Touch of Gold: (Rumpelstiltskin) (Tangled Tales Series Book 4) (9 page)

“What have you got here?” asked Wolf. As the baron told him about Olivia’s so-called skill, Kin leaned over to speak to his squire.

“I told you to cause a distraction, not put my horse’s life at stake,” he grumbled.

“Sorry about that, my lord. I only meant to start a wagon of hay on fire, but since I was barefoot, I stepped on a burning ember and ended up dropping the entire torch.”

“Well, you’ve got your boots back now, so try to follow my orders from now on.”

“Can you show us how you do this?” the baron asked Olivia. Kin knew he had to intercept before things got ugly.

“Arnon,” he said to his brother. “I heard it said that spinning wool into gold is a skill given to exceptional young women by the fairies.”

“What?” His brother made a face.

“I also heard it said that the fairies are very protective of this gift, isn’t that true?” He winked at Arnon, hoping he’d catch on.

“Oh, yes.” Arnon cleared his throat. “I’ve heard that too.”

“You have?” asked Quaid from his side. “But I thought –”

Kin stepped down on his squire’s foot hard, to keep him from spilling the secret. Unfortunately, since his squire wore boots and Kin’s feet were bare, he only managed to hurt himself.

“I’ve heard that too,” said Wolf, catching on to the ploy. “And if too many people see how their magic works, the fairies will take the gift back.”

“Take it back?” asked the baron. “What do you mean?”

Olivia interrupted next, realizing what Kin was doing. “It’s true, Baron. If more than one other person sees me spin wool into gold, then my gift will be gone forever.”

“But your father has seen it, and now de Bar has too,” said the baron. “That’s already two people, yet here is proof that your skill is still intact.” He held the distaff of gold in front of him for the others to see.

Olivia exchanged glances with Kin. “My father has never actually seen me do it,” she told him. “Only Lord Kin.”

“I would have gone with the other way around,” he mumbled into her ear so only she could hear. “Then we would have had a reason why you can no longer do it.”

“We’d better leave you to your skill before the fairies take back their gift,” said the baron. “Will the rest of you join me in the great hall for something to eat?”

“That sounds good to me, I’m famished,” said Kin.

“Nay, not you, de Bar,” grumbled the baron. “I was speaking to your brothers. And your squire can carry the distaff of gold down to my solar for me, while you stay here with the girl. After all, there are a dozen barrels of wool to turn to gold, and I want it all done before either of you steps foot out of this room.”

“Baron, my brother is a noble,” said Wolf. “You are treating him more like a prisoner. Do you think that’s fair?”

“You’re right,” said the baron, heading for the door. “I’ll have food and drink sent up, so they can eat while the girl is doing her spinning.”

They all exited the room, with the squire carrying the distaff of golden wool. Kin was left standing there with Olivia glaring at him.

“Well?” she said. “You heard the baron. You have wool to spin into gold, so I suggest you get going.”

He walked over and closed and barred the door, and slowly turned around. A shiver ran up her spine to think she was alone with the handsome golden knight. He’d barred them inside the room together, and though it was far from proper since she was only a spinster and not a true lady, no one would even come to her aid should she call out for help.

“I think you’re forgetting about something, my dear.” He sounded dark and dangerous. “We had a deal. And that deal included payment for my services. I don’t produce a finished product without first collecting my fee. Now what will it be?”

Her hand went to her string of pearls, and she gripped them tightly. “I told you. I’ll give you my ring.”

“All right,” he said, and headed across the room like a wildcat stalking her, and she felt like a helpless prey. “But I’ll require something more in return for saving your pretty little neck.” He lifted his arm, but hesitated for a second before he reached out and touched her. As his hand slipped down her throat slowly, it caused a wave of excitement to spiral through her body at the sensuous feel of his fingers gliding across her skin. His hand stopped atop her chest and also against her pearls.

“What do you want?” she asked, her voice quavering in the process.

“Don’t worry; it’s not your pearls. At least not this time.”

“Then what?” She looked up into his round, blue orbs and saw that same lust in his eyes that she’d seen the first day she’d met him. It scared her, and she took a step backward, but he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her up against his chest.

His hand went to her chin, and he tilted her head upward, looking down at her mouth with an intense stare. “I want a kiss,” he told her.

She was surprised by his request and knew if she denied him, he wouldn’t help her after all. She would do whatever it took to save her life and the life of her father. So she raised her chin and leaned forward and touched her mouth to his.

His lips were soft, yet strong at the same time. She tasted the slight hint of whiskey in his kiss, and his clothes smelled like hay and the smoky outdoors. It should have repulsed her, but instead, it intrigued her. She liked kissing him, and so she reached up with both hands and bravely pulled him forward. Pressing her lips against his with more passion this time, she found herself wondering if this would be the first and last time she ever kissed a man before she died.

“That’s enough.” He pushed her away, confusing her. Then he reached out and took her by the hand. Pulling off her ring, he stuck it in his pocket. “I’ll take this, too.”

She felt confused and excited at the same time. She wanted to kiss him again, but she also wanted to slap him.

“Give me a moment,” he said, walking over to the barrels of wool, and touching one after another and shaking his head.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Shhhh,” he said, his hands covering his face. “I’m trying to think. Just sit down and be quiet, please.”

“Of course,” she said, making a big show of picking up the hem of her gown and sitting on the chair. She sat for quite some time, and every time she tried to ask him a question, he stopped her and just paced the room in thought. Finally, there was a knock at the door, and she was thankful. She started to get up, but his hand shot out to stop her, and he went to the door instead.

“Who is it?” he asked through the thick wood.

“It’s Quaid, my lord,” came the muffled voice from the other side of the door. “I have brought you food and ale.”

Kin let the boy into the room. He then grabbed the goblet of ale and downed the entire thing. Afterward, he went back to the wool and started touching it again.

“Excuse me, but I am tired of sitting here watching a bunch of nothing.” Olivia headed over to his squire, taking the tray of food from him.

“Hasn’t he turned anything else into gold yet?” asked Quaid, sounding disappointed.

“Not a single thing.” She put down the tray on the table and picked up a sweetmeat and popped it into her mouth. “I’m beginning to think he can’t do what he’s boasted about.” She turned to look at him and nodded. “Yes, I’m sure you can’t, and I want my ring back.”

“Hush,” Kin told her, hurrying back to his squire. “I think I have it almost figured out,” he said. “But until I do, I’ll need you to keep bringing me more ale – no make it whiskey, that works faster.”

“You’re going to get drunk again, aren’t you?” she asked in disgust.

“So far, it’s the only way we know that enables him to have the golden touch,” explained the squire. “That and being half asleep, or defensive and angry.”

“It is?” she asked, raising a brow. “And how does it work? You just touch something, and it turns to gold?”

“You’d better stay away from him tonight,” Quaid warned her. “We’re not quite sure how to turn off the curse. It could happen at any time.”

“Any time?” she gasped. “Do you mean to tell me that if he touches someone, they can turn to gold as well?”

“Possibly,” said the squire. “But he’s practiced several times on me now, and I’m still alive, so like I said – the curse is unreliable.”

“You kissed me when you knew you could have turned me to gold?” she asked Kin.

“Quaid, go get me whiskey, lots of whiskey, and stop making things worse.” Kin pushed the boy out the door and closed it.

“How could you?” she asked, with tears in her eyes, thinking of what could have happened with just one kiss.

“How couldn’t I?” he answered, looking at her like he wanted to kiss her again, but he didn’t. Instead, he went back to the wool at the other side of the room. With tears in her eyes, she ran to the padded chair under the window and collapsed atop it, crying and feeling very confused. Could she have made a mistake in asking Lord Kin de Bar to help her in the first place?

Chapter 12

Olivia awoke the next morning to a whirring sound in the room. She opened her eyes, and the sunlight from the open window streamed in, promising to be a glorious day. Pushing upward to a sitting position on the chair she yawned and stretched. Her eyes settled on something from across the room, and it almost blinded her.

The sun glared off twelve barrels of gold! Kin sat at the spinning wheel, working the pedal with his foot, while his fingers glided over the yarn. Holding wool in his hand, he combined it with the leader thread as his fingers slid down the yarn and then pushed it back toward the spinning wheel. And as it passed through his fingers and wrapped around the bobbin, it turned to gold before her very eyes.

She stood up slowly, not able to believe what she was watching. She walked toward him cautiously, listening to him singing and laughing as he worked. Empty bottles were scattered over the floor around him.

She bent down and picked up one of the bottles that were amongst the rushes spewed across the floor. She sniffed it. “Whiskey,” she said aloud, getting his attention. He looked up with large, dark circles under his eyes.

“You’ve been up all night?” she asked.

“For two days now, I haven’t slept, and two bottles of whiskey I drank. But I have been spinning wool into gold, and now it’s me you can thank.”

She shook her head, wondering if he were going mad to be singing and making up rhymes that were very odd indeed.

“Two bottles?” She questioned his words. Looking down to the ground, she counted at least four. They were not large bottles, but the contents of one alone would be enough to get someone drunk. “And how do you even know how to spin wool – at a spinning wheel no less?”

“I did it!” The wool in his hand was gone; all turned to golden yarn. He stood up and nodded his head as if he were genuinely satisfied. “I turned all the wool to gold just like I said, and now I’m so tired I wish I were dead.”

He started up with the rhymes again, and Olivia knew this was worse than she thought.

The door opened, and in walked Kin’s brothers as well as his squire.

“Kin, we tried to keep the baron busy all night to give you time to figure out how the curse worked,” said Arnon.

When Kin didn’t answer, Olivia looked over to see him passed out on the floor.

“Apparently, he figured it out,” said Wolf, walking over to survey the barrels of golden wool.

“No thanks to any of you,” said Olivia. “And did you know I could have been turned to gold as well? I can’t risk my life staying here with him any longer.” She ran to the door, but Arnon reached out and stopped her.

“Our brother risked his life to help you, and you will give him the same respect in return,” he told her.

“That’s right,” said Quaid. “Plus, he saved you from Hecuba as well.”

“I’m guessing that happened down by the creek, where we found this?” Arnon pulled a golden dagger from his waistbelt.

“It did,” said the squire. “I wanted to take the dagger with us, but Lord Kin told me not to touch it. We didn’t know what side effects it would have.”

“I wish we could figure out just what Hecuba has in store for Kin.” Arnon no sooner said this than a chair on the other side of the room started to move and ended up shifting into the old hag. She stood upright with her hand mirror in her grasp.

“Nay! Not you again.” Olivia hid behind Arnon.

“What do you want?” Arnon asked the witch in a firm voice.

“I wanted to tell you that things are going to get worse from now on,” said Hecuba.

“What do you mean?” asked Quaid.

“Now that he’s tasted the power of the touch of gold, Kin will be possessed. He’ll never have enough. And the more he turns things to gold; the more his touch will make it happen without him even trying.”

“Are you saying, he won’t be able to control it?” asked Wolf.

“Even you can’t always control your curse, Wolf,” said Hecuba, laughing at him. Wolf drew his sword and clenched his jaw, but Arnon stepped in between his brother and the witch.

“Tell us, Hecuba. Is there a way for Kin to break the curse?” asked Arnon.

“Why should I tell you?” The old witch squinted her eyes and stuck out her chin.

“You told Stefan how to break his curse,” spat Wolf. “If you don’t tell us, we’ll find a way to figure it out, mark my words.”

“You haven’t yet found a way to break your curse, Wolf,” she hissed. “So why do you want to help your brother? I know you all hate him for having things come to him so easily. Why don’t you just let his greed destroy him?”

“He’s not greedy.” Olivia bravely stepped forward to confront the old hag. “He’s doing this to keep my father and me from being killed.”

“Is that what you think?” She laughed again, and it unnerved Olivia. “My spells bring out the bad side as well as the weaknesses of those cursed. Sometimes too much of a good thing is no longer good – but terrible indeed. Just wait. You’ll see. And you won’t have to wait long to see it.”

“Hello? Where is everyone?” came the baron’s voice as he pushed open the door. The witch disappeared in a puff of green smoke. The baron caught a glimpse of the smoke and shook his head.

“What was that?” he asked, his eyes still fastened to the spot where Hecuba had been just moments ago.

“What?” asked Olivia.

“I thought I saw something.”

“Oh, do you mean that?” Olivia pointed to the barrels of golden wool across the room. Once the baron saw the gold, he forgot all about the witch.

“Is that gold?” He rushed over and felt the thin wisps of golden thread that were bendable and durable all at the same time. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”

“Are you happy, Baron Pettigrew?” asked Olivia.

“Happy?” He laughed and turned a circle, waving his hands in the air. “I’m going to be the richest man in all England, thanks to you.” He noticed Kin lying on the floor. “De Bar, get up, “he said, and went over and kicked him. “What’s the matter with him?” he asked.

“He had a little too much to drink,” said Arnon, motioning with his head to the empty bottles on the floor.

“This is becoming a problem,” said the baron. He kicked at Kin again, and Kin rolled over and groaned.

“He’s just tired,” said Olivia. “He needs to sleep.”

“Why?” asked the baron. “It would seem to me you are the one who needs to sleep since you were up spinning wool into gold all night, my dear.” He came over and took her by the arm and led her to the door. “I’ll escort you back to your room, and you have a good sleep while I get the solar ready for you.”

“Solar? Do you mean my bedchamber?” she asked, looking back at Kin’s brothers who just shrugged their shoulders, not knowing what was going on either. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to find my father and leave here right away.”

“Leave? Whatever for?” asked the baron. “If you’re going to be my wife, we have a lot of plans to make.”

“Wife? Nay,” she said, shaking her head, no longer willing to marry such a man. The thought of his threat and the heads on spikes atop the battlements was something she couldn’t forget. “I gave you your gold, now let me as well as my father go.”

“My dear, you’re going nowhere. “I’m going to fill this room with wool again and tonight you’ll spin it into gold just like you did last night.”

“I will not!” she retorted, pulling away from him. “I demand you let me go.”

“You will demand nothing of a noble!” His eyes bore fire and Olivia realized she might have stepped over the line. “You will spin the wool into gold tonight, and there will be no more said about it.” The baron’s eyes became dark and angry. Even for such a small man, he looked very threatening.

“Baron, mayhap you can wait until our brother awakes and we can all discuss this together,” suggested Wolf.

“There is naught to discuss,” said the baron. “Olivia will spin the wool into gold overnight, and if she refuses to do it – then her father will be beheaded come morning.”