reins."
"Uh-oh. I'll bet Robert then went on to tell her he was just the man to bring her into line, right?"
"How did you guess?"
"I could see it coming," Rani sighed. "Stupid of Robert. There the poor woman is, probably terrified at having barely escaped being kidnapped, still in shock from having witnessed a bloody duel. She's thoroughly traumatized and then this rude upstart from America starts in on a lecture. I'm sure Robert wasn't her idea of a hero."
"Apparently not, because although her family was extremely grateful for her safe return, Sara refused to see Robert after that. But Robert, poor soul, was very much in love with her."
Rani waved that aside. "Then he shouldn't have yelled at her."
Flint's gaze narrowed. "She deserved it."
"Now who's taking sides in this story?"
Flint took a long swallow of beer before continuing. "Moving right along…"
"Yes, let's."
He shot her a quelling look. "As I said, Robert was still desperately in love. Given the fact that Sara was treating him badly and had all along, we have to assume he was under the spell of the ring."
"That's one explanation," Rani agreed blithely.
"But after the rescue, Sara pushed Robert a little too far. When she refused to see him, he decided he had to do something drastic. So he kidnapped her."
Rani was startled. "Another kidnapping? Just like the hero did in the first story? I think I see a pattern developing here."
"You're right. Robert made his way into Sara's bedroom, wrapped her up in a blanket and carried her off one night."
"Good grief! He thought that was going to make her look on him more favorably?"
"He thought," Flint stated bluntly, "that it would leave her with no other choice but to marry him."
"He deliberately compromised her! Just like the first guy did to the Clayborne lady, and the evil Lord Livermore tried to do." Rani was incensed.
"It probably seemed the simplest approach under the circumstances."
"It was despicable."
"Yeah, well, whatever, it worked. The next morning a very subdued young Sara married him under a special license. Her family had no choice but to accept the situation. Sara and Robert left for America a month later.''
"Poor Sara! What happened to her?"
Flint grinned. "She raised six kids and captivated Boston society. Everyone said she was a fine example of the perfect wife. Loving, obedient and fertile. Just as the lady in the first story had been. The ladies who own the rings make excellent wives."
"And Robert?"
"Robert is said to have been a very satisfied husband. He was wildly in love with his wife and she with him for the rest of their lives."
"So Sara fell in love with him after all, hmmm?" Rani thought about that.
"Once Robert had taken her to bed, she didn't have any choice. According to the legend of the ring, she was then as ensnared as he was."
Rani frowned. "Do you think he raped her that night he kidnapped her? Was that how he subdued her?"
Flint scowled and tipped his beer can to his mouth. "No, I don't think he raped her. He seduced her."
"Hah. That's your interpretation."
"The few people who saw Sara the morning after the kidnapping said she was quieter than usual but not at all unhappy. In fact, it was said she was the image of the happy, blushing bride."
"Amazing how a legend can smooth over some of the facts." Rani remarked. "Are you going to straighten things out when you write these stories? After all, you're the one who's going to force the truth down everybody's throat, right?"
"Facts are facts. I'm not going to change the verifiable details of the tales. In the case of the story of Sara and Robert, I'll simply point out that their marriage undoubtedly came about because a temperamental young woman pushed a passionate young man a little too far. The first story involves a similar situation. Both men lost their patience and took advantage of the conventions of the times to force the ladies into marriage. There was no magic involved."
"Just passion?"
Flint smiled.
"Uh-oh. I'll bet Robert then went on to tell her he was just the man to bring her into line, right?"
"How did you guess?"
"I could see it coming," Rani sighed. "Stupid of Robert. There the poor woman is, probably terrified at having barely escaped being kidnapped, still in shock from having witnessed a bloody duel. She's thoroughly traumatized and then this rude upstart from America starts in on a lecture. I'm sure Robert wasn't her idea of a hero."
"Apparently not, because although her family was extremely grateful for her safe return, Sara refused to see Robert after that. But Robert, poor soul, was very much in love with her."
Rani waved that aside. "Then he shouldn't have yelled at her."
Flint's gaze narrowed. "She deserved it."
"Now who's taking sides in this story?"
Flint took a long swallow of beer before continuing. "Moving right along…"
"Yes, let's."
He shot her a quelling look. "As I said, Robert was still desperately in love. Given the fact that Sara was treating him badly and had all along, we have to assume he was under the spell of the ring."
"That's one explanation," Rani agreed blithely.
"But after the rescue, Sara pushed Robert a little too far. When she refused to see him, he decided he had to do something drastic. So he kidnapped her."
Rani was startled. "Another kidnapping? Just like the hero did in the first story? I think I see a pattern developing here."
"You're right. Robert made his way into Sara's bedroom, wrapped her up in a blanket and carried her off one night."
"Good grief! He thought that was going to make her look on him more favorably?"
"He thought," Flint stated bluntly, "that it would leave her with no other choice but to marry him."
"He deliberately compromised her! Just like the first guy did to the Clayborne lady, and the evil Lord Livermore tried to do." Rani was incensed.
"It probably seemed the simplest approach under the circumstances."
"It was despicable."
"Yeah, well, whatever, it worked. The next morning a very subdued young Sara married him under a special license. Her family had no choice but to accept the situation. Sara and Robert left for America a month later.''
"Poor Sara! What happened to her?"
Flint grinned. "She raised six kids and captivated Boston society. Everyone said she was a fine example of the perfect wife. Loving, obedient and fertile. Just as the lady in the first story had been. The ladies who own the rings make excellent wives."
"And Robert?"
"Robert is said to have been a very satisfied husband. He was wildly in love with his wife and she with him for the rest of their lives."
"So Sara fell in love with him after all, hmmm?" Rani thought about that.
"Once Robert had taken her to bed, she didn't have any choice. According to the legend of the ring, she was then as ensnared as he was."
Rani frowned. "Do you think he raped her that night he kidnapped her? Was that how he subdued her?"
Flint scowled and tipped his beer can to his mouth. "No, I don't think he raped her. He seduced her."
"Hah. That's your interpretation."
"The few people who saw Sara the morning after the kidnapping said she was quieter than usual but not at all unhappy. In fact, it was said she was the image of the happy, blushing bride."
"Amazing how a legend can smooth over some of the facts." Rani remarked. "Are you going to straighten things out when you write these stories? After all, you're the one who's going to force the truth down everybody's throat, right?"
"Facts are facts. I'm not going to change the verifiable details of the tales. In the case of the story of Sara and Robert, I'll simply point out that their marriage undoubtedly came about because a temperamental young woman pushed a passionate young man a little too far. The first story involves a similar situation. Both men lost their patience and took advantage of the conventions of the times to force the ladies into marriage. There was no magic involved."
"Just passion?"
Flint smiled.
Similar Books
