hannah tucked the covers around Catalin’s
shoulders then, as she had done so many times before, gently
stroked her hand over the warm, curly hair spilling over the
pillow. She pinched out the candles before leaving to find her own
pallet in the room provided for personal servants.
    o0o
    “Mmm,” Catalin sighed and snuggled deeper
against the glorious warmth. Had Hannah returned to warm her bed
again with heated stones?
    Something tickled her cheek. She wriggled her
head. It stopped. For a moment. Then a warm tongue stroked her ear;
a cheek rubbed against her own. ‘Twas Sport? Had she not left her
father’s dog at Hunter Castle?
    “What...?” It was far as she got, for a hand
clamped over her mouth.
    “Shhh, love,” Moridac whispered in her
ear.
    Of a sudden, she realized what caused the
splendid warmth. She stiffened. Stretched tight against her side
from head to toe was not a down filled coverlet, but hot, solid
man.
    Not just a man. A very
naked
man.
    “My lord, you should not be here. You will
bring me shame.”
    He tapped a finger on her lips and whispered,
“No one will ever know.”
    o0o
    “You have slept overlong, sweetness. ‘Tis
time to rise.” Old Hannah bustled around the room, selecting
Catalin’s clothing for the day.
    Catalin’s lids flew wide. Overlong? What did
she mean. She hadn’t slept late, had she? She sat up, winced, then
hoped Hannah had not seen. Sun glinted through the window. She
blinked, not believing it.
    A servant scratched on the door before
entering with a pitcher of warmed water. Hannah placed it on the
corner table beside the basin, then smoothed a drying cloth near
it. Satisfied that all was ready, she came over to the bed and
waited until Catalin stood.
    “The men were high in their cups when they
left for the hunt this morn. The scamp you are to marry celebrated
the night through at that lodge in the woods. He was in high
spirits when he came back at dawn. Took a lot of teasing, he did.”
Hannah poured water into the basin for Catalin to splash her face.
“Come along, young one.”
    Catalin stiffened. Hannah was staring at her
thighs. She glanced down, horrified to see spots of blood. Now the
servant was looking at the sheets. They, too, had splatters of red
mingled in with some other strange stains. The bed had a musky
smell, too. She gulped.
    “My courses must have come. I was not
prepared,” she stammered. Her heart dropped, seeing understanding
in Hannah’s face. She knew better. Catalin’s time never varied.
Hannah well knew what happened, judging from the tightening of her
lips.
    “Aye. ‘Twas the same when your father
passed,” Hannah lied. She hurriedly stripped the bed and handed the
bundle of sheets to the servant.
    Hannah latched the door behind her.
    “Well,