Roland grabbed the parchment from Benedict, a page wearing his colours. “Many more for tomorrow?”
“No my Lord, only four or five.”
“Thank you, Benedict.” Roland waved Benedict away with a bow. Traversing the corridors to his bedroom, he scanned the parchment to see what his day had in store for him. Mostly commoners seeking land or money but one name caught his eye more than the others. “Marjorie Tanner of Winshire.” Could it be...? No, that’s impossible he waved the thought from his mind. She wouldn’t dare.
Opening the door to his chamber he saw Cecilia in the arms of Eleanor. He knew Cecilia was not his- even some townspeople suspected that but he didn’t know if Clement had a wife or child. The thought crossed his mind once again. “Eleanor, love, do you know this woman?” he handed the parchment to Eleanor. She looked it over quickly and blushed deeply. She did. “So she is the wife of-”
“Yes, she is.”
Crossing the room, Roland muttered, “I wonder what she is doing all the way up here.”
“I don’t know,” Eleanor whispered. She placed Cecilia into the crib, setting her to sleep.
Roland scoffed. “Curious how you never let a nurse take care of Cecilia. We do have women to do that, you know?”
Sometimes, Eleanor forgot how traditional people could be; she had grown accustomed to Clement’s radical ideas of how life should be lived. “Yes.” She nodded. “I love her and I don’t want her relationship to be the way my mother and mine is.” She took her dress off and climbed into bed beside Roland.
“Love, funny how you abuse that word; almost if you know the meaning.”
“And you do?”
“I love you.”
Eleanor looked down, away from Roland’s gaze. Funny, how you abuse me so, she thought thinking back on their nine months of marriage. It was nothing but fear and fighting. “If you loved me you would never have done what you did,” she snapped under her breath. But the moment she said those words, she regretted her actions, fearing he may strike again.
Much to Eleanor’s surprise, Roland laughed. This was not a laugh Eleanor heard often from him. In fact, she had only heard it several times. It was a deep laugh that made his body shake and the corners of his eyes crinkle. “I have a strong temper, yes.” There was something chilling about how freely he was able to mock her.
“Stop it!” she said ardently. “I beg you not to jest with me.”
“I beg your forgiveness. Maybe it’s God’s forgiveness that I should beg.” Then, Roland took her neck in his hands and kissed her gently. There was no trace of violence that Eleanor was nulled into closing her eyes at his tenderness. She felt his hands on her hips, pulling her body closer to his. She didn’t resist and nor did she want to. There was something sweet about the way he held her head up and the way his fingers felt the pulse of her neck.
When he tore apart, her eyes remained close for a moment longer in a faint echo of his kiss. Roland laughed again and Eleanor smiled. She curled up to him. There was something comforting about lying next to the man who she married and not have a feeling of fear spread over her mind.
“I thought you detested me,” Roland broke the silence.
“So did I.”
“And what about your tanner?”
Instead of responding, she kissed him again.
I love him but I like you, she thought.
YOU ARE READING
Ordained by God
Historical Fiction(DON'T BE PUT OFF BY THE TITLE IT'S NOT A RELIGIOUS BOOK) During the reign of William the Conqueror, women were subordinate to men in all social situations and love was not a reason a Lady to wed. Lady Eleanor of Winshire has falled in love with Cle...
