heiress running to her royal cousins, lest I lose this plum.”
“I would not harm your lordship,” Seger replied. “Even I, ignorant wretch that I am, understand the delicacy of the situation. The keep folk love their ladies. It would never do for them to think you were hurting them.”
“Cleverly said, Seger,” Sir Jasper told his man, “but one day, I think, that clever tongue of yours will be your downfall.”
“Until that time I but live to serve your lordship,” Seger answered, and Sir Jasper Keane laughed at his boldness. “I have, in anticipation of your lordship’s direction, already seduced the lady Rowena’s personal serving maid, who lives in terror that her mistress discover her loose ways. You need not fear any indiscretion on her part, my lord,” the captain finished with a toothy grin.
“There is no one like you, Seger,” said his master admiringly.
“No, my lord,” came the agreeable reply.
Blessed Mary! How her conscience assailed her, but what else could she do, Rowena thought as she went through the familiar routine of her day. She was only a woman. A helpless woman. Dickon and Anne were so far away, and outside the keep a blizzard was raging, and she simply didn’t know what else she could do. It wasn’t as if she were a virgin. She well knew what it was to have a man impale her on his lance. Henry might have been many years her senior, but he had always been a vigorous lover, and she had enjoyed his attentions. Too much! Did the church not teach that the sole reason for the coupling of a man and a woman was for the procreation of good Christian children? Nothing was said about pleasure, but it was pleasurable, and she had missed it.
Henry, of course, had been the only man she had ever known. Were men different in their lovemaking? She felt an anticipatory thrill of excitement race down her spine, and she bit her lip with her vexation. She was betraying her own child! What kind of a wretched creature was she that she could look forward to breaking faith with her own daughter? He was so handsome, yet as attracted as she was to him, she would have never allowed him her bed but for their conversation this morning. He had not said it aloud, but she had well understood his meaning. He had intended ravishing Arabella even before their marriage was celebrated, in order to satisfy his manly desires.
Pray God and His blessed Mother that she could please Sir Jasper Keane, that she could sate his lusts. How else could she protect her child? Surely God would forgive her? She would not, however, confess her indiscretion to dear Father Anselm until Arabella was happily wed. How could he understand the position in which she found herself? He would counsel her to seek grace in prayer, and he would lecture Sir Jasper sternly; but Sir Jasper would not listen, Rowena knew. He would force Arabella to his bed, and it could kill her child to have her innocence breached so soon. No. She would bear this burden silently and alone. Was it not, after all, a woman’s lot to bend like the flowers of the field before a wind?
Lona had waited until Sir Jasper and Lady Rowena had departed, and then hurried back into Arabella’s bedchamber. “Ahh, ‘Bella,” she sighed gustily, “you are so fortunate! He is the most handsome of men. I shall probably be matched with old Rad’s sniveling grandson, the bag of bones with the long, pointed nose that always drips.”
“He is beautiful to look upon, I will grant you,” Arabella said, pulling her friend down to sit once more upon the bed. “Yet there is something…”
“What, you goose? Sir Jasper is perfect, although I will allow that I do not like his captain, Seger,” Lona said.
“You only say that because Sir Jasper might have given Seger your father’s position,” Arabella returned.
“Nay,” Lona said, her dark brown braids shaking vigorously, her blue eyes serious. “Seger almost slithers like a snake, and I have seen him with my aunt
“I would not harm your lordship,” Seger replied. “Even I, ignorant wretch that I am, understand the delicacy of the situation. The keep folk love their ladies. It would never do for them to think you were hurting them.”
“Cleverly said, Seger,” Sir Jasper told his man, “but one day, I think, that clever tongue of yours will be your downfall.”
“Until that time I but live to serve your lordship,” Seger answered, and Sir Jasper Keane laughed at his boldness. “I have, in anticipation of your lordship’s direction, already seduced the lady Rowena’s personal serving maid, who lives in terror that her mistress discover her loose ways. You need not fear any indiscretion on her part, my lord,” the captain finished with a toothy grin.
“There is no one like you, Seger,” said his master admiringly.
“No, my lord,” came the agreeable reply.
Blessed Mary! How her conscience assailed her, but what else could she do, Rowena thought as she went through the familiar routine of her day. She was only a woman. A helpless woman. Dickon and Anne were so far away, and outside the keep a blizzard was raging, and she simply didn’t know what else she could do. It wasn’t as if she were a virgin. She well knew what it was to have a man impale her on his lance. Henry might have been many years her senior, but he had always been a vigorous lover, and she had enjoyed his attentions. Too much! Did the church not teach that the sole reason for the coupling of a man and a woman was for the procreation of good Christian children? Nothing was said about pleasure, but it was pleasurable, and she had missed it.
Henry, of course, had been the only man she had ever known. Were men different in their lovemaking? She felt an anticipatory thrill of excitement race down her spine, and she bit her lip with her vexation. She was betraying her own child! What kind of a wretched creature was she that she could look forward to breaking faith with her own daughter? He was so handsome, yet as attracted as she was to him, she would have never allowed him her bed but for their conversation this morning. He had not said it aloud, but she had well understood his meaning. He had intended ravishing Arabella even before their marriage was celebrated, in order to satisfy his manly desires.
Pray God and His blessed Mother that she could please Sir Jasper Keane, that she could sate his lusts. How else could she protect her child? Surely God would forgive her? She would not, however, confess her indiscretion to dear Father Anselm until Arabella was happily wed. How could he understand the position in which she found herself? He would counsel her to seek grace in prayer, and he would lecture Sir Jasper sternly; but Sir Jasper would not listen, Rowena knew. He would force Arabella to his bed, and it could kill her child to have her innocence breached so soon. No. She would bear this burden silently and alone. Was it not, after all, a woman’s lot to bend like the flowers of the field before a wind?
Lona had waited until Sir Jasper and Lady Rowena had departed, and then hurried back into Arabella’s bedchamber. “Ahh, ‘Bella,” she sighed gustily, “you are so fortunate! He is the most handsome of men. I shall probably be matched with old Rad’s sniveling grandson, the bag of bones with the long, pointed nose that always drips.”
“He is beautiful to look upon, I will grant you,” Arabella said, pulling her friend down to sit once more upon the bed. “Yet there is something…”
“What, you goose? Sir Jasper is perfect, although I will allow that I do not like his captain, Seger,” Lona said.
“You only say that because Sir Jasper might have given Seger your father’s position,” Arabella returned.
“Nay,” Lona said, her dark brown braids shaking vigorously, her blue eyes serious. “Seger almost slithers like a snake, and I have seen him with my aunt
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