Norman nobility. He also doted on his wife. With each visit Rowena was reminded of how much her life had changed and how many of her dreams would never see fulfillment.
Rowena had hesitated a hair's breadth at the sight of her extremely pregnant friend before she embraced her. Her voice sounded stilted when she spoke.
"It is so good to see you, my dear. Look at you so big with child." Rowena's hand hovered over the belly, wanting to feel for the child that lay hidden inside but afraid she would burst out with the tears that threatened to engulf her.
Katey appeared to notice nothing and placed Rowena's hand against her side just as the babe gave a powerful lurch. "My sweet that was a kick. He will be strong."
"He? You believe you carry a son?" How wonderful to have a son. Rowena choked back a cry, determined not to let her dear friend see her own distress. "How happy you must be."
"I believe it is a boy. Giles believes it also. Oh," she quickly reached for Rowena's hand again, "that was an elbow, methinks." Katey smiled and Rowena tried to be happy at her friend's total contentment.
The two sat side by side at Katey's insistence, settling in front of the fire. She held both of Rowena's hands and spoke as if their lives were so similar.
"We are verily blessed. Giles is just the Saxon I had dreamed of and he is a good—" Katey winked at Rowena, "strong man."
Katey loved to speak of her husband's prowess as a lover. The talk made Rowena uncomfortable. She did not want her virgin state to be known. It demonstrated her unwanted status.
Rowena smiled and accepted the wine and cheese brought in by the young kitchen girl, Lydia. She was a favorite helper of Rowena's, always listening attentively to her stories. Rowena enjoyed telling stories from her childhood as she worked. They were the Saxon stories that had been passed down for hundreds of years. Some were true, some not so true. But the child was a delightful listener, and it helped Rowena pass the time.
"Thank you, Lydia."
Offering the repast to her friend, Rowena tried to change the subject. "I am glad you are happy. You verily glow."
Katey's flawless skin looked like it had been kissed by the sun with the slightest blush at her cheeks. Her thick brown hair was wavier than usual and it shone with health and vitality. Giles entered the Hall and even when he was speaking to some of the Norman men, his eyes scanned the room, resting finally on his wife. He quickly finished with the men and all but bounded toward them. Katey heard him, and when their eyes met, their happiness in each other was apparent. Rowena's heart lurched at her own desire for such total contentment.
"Greetings, Lady Rowena. How fare ye?" Finally tearing his gaze from his wife, Giles placed a wet kiss on the back of Rowena's hand.
"I am well, sir. I see you have much to celebrate." Rowena wiped the wetness from her hand when Giles moved to sit beside his wife, kissing her cheek.
"That we do." He was beaming as his hand went protectively to the large swell of his wife's belly. "My wife holds up very well, much to my liking."
When his hand slipped lower, Rowena looked away in embarrassment. Like many men she saw, Giles was not afraid of crude, familial gestures with his wife in front of others. Their bawdiness did not show a care for the privacy of the intimacies they shared.
"What of you?"
Rowena's head snapped up at the question. She could not help that her eyes were wide with shock. Was he actually asking if she was to John's liking?
Giles and Katey burst into laughter, and her face turned hot with embarrassment.
"Be off with you, Giles, stop torturing our host." Katey pushed her husband affectionately, and he stood beside her at the bench.
"Will your husband be returning anon?" he asked.
Rowena struggled for composure when all she wanted to do was scream at this man. What right did he have to question her about the intimacy of her marriage? Or was he simply asking how she was? Heat
Rowena had hesitated a hair's breadth at the sight of her extremely pregnant friend before she embraced her. Her voice sounded stilted when she spoke.
"It is so good to see you, my dear. Look at you so big with child." Rowena's hand hovered over the belly, wanting to feel for the child that lay hidden inside but afraid she would burst out with the tears that threatened to engulf her.
Katey appeared to notice nothing and placed Rowena's hand against her side just as the babe gave a powerful lurch. "My sweet that was a kick. He will be strong."
"He? You believe you carry a son?" How wonderful to have a son. Rowena choked back a cry, determined not to let her dear friend see her own distress. "How happy you must be."
"I believe it is a boy. Giles believes it also. Oh," she quickly reached for Rowena's hand again, "that was an elbow, methinks." Katey smiled and Rowena tried to be happy at her friend's total contentment.
The two sat side by side at Katey's insistence, settling in front of the fire. She held both of Rowena's hands and spoke as if their lives were so similar.
"We are verily blessed. Giles is just the Saxon I had dreamed of and he is a good—" Katey winked at Rowena, "strong man."
Katey loved to speak of her husband's prowess as a lover. The talk made Rowena uncomfortable. She did not want her virgin state to be known. It demonstrated her unwanted status.
Rowena smiled and accepted the wine and cheese brought in by the young kitchen girl, Lydia. She was a favorite helper of Rowena's, always listening attentively to her stories. Rowena enjoyed telling stories from her childhood as she worked. They were the Saxon stories that had been passed down for hundreds of years. Some were true, some not so true. But the child was a delightful listener, and it helped Rowena pass the time.
"Thank you, Lydia."
Offering the repast to her friend, Rowena tried to change the subject. "I am glad you are happy. You verily glow."
Katey's flawless skin looked like it had been kissed by the sun with the slightest blush at her cheeks. Her thick brown hair was wavier than usual and it shone with health and vitality. Giles entered the Hall and even when he was speaking to some of the Norman men, his eyes scanned the room, resting finally on his wife. He quickly finished with the men and all but bounded toward them. Katey heard him, and when their eyes met, their happiness in each other was apparent. Rowena's heart lurched at her own desire for such total contentment.
"Greetings, Lady Rowena. How fare ye?" Finally tearing his gaze from his wife, Giles placed a wet kiss on the back of Rowena's hand.
"I am well, sir. I see you have much to celebrate." Rowena wiped the wetness from her hand when Giles moved to sit beside his wife, kissing her cheek.
"That we do." He was beaming as his hand went protectively to the large swell of his wife's belly. "My wife holds up very well, much to my liking."
When his hand slipped lower, Rowena looked away in embarrassment. Like many men she saw, Giles was not afraid of crude, familial gestures with his wife in front of others. Their bawdiness did not show a care for the privacy of the intimacies they shared.
"What of you?"
Rowena's head snapped up at the question. She could not help that her eyes were wide with shock. Was he actually asking if she was to John's liking?
Giles and Katey burst into laughter, and her face turned hot with embarrassment.
"Be off with you, Giles, stop torturing our host." Katey pushed her husband affectionately, and he stood beside her at the bench.
"Will your husband be returning anon?" he asked.
Rowena struggled for composure when all she wanted to do was scream at this man. What right did he have to question her about the intimacy of her marriage? Or was he simply asking how she was? Heat
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