Eleanor was disappointed to wake alone the next morning. The sun was streaming in the window. The bath had been emptied and the breakfast tray was waiting. She was dressed and sitting down to eat before she realized what was missing. There was no sound of children playing.Curious, she took her toast and honey to the window. It looked like a beautiful day. There was a long line of carriages being readied and her heart sank. Her new friends would be leaving today. Her appetite gone, Eleanor was about to turn away from the window when she caught sight of Beck and Deanhman being saddled.Were she and Fann leaving today too? She didn’t know how she felt about that. Certainly, she wasn’t thrilled that he had made the decision without consulting her.“Oh good, you’re up.” Fann strode over to her and pulled her into an embrace. “The Duke was found dead this morning. Floating in the moat with an arrow in his back. It was not the same type of arrow that was in Annora’s horse so the Count deci
Two days later, Eleanor was sitting by a window reading aloud from a storybook about fairies. Five small girls were gathered on the floor by her feet and the smallest was on her lap, snuggled up to her chest and nearly asleep. The nanny had ushered the boys out to the gardens, so the girl’s mothers were sitting in chairs nearby, seeming to enjoy being able to stitch without their daughter’s clamouring for attention. The heat from the sun on her back and the child on her lap was beginning to grow uncomfortable, but the story was nearly over and she hoped Mirabel would be asleep by then. Maybe Sophie as well, since her thumb was now firmly in her mouth while she leaned against her older cousin. She wouldn’t ask for a whole tub of water again already, but she could wipe herself down later. Or perhaps Fann would do it for her. Suddenly the door to the solar banged open and the Count strode in with John, Fann, and several other men on their heels. Two maids rushed in behind them to gather
Tired from reading in the Count’s magnificent library, Eleanor had retired to her room and stood looking out the window and the lush fields. Was it green like this in Scotia? She could not remember. How long ago had she lost the images of MacDonald lands? Would she even recognize the keep? What did her sister look like now? Was she wed? Had her mother’s hair turned to grey? Would she hear the same birds singing in the north? Some of the books she’d read today had drawings of such colourful and fantastic-looking animals. Some of them were hard to believe, but one of the Count’s guests insisted he had seen the animal with his own eyes. “The giraffe is a gentle giant,” the man had insisted. “Its long neck allows it to eat from the treetops and its long legs help it run fast since it does not have any means to defend itself.” He had called that evolution. There was so much she wanted to learn about. But the time to leave would be drawing near. The Count had arrived home nearly a week ago,
Fann came in from training with the Count’s men all afternoon in a very bad mood, the kings missive crumpled in his hand. At least this time the man had remembered to send it in English. Fann stormed through the castle demanding a bath and food brought to his room, as well as the whereabouts of his wife. That morning he had been happy to hear that Eleanor had declined an invitation to go shopping with Claire and her sisters, insisting that the clothing she had now was already nearly too much to ask her horse to carry all they way north. He was glad her time of austerity in the abbey had not left her craving an abundance. He also like that she would be in the castle and not venturing into the city without him. He had not, however, been thrilled to learn that she had spent the entire day pouring over research with the scientists in residence. As hard as it was, he had kept his displeasure to himself. She wanted to decide how to spend her time. Fine. Good even. Having a simpering wife a
Eleanor’s mouth dropped open and she looked at him in utter shock. That was not the reaction he’d been hoping for.“But you are betrothed!” Ah. Of course. He should have realized that would bother her.“A wife has been promised me, but no vows have been exchanged or consummated.”“You would give up land and title to marry me?”“You are the heir of MacDonald land and the man you wed will be the laird. I will lose nothing, and gain much.”“You are passing over another because I am more beautiful than she.”“I want to be wed to a woman who knows me and has chosen to be my wife.”“What of the woman you were to wed? What will become of her.” Fann licked his lips. This was getting really tricky.“Her father no longer has control of her lands, they were already given to me. I will see that the woman has her choice of husband, and that man will get the land. I am fairly certain she has someone in mind that her father has never even met. She will not be disappointed.” “Are you saying that if
“Time to rise and shine, sleepy head!” Eleanor’s eyes blinked open to see Claire standing over her. Was it morning? She and Fann had only just gone to sleep. And he was gone already? Did the man ever sleep?That man was her husband.Eleanor felt the heat rush over her face. She gasped and sat up, clutching the linen to her chest.“There you are! I’ve got some food over here for you to break your fast, then Annora has given us this pile of gowns to look through. Something in there should be close to fitting, she’s only a bit taller than you, and before the twins her waist was tiny too.”“More dresses?” Eleanor was a bit groggy, but she was fairly certain the Duchess and Countess should both have realized she didn’t want to have more things to pack.“I know you didn’t want to shop with us, but you need a wedding gown for today and a ball gown for when you go to the party at the palace.”“Fann told you we...?”“Well of course. How else would you get a wedding feast?”“You are not angry w
Fann walked Eleanor to the bed and sat her on the edge. The package was on her pillow, right were he’d left it.“Here,” he said as he picked it up and passed it to her, “I had a wedding gift made for us.”“Oh! I didn’t realize we were supposed to exchange gifts! Not that it matters I suppose, as I have nothing.”“This is for us both, to use together.”Eleanor studied her husband as she took the silk package from his hands and tugged on the silk ribbon. Was he nervous? She had never seen him look quite this way before. She followed his gaze down to to see what he had gotten out. It was smooth metal about the size and shape of his shaft with some rings along the length of it and a larger one at the end that was turned the other way and looked like a handle.“It looks like your shaft with big ridges and a handle. It is another one of your wicked play things, isn’t it?”“This, mo Leanan, is called a dildo.” She tipped her head to the side contemplating that. He sounded quite proud of the
The grey mist turned into a steady drizzle shortly after they started their journey but it would be a full day’s ride to Hever, where they were to spend the night. As soon as the drizzle was enough to make her hair frizz, Claire dismounted and climbed into the carriage with her children to avoid becoming damp, but Eleanor decided to continue riding. The scowl Fann had given her told her exactly how much he would have preferred for her to be dry and in the carriage. He had refused to say a word to her since, which totally defeated her purpose for staying out. Not only would six people in the carriage be a tight squeeze, but she knew this would likely be the only time she’d get alone with her husband for a few days. By the time they reached the inn, they would need to eat, sleep, and be ready to do it all over again the next morning. Eleanor chose to ignore his tantrum at first. Even with the dreary grey sky and the mist that coated the distance like a thick fog, the countryside was be