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Authors: Gwen Kirkwood
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the horses?’
‘I let them loose to graze. They will enjoy the fresh pasture for a little while.’
‘They might run away.’
‘They’ll come when I whistle.’
‘I hope Beauty comes too. She is used to me calling her name.’
‘Don’t worry, Isabella, I’m sure she’ll stay with my horse and come to you. There is a spring of fresh water and a little pool at the other side of this clump of trees. Anna, Henry, Walter and I often used to come here when we were young. We thought we were having an adventure so far from home.’ He led her the short distance to the pool and found a patch of short grass for her to sit. The morning grew warmer as the sun rose high in the sky. He removed her cloak and spread it on the grass for her to sit but she went to the little spring and cupped the cold water in her hands and splashed her face several times then began to search for her kerchief to wipe her cheeks. It was nowhere to be found. Zander chuckled and passed her a clean white linen square from his belt.
‘Feel better now?’ he asked gently. She nodded and went to sit beside him on her cloak. ‘Tell me about your sisters and home and what you did as children. Did you wander far from home?’
‘Oh no. There always seemed to be raids expected or the men preparing to go on a return raid. It is much better since the King decreed we should be at peace with our English neighbours, though they still come sometimes. Anyway I did not care to wander alone since the day I encountered Neb Truddle and he tried to – to…’
‘You’re a very pretty girl. I can’t blame the man for wanting to kiss you,’ Zander teased. ‘Would it have been so bad?’ Isabel looked at him and shuddered.
‘Horrible! Tell me more about when you were all children?’ He began to tell her of various escapades. It seemed her new husband had always been an angelic little boy and even Walter had helped to protect him from danger or from his father’s wrath when they had played forbidden pranks. Isabel could have listened to his deep pleasant voice all day, especially when she detected laughter in it at some memory or other but he took her by surprise when he declared,
‘I am going to remove my boots and hose and dip my feet in the cool stream. Shall I undo the laces on your boots for you? You will find the running water refreshing.
‘Oh, I don’t think I ought to do that, not when I am here alone with you.’ Zander threw back his head with a spontaneous laugh.
‘What difference does it make? We are here alone anyway, Isabella, but you are perfectly safe.’ His face grew serious. ‘You are the wife of my cousin.’
‘I was Henry’s wife last night but y-you kissed m-me.’ Her cheeks burned afresh at the memory and she bit her lower lip. It was not something Zander would ever forget either but he could never let her know how much he craved a repetition.
‘Henry is uncomfortable undressing in front of anyone. I thought he would be grateful if I distracted your attention,’ he said lightly.
‘Oh! I see.’ Isabella felt deflated. So he had not kissed her because it gave him pleasure, as it had given her. She tossed her head and turned from his laughing blue eyes while she deftly untied the laces of her boots and pulled them off, quickly followed by her long woollen stockings. Although she did it discreetly Zander’s eyes widened in surprise and he wondered how she would get them on again without him seeing a long length of her slender white legs. The thought aroused his desire and he cursed silently to himself. He must resist every temptation.
The ice cold water made Isabella yelp. Her toes tingled but it was deliciously refreshing. She would have spent longer but Zander reminded her they would need to dry themselves in the sun so they could put on their boots before Walter and Thomas returned. He stretched out on his back with his arms behind his head and closed his eyes. Isabella wondered if he was closing them to give her
‘I let them loose to graze. They will enjoy the fresh pasture for a little while.’
‘They might run away.’
‘They’ll come when I whistle.’
‘I hope Beauty comes too. She is used to me calling her name.’
‘Don’t worry, Isabella, I’m sure she’ll stay with my horse and come to you. There is a spring of fresh water and a little pool at the other side of this clump of trees. Anna, Henry, Walter and I often used to come here when we were young. We thought we were having an adventure so far from home.’ He led her the short distance to the pool and found a patch of short grass for her to sit. The morning grew warmer as the sun rose high in the sky. He removed her cloak and spread it on the grass for her to sit but she went to the little spring and cupped the cold water in her hands and splashed her face several times then began to search for her kerchief to wipe her cheeks. It was nowhere to be found. Zander chuckled and passed her a clean white linen square from his belt.
‘Feel better now?’ he asked gently. She nodded and went to sit beside him on her cloak. ‘Tell me about your sisters and home and what you did as children. Did you wander far from home?’
‘Oh no. There always seemed to be raids expected or the men preparing to go on a return raid. It is much better since the King decreed we should be at peace with our English neighbours, though they still come sometimes. Anyway I did not care to wander alone since the day I encountered Neb Truddle and he tried to – to…’
‘You’re a very pretty girl. I can’t blame the man for wanting to kiss you,’ Zander teased. ‘Would it have been so bad?’ Isabel looked at him and shuddered.
‘Horrible! Tell me more about when you were all children?’ He began to tell her of various escapades. It seemed her new husband had always been an angelic little boy and even Walter had helped to protect him from danger or from his father’s wrath when they had played forbidden pranks. Isabel could have listened to his deep pleasant voice all day, especially when she detected laughter in it at some memory or other but he took her by surprise when he declared,
‘I am going to remove my boots and hose and dip my feet in the cool stream. Shall I undo the laces on your boots for you? You will find the running water refreshing.
‘Oh, I don’t think I ought to do that, not when I am here alone with you.’ Zander threw back his head with a spontaneous laugh.
‘What difference does it make? We are here alone anyway, Isabella, but you are perfectly safe.’ His face grew serious. ‘You are the wife of my cousin.’
‘I was Henry’s wife last night but y-you kissed m-me.’ Her cheeks burned afresh at the memory and she bit her lower lip. It was not something Zander would ever forget either but he could never let her know how much he craved a repetition.
‘Henry is uncomfortable undressing in front of anyone. I thought he would be grateful if I distracted your attention,’ he said lightly.
‘Oh! I see.’ Isabella felt deflated. So he had not kissed her because it gave him pleasure, as it had given her. She tossed her head and turned from his laughing blue eyes while she deftly untied the laces of her boots and pulled them off, quickly followed by her long woollen stockings. Although she did it discreetly Zander’s eyes widened in surprise and he wondered how she would get them on again without him seeing a long length of her slender white legs. The thought aroused his desire and he cursed silently to himself. He must resist every temptation.
The ice cold water made Isabella yelp. Her toes tingled but it was deliciously refreshing. She would have spent longer but Zander reminded her they would need to dry themselves in the sun so they could put on their boots before Walter and Thomas returned. He stretched out on his back with his arms behind his head and closed his eyes. Isabella wondered if he was closing them to give her
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