Enchantress Mine (35 page)

The following morning they took leave of their hosts, and continued upon their way. For a few hours the sun made a brave attempt to shine, but the cloudy lemon disc was quickly overcome by the gray as they hurried slightly north and west toward Aelfleah. They traveled onward for several more days, stopping only at night to shelter, and once during the mid-day to rest the horses, and eat. At last the landscape around them began to look familiar, and they knew that they were near the end of their journey.

The valley with its fine manor house looked so peaceful and welcoming as they rode down the eastern hills to cross over the Aldford river. The stableboys came running to take their weary mounts, and within the house was warmth, and decent food and wine.

“And a hot bath!” said Mairin gleefully.

“Oh, yes,” echoed Eada fervently, “but you first, child. I must see to the removal of my things from the master’s bedchamber. It now belongs to you and Josselin. I will sleep in your room from now on.”

Mairin was about to protest, but then realized her mother was right. The master’s chamber did belong to Josselin now, and she was Josselin’s wife. Mairin might be uncomfortable at first in the chamber she considered her parent’s, but she would get used to it.

“I will see to the evening meal then, mother,” she said quietly as Eada hurried up the stairs, Nara in her wake.

“Has the king then confirmed my lady Mairin as heiress to these lands?” asked Nara.

“Not quite, Nara,” said Eada with a small smile. “The lady Mairin and my lord de Combourg were married in London in the king’s very presence, by the king’s own brother, the bishop of Bayeux! What think you of that?! Josselin de Combourg is now master of Aelfleah, and lady Mairin is its mistress. Now open the chest, girl, and hand me out those clean sheets for the bed!”

Rendered speechless for once Nara aided her mistress to clean and freshen the bedchamber so that the new lord and lady of Aelfleah might take their rest.

When she was satisfied that the room was ready for its new inhabitants Eada instructed Nara. “Have Kene help Dagda bring water upstairs for your lady’s tub.” Then she hurried back down the stairs again for in the back of her mind she remembered Mairin saying something about supper. As she reached the hall, however, Eada stopped suddenly. Her daughter was now mistress of this house, and it was her duty to plan the menus. Eada had always hated having to decide on what to have for the evening meal. It was one chore she would not regret giving up. With a chuckle she helped herself to a goblet of wine, and sat down before the fire.

I
t was night and the manor of Aelfleah had settled down to rest. Outside the narrow windows of the lord’s house the snow, which had been threatening to fall for several days, was silently drifting down through the pitch black night to quietly blanket the sleeping earth. In the hills above the valley a wolf howled his lonely cry and was taken up by another of his kind who hunted nearby. They were doomed to failure this night and would go to bed hungry, for all the other creatures had taken shelter from the storm.

Mairin had bathed earlier in the large oaken tub that had been set before the fireplace in the solar. It had been refilled with boiling water after the evening meal and left to cool. Now with everyone else abed Josselin was to be bathed by his wife. It fascinated him that although she was a widow, Mairin had not been in the least embarrassed by his nakedness when he had first pulled his clothes from his body. Indeed she had seemed to assess him, or was that his imagination? He was uncomfortable to think she was weighing and balancing his attributes against others she had seen in such a state of nature.

“You are very long,” she noted innocently while looking at him up and down. He had just stripped the last of his clothes off.

“Is there any particular part to which you refer, lady?” he teased her devilishly.

“Everything about you is long, my lord. Your face, your arms and legs, your trunk. Indeed I have never seen such a long man.”

“Is there nothing else of great length that takes your fancy, lady?” He leered wickedly at her.

He could see her seriously considering his words for a long moment. Then suddenly she turned fiery red as what he really meant struck home. “Oh, knave!” she scolded him as he laughed. “Get into the tub, my lord, before the water cools too much! I am not certain that a cold bath would not be more suitable for such a randy fellow!”

“Oh, Mairin, my sweet enchantress of a wife! I admit to being as randy as a young billy goat for you! You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen! We have been man and wife these six nights yet I have been unable to bed you. Do you know how very much I long to lie with you? To caress your beautiful body? To possess you fully?”

She smiled, and began to gently soap his broad shoulders. “Tonight, my lord, we will both satisfy our desires for each other. I will give you pleasure such as my first husband taught me, pleasures that delight a man. In return you will make love to me, and give me children. I very much want children!”

She had no idea of the effect her words had upon Josselin. The blood pounded in his ears and with a suddenness that surprised her he reached up and pulled her into the tub with him. Wrapping his arms about her he kissed her with a ferocity that left her totally breathless. She felt his tongue push into her mouth. She welcomed that first penetration of her person, slowly stroking at his tongue with her own even as Basil had instructed her. Cradling her in his lap he tore away the delicate linen of her shift, the only garment she had been wearing, and flung the two pieces from him. She was vaguely aware of water sloshing over the side of the tub and onto the floor as he drew her hard against his chest.

Their tongues were cavorting wildly, one about the other, licking at each other, at lips and cheeks and ears. She flung her head back exposing the column of her throat to him. His tongue darted along the silken length of the skin while a hand fastened itself about her breast. With unhurried movement he kneaded the flesh within his fingers slowly, until he felt her bottom grinding into his lap as her passion began to rise.

She turned her head to bury her face into his neck. Then reaching up she fastened her teeth into his earlobe, and bit gently, worrying it as a puppy might worry a piece of cloth. Next she pushed the tip of her tongue deep into his ear, teasing at him with little flicking motions.

“Ahh, enchantress,” he groaned, “unless you desire our first coupling to be here in this tub, then you must cease this sweet torment.”

“I did not know one could couple in the water.” She looked into his face seductively, saying sweetly, “I was quite happy bathing you, my lord.’Twas you who drew me into the tub, and totally destroyed my chemise. Are you not ashamed?”

“No,” he said softly, his green-gold eyes bright with his desire.

“Let me up,” she commanded him weakly, his look seeming to drain the very strength from her bones.

Reluctantly he released her, and helped her to arise. Mairin stepped quickly from the tub and knelt to finish her task of bathing him. The ends of her long hair were wet, but she did not feel them for her skin was still damp too.

Josselin had glimpsed her fully when she had risen and he had almost lost his breath in wonder at her beauty. He had felt himself hardening with the mere sight of her. She was so very beautiful,
and
she was his.

With a pounding heart and lowered eyes so she might hide her thoughts, Mairin finished bathing Josselin. She poured several buckets of rinse water over him and he stood up, his aroused state no longer a secret. Her breath had grown quite shallow as she observed the hard, pale column of his manhood springing from the dark blond curls between his lean thighs. Here before her was the weapon which would destroy her virginity, and how eager she found she was to face that destruction. Rubbing him dry with a rough piece of linen she said huskily, “We must get into bed, my lord, lest we catch a chill.”

Without a word he took the cloth from her, and gently rubbed her damp smooth skin which was almost dry from the warmth of the fire. His hands lingered in the region of her breasts, tracing the shape of them, encircling the nipples until they stood hard. Kneeling he stroked the cloth down around her navel across her plump, pink mound. His fingers followed the slit carefully, caressing gently. He felt her shudder. Wordlessly he picked her up, and carried her down the hall that ran between the solar and their bedchamber, depositing her carefully upon their bed.

The flickering candlelight cast black shadows upon his fair body as he stood above her looking down upon her beauty. When she held out her arms to him he could not resist the invitation and he lowered himself to the bed to wrap himself about her. His length pressed itself against hers, and she sighed. He smiled for her open pleasure was enormously flattering. He had never known a woman who admitted to enjoying a man’s attentions. Indeed he found it delightful for it seemed to intensify his own desires. He swept his hand down her back to cup her buttock, and was somewhat surprised when she did the same.

“Your skin is soft for a man even where it is hard with muscle,” she murmured.

It was not quite what he expected. All the women he had ever known lay quiet while he had his way with them. Mairin seemed to want to actually participate in their passion. It was startling, but it definitely had possible advantages. “Your skin is soft too,” he answered, suddenly seeing the humor in their situation.

They lay together caressing and learning each other’s bodies. To his surprise he found he wanted to be very gentle with her even though she was a widow. He could not remember having ever taken as much care with a woman as he now took with Mairin. Straddling her, he reached out to play with her breasts. Then bending forward he took a nipple into his mouth, and began to suckle upon it.

Mairin felt the warmth of his lips clamping about her skin, and involuntarily her body arched upward. The pull and tug upon her tender breasts was deliciously maddening. Threading her fingers through his tawny hair she kneaded at his scalp like a cat. Then she felt his teeth, nipping lightly at her sensitive flesh, to be followed by his tongue rubbing where his teeth had mildly scored her. It was all so marvelous to be loved again, Mairin thought, and she wanted to love him back. She wanted him to feel the same wonderful feeling that his mouth, and tongue, his hands and his teeth engendered in her.

Josselin’s tongue swept down the valley between her breasts to her navel, leaving a trail of tingles behind it. “You are delicious, enchantress,” he growled at her. “I want to kiss and caress every inch of you!”

“No, no!” she said. “Not yet! Let me love you a little, my lord.”

“Love me? Isn’t that what you’re doing, dearling?”

“Nay, husband,
you
are loving me.
I
would love you now. Oh, please, Josselin! Lie upon your back, and I will love you a little.”

Amused he complied to her rather strange request, curious as to what she would do. Kneeling upon her haunches Mairin leaned over him, kissed him sweetly and swiftly. Then her little tongue began to bathe him, sweeping down his neck, over his shoulders, and across his chest to his nipples. She licked and nibbled at them, and Josselin was assailed by the most incredible feelings.

He had never been touched by a woman in such a manner. He had believed a man mounted a woman and had his pleasure of her. He, however, had learned early that he gained more pleasure of his partner by caressing her a bit before the coupling. He had never had any complaints. Now, however, his wife was showing him another side of a woman. He was not, however, certain whether she should do these lovely things to him even though he was enjoying every moment of her attentions.

Then suddenly to his immense consternation Mairin’s red-gold head dipped low, and he felt her take him into her mouth. With a groan of total surprise his first thought was to reach for her, and draw her away from him, but he could not do it. Rhythmically she drew upon his manhood sending shocks of burning passion through his entire system until he was certain he would burst. In that moment he regained enough of his senses to order her away.

“Cease, enchantress!” he managed to gasp. “Though I would flood you with my seed, at least let it be where it can take root!”

Mairin raised her head up and said, “But did I give you pleasure, my lord?”

He nodded, and then asked, “Did your prince teach you such things?”

“Yes”—she smiled—“he did. I asked him if such a thing was forbidden, but he said only by fools and hypocrites.”

Josselin laughed weakly. “I think, lady, that I follow in large footsteps,” he said. Then reaching up he pulled her back down to him, feeling her breasts crush against his chest as their tongues began to play once again. He could taste himself within her mouth, and he found it arousing.

He inflamed her. This man who was her husband excited her greatly and she wanted him very much. How strange, she thought hazily. I thought I should never love or trust again. Though I knew it not at the time, I was naught but another beautiful possession to Basil. I cannot help but wonder if he ever really wanted me. Would I have been enough woman for him? Why did Basil wed with me? Was it that he wanted no one else to have me if he could not? With Josselin things were much simpler. We have wed for the sake of Aelfleah. He is a normal man, and he wants me because I incite genuine lust within him. He says he loves me, and perhaps he believes it himself. Maybe he even does.