by Ruth Kaufman
She understood all too clearly. He was embarrassed by her, and everything he had was at stake because of her. If she couldn’t pull off this guise they would all be in dire trouble. Well, she wasn’t going to lose her son to him because of her inability to act a part.
“I can do it,” she assured him. “God’s eyes, husband, have faith in the likes of me. I’m not the soused, foul-mouthed, mentally ill pirate ye take me fer. I can act the part of a lady with ease.” She stepped right into a mare’s nest this time, picking up her little leather slipper now covered with dung. “Devil take it, I wish I had my boots. Hell with this,” she cursed again.
When she looked up to Garrett, he was shaking his head and walking away.
Chapter 12
Garrett walked through the courtyard just shaking his head. He’d spent most the morning trying to teach Echo how to sit in a side-saddle, but she kept hiking up her gown and straddling her horse like a man, saying she liked that better and felt more in control.
She actually wasn’t bad at riding, considering she’d never had much opportunity to do so growing up. Horses were expensive and for the wealthy. She’d spent most of her days on the water. But tho she mastered riding the horse astride, that did naught in her training of a lady. He sincerely doubted she’d ever master the skill of sitting atop a horse in a sidesaddle, so instead, he sent her to the kitchen to oversee the meal being prepared.
He, on the other hand, needed an outlet for the pent-up anger he’d been holding inside all morning. So he headed for the practice yard where he knew Sir Dwight and Sir Jacob would be sparring this time of day.
He walked up to find the men shining their swords and talking amongst themselves. They didn’t hear him approach, and he stopped silently behind them when he heard them mention his wife’s name.
“Did you see Lady Echo standing atop the crenel getting ready to jump?” asked Sir Dwight.
“Aye,” answered Sir Jacob. “She must be more addled in the head than Lord Garrett is letting on. She eats, curses and belches like a man.”
They both laughed. “Mayhap the illness has made her think she’s a man,” answered Sir Dwight.
“Aye,” added Sir Jacob. “I can only imagine what she did in bed on their wedding night. She probably played the aggressor and had our lord on his back.”
“Enough!” Garrett made his presence known and the men jumped to their feet. “I will not have you speaking ill-mannered about my wife again.”
“We apologize,” said Sir Jacob, looking over to his counterpart. “We meant no harm, my lord.”
“Sir Jacob, you are my steward and I would expect better from you than this. Even you, Sir Dwight – this is no way for a knight to be speaking about a lady. Especially not his lord’s wife!”
They apologized several more times and Garrett knew he should see to a physical reprimand, but couldn’t. He couldn’t really blame them for speaking about what they’d seen. It was certainly out of the norm. He knew if he were in their position he’d be questioning things as well.
He pulled his sword from his sheath and motioned to the men. “You first, Sir Dwight. I will see if your sword is nearly as sharp as your tongue.”
They walked out into the practice yard and Garrett’s sword clashed with Sir Dwight’s. He let loose with his anger building up inside him, and it wasn’t long before he managed to unarm the man. Sir Dwight, breathing heavily, got to his feet while his squire ran over to claim his sword.
Next, Garrett motioned with his head for Sir Jacob to join him, and he noticed the hesitation before the man drew his sword as well.
“You seem to have a lot of vigor inside today,” said Sir Jacob meeting Garrett’s sword with his own.
“If you mean anger, than aye, you are correct.”
“We meant no disrespect, my lord. But we have never met anyone like Lady Echo before.”
Swords clashed and the men moved back and forth. Garrett held back only slightly, and was impressed by Sir Jacob’s ability to match him at the skill.
“So are you saying you don’t like her?” he asked.
“On the contrary, my lord.” More scraping of metal against metal. “Talk at the manor is that while she is different, ’tis refreshing and she makes us laugh.”
“I don’t want anyone laughing at my wife.” He thrust forward with his sword with more force behind it now. Sir Jacob jumped out of the way.
“We are not laughing at her, my lord. We like her. We all like her, though she is not what is expected of a lady.”
“Hold up,” said Garrett, and he raised his hand for the man to stop his blows. “So you are saying that it doesn’t concern you or the others that my wife acts in . . . different ways?”
“I would be lying if I said we didn’t wonder where she really came from and why you are trying to hide her identity. But on the other hand, I am not sure anyone questions your actions of marrying her as she is a diamond in the rough.”
A diamond in the rough indeed, thought Garrett. But what he needed now was for this diamond to shine. Aye, he needed a true gem to be able to pull this off.
Echo joined Garrett at the dais for the midday meal. She knew Garrett would be watching every move she made with a cringe on his face. She wanted to show him she’d made progress today. Working in the kitchen alongside the servants was actually enjoyable. She’d rolled up her sleeves, tying the tippets behind her and was up to her elbows in things she couldn’t even identify.
“So, how did it go in the kitchen today?” asked Garrett, handing her the cup from which to drink.
“Excuse me, my lord,” she said waving away the wine, “but I need to wash my hands before I eat.” She held out her hands to the ewerer, and smiled. Garrett put down the wine. He grumbled and followed suit.
“Now then,” he said, picking up the cup again.
“My lord?” she nodded toward the priest, standing, waiting for Garrett to give him a nod to start grace.
Garrett put down the cup again and nodded to the priest. “Please say prayers, Father Gabriel.”
After the prayers, Echo picked up her knife and spoon. “Ye seem distracted today,” she surmised as she stabbed the hunk of roasted pork with her knife and sliced off a piece. She used her spoon to put it on his plate. A serving wench stood before them, waiting patiently.
“Thank you, Lady Echo,” said Garrett, and waved the wench away. “However, the servants usually cut and serve the meat, my dear.”
“Oh, I don’t mind,” she said. “I got plenty of practice in the kitchen today.”
“What do you mean?” He took the cup and drank from it. He offered it to her and she precisely took one sip and handed it back though she really wanted more. Actually, she had been craving a bottle of rum for some time now and didn’t know how much longer she could take this dainty drink.
“I just mean that I did as ye told me and helped out in the kitchen today. The servants and yer head cook are very nice.”
“Helped out?” he asked. “I told you to just watch and supervise the servants. What did you do?”
“Oh, ’twas very beneficial for all of us,” she said, placing a slice of meat for herself precisely on the trencher between them. She tried aimlessly to cut it into small pieces with her knife and spoon but it kept sliding and she found it frustrating indeed. “I learned about how to season rancid meat with herbs and I showed them a few tricks about guttin’ animals. I also showed them how to make hardtack and my father’s favorite, Salmagundi. I’m sure ye remember eatin’ that while on our ship. Today, cuz of me, they learned things about fish they never knew. Actually, Skye was a big help there. Most the fish we’re eatin’ today were flown in fresh by her talons straight from the sea.”
“You were gutting the dead animals in the kitchen? That is not a job for a lady. That is the servants’ job.”
“Oh, I don’t mind it atall. I rather liked a little blade work, since ’tis been a while. I told the knights I’d show them a few tricks of the sword in the p
ractice yard this afternoon and they said they’d show me how to tilt the quintain. I always wanted te learn how te joust.”
“You will not be using any blade but a dagger while here, and no wife of mine is going to be tilting the quintain, so just forget that right now. Instead, you will go to the lady’s solar this afternoon. Lady Eirian can instruct you in weaving a tapestry and mending your tippet which you ripped earlier.”
Echo struggled with the meat and finally gave up. She removed her dagger from her waist in frustration of the smaller eating knife, and stabbed it into the table just inches from his hand.
“Fine!” she said, trying to hold her tongue from telling him what she really thought about him thinking she was going to be the ever-obedient wife. She’d tried her hardest to do everything he wanted, but naught seemed good enough for him. Her father was much the same, as he’d always expected her to do what he wanted – and act like the son he wanted her to be. Now, after so many years of playing the boy for the captain, she was being ordered to forget everything she knew and act like a lady instead. She couldn’t win. Everyone wanted her to act like someone she wasn’t, and she was so confused that she no longer knew who she really was. She got up to leave, and his hand on her arm stopped her.
“Where are you going?” he asked. “The meal has just started.”
“I am no longer hungry,” she said. “And don’t worry about me embarrassin’ ye again cuz it ain’t gonna happen.”
She grabbed her dagger out of the table and didn’t even glance over her shoulder as she lifted her skirts and ran across the dais and out into the courtyard. She didn’t stop until she got to the mews. Skye was sitting atop a fence and she held out her arm. The bird perched on the leather wound around her arm. She made her way into the mews, thankful everyone was at the meal and she could be alone. She placed Skye down on a perch next to a few of the lord’s birds, and threw herself down into the straw, hiding her face under her arms.
She wasn’t one for crying, as her father taught her from an early age that a pirate didn’t cry. But if ever she felt like it, ’twould be now. How was she ever going to change in time for Garrett’s visit with the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports? She thought she could do this, but it was proving to be very hard – and much out of her nature.
She felt like she didn’t belong anywhere any more. She was out of place on the Seahawk just as much as she was here in Hythe. Her father wanted her to be a son. Her husband wanted her to be a lady. She just wanted to be a mother, but even that wasn’t happening. She hadn’t seen little Edgar much more here than she had when he was being cared for by her father’s whores while she went out pillaging. Nothing made any sense anymore, and dammit she didn’t care about ladies or pirates or rules. And if she wanted to cry, by god she would.
Her body shook as she hid her head in her arms and buried her face in the straw, crying for the first time in her life. She cried for the death of Garrett’s brother Edgar, and she cried because she couldn’t spend time with her son. She cried for the fact she’d never known her mother. And most of all, she cried because for the first time in her life she loved a man and she wasn’t good enough to fill the role of his wife.
Garrett followed Echo into the mews, having told Sir Jacob not to let anyone else follow. He needed to be alone with Echo, and he didn’t need any busybodies watching.
“Echo?” It took a moment for his eyes to get used to the darkness after being in the bright sun. “Sweetheart?” He walked inside.
She didn’t answer, but he thought he heard sobbing from the far end of the mews. That couldn’t be. Echo would never cry. She’d cut off her own hand before she thought to show any weakness in front of him or anyone – ever.
Sure enough, he knew it was Echo when he saw Skye sitting on a wooden perch. Through the slats in the mews sun shone in, spilling around her body as she lay face down in the straw sobbing hysterically. Her body shook with each sob and his heart went out to the girl.
“Echo, sweetheart, are you alright?” He bent down next to her and put his hand on her shoulder.
“Go away!” she shouted. “I want te be alone.”
He couldn’t leave her at a time like this, and now he felt bad for the way he’d treated her. She had been trying so hard and yet he thought to criticize her. It wasn’t her fault she had no skills in being a lady. After all, it was the furthest thing from who she really was. But still, he couldn’t stop caring for her and thinking of her every minute of the day.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to be so harsh.”
She sat up and wiped the tears from her eyes.
“I’m not weak, if that’s what ye’re thinkin’. That’s the first time in my life I’ve ever cried.”
“What?” Garrett couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He knew she was tough, but that was absurd. Everyone cried at some time or another. Everyone had feelings and emotions and needed to release them at some point or go insane.
Insane. That’s exactly what he’d told his men had happened to her, when in fact he was the only addlepated one there. He finally found the woman of his dreams, only he never knew that woman he dreamed of was not a lady, but a pirate.
“I love you, Echo,” he said, before he had the chance to talk himself out of it and never tell her at all.
“What?” Now it was her turn to ask the same question.
“Did you want me to say it louder?” he asked, because I will. “I love you, Echo,” he said louder, than said it once more, but this time tenderly as he took his finger and wiped a tear from her cheek. “I love you,” he whispered, and laid his lips upon hers. She didn’t return his endearment with one of her own, but he didn’t expect he deserved it.
“I am tryin’ my best te be the person ye want me te be,” she told him. “But I no longer know who I am.”
“Then just be yourself,” he told her. “I cannot stand to see you hurt because of me.”
“But what about yer visit from the Lord Warden?” she asked. “I don’t want to jeopardize yer position.”
“It means a lot to me,” he agreed, “but you mean more to me than all the titles I could ever possess.”
He kissed her again, and then she pulled back, staring deeply into his hazel eyes.
“What about Edgar?” she asked. “Are we goin’ to lose him because of this?”
“I don’t know,” he answered. “But you know I would do anything to keep him.”
“Then get to know him,” she said. “Plan a day where the three of us can spend it together.”
“Aye,” he said. “I would like that.”
“So would I.” She pulled him down into the straw and wrapped her arms around him. She kissed him like she meant it, and he couldn’t stop thinking of their wonderful night they’d spent together.
“Make love to me, Echo,” he begged her. “Right here, right now.”
“This is hardly the place a lady would get naked with her man,” she answered. “Even I know that.”
“The devil take it, I no longer care. You excite me so much I want you every hour of the day and in every odd location.”
She reached down and ran her hand over his manhood and he felt himself grow even harder under her touch. Her nimble fingers toyed with him, and he didn’t know how much longer he could endure this before he burst right in her hand.
“If you want to enjoy this too, then I’d suggest you let me take you right here,” he said. “And I warn you, wife, it won’t be gentle, as I have emotions inside me too that I have not been able to let out in a cry.”
“I understand,” she said. “Ye find other ways fer yer release. Then take me, husband, but neither will I be gentle. And when I cry out my passion, I cannot muffle it from the rest of the world.”
“Neither do I want you to.”
He couldn’t control himself any longer. He sat up and hurriedly pulled off his hose and braies, and was surprisingly delighted when she sat up as well, taking her dagger from her side and making a s
lit in his tunic. Then she smiled wickedly and with her bare hands ripped the clothes right from his body.
His heart beat more rapidly in his chest than it ever had before. He pulled her to her feet and backed her against the wall of the mews. He then claimed her in a punishing kiss that seemed to excite her more. He didn’t bother removing her gown, knowing he’d tear it to shreds in anticipation. Instead, he grabbed the bottom of her gown and hiked it up to her waist knowing she wore naught underneath.
Then he picked her up by her hips. “Straddle me,” he told her.
“What?” she asked.
“Put your legs around my waist.” She did as told and he could feel the heat between them. Then being able to wait no longer, he grabbed one of her thighs in each hand, spreading them further, keeping her back against the wall and slowly lowered her onto his length.
Echo couldn’t believe what she was doing, coupling with her husband in broad daylight out in the mews. The idea excited her beyond belief. So much so, that she’d ripped the clothes right from his body, knowing she could wait no longer.
Garrett didn’t take the time to ready her this time, but she didn’t need it. She was ready from the moment she felt his manly weapon of love beneath her fingers. He slid her down onto him, and she took in all of his glorious thick length, guided by her flow of liquid passion.
Then when he rocked his hips beneath her, her back banged into the wall of the mews with every thrust, scaring some of the birds inside so they squawked and fluttered their wings.
She gripped his hair in her hands as she hungrily devoured him. She thrust her tongue into his mouth, happy when he returned the gesture. Then she pulled back her head and screamed in delight as her passion grew to heights she’d never known.
She moaned loudly and cried out over and over again with each thrust of Garrett. And when he cried out in a low voice as well, exploding within her, it only brought her to yet another height.