she had been able to suit her movement to the rhythm of the ship. Now she was jerked up and down as she tried to get to the deck. For a moment she wished that she still wore Henry’s clothes, as her habit got in her way and threatened to trip her at every step. The noises were different as well. There was the irregular sound of wood grinding against wood. What did it mean?
“Where are you going?” asked Edward angrily when she stepped out onto the deck.
“I was coming up to breathe some air that doesn’t smell of a sick man.”
“You’ll come no further, it’s dangerous.”
“Why?”
“We’re sailing through a storm.”
“Why, if it’s so dangerous?”
“Because we wasted five days while Henry was in search of you.”
Eleanor was unbowed. “That’s hardly my fault.” Although she admitted to herself that she had delayed his return.
“We have to make up the time, regardless of whose fault it is,” said Edward calmly. “And you can’t come up here, because Henry wouldn’t thank me if you went overboard.”
“Is it that bad?”
“Surely you can feel it!”
“I can feel that it’s worse than yesterday.”
“And you still aren’t sick?” Edward’s face showed that this was a miracle of some kind.
“No. I feel very well.” Eleanor did not mention that her stomach still protested against the poor food she had eaten, but she knew that it was the food, rather than the motion of the ship.
“Perhaps you sailed as a child?”
“I never saw the sea before yesterday.”
“You won’t see much of it today.” Edward helped her through the narrow doorway and held onto her while she looked out across the deck. The sky was almost as black as night and heavy rain was falling onto the deck. Edward was right; she could barely see beyond the end of the deck. How did the helmsman know where they were going? For the first time she felt a small shiver of fear.
“Feel sick now?”
“No.” There was a flash of lightening, which seemed to burn the entire sky, then thunder crashed so hard that she thought she would be deafened. Even in her shock at the noise, she smiled broadly. “It’s magnificent.”
Edward laughed. “If you were my wife , I would always bring you to sea.”
“If I were your wife I would make you stay at home and I would take your ship to sea.”
Edward swung her round into his arms and kissed her hard on her lips. Eleanor pushed him away, angrily.
“Fear not, Sister Margaret, I promised my brother I would not tempt you. I just wanted to know what a nun tastes like.”
Eleanor wanted to smack the smile from his face, but sensed that it would have an effect opposite to the one she desired. Instead she turned and went back down to Henry, thereby achieving Edward’s second aim.
Eleanor passed her day in prayer and meditation. She thought about Edward’s kiss and what it might mean. Henry had warned her to take care with Edward and her own sense told her that she was not comfortable with him for a reason. It was becoming clearer to her why Henry had warned her.
Apart from discussions with Mother Abbess and nuns who had joined the convent later in life, she knew nothing about men and had certainly never been kissed by one. It had not been unpleasant . On the contrary, Eleanor felt that, given time and practice she might find it a very pleasant experience indeed, which was probably why nuns were kept apart. That must be why Henry had warned her about his brother. It was only when she found herself wondering what it would be like to be kissed by Henry that she knew that her thoughts had wandered too far. Too wise to pray to be spared the distraction, she set herself to meditation on a Psalm that declared God to be the master of the raging winds.
By the time she had brought her imagination under control the storm had died down and she went to check on Solomon, which calmed him immensely, although he seemed to be enduring the voyage much better than his master.
Henry
“Where are you going?” asked Edward angrily when she stepped out onto the deck.
“I was coming up to breathe some air that doesn’t smell of a sick man.”
“You’ll come no further, it’s dangerous.”
“Why?”
“We’re sailing through a storm.”
“Why, if it’s so dangerous?”
“Because we wasted five days while Henry was in search of you.”
Eleanor was unbowed. “That’s hardly my fault.” Although she admitted to herself that she had delayed his return.
“We have to make up the time, regardless of whose fault it is,” said Edward calmly. “And you can’t come up here, because Henry wouldn’t thank me if you went overboard.”
“Is it that bad?”
“Surely you can feel it!”
“I can feel that it’s worse than yesterday.”
“And you still aren’t sick?” Edward’s face showed that this was a miracle of some kind.
“No. I feel very well.” Eleanor did not mention that her stomach still protested against the poor food she had eaten, but she knew that it was the food, rather than the motion of the ship.
“Perhaps you sailed as a child?”
“I never saw the sea before yesterday.”
“You won’t see much of it today.” Edward helped her through the narrow doorway and held onto her while she looked out across the deck. The sky was almost as black as night and heavy rain was falling onto the deck. Edward was right; she could barely see beyond the end of the deck. How did the helmsman know where they were going? For the first time she felt a small shiver of fear.
“Feel sick now?”
“No.” There was a flash of lightening, which seemed to burn the entire sky, then thunder crashed so hard that she thought she would be deafened. Even in her shock at the noise, she smiled broadly. “It’s magnificent.”
Edward laughed. “If you were my wife , I would always bring you to sea.”
“If I were your wife I would make you stay at home and I would take your ship to sea.”
Edward swung her round into his arms and kissed her hard on her lips. Eleanor pushed him away, angrily.
“Fear not, Sister Margaret, I promised my brother I would not tempt you. I just wanted to know what a nun tastes like.”
Eleanor wanted to smack the smile from his face, but sensed that it would have an effect opposite to the one she desired. Instead she turned and went back down to Henry, thereby achieving Edward’s second aim.
Eleanor passed her day in prayer and meditation. She thought about Edward’s kiss and what it might mean. Henry had warned her to take care with Edward and her own sense told her that she was not comfortable with him for a reason. It was becoming clearer to her why Henry had warned her.
Apart from discussions with Mother Abbess and nuns who had joined the convent later in life, she knew nothing about men and had certainly never been kissed by one. It had not been unpleasant . On the contrary, Eleanor felt that, given time and practice she might find it a very pleasant experience indeed, which was probably why nuns were kept apart. That must be why Henry had warned her about his brother. It was only when she found herself wondering what it would be like to be kissed by Henry that she knew that her thoughts had wandered too far. Too wise to pray to be spared the distraction, she set herself to meditation on a Psalm that declared God to be the master of the raging winds.
By the time she had brought her imagination under control the storm had died down and she went to check on Solomon, which calmed him immensely, although he seemed to be enduring the voyage much better than his master.
Henry
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