in the woman who’d left her life behind to stay and make a life in this strange world. “Come in.” Christina entered, closing the door behind her. She was wearing a floor-length blue dress that matched her eyes. In her hands, she had a bundle of clothing, which she offered to Kathryn. “I figured you’d be looking for something to wear right about now.”
“Thank you.” Gratitude flowed through her. “I couldn’t find my pants this morning and my blouse is a total write-off.” And she was babbling because she was nervous.
It suddenly occurred to her that she’d slept with a man who was emotionally and physically tied to this woman. Marc might not be Christina’s husband, but they had been intimate. Very intimate.
Her stomach was suddenly queasy and the food she’d eaten threatened to come back up. She’d slept with another woman’s man! When it was happening, it had felt so natural and right that she hadn’t even questioned it. In her mind, Marc was hers.
What had she done? Maybe Christina didn’t know what had happened between her and Marc last night. Not that it made the situation any better, but Kathryn didn’t want to hurt the other woman.
To hide her trepidation, she started to sort through the garments, stopping when she found a pair of loose trousers.
“I thought you’d like those.” Christina smiled but Kathryn could see the strain around her eyes and mouth.
“I’m sorry if we’ve brought trouble to your home.” She could only imagine how the other woman must have felt with three complete strangers invading her home, delivered by a magical tapestry, no less.
55
Christina shook her head, making her long, white-blonde hair shimmer. “It’s not that.” She walked over to the bed and sat on the end as Kathryn tugged on the pants.
They were a bit large but there was a drawstring belt, which tightened nicely.
“What then?” Kathryn paused, pants on and robe open.
“Javara is different…” Christina trailed off, as if not quite sure what to say next.
Kathryn wrapped her arms around herself, rubbing her hands over her suddenly chilled flesh. “Women here are scarce and brothers compete sexually for a woman. She can only marry one but she has relations with the other. You chose Jarek but Marc feels left out.”
Christina looked as if all the blood had drained from her face, she was so pale.
“How…how do you know?”
“So, I’m right?”
Christina nodded.
Sighing, Kathryn rubbed her temples. She had the beginnings of one heck of a tension headache brewing. “I read it in a book.” Christina’s mouth dropped open. “A book?”
“Yeah. It was written about a hundred years before my time. I found it in the attic in my family home and read it.”
“That’s impossible.”
Kathryn gave the other woman a wry smile. “That’s what I’m thinking about all of this.”
“What did the book say?” Christina bit her bottom lip, her cheeks turning a bright shade of red.
“Ah…” she began and then broke off. How did you tell a woman that her entire sex life had been put down on paper? “It was pretty explicit.” Christina buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking. Kathryn didn’t know what to do. How did you comfort a woman at a time like this? When the other woman raised her head, tears rolled down her cheeks. But she was laughing.
“Oh my God,” she gasped. “I had such a boring life back on Earth before the tapestry came. Whoever would have thought I’d be the subject of a book. How?” Kathryn grinned, glad to see that Christina seemed to be taking it so well. “I have no idea. All I know is that a book exists and it tells all about your journey to Javara and the sexual exploits that ensued. I particularly liked the scene with you and Jarek on the horse.”
Christina’s jaw dropped and then she began to laugh again, swiping at the tears on her cheeks with the back of her hand. “This is unbelievable.”
“It was quite educational, I
“Thank you.” Gratitude flowed through her. “I couldn’t find my pants this morning and my blouse is a total write-off.” And she was babbling because she was nervous.
It suddenly occurred to her that she’d slept with a man who was emotionally and physically tied to this woman. Marc might not be Christina’s husband, but they had been intimate. Very intimate.
Her stomach was suddenly queasy and the food she’d eaten threatened to come back up. She’d slept with another woman’s man! When it was happening, it had felt so natural and right that she hadn’t even questioned it. In her mind, Marc was hers.
What had she done? Maybe Christina didn’t know what had happened between her and Marc last night. Not that it made the situation any better, but Kathryn didn’t want to hurt the other woman.
To hide her trepidation, she started to sort through the garments, stopping when she found a pair of loose trousers.
“I thought you’d like those.” Christina smiled but Kathryn could see the strain around her eyes and mouth.
“I’m sorry if we’ve brought trouble to your home.” She could only imagine how the other woman must have felt with three complete strangers invading her home, delivered by a magical tapestry, no less.
55
Christina shook her head, making her long, white-blonde hair shimmer. “It’s not that.” She walked over to the bed and sat on the end as Kathryn tugged on the pants.
They were a bit large but there was a drawstring belt, which tightened nicely.
“What then?” Kathryn paused, pants on and robe open.
“Javara is different…” Christina trailed off, as if not quite sure what to say next.
Kathryn wrapped her arms around herself, rubbing her hands over her suddenly chilled flesh. “Women here are scarce and brothers compete sexually for a woman. She can only marry one but she has relations with the other. You chose Jarek but Marc feels left out.”
Christina looked as if all the blood had drained from her face, she was so pale.
“How…how do you know?”
“So, I’m right?”
Christina nodded.
Sighing, Kathryn rubbed her temples. She had the beginnings of one heck of a tension headache brewing. “I read it in a book.” Christina’s mouth dropped open. “A book?”
“Yeah. It was written about a hundred years before my time. I found it in the attic in my family home and read it.”
“That’s impossible.”
Kathryn gave the other woman a wry smile. “That’s what I’m thinking about all of this.”
“What did the book say?” Christina bit her bottom lip, her cheeks turning a bright shade of red.
“Ah…” she began and then broke off. How did you tell a woman that her entire sex life had been put down on paper? “It was pretty explicit.” Christina buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking. Kathryn didn’t know what to do. How did you comfort a woman at a time like this? When the other woman raised her head, tears rolled down her cheeks. But she was laughing.
“Oh my God,” she gasped. “I had such a boring life back on Earth before the tapestry came. Whoever would have thought I’d be the subject of a book. How?” Kathryn grinned, glad to see that Christina seemed to be taking it so well. “I have no idea. All I know is that a book exists and it tells all about your journey to Javara and the sexual exploits that ensued. I particularly liked the scene with you and Jarek on the horse.”
Christina’s jaw dropped and then she began to laugh again, swiping at the tears on her cheeks with the back of her hand. “This is unbelievable.”
“It was quite educational, I
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