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.Oh, this is awful, she decided, and thought that perhaps she should turn and tell him to get the businessover with.Stopping by the chairs, Eva turned to face him, opened her mouth to speak, then closed itabruptly as she caught sight of the houseboy carrying the chess game.She'd completely forgotten aboutthe lad.Completely.Biting her lip, she dropped into the nearest chair and sat silent as one of the cheststhat held her new gowns was dragged between the two chairs and the game was set out on it.Connall thanked the lad for his aid, then asked him to have Cook send someone up with wine for bothof them.Once the boy had left, Eva cleared her throat and eyed her husband."My lord, I appreciate yourkindness since arriving; first with holding a proper wedding once I arrived, then in& er& postponingthe& er& consummation of the wedding until I had recovered," she stammered, aware that she wasblushing furiously.She hadn't really considered how distressing this conversation would be before startingit, but now that she was well into it, there was nothing to do but finish it.Clearing her throat, she straightened her shoulders and marshalled on, "But really, my lord, 'tis anerve-wracking situation and I would& well& If we could get it over?"Connall stared at her blankly, clearly taken completely by surprise at this outburst, then he frowned andechoed, "Get it over?""Aye& well& " She forced a smile and began wringing her hands together as she explained, "Tis ratherlike knowing that someday soon, though you are not sure when exactly, you will have to approach theblacksmith about knocking a rotten tooth out.""Knockin' a rotten tooth& " Connall was staring at her with disbelief, though she didn't understand why.Nor did she understand why, when he finally spoke, he sounded somewhat upset."Me lady wife, Irealize ye havenae-What on earth makes ye think "Knockin' out a rotten tooth?"Eva bit her lip, unsure what she should say to improve the situation.He seemed rather offended by thecomparison."Well, I have never I mean, from what I have been told, it does not sound like somethingto look forward to, my lord.""What ha'e ye been told?" He sounded as if he were forcing patience. Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlEva considered whether she had the courage to repeat Mavis's description and was quite sure shedidn't.It was one thing to be told that by another woman, it was quite another to repeat it to the man withthe boiled sausage he intended to use on you.She shook her head helplessly, but Connall apparentlywasn't in the mood to humor her."What'd that useless brother o' yers tell ye?""Oh, it was not Jonathan," she assured him quickly."It was my maid, Mavis& Well, she was not trulymy maid.She worked in the kitchens, but did occasionally act as lady's maid to me& Well, once ortwice.She traveled to court with us because Jonathan said I needed a lady's maid there," Eva explainedlamely, then fell silent, aware she'd been babbling."I see, and what did this Mavis tell ye aboot what goes on between a husband and wife?"Connall was sounding a little less angry now, she noted with relief.Still, it was difficult to imagine tellinghim so she said instead, "Well she was describing what went on between the servants, not necessarilybetween husband and wife, if you see what I mean?""Stop stalling," he said quietly."A wife shouldnae fear telling her husband ought."Eva sighed at these words, it was becoming obvious that he wasn't going to let this pass and she wasgoing to have to repeat what Mavis had said.She was beginning to wish that she had never opened hermouth, but had simply awaited his pleasure in silent suspense.Unfortunately, she hadn't done so.Deciding that there was nothing for it, she gathered her courage and blurted, "She said it appeared thatthe man and woman wrestled a bit and then he stuck his boiled sausage up between her legs."Connall made an odd sound, somewhere between a cough and snort, then turned his head abruptlyaway so that she could not see his expression.Eva was not certain at first if he were angry or shocked,but then she noted the way his shoulders were shaking and suspected the man was actually laughing ather.Indignation quickly rose up in her, but before she could say anything, there was a knock at the door.Eva glared at her husband as he glanced around, then stood and headed for the door."Yer flouncin'!" Connall crowed with amusement."Damn me, I'd ha'e sworn ye were no a flouncer, butyer flouncin'!"Realizing that she was indeed flouncing, Eva tried to correct her step, but was simply too agitated tomanage it.Giving up the attempt as she reached the door, Eva wrenched it open, then quickly replacedthe scowl on her face with a forced smile when she spied a wide-eyed Glynis standing in the hall, bearinga tray with a bottle of wine and wineglasses on it."Thank you, Glynis." She reached to take the tray from her."And thank you for lighting the fire.""Oh but " the maid tried to snatch the tray back, no doubt recalling her laird's order that his wife wasto carry nothing, but Eva was in a sorry mood and stepped back out of reach, then pushed the doorclosed with her foot.She whirled back toward the room then and almost crashed the tray into herhusband."I shall take that.No need to risk an accident," he said mildly as he relieved her of the tray and carried itto where the chess game was set up.Eva no longer felt like playing chess, if she ever had, and she definitely did not feel like finally living up to Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlher wifely duties, not that she ever had felt that either.All she really wanted at that point was to be leftalone to lick her wounded pride, so, she stayed where she was by the door, glaring at her husband'sback as he set the tray down and set about pouring wine for both of them.She continued to glare at himas Connall then lifted both glasses and carried them back to where she stood.An arched eyebrow washis only response to her irritated glare, then he handed her a glass, took a sip of his own and said, "Mavisgot it wrong, lass."Eva narrowed her eyes."She did?""Aye.Drink yer wine."Eva automatically took a sip, then asked, "What did she get wrong?""Well, there is much she left out, or perhaps was simply unable to see in a dark great hall at night withwho knows how much distance between her and the people in question.""What did she leave out?" Eva asked [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.Oh, this is awful, she decided, and thought that perhaps she should turn and tell him to get the businessover with.Stopping by the chairs, Eva turned to face him, opened her mouth to speak, then closed itabruptly as she caught sight of the houseboy carrying the chess game.She'd completely forgotten aboutthe lad.Completely.Biting her lip, she dropped into the nearest chair and sat silent as one of the cheststhat held her new gowns was dragged between the two chairs and the game was set out on it.Connall thanked the lad for his aid, then asked him to have Cook send someone up with wine for bothof them.Once the boy had left, Eva cleared her throat and eyed her husband."My lord, I appreciate yourkindness since arriving; first with holding a proper wedding once I arrived, then in& er& postponingthe& er& consummation of the wedding until I had recovered," she stammered, aware that she wasblushing furiously.She hadn't really considered how distressing this conversation would be before startingit, but now that she was well into it, there was nothing to do but finish it.Clearing her throat, she straightened her shoulders and marshalled on, "But really, my lord, 'tis anerve-wracking situation and I would& well& If we could get it over?"Connall stared at her blankly, clearly taken completely by surprise at this outburst, then he frowned andechoed, "Get it over?""Aye& well& " She forced a smile and began wringing her hands together as she explained, "Tis ratherlike knowing that someday soon, though you are not sure when exactly, you will have to approach theblacksmith about knocking a rotten tooth out.""Knockin' a rotten tooth& " Connall was staring at her with disbelief, though she didn't understand why.Nor did she understand why, when he finally spoke, he sounded somewhat upset."Me lady wife, Irealize ye havenae-What on earth makes ye think "Knockin' out a rotten tooth?"Eva bit her lip, unsure what she should say to improve the situation.He seemed rather offended by thecomparison."Well, I have never I mean, from what I have been told, it does not sound like somethingto look forward to, my lord.""What ha'e ye been told?" He sounded as if he were forcing patience. Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlEva considered whether she had the courage to repeat Mavis's description and was quite sure shedidn't.It was one thing to be told that by another woman, it was quite another to repeat it to the man withthe boiled sausage he intended to use on you.She shook her head helplessly, but Connall apparentlywasn't in the mood to humor her."What'd that useless brother o' yers tell ye?""Oh, it was not Jonathan," she assured him quickly."It was my maid, Mavis& Well, she was not trulymy maid.She worked in the kitchens, but did occasionally act as lady's maid to me& Well, once ortwice.She traveled to court with us because Jonathan said I needed a lady's maid there," Eva explainedlamely, then fell silent, aware she'd been babbling."I see, and what did this Mavis tell ye aboot what goes on between a husband and wife?"Connall was sounding a little less angry now, she noted with relief.Still, it was difficult to imagine tellinghim so she said instead, "Well she was describing what went on between the servants, not necessarilybetween husband and wife, if you see what I mean?""Stop stalling," he said quietly."A wife shouldnae fear telling her husband ought."Eva sighed at these words, it was becoming obvious that he wasn't going to let this pass and she wasgoing to have to repeat what Mavis had said.She was beginning to wish that she had never opened hermouth, but had simply awaited his pleasure in silent suspense.Unfortunately, she hadn't done so.Deciding that there was nothing for it, she gathered her courage and blurted, "She said it appeared thatthe man and woman wrestled a bit and then he stuck his boiled sausage up between her legs."Connall made an odd sound, somewhere between a cough and snort, then turned his head abruptlyaway so that she could not see his expression.Eva was not certain at first if he were angry or shocked,but then she noted the way his shoulders were shaking and suspected the man was actually laughing ather.Indignation quickly rose up in her, but before she could say anything, there was a knock at the door.Eva glared at her husband as he glanced around, then stood and headed for the door."Yer flouncin'!" Connall crowed with amusement."Damn me, I'd ha'e sworn ye were no a flouncer, butyer flouncin'!"Realizing that she was indeed flouncing, Eva tried to correct her step, but was simply too agitated tomanage it.Giving up the attempt as she reached the door, Eva wrenched it open, then quickly replacedthe scowl on her face with a forced smile when she spied a wide-eyed Glynis standing in the hall, bearinga tray with a bottle of wine and wineglasses on it."Thank you, Glynis." She reached to take the tray from her."And thank you for lighting the fire.""Oh but " the maid tried to snatch the tray back, no doubt recalling her laird's order that his wife wasto carry nothing, but Eva was in a sorry mood and stepped back out of reach, then pushed the doorclosed with her foot.She whirled back toward the room then and almost crashed the tray into herhusband."I shall take that.No need to risk an accident," he said mildly as he relieved her of the tray and carried itto where the chess game was set up.Eva no longer felt like playing chess, if she ever had, and she definitely did not feel like finally living up to Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlher wifely duties, not that she ever had felt that either.All she really wanted at that point was to be leftalone to lick her wounded pride, so, she stayed where she was by the door, glaring at her husband'sback as he set the tray down and set about pouring wine for both of them.She continued to glare at himas Connall then lifted both glasses and carried them back to where she stood.An arched eyebrow washis only response to her irritated glare, then he handed her a glass, took a sip of his own and said, "Mavisgot it wrong, lass."Eva narrowed her eyes."She did?""Aye.Drink yer wine."Eva automatically took a sip, then asked, "What did she get wrong?""Well, there is much she left out, or perhaps was simply unable to see in a dark great hall at night withwho knows how much distance between her and the people in question.""What did she leave out?" Eva asked [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]