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Authors: Saskia Walker
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because of what they owned and the ability they had to
supply others with shelter or food, or not, as they chose. Lennox was not a
wealthy man, and yet there was something almost regal about him. It was little
wonder that he attracted women.
I must be cautious . Once again she
warned herself to think about her goal, to fulfill her obligation to her husband
by having a child. It was wrong to think upon the man’s looks and his bearing
and his potential to woo women when she was about to let him undertake some
mysterious, unchristian ritual on her. Besides, he might not even appear.
When the chambermaid came to turn down her covers and offered
to assist her disrobing, Chloris declined. It wouldn’t be seen as odd, because
Chloris seldom accepted assistance. The girl looked at her with sympathy as if
she assumed Chloris was reserved, which suited Chloris. Her servants in
Edinburgh were used to her ways and no longer offered. For reasons she kept
private Chloris had learned to deal with the task of undressing—managing all
manner of hooks and ribbons and layers of fabric—alone.
The serving girl stoked the fire, then left.
Once she was gone Chloris took a deep breath. The serving girl
was, in all likelihood, the last person she would see that night and she would
not have to deal with Master Lennox. He would forget or have second thoughts
perhaps. That should have been a relief. It did little to quell her emotions.
The truth of the matter was that she would wait up all night, hoping for the
chance to partake of the magic he offered. If he did not come, that would be
more painful still.
The hands on the clock neared the midnight hour and she
lingered by the window, peeping out from behind the curtains. As the clock
chimed, she saw him pacing across the lawn in the moonlight. She clutched at the
curtains, staring down in disbelief. Several times over she wondered if she’d
imagined his promise. What man in his right mind would enter the home of someone
set on having him and his people persecuted?
He paused and lifted his head, apparently looking up at the
windows. What a startling figure he made, so tall and sure of himself. He was as
much at ease prowling in the moonlight as he was stalking about in the busy
market earlier that day. It should have made her wary. It only made her curious,
eager to know more about him.
Swallowing hard, she opened the curtains wide and showed
herself. When he lifted his hand in acknowledgment, she dropped the curtain and
paced back and forth again.
What would happen should he be discovered entering the house?
He might not even make it as far as her room. Part of her wished that he
wouldn’t. The rest of her was ready to run to the door and open it for him if he
knocked.
How would he even know which room was hers?
The thought sent a shiver through her. She had no idea of the
extent of his powers. She’d heard tales, of course, dark stories about the
dreadful things that accused witches had done. Was Master Lennox as powerful and
unruly as the ministers said when they warned of those who indulged in
witchcraft? If he was, he could do many things.
Therefore he could enable her to have a child. Salvation .
She darted over to the door and listened, straining for any
sound that would indicate the household had been alerted to the presence of an
intruder. Silence was all she heard. Would he enter by means of magic? That had
not occurred to her, but when she thought on it she supposed he might. Doubts
assailed her. Magic, work of the Devil? What had she agreed to? She stepped over
to the mantel shelf over the fireplace and clutched at it to steady her.
A moment later the door clicked and she saw a sliver of light
by the doorway.
The candle on the mantelshelf flickered.
The sliver of light vanished and stillness descended again.
Chloris wondered if she had imagined it, so imperceptible was
the movement, but then she discerned the outline of a tall, dark figure standing
in the gloom by the
supply others with shelter or food, or not, as they chose. Lennox was not a
wealthy man, and yet there was something almost regal about him. It was little
wonder that he attracted women.
I must be cautious . Once again she
warned herself to think about her goal, to fulfill her obligation to her husband
by having a child. It was wrong to think upon the man’s looks and his bearing
and his potential to woo women when she was about to let him undertake some
mysterious, unchristian ritual on her. Besides, he might not even appear.
When the chambermaid came to turn down her covers and offered
to assist her disrobing, Chloris declined. It wouldn’t be seen as odd, because
Chloris seldom accepted assistance. The girl looked at her with sympathy as if
she assumed Chloris was reserved, which suited Chloris. Her servants in
Edinburgh were used to her ways and no longer offered. For reasons she kept
private Chloris had learned to deal with the task of undressing—managing all
manner of hooks and ribbons and layers of fabric—alone.
The serving girl stoked the fire, then left.
Once she was gone Chloris took a deep breath. The serving girl
was, in all likelihood, the last person she would see that night and she would
not have to deal with Master Lennox. He would forget or have second thoughts
perhaps. That should have been a relief. It did little to quell her emotions.
The truth of the matter was that she would wait up all night, hoping for the
chance to partake of the magic he offered. If he did not come, that would be
more painful still.
The hands on the clock neared the midnight hour and she
lingered by the window, peeping out from behind the curtains. As the clock
chimed, she saw him pacing across the lawn in the moonlight. She clutched at the
curtains, staring down in disbelief. Several times over she wondered if she’d
imagined his promise. What man in his right mind would enter the home of someone
set on having him and his people persecuted?
He paused and lifted his head, apparently looking up at the
windows. What a startling figure he made, so tall and sure of himself. He was as
much at ease prowling in the moonlight as he was stalking about in the busy
market earlier that day. It should have made her wary. It only made her curious,
eager to know more about him.
Swallowing hard, she opened the curtains wide and showed
herself. When he lifted his hand in acknowledgment, she dropped the curtain and
paced back and forth again.
What would happen should he be discovered entering the house?
He might not even make it as far as her room. Part of her wished that he
wouldn’t. The rest of her was ready to run to the door and open it for him if he
knocked.
How would he even know which room was hers?
The thought sent a shiver through her. She had no idea of the
extent of his powers. She’d heard tales, of course, dark stories about the
dreadful things that accused witches had done. Was Master Lennox as powerful and
unruly as the ministers said when they warned of those who indulged in
witchcraft? If he was, he could do many things.
Therefore he could enable her to have a child. Salvation .
She darted over to the door and listened, straining for any
sound that would indicate the household had been alerted to the presence of an
intruder. Silence was all she heard. Would he enter by means of magic? That had
not occurred to her, but when she thought on it she supposed he might. Doubts
assailed her. Magic, work of the Devil? What had she agreed to? She stepped over
to the mantel shelf over the fireplace and clutched at it to steady her.
A moment later the door clicked and she saw a sliver of light
by the doorway.
The candle on the mantelshelf flickered.
The sliver of light vanished and stillness descended again.
Chloris wondered if she had imagined it, so imperceptible was
the movement, but then she discerned the outline of a tall, dark figure standing
in the gloom by the
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