accept Edwin’s marriage bargain.”
Carolyn closed her eyes briefly. When they opened, they reflected such profound sadness Marian almost wished she’d refrained. Almost.
“You know I cannot,” Carolyn said.
Marian looked about the hall. Satisfied no one could overhear if they spoke softly, she disagreed with her cousin.
“You can. Carolyn, Edwin is not that old. He is neither ill nor frail nor—”
“Nay. I will not take the risk.”
“Is the risk not Edwin’s to decide to take or not?”
Horrified, Carolyn pleaded, “Marian, you must never tell him. You made me an oath.”
“An oath I will keep.” Marian placed a comforting hand on Carolyn’s shoulder. She leaned closer. “You should tell Edwin all you have told me. If he is afraid, then he will drop his suit. Truly, I believe he will declare—nay, prove to you that you have naught to fear.”
“I could never live with myself if Edwin succumbed.” Carolyn shook off Marian’s hand. “Besides,Edwin wants full control over Branwick and my dower lands if we should marry. He is much too set in his ways. Best for all concerned if I marry Stephen.”
All, perhaps, except for two little girls.
Marian put down her ale cup. “I still think you make too much of Edwin’s age.”
Carolyn’s rejoinder came as a whisper. “I will not have a third husband die in my bed, especially not a man I care for. I will not marry Edwin.”
Marian couldn’t imagine waking up to find someone dead in her bed, not once but twice. Carolyn blamed herself because on both occasions her husbands had claimed their marital rights only hours before. Marian blamed the husbands for overexerting themselves.
“Oh, Caro, I just want you to be happy, and I do not think you will find happiness with Stephen.”
Carolyn must have sensed the truth and concern in Marian’s voice, for her hard manner softened. “I know you do, just as I have always wished for you to be happy. We have both made hard choices, then made the best of things. I shall find a measure of happiness with Stephen, you will see.” Carolyn flashed a wicked smile. “There is something to be said for taking a young man to one’s bed.”
Marian forced a smile against the sharp pain. Carolyn teased, having no way of knowing how much the teasing hurt.
“So you told me.”
Carolyn tilted her head. “What of you, Marian? You chide me for my choice of husband, yet you shy from every man who comes near you. Many here would dearly love to have you as wife.”
“Hah! They want workers for their fields and mothers for their children. I am content as I am.” Marian suddenlythought of another way to bring Carolyn to her senses. A bit cruel, perhaps, but to the point. “Of course, if you do not marry Edwin, mayhap the man will need comfort. Edwin looks sturdy enough to me to withstand the rigors of my bed.”
As Carolyn’s jaw dropped, Marian hurried off to fetch her girls from the smithy.
Stephen climbed the narrow spiral stairway in the guard tower at the north corner of the outer bailey. The farther up, the riper the stench. No wonder the four guards assigned to reside here had abandoned the tower, preferring to lay their sleeping pallets out on the archers’ walk of the curtain wall.
He opened the door to the garderobe then swiftly slammed the door shut. “I say we recommend an immediate flushing of the shaft. ’Twill need twenty buckets of water, at the least.”
Edwin shook his head. “Already been tried. Whatever blocks the shaft did not budge.”
Then whatever blocked the shaft must be big and solid. The tower’s garderobe was on the highest level, its shaft running straight down the outer wall to empty into the moat.
“Has anyone confessed to losing his breeches down the hole?”
Edwin smiled. “Nay. Everyone’s best guess is that some stupid animal climbed up in there to make his home—and died.”
“Well, I am not about to stick my face over the hole to confirm the
Carolyn closed her eyes briefly. When they opened, they reflected such profound sadness Marian almost wished she’d refrained. Almost.
“You know I cannot,” Carolyn said.
Marian looked about the hall. Satisfied no one could overhear if they spoke softly, she disagreed with her cousin.
“You can. Carolyn, Edwin is not that old. He is neither ill nor frail nor—”
“Nay. I will not take the risk.”
“Is the risk not Edwin’s to decide to take or not?”
Horrified, Carolyn pleaded, “Marian, you must never tell him. You made me an oath.”
“An oath I will keep.” Marian placed a comforting hand on Carolyn’s shoulder. She leaned closer. “You should tell Edwin all you have told me. If he is afraid, then he will drop his suit. Truly, I believe he will declare—nay, prove to you that you have naught to fear.”
“I could never live with myself if Edwin succumbed.” Carolyn shook off Marian’s hand. “Besides,Edwin wants full control over Branwick and my dower lands if we should marry. He is much too set in his ways. Best for all concerned if I marry Stephen.”
All, perhaps, except for two little girls.
Marian put down her ale cup. “I still think you make too much of Edwin’s age.”
Carolyn’s rejoinder came as a whisper. “I will not have a third husband die in my bed, especially not a man I care for. I will not marry Edwin.”
Marian couldn’t imagine waking up to find someone dead in her bed, not once but twice. Carolyn blamed herself because on both occasions her husbands had claimed their marital rights only hours before. Marian blamed the husbands for overexerting themselves.
“Oh, Caro, I just want you to be happy, and I do not think you will find happiness with Stephen.”
Carolyn must have sensed the truth and concern in Marian’s voice, for her hard manner softened. “I know you do, just as I have always wished for you to be happy. We have both made hard choices, then made the best of things. I shall find a measure of happiness with Stephen, you will see.” Carolyn flashed a wicked smile. “There is something to be said for taking a young man to one’s bed.”
Marian forced a smile against the sharp pain. Carolyn teased, having no way of knowing how much the teasing hurt.
“So you told me.”
Carolyn tilted her head. “What of you, Marian? You chide me for my choice of husband, yet you shy from every man who comes near you. Many here would dearly love to have you as wife.”
“Hah! They want workers for their fields and mothers for their children. I am content as I am.” Marian suddenlythought of another way to bring Carolyn to her senses. A bit cruel, perhaps, but to the point. “Of course, if you do not marry Edwin, mayhap the man will need comfort. Edwin looks sturdy enough to me to withstand the rigors of my bed.”
As Carolyn’s jaw dropped, Marian hurried off to fetch her girls from the smithy.
Stephen climbed the narrow spiral stairway in the guard tower at the north corner of the outer bailey. The farther up, the riper the stench. No wonder the four guards assigned to reside here had abandoned the tower, preferring to lay their sleeping pallets out on the archers’ walk of the curtain wall.
He opened the door to the garderobe then swiftly slammed the door shut. “I say we recommend an immediate flushing of the shaft. ’Twill need twenty buckets of water, at the least.”
Edwin shook his head. “Already been tried. Whatever blocks the shaft did not budge.”
Then whatever blocked the shaft must be big and solid. The tower’s garderobe was on the highest level, its shaft running straight down the outer wall to empty into the moat.
“Has anyone confessed to losing his breeches down the hole?”
Edwin smiled. “Nay. Everyone’s best guess is that some stupid animal climbed up in there to make his home—and died.”
“Well, I am not about to stick my face over the hole to confirm the
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