The Sheik and the Slave
By Nicola Italia
Copyright @ 2014 by Nicola Italia
Dedicated to my fans.
Thank you for your support and taking this journey with me.
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Epilogue
Prologue
Katharine loved the hills and valleys of her home. Her family had been given the land after loyal service to William the Conqueror and each generation had made it grander and more lavish until her father invested money into the stables and other necessary finishing touches. He declared the forty-room mansion could be expanded no more and his desire was to leave behind a well-oiled and well-run estate and house. Willow Manor was the luscious estate’s name.
Katharine sighed as she walked through the vast gardens and into the flat green and into the small forest that lay at the edge of the estate. She felt at home surrounded by the pear trees, lavender, and roses. As she made her way into the small little woodland forest, she felt free and at ease.
Katharine was gifted with beauty beyond compare and was said to resemble the long ago ancestor, Rosamunde, who first lived on the land. She was a slim blonde with dazzling blue eyes like a clear blue sky and a delicately shaped face.
Rosamunde had been the youngest daughter of the first Lord Geoffrey, who had been gifted his land for supporting William the Conqueror. Geoffrey had been a fair lord and master and had adored his daughter. Renown for her beauty, Rosamunde was also educated, as Geoffrey denied her nothing. She was taught to read in English and Latin and was skilled in mathematics and well-versed in music and literature. She also enjoyed riding and hawking. When it came time to marry, Rosamunde could refuse her suitors and did. Eventually, a handsome ambitious knight approached her father and she agreed to the marriage.
The knight was possessive of the young Rosamunde and their match was passionate, resulting in seven children.
As gentry, Katharine’s mother and father had educated all four of their children. Katharine had one older brother, Charles, the heir to the family fortune, and two elder sisters, Mary and Eleanor. Her siblings had all married and started families of their own, but at 17 years old, Katharine, the baby of the family, was still in residence at Willow Manor.
She had been born in the wrong time and in the wrong place; that she was sure of. Born into a time where women were viewed only as their importance of their birthing capabilities, Katharine was a rarity. Her “curse” was her intelligence. Her father, Lord Edward Fairfax, had always been charmed by the blue-eyed beauty, even when she was a baby, and had indulged her every whim. Her education had rivaled that of her brother, and she excelled at most subjects. So while her brother struggled at Eton, Katharine studied French at the age of eight and excelled at it. She moved on to learn Italian, German and Latin. She studied Mathematics, Geography, and Sciences; her brother’s tutor, old Mr. Schlagel, pronounced her abilities as “outstanding.”
Her mother, Lady Anne, had been shocked at her husband’s indulgence of their youngest daughter. Though Edward remained insistent on Katharine’s education, Anne was just as severe in what she deemed a woman’s true education. She insisted on dance classes, etiquette classes, art and drawing classes, and embroidery lessons to make certain that when the time came for Katharine to marry, she would be a proper English wife.
Katharine walked deeper into the little forest with those horrible words still ringing in her ears. Why was her mother so insistent that she be an insipid little creature with nothing on her mind but gowns, embroidery, and husbands?
“My dear girl,” her mother had begun, wringing her hands as she looked at her youngest daughter. “You must find a husband soon and I dare say, a husband will care more about what goes on in the lower part of your body than whatever may be going on in that head of yours.”
Katharine had blushed red at her mother’s coarse words and run from the room. Though she was better educated than most men in the House of Commons, she was still an innocent virgin who had never spent time around men, save her father, brother, and the male servants.
Anne watched Katharine run out onto the green and beyond and groaned. The child had been a thorn in her side since the day she was born. Later births tended to be easier and quicker, but not in Katharine’s case. The labor had been intense, extremely painful, and had lasted well beyond 14 hours. Katharine had been an unhappy baby and only ever stopped crying when Edward held her.
Perhaps Anne was jealous. The time, love, and attention Edward lavished upon Katharine was unnatural and downright irritating. Edward loved all of his children, but had never been close to any of them – not even his heir, Charles.
Charles had always been a slow child. He had never been interested in his studies and always needed tutors and more tutors to pass simple courses that Katharine could have excelled at in her sleep.
Edward was extremely proud of his “Kat,” as he called her. She was a beautiful young woman blessed with a slim figure, long golden-blonde hair, and blue eyes that dazzled with knowledge and youth. She had inherited them from a past ancestor said to be the mysterious Rosamunde herself.
***
Aileen hustled downstairs into the servant’s dining room for the midday meal. She passed two parlor maids chattering about and brushed right past them.
“What seems to be the problem, Aileen?” Ms. Baxter, the cook, asked the young maid.
“Aye, ‘tis nothing. Just another spat ‘tween Lady Kat and her mother,” Aileen told the sweet old cook as she took her seat at the table.
Ms. Baxter nodded in understanding and seated herself at the head of the table.
***
Long ago, Edward had begun calling Katharine “Kat” and so in time the servants began calling her “Lady Kat,” befitting her station. Lord Edward never reprimanded anyone for calling her by the nickname and secretly enjoyed it. Since then, everyone called her Lady Kat except for Anne. She loathed the nickname and called her daughter Lady Katharine, except for the occasions when her temper was raised and her voice would dip low and she would ask to speak with her daughter.
When she was angered, Anne would ask for Katharine in a low tone that would give an outsider chills. She would ask the closest servant to, “bring Katharine Elizabeth Rosamunde Fairfax to me immediately,” and poor Lady Kat would be brought before her mother to endure whatever punishment was in store.
Lady Kat rarely deserved the harsh punishment meted out by her mother. Oftentimes, Lord Edward was away and Lady Anne was irritated with being left alone with no one for company except the headstrong Katharine. Charles had always been her favorite and she had doted upon him from birth. But while Charles was away at Eton, Anne became irritated when her husband was gone for long periods of time. After her two eldest daughters married, she was often left completely alone, save Katharine.
***
Kat was a sweet young girl. She enjoyed going below stairs to trade gossip with Ms. Baxter and talk nonsen
se with the maids. They enjoyed her company and she was kind to those who surrounded her. Kat was a smart girl even in her primary years, but as she grew older, she also had a steel will that would never be forced or broken, especially by her mother.
As Kat aged into her young teenage years, Lord Edward, who was 15 years older than his wife Anne, became more aged. He was nearing his late sixties and while Charles managed the monetary side of the estate, Anne was left running the day-to-day business of the estate, which included overseeing their tenants, hosting dinner parties and keeping up appearances for their neighbors and London relatives. Lord Edward spent more and more time in London, occasionally returning to Willow Manor for brief periods of time.
Though Kat was unaware, her mother began seeing a young man in a nearby village. He was a young country squire only a few years older than Katharine. Anne and her lover met at various places and made every effort to keep their relationship secret.
***
Katharine knew it wasn’t right to quarrel with her mother, but it seemed that the older her father got, the more domineering and demanding her mother became. Lady Anne was insistent upon Katharine marrying within the next year. She had placed several gentlemen before Kat, all of whom were abysmal. The latest had been the Earl of Benton. At 57 years old, the Earl was not much younger than Lord Edward. The Earl had children who were all older than Kat. He stood 5 feet 2 inches tall, with a large belly and yellow teeth due to his addiction to tobacco. Lady Anne was pleased with the offer because it would send Katharine to the other end of England while Anne would be able to run Willow Manor without interference.
***
Kat settled into the moss at the edge of her favorite oak tree. Though the forest was small and sparse, not covering more than a few acres, Katharine loved it. She had often come here as a child, sometimes accompanied by her father. She had been raised essentially as an only child, as her brother and sisters had been married and gone by the time she was a young girl. After Eton, her brother came to the manor every so often, but his bride of two years preferred the town of London.
She claimed the maids and cook as her many friends and their closest neighbors, the Maxwell’s, had a daughter that was Katharine’s age. Though the Maxwell’s were not wealthy, nor did they hold titles, they were a good, decent family and Edward approved of them. They were a merchant family; the Maxwell’s traded in wool and cotton.
Frances Anne Maxwell was a sweet, loving girl. Devoted to her pious mother and three younger brothers, she was a good companion for Katharine. She was “Francie” to all her friends. She had a good heart and an open ear, and was loyal and trustworthy. Francie had been a true friend for many years and always tried to be kind, as she knew Katharine’s life was sometimes difficult with her cold and uncaring mother.
Kat had just settled under the great oak tree when she saw a figure approaching. Her mother would never have ventured out onto the grounds when a servant would do. But the figure was dressed in a yellow silk dress that a servant could never afford. Kat smiled.
“Hello, my friend,” Kat cried out from her seated position.
Francie spotted her friend and waved. “Hello. I called upon you at the house but they said you had gone walking.”
“Yes, I had to take some air.” Kat elegantly arose from her seated position, brushing at her rose-colored skirts.
Francie fell in stride beside her and asked, “Have you quarreled with your mother again?”
Kat nodded. “Yes. I dare say I can do no right in her eyes.”
Francie was a pretty girl with soft chestnut brown hair and brown eyes. She lacked Kat’s vivacity and beauty, though she made up for it with her kind heart.
“You should try, dearest Kat. To be apart from one’s own mother is terrible.”
Kat made an unladylike snort and said, “Yes, perhaps it would be a terrible thing if one had sweet Agnes Maxwell for a mother. But when one is left with Anne Fairfax it’s not so terrible.” She made her remark with a harsh tone that Francie knew too well. There were times when Kat was pushed too far and when happened, it was best to stand back and let the storm blow over.
Everyone in the small village knew of Agnes Maxwell and her devotion to others in need. She was selfless woman who gave her time and raised her children with love and affection. Many happy days and afternoons had been spent at the Maxwell home enjoying the loving atmosphere while Agnes, Francie, and Kat gossiped, embroidered, and passed the time.
“I wish things were easy between us, Francie. I wish I could be a soft, malleable woman like Mary and Eleanor. Maybe that would make her happy. Or if I had been born a boy like Charles and not a useless daughter,” Kat shook her head. Her unhappiness was written across her face.
“I don’t think Lord Edward views you as useless,” Francie said softly.
“Oh no.” Kat thought fondly of her father. “Papa is too good and kind – much like you- to ever think ill of anyone.”
Francie smiled at the compliment.
“I guess we’re just too different. She just wants to marry me off and then she’ll be free of me.”
Francie’s arm came around her friend’s slim shoulders. “Who is the latest suitor?” she asked. Francie was privy to Kat’s life and knew of the constant merry-go-round of suitors her mother encouraged.
“It’s awful. The Earl of Benton.” Kat pulled aside a large fern leaf as Francie followed.
“Oh no!” Francie cried. Their movement frightened a small nest of birds nearby, who flew away.
“Yes. A man almost as old as my father, with no hair, shorter than I, and a large belly. I am younger than his children.”
Francie shuddered.
“I’ve almost resigned myself, Francie. I might have to become like those aristocratic women who join a nunnery because no one will have them.”
“No, darling,” Francie said as she walked beside her. “You are so lovely and intelligent. Many men want you. And you and I are only 17.”
“Yes, they want me for all the wrong reasons, like a rich dowry. Once they realize that I can speak several languages and have studied almost as much as they have, they recoil. ”
“Nonsense.”
“Yes, and I don’t want to marry a man for a title. I…”
“Yes?” Francie asked her to continue.
“I want a man who wants me and loves me for me. Am I mad?”
Francie shook her head. “No, dearest,” she said. “You are not mad.”
Hands clasped between the two close friends, they headed back to the house.
***
Anne watched as the neighbor girl Frances Maxwell walked into the small woods looking for Katharine. Her daughter was becoming a wild, headstrong girl and Edward refused to see it. Anne had been setting forth proper suitors for a year now, hoping Katharine would warm to one of them, but she hadn’t. Worse still was the fact that Edward had told her to leave Katharine alone and that she would marry in good time.
Good time? Bah! If left alone to her own, Kat would soon be 25, an old maiden and good for only embroidery.
Why was I given this last child? Anne wondered. Charles was married, happy and settled in London, ready to be given the reins of the family. Her lovely daughters Mary and Eleanor were both good girls, married and living on their own estates. And Katharine? Katharine was the bane of Anne’s existence, set upon to irritate her as a rough hair shirt. Defying her at every turn, Katharine was a willful brat.
Anne blamed Edward entirely for Katharine’s behavior. Edward had coddled and pampered her until the chit thought herself above everyone. Well, her time would come. The Earl of Benton seemed intent upon having Katharine as his own. She must marry, and Anne thought he was as good as any man.
Edward Fairfax settled down into his comfortable red leather chair, musing over the conversation with his wife over his daughter Katharine. The animosity between his wife and his youngest daughter was palpable. He and Anne were also at an impasse. He was of the belief that time was on
their side. Katharine was only 17 years old, young and impetuous, but certainly no old maid. She could wait to marry. There was also the fact that she would come to any marriage with a large dowry and that she was lovely. All of these things were in her favor.
However, his wife thought that Katharine’s beauty and dowry were her only saving grace, as her mind was too finely tuned and would frighten away lesser men. She also felt that in this one instance that Katharine should bow to her family’s wishes and marry the husband chosen for her.
Edward did not agree. He wanted Kat to be happy and felt that a rushed marriage would not be wise. He sipped his sherry and looked longingly into the fire. He would not have her harmed. He wanted her to be settled with a man who understood her mind and spirit and who would match both, not break, his beloved daughter.
Then, a thought struck him. He would send her to London to visit her brother Charles and his wife Sarah. She would be able to spend time with them, enjoy the season, and come home refreshed and ready to face what the future held- whatever that would be. Satisfied with his decision, he took up his quill pen to write the necessary letter to his son.
***
Katharine was thrilled to be in London. Though she missed her friends and father at Willow Manor, the city was alive with a pulse and beat.
Charles and Sarah, a thriving young couple, delighted in showing Katharine the sights and taking her to the Theatre Royal on Drury Lane. Kat shopped and went to many balls and parties. She was admired wherever she went; her lively nature, wit, and intelligence attracted men.
Sarah was happy to have married into the Fairfax family and readily accepted her new role as wife to Charles, but she was secretly envious of Katharine’s beauty and charm. It irritated her that Katharine seemed to conquer men’s hearts wherever she went, and the Earl of Benton seemed to follow her around in a most annoying fashion.
It irked Sarah. She went so far as to mention the Earl’s obsession to Charles, but Charles didn’t seem to mind Katharine’s presence or the following that she had among London’s most eligible bachelors. Rumor had it that several married men had vowed to conquer Katharine’s headstrong spirit and one outwardly wanted her as his mistress.
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