Chapter Eight
Still wrapped in the quilt she’d pulled from the bed, Marion woke in the chair she’d pulled over by the fire hours ago.
She stared into it before finally dozing.
His mind and body and heart warred with the other throughout the night.
And at the end of it all, she came to the same conclusion she’d had from the beginning; she would return to her home this morning, but she would wait until she could at least thank the queen for her hospitality and move on with her remaining time here.
Her family had planned to stay at Linlithgow for a fortnight; however, maybe she could convince them to return to Posso Tower where she could become lost in her dreams once again among the rolling hills and fall asleep under the ancient oak trees.
But that was not likely now she had been noticed by all.
The queen had assured her of discretion among the staff so she was not concerned the intimacy would have been viewed by anyone else.
Even now, hours later, her skin burned where he’d touched her, and her body tightened and pulsed at the memory of being so possessed and then rising to that possession with her own demands.
Marion shook off the quilt and moved to look out the window over the loch.
Dawn had broken a while ago and the early morning dew had not yet burned off the grass nor the light fog hanging just above the water.
This was the time when the night and morning met for a few moments before the one gave way to the other, as if the dew and fog hung on long enough to tell the sun of the events of the night before.
How long she stood there, she did not know. Finally, a knock at her chamber door roused her from her musings.
She turned as two maids entered with steaming buckets and, seeing her state of undress and out of bed, called to the doorway, “Wait!”
One placed her bucket down and attended the fire while the other wrapped Marion in a quilt and urged her toward the fire before ushering in two men with a copper tub who placed it in the center of the chamber then retreated.
What followed was a flurry of maids with buckets of water until the bath was full and the scent of roses and lavender which now reminded her of the woman she was the day before versus the one she was today.
Marion lay in the bath as long as she dared. Two in a row was a luxury indeed, for she was not accustomed to such frequency but grinned, thinking she could certainly get used to the way the heat and scent tantalized and relaxed her.
By the time she was ready to get out, her fingertips had begun to shrivel.
She let the maids do whatever they wanted with her and by the time they were done, her hair had been curled and brushed and she was dressed in a pale blush pink gown that surprisingly did not object to her red hair and fair skin, rather drew them together.
The neckline was square, to which a sheer scarf was tucked for modesty, and the sleeves came only to her wrists.
This gown was delicate and pretty, but sensible.
“Her majesty wishes you to join her to break your fast this morn, my lady.”
“Oh,” Marion said. She’d not been aware anyone had been awaiting her company and now felt a little mortified over her indulgence.
“When you are ready, my lady,” the maid said.
Marion followed her out of the chamber and onward to the queen’s chambers and beyond to a lovely situated open and airy part of their apartments she had not yet seen.
The largest of all from what she could gather, this one had a large hearth with highbacked padded seats surrounding it and a long dining table to one side, and smaller tables with lower backed chairs surrounding them.
She found the queen seated at the long table with a large spread of food before her.
“Come and join me, Lady Marion. I do apologize that I could not wait for you. I found myself quite ravenous this morn.”
Her butler motioned Marion to a chair to the side of the queen and then proceeded to offer food from each of the platters in turn.
Not over hungry herself, but not wanting to cause offense, she accepted some cheese and bread and a few pieces of apple and orange slices.
This morning, she stuck to the sweet mead. No more claret for her.
“How fared your night?” the queen asked.
The woman wasted no time beating about and thankfully did not wear any kind of smirk, for which Marion was thankful, for she was in no mood to be played with.
“You had outdone yourself, Your Majesty. The solar was beautifully decorated and the food and drink were the best I’ve ever had.”
“And the night overall? How did that go, if I may be so bold?”
Marion reminded herself that this woman had not yet had relations with her husband and would not for some weeks according to the contract. A few things were becoming clearer to her in the light of day and now she felt even more foolish for falling into it.
“My night overall was lovely, Your Majesty.”
“And you are to give me no details, then?”
Well, this was more awkward than she could have imagined. She didn’t want to disappoint her friend, but she was not about to talk about how the man’s kiss had turned her insides to mush, and the driving need to touch his bare skin in ways she wasn’t sure she would be permitted.
“We had a lovely dinner; as I said, the food was heavenly. After that, we sat by the window and watched the moon’s reflection on the loch and we talked, or rather, I talked. He wanted to know about my family and the things I was interested in.”
“And then?”
If she already knew and Marion did not confess to it, that would be lying to one’s queen and Marion was not about to do it.
“What do you mean, Your Majesty?”
She cleared her throat and leaned closer. In a lower voice, she asked, “Did he kiss you?”
Marion closed her eyes. God in heaven, give her strength. “Aye, Your Majesty, he kissed me, but that was it, a very brief thing that I do not wish known.”
The queen tilted her head to the side. “I also get the sense you do not wish it repeated.”
“Nay, I do not. I was hoping to return to my parents this morn.”
Her friend’s eyes narrowed. She sat back in her chair and interlaced her fingers with her elbows on the chair’s armrests and her two forefingers raised to a point placed directly beneath her chin.
“There are two things I want to ask you, and I want you to be very honest with me. My reasons are my own for asking them, but I absolutely guarantee you discretion. The maids who attended you, who acted as chaperone last eve are my most trusted, but they are loyal to me. I know what happened. So, the first question is, did you enjoy the kiss?”
Caught off guard by the woman’s blunt question, she blurted, “Aye,” before she could catch herself.
The queen now smiled as if satisfied with that answer.
“Very well, that is what I would have expected. The second question I have for you is if you enjoyed the kiss, and by all accounts, as did the earl, why did he leave here in the middle of the night?”
“The earl has left?”
Marion’s heart sank to the floor. This she did not know, and though she had fully intended to avoid him at all costs as she made her own escape, at least she managed to stay the rest of the night before seeking to leave.
“He has returned to Inverary Castle which is his home.”
She was not sure if she should be relieved or if she would lose the little food she had just consumed.
“I see this news troubles you and I do not wish to upset you. If it is your wish to return to your parents, I shall call for the carriage straight away. But know this, my friend,” she said in a gentle tone, “you will not leave this place with any guilt over these past days. You and I have struck a friendship that is only beginning, and I will take great care in your wellbeing.”
“I thank you, Your Majesty. I do wish to return home and I am very grateful for your fellowship and your kindness. Truly, it has been a singular moment in my life I will not soon forget.”
That seemed to satisfy the queen enough that she waved to the butler and gave instructions for Marion’s safe passage to the manor house where her parents no doubt waited for news of a betrothal. What in the world was she to tell them?
*
There was no place like home. A common conception, but that sentiment was no truer to Alexander than it was in the moment the carriage pulled up the drive and Alain roused him with the announcement they were home.
He stretched and scrubbed his hand down across his face then exited the carriage without a word to anyone.
It was still very early in the morning and so there were few people about, so he made his way straight to his chamber, stripped off his clothes, and crawled into his bed.
Sleep hit him hard and fast as if he’d not slept in an eon.
The sun was high in the sky when he woke again, momentarily unaware of his surroundings with a pounding in his head.
He sat up and looked around him. His trunks had been brought up, but not unpacked, and a tray of food and tankard had been placed on a table by the fire.
The day was cooler than those he’d experienced at Linlithgow and so someone had also lit a fire which was welcome.
He pulled on his trews and leine and tunic and made his way to the food.
Whether it was the relief of being home or the extra sleep, he couldn’t be sure, but he was ravenous.
First things first. He would eat then go see his sister.
He wanted to ensure a nice quiet evening meal with his family, and since she was not expecting him, he was not sure if she’d had anything specific planned.
He was in the mood for meat and lots of it.
He finished his meal and took advantage of the water basin and cloth left for him to freshen himself. He then left his chamber to see who was about.