The Earl And The Lady

Two

Two

Isobel sighed when she waited for Agnes to return only that she didn't, she had been gone for more than half a bell.

If she was going to do anything useful this morn, she would have to do it on her own. Getting up she turned and gasp in surprise as she took in the man standing in front of her looking every bit of the word foreboding.

He was dark and handsome with sun kissed skin , sun lit hair which tips barely brushed against his shoulders, shoulders that were broad and covered in a soft dark tunic that didn't really hide the bulging muscles in his frame, a leather trouser that led to long boots he wore with grace and and when she finally tore her gaze back to his face, he was wearing an amused smirk which had her blushing and chastising herself.

She was married now and she can't go around admiring men no matter how handsome they looked.

‘ are you through with your assessment mi'lady ’ he asked and Isobel could feel the blood gathering in her checks and a glance at his face proved that he knew she was blushing furiously.

‘ I hope I am not lacking your grace, I certainly fit into your standard of how an husband should look like, right wife?’

‘ wife? ’ Isobel asked confused.

‘ yes, my Lady Isobel, allow me to introduced myself .' Lord Andrew said then with a flourished he bowed down from the waist ‘ Lord Andrew, earl of Northridge and the duke of Wistonburg also chief of the royal guard.

The royal guard your father tried to distract to kill my Best friend . ’ lord Andrew said with his voice deepening with rage which automatically had Isobel shifting away from the source which happened to be her husband who hates her from the look that he was giving her.

Lady Isobel suddenly found her throat dry and she could not find a word to answer.

Andrew taking her silence as guilt continued without spearing her emotions, ‘ if it was up to me, I would hanged you in front of your father then torture him to death while he watch you take your last breathe, don't mistake and think that my marriage to you spared your life because if you take one step out of line I will deal with you as I fit with the king not able to interfere. ’

By the time he was finished, lady Isobel has lost all color from her face and was barely standing, the only reason she was still upright was because she doesn't want him to see her as a weak Lady.

Using the last of her resolve she raised her chin in a haughty expression and asked in a bored tone that her father forced her to cultivate to hide her feelings ‘ are you through with your annoyingly degrading speech... Husband .’

‘ no dear wife .’ lord Andrew said in a sugary tone that was highly false. ‘ I don't know how you got Agnes on your side but it won't work on me and the ladies of the court. In fact they are going to eat you up like a lamb stew and I can't stand up for you because I am not allowed to step in when ladies fight. Oh before I forget we are meeting with them in two bells away for tea hosted by princess Whitney. ’ with that Andrew left as the barely veiled threat her husband issued penetrated her head.

He is throwing her to the wolves to slaughter since he can't do it himself... Well it is a good thing that she can handle her self as she has all though her life, now it's time for her maid to chose where she stands between the drawn battles lines.

♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪

‘ you asked to see me, my lady. ’ Agnes said nervously, oh she just know it, lady Isobel is going to kill her for opening her big mouth to tell lord Andrew her mind.

‘ who do you report to ? ’ Isobel asked her maid as she brushed her hair with the brush her father gave her for her twentieth birthday, one of the few belongings of hers she was allowed to keep.

‘ pardon my lady but I don't understand you ’ Agnes said in a confused tone.

‘ do you report to the king or my husband.? ’

‘ the king, lady Isobel ’ Agnes said bowing her head thinking that the shouting is about to start.

‘ good then I will need your help. My husband has decided to break my spirit and he wants to do it through the vicious ladies in the king court ’

‘ my Lady I have always been a slave. You should get a noblewoman as your ally. ’ Agnes said suddenly with understanding.

‘ I should but then I know the usefulness of slaves, they see everything, hear everything, know everything while been ignored, please I am begging you to help me. ’ Isobel finish in a pleading tone .

‘ I will my lady. ’ Agnes said only because she believes that Lady Isobel is better than princess Whitney who has been forcing herself on Lord Andrew. Let the war begins. And this was a war she would gladly welcome. Princess Whitney had it coming for her in a long time.

****

Isobel was really happy... well as happy as one can be in her state. Agnes told her the dirty secrets that most of the ladies have and that makes her the most dangerous one of them all, although she decided to let sleeping dogs lie until when provoked.

Reaching the hallway where lord Andrew was waiting for her in anger she smiled as she saw him stare at her, unabashed then she blushed when he kept staring at her. ‘ is it too much, is that why you are staring? ’ Isobel asked anxiously.

‘ no I am just wondering how many men would have seen under your clothes? Were you discrete about it? Is that why you chose to remain a spinster? ’ Andrew said strangely enjoying the discomfort on her face.

‘ you.. ’ started Isobel without able to find a perfect description for him.

‘ let's go, we are already fashionably late and I don't want to find out what's running through my fellow gentlemen heads as of the moment.’ Lord Andrew said as he left without offering his arm out to help her.

***********

‘ is that her? ’ princess Whitney asked lady Brittany who followed her everywhere, hoping to catch her brother's eye, as if she will let her brother get married to this tramp who opens her legs for every and any noble man.

‘ yes, how on earth does pale pink fits her pale skin when it is not suppose to? ’ Brittany asked green with envy as all the males heads turned towards Isobel's way.

‘ emmm, she has that virtueless slave of mine. ’ princess Whitney answered with her mind already on ways to make Isobel life miserable.

‘ why did you let her go .’

‘ didn't I say that she has no virtue .’ princess Whitney snapped at her, she would pull her hair out if one more person commented on what a great help Agnes was, she has yet to see some one with Agnes talent and now that criminal daughter is outshining her... well not for long because she plans on putting Isobel right next to her sire on the hanging gallows.

• • • • • • • • • •

‘ lady Isobel ’ the king said in front of every body as a sign to show he welcomes her. ‘ in the next ball, allow me to be the first man who will dance with you .' And at the sharp glance that his best friend sent him corrected his statement. ‘ after your husband of course ’ then the gentlemen all congratulated the king on his quick thinking then before they could start filling her dancing card, she purred out sensually, ‘ for that, you can fill all the free spaces in my dancing card at the next ball ’.

At that the whole room went quiet as the implication went into every body head until the king cleared his throat and the room went lively again.

‘ what was that wife? ’ Andrew gritted out mostly out of jealously than anger.

‘ what do you mean, my dear husband ’ lady Isobel answered in a sugary tone and an innocent look on her face.

‘ what are you trying to do ?’ Andrew asked angrily.

‘ trying to find a seat so that I can have tea, my throat is suddenly dry from that purring, oh and as for the purring, I was trying to be discrete, or would you have preferred if I told him to consummate my marriage for my husband just as he stood in your place for the ceremony. ’ Isobel said as she went on her tiptoes and placed a kiss on his jaw then left to sit down leaving him standing shocked and angry at the door way.