by Ashe Barker
“I doubt any of what has occurred between us thus far could be so described,” observes Piers.
I have to agree, though I opt not to say so.
“Quite. With that in mind, it is my belief that we should repeat our vows. I—we—would very much like you to be our countess, Linnet.”
“I am not sure I understand. Did you say we?” I look from one to the other. For their part, both are watching me with a degree of interest I find unnerving.
Ralf inclines his head slowly, his expression serious. “I did. We want you to be our bride, little one. Both of us.”
“Both of you? But, how can two men share one bride? It is not possible.”
Ralf tilts his head to one side in a familiar gesture. It is the posture he usually adopts when he has something of import to share. Certainly, his expression as he regards my perplexed face is serious enough.
“It is true that we will need to make a passing nod to convention in the matter of the wedding itself since I cannot imagine Father Peter agreeing to perform a ceremony with more than one happy bridegroom. But once the formalities are concluded, once Father Peter has been thanked for his efforts and provided with a generous purse to see him on his way and you are secure in your position as Lady Linnet of Egremont, thereafter, we may arrange our private affairs as we wish. As we always have.”
“What do you mean, you always have? I do not understand what you are asking of me, what it is that you are proposing, exactly?”
Ralf adopts a patient expression, as though explaining the mysteries of life to a simpleton. Certainly, I feel somewhat at a loss to comprehend his exact meaning, so perhaps he is wise to proceed slowly.
“We are proposing a marriage between one bride and two bridegrooms. You will be wed to both of us, shared between us.”
I shake my head. “No, that would be…” I search for an appropriate word. “It would be immoral.”
“I do not see why, if we are all three of us comfortable with our arrangement. Certainly, I am at ease with it. What of you, brother?”
Piers inclines his head. “I see no insurmountable difficulties, provided our little maid can bring herself to agree.”
“So, you are suggesting that I would be married to one of you in the eyes of God but act as wife to both?”
Ralf nods, his smile radiant. “Very succinct. That is an excellent description of the arrangement, Linnet. We must commend your clarity of vision.”
My vision is anything but clear. I shake my head. “I cannot. We cannot. It would not work.”
“It worked yesterday evening, in our bedchamber. You pleasured me whilst Piers watched and you loved it when he touched you at the same time. You sucked Piers’ cock whilst I pleasured your quim. Is it not fair to say you found the interlude arousing? Erotic?”
I am discovering Sir Ralf has a penchant for understatement. “I, well, yes, but—”
“You responded well, you loved it. You found yourself enjoying the attentions of two men and you relished every moment. If we had intended to fuck you there and then, you would not have objected. Confess it.” Piers is less delicate in his description but his assessment of the situation is accurate enough.
“I… that is true.” I am blushing, beyond mortified but I cannot lie about how I behaved, what I felt.
Ralf reaches for my hand and holds it between both of his. “I should add, sweetheart, in case you are wondering, that we do have every intention of fucking you at the earliest opportunity. However, there remains the possibility that you may refuse our suggestion, in which case we would need to seek an annulment. In such an eventuality, it would aid our cause if you were able to swear to be a virgin. However if you should agree to this alternative course…”
My head is spinning. I am confused, outraged, intrigued, aroused. But foremost in my mind is utter bewilderment. I voice the question which perplexes me the most. “But it makes no sense to me. Why would you do this? Why offer to make me a countess when you do not have to? I am no one, a serf. If you want me to share your bed, both of you, I will have little say in the matter.”
“Ah, you do ask the most awkward questions, little maid.” Piers fixes me with his intent gaze. “Let us explain, if we can. Our situation is somewhat complex though and perhaps unique.”
I can find no grounds to contest that assertion so I remain silent.
“We have been together all our lives, Ralf and I. We are never far from one another. Our lives are intertwined, inextricably bound by blood, by heritage, and by the fact we are sprung from the same seed. We are identical, in every way.”
I start to shake my head but Piers forestalls me with one raised finger.
“Not to you. We know that and this is what makes you so special to us. Our mother could tell us apart, usually, unless we set out to deceive her which we did on occasions. Our sister, too, knew us one from the other. But that is all. No one else, ever. Until now. Until you.” He pauses, then meets my astonished gaze. “Can you imagine what that is like, little maid? To be one of a pair, not a unique individual. Our people here neither know nor care which of us they deal with. We share authority here, though only one of us is nominally the earl. It matters not, we are the same.”
“But—”
“Except with you. With you, we are individuals, unique, different. We are together still but separate, too. You look at us and see two men, not one split in half. You complete us, Linnet, you make each of us whole and we find we need you almost as much as we need each other.”
Ralf takes up the narrative. “We have shared women in the past. Indeed, we invariably do so and the ladies concerned are unaware which of us they bed. I confess it is rare that we would both make love to the same woman at the same time but you do seem to bring out the strangest qualities in us. With you, all things seem possible. Yesterday was a most beguiling, erotic experience, beyond my wildest expectations. Your submission to our demands was intoxicating and I crave more of that. Would you not agree, brother?”
“It was a rare delight, certainly and one I would happily repeat,” concedes Piers, though I do not detect the same enthusiasm from him as Ralf displays.
“But, what if…?” I hesitate, not sure quite how to phrase my next question. I opt to just say it and worry about niceties some other time. “What if I were to conceive? How would you know which one of you was the father? The child would be the heir to your earldom…”
Ralf smiles at me. “Ah, yes, that is it exactly. That would be the perfect solution. You would be the wife of the earl so your children will be legitimate heirs, whichever one of us was the true sire. As we share the earldom now, so will we share our heirs. But this can only happen if you agree to this proposal of ours.”
“I, I am not sure. It is—very strange.”
“Yes, it is most certainly that.” Piers drains his goblet and stands. “You should take time to reflect on what we have told you, on what we have asked of you. If you agree and we hope you will, it must be your choice. Be assured, if you do not wish to accept our offer, you will still be welcome to remain here. We will find a place for you at Egremont or you may leave, as you wish.”
“Thank you, my lord… lords. How much time do I have in which to consider?”
Ralf answers me. “You have until the priest arrives, a few days or so. You may have the use of the chamber allotted to you, the one formerly used by our sister and where you slept last night, though if you choose to join us in the earl’s private quarters, you would be most welcome. Should you do so, however, we cannot entirely promise that your virginity would remain intact.”
Piers’ snort of derision tells its own tale. I am under no illusion that I would leave their chamber a virgin for a second time.
Chapter Nine
I stand at the window of the fine chamber provided for my use, gazing at the dust cloud on the far horizon. I have been watching it for nearly twenty minutes now, observing the grey, hazy shape grow and shift position as th
e distant riders approach Egremont. It is the priest; it must be, escorted by the troop of guards dispatched from this castle ten days previously. They are late. Inclement weather might have delayed them, or perhaps they encountered footpads on the route here. The remote northern uplands are riddled with bandits and thieves which makes travel a hazardous undertaking even for heavily armed men.
No matter, the priest is almost with us. And my time for procrastinating is at an end. I must make my decision and inform the St. John brothers what conclusion I have arrived at.
Would be much simpler if I actually did have a clear preference. As it is, my head is full to overflowing with what ifs and if onlys.
A knock at the door to my chamber disturbs my jumbled thoughts still further. It will be Joan, no doubt, who has been elevated to the station of my maid, at least for the duration of my stay here. I turn and call out an invitation to enter.
It is not the smiling servant, however. The door opens and Piers steps though. He looks magnificent as ever, and as formidable as I have ever seen him, even with a switch in his hand. I make an involuntary step back.
“My lord, I was not expecting to see you this morning.” I had understood that both brothers intended to inspect the boundaries of their lands today. There had been incursions by Scots bandits in recent weeks and fortifications may be required on their northern borders.
“We were informed of Father Peter’s imminent arrival and deemed it wise to have one of us on hand to greet him. It matters not which of us remains, he will not know the difference.”
“I see.” It no longer surprises me that Piers will just impersonate his brother without a moment’s hesitation, nor do I doubt his success. I have witnessed this on many occasions now and it is true that no one at Egremont is in the least concerned which of the brothers they deal with. Piers enjoys exactly the same authority that his brother does. I gesture to the window casement. “I have been observing Father Peter’s progress. He will be at the gates before nightfall.”
Piers does not respond to that. Instead he regards me levelly for several moments. Then, “You fear me, little maid.”
This I had not expected. I gape at him. “I do not, sir.”
“Aye, you do. This is why you hesitate.”
“Hesitate? I have no notion what your meaning might be, my lord.”
“Do not waste my time or yours in dissembling, madam. You are afraid of me and this is the reason you have not accepted my brother’s proposal of marriage.”
I can find no words to dispute this. Sir Piers is absolutely correct.
He shrugs and continues. “I cannot blame you, we have not got off on the right foot, you and I. Circumstances have dictated that I be the one to punish you on two occasions already and I know you must consider me harsh in comparison to my brother.” He pauses to bless me with a wry smile. “He was always the more affable of the pair of us.”
I abandon any further attempt to deflect the conversation into safer waters. “It… it is not just the matter of the spankings. On each occasion, I know you had justification for punishing me and you did me no injury. If Ralf’s shoulder had been fully healed, he would have been the one to wield the switch, I imagine.”
“Probably. But it was not, so you had to contend with me. And it was I who had you thrown into the dungeons and who threatened to hang you. You are right to be wary of my temper.”
I tilt my chin at him. “It is not your temper which concerns me, sir. Rather, it is your indifference.”
Now it is his turn to be taken aback. He raises an eyebrow, frowning. “I am not indifferent to you, little maid. Why would you think that?”
“Perhaps that is not exactly the correct word but I think it fair to say you lack your brother’s enthusiasm for this arrangement between the three of us. Perhaps you have other aspirations?”
“I beg your pardon.”
“I mean, perhaps you wish to marry another and you prefer not to be saddled with me.”
He narrows his eyes at me, his expression guarded. “I have no desire to seek a bride elsewhere.”
“Then it is the latter. You do not share your brother’s fascination with me.” I draw in a deep breath. “Please do not seek to spare my feelings, my lord. It is better we speak plainly, is it not? I have no wish to create discord between you and Sir Ralf but if this, this—liaison—is his dream and not yours, you should make that clear to both of us.”
He regards me in silence for several long moments. “You are a most surprising young woman, Linnet Routh. I can quite see how you captivated my brother so and lest you should continue to harbour doubts on this matter, I repeat, my own feelings toward you are far from indifferent. On that score you are wrong but much else of what you say is true enough.”
He has me baffled. I advance into the middle of the room and seat myself beside a small table. A flagon of sweet wine was left there by Joan earlier. I pour a goblet, as much to give me something to do with my hands as out of any desire for refreshment. “My lord, would you care for some wine?”
“Aye, I think perhaps I would.” He takes a seat opposite me and waits for me to hand him his drink. “Thank you, Linnet.”
“My lord, I—”
“Linnet, you love my brother, do you not?” He interrupts my question as though he did not hear me speak.
I reply slowly, not certain where this conversation might take us. “Yes, sir, I do.”
He nods. “As do I. And he loves me. It has always been so. Always the two of us, together and everyone else…” He offers me a gesture to indicate—what? Separateness, being set apart? I suppose they may have felt like that over the years, an indivisible duo, bound to each other for all time. “There is nothing I would not do for my brother and in turn, I know I can rely on him, absolutely. It was always that way for us. It always will be. Or so I thought.”
“I see that, sir, and as I have said, it is not my wish to come between you.”
“I know that is not your intent, Linnet, but it will happen nevertheless. A wife will make a difference. If just one of us marries, whichever one of us should do so, his affections, his loyalties will be divided. That would be inevitable and since Egremont will require heirs in the coming years, a bride will be needed. We may have to accept that consequence. If we each marry, each take our own bride, the rift will be greater still and I am not convinced I would consider the potential gains worth the wrench of losing my brother. Can you understand that? Can you comprehend the bond which exists between Ralf and me?”
My heart is sinking, I know where he is heading now. He will accept me, if he must, as the means to avoid severing the bond with his twin. I nod and lower my gaze to study my hands which are clasped in my lap. “Yes, my lord. I understand love. And duty.”
“Do you? For I am not convinced I could lay claim to such knowledge. All I know is, your presence here offers us a different possibility, one which we had not imagined.”
“It does? I am not sure I follow you?”
“If you consent to become our bride—our bride, Linnet, then two will be three. We will share you, Ralf and I, as we share all else in this world. But for that to work, you must know you belong to both of us, equally. There can be no favourites; you must give yourself to each of us without reservation.”
I tilt my chin up and meet his eyes. “And what would you be able to offer me, sir? If one of you loves me and the other does not, how could that work?”
He inclines his head, holding my gaze as he does so. “It would not work and it is my responsibility to address that issue, to ensure there is no misunderstanding between us. That is why I am here. This is the only conversation I will ever have with you which I am not prepared to share with my brother.” He stands, walks to the window to observe the progress of the coming priest. He turns to face me again. “I swear to you, Linnet Routh, that I will be a fair but firm husband, should you choose to accept our proposal. I will adore you no less than my brother does. I will
protect and honour you and if such be required, I would lay down my life for you. I am a stern man and discipline will be a part of our lives. It is likely I will be the one wielding the switch as often as not since Ralf… well, Ralf has other strengths. But I will love you none the less.”
“Love me? But, you do not even like me!”
“Why would you think that? Spanking and switching aside and the dungeon of course, have I not been kind to you?” He halts, gives a low chuckle. “On second thoughts, I do completely see how you might have arrived at that conclusion. Do you think we might start over?”
I can only stare at him. “No, sir, it was none of those things which brought me to the opinion I expressed. Rather, it has been your distance, your lack of warmth toward me in comparison to your brother.”
“You were to be Ralf’s bride, or so I believed. I would not betray my brother, ever. Whatever I might have felt, how else would you expect me to have behaved in those early days? I am a man of some honour, though I confess it has been somewhat strained of late. Now though, all has changed.”
“Because Ralf knows and approves? That is why, that time in your bedchamber…?”
“Yes, exactly. And it was good between the three of us, was it not?”
I pause but cannot lie. “It was, sir. It was very good.”
“That is what I want, what we want from you, with you. Always. We can promise you pleasure, little maid. I do not believe you would regret this marriage, however unorthodox it may seem.”
“I… see.”
Piers advances toward me, tips up my chin with his fingers. He leans down to kiss me, the touch light, almost brotherly. Almost, not quite. He straightens with a soft smile. “Please consider what I have said. I have but one final remark to offer and it is this. If our marriage is to work, all three of us will need to have absolute faith in each other. Ralf and I can promise you that, the rest is up to you.” He steps away, putting a polite distance between us. “Father Peter will be here in a few hours. We will summon you to learn your decision.”