author notes: fairly happy with the first chapter, as is. No major changes, mainly grammar, spelling and flow issues fixed. :) 4/6/04
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"Innocent child, how you thought you knew me" - (London After Midnight, The Bondage Song)
Scotland - 1744
Shannon Drake sat looking down the table at the man with the cap of dark hair. Every now and then his eyes would sweep her side of the table, boldly meeting hers for an instant before moving on. It bothered her that he did not appear to have any trouble ignoring her. She knew she was beautiful, or at least attractive, with her own raven dark hair that fell to her waist in a tumble of waves and curls. To her disappointment though, the man with the dark hair was studying Gretchen, her blonde cousin.
So that is what he wants, Shannon quipped in her mind. He likes the classic blonde and blue eyes. Shannon lowered her own dark eyes to the long, oak wood table of the dining hall. Dinners like this, were common in the Drake estate and people would come from everywhere to dine in the immaculate Drake hall.
The Drakes were one of the most prominent families in Scotland. Their wealth was well known, as were her father and brothers who were all well known Jacobites and supporters of the Bonnie Prince Charlie. The dining hall was stone and wood, and filled with the noise of a large crowd. There were titters from the females and booming barks from the males. People crowded around the family table, where Shannon sat, anxious to get a word or appearance in with her father, the chieftain of their clan.
Tired with the turn the night had taken, Shannon gathered the skirts of her maroon dining dress and made her way to the staircase that led to the west wing, where the family rooms were located. A sharp noise from the stairwell caught her attention, walking to the foot of the stair, she smiled.
"Toby."
Toby shook his shoulder length auburn hair in reply. "Lady Shannon." He bowed with mock formality. "How was dinner? Looked very exciting."
Because he was one of the stable hands, he was not allowed to eat with the family even though he had practically been raised with Shannon and her cousin Gretchen.
"No, it was very boring, but I think Gretel may have a proposal coming soon." She deliberately used her cousin's annoying nick name to represent the frustration she was feeling toward her cousin at the moment.
"Who?" he said, taking her hand and leading her to the door, not quite entering the dining hall but crouching behind the frame so that the whole room was visible to Shannon and Toby, but they remained invisible to the eyes in the room.
Placing a hand on Toby's shoulder to balance herself as she pointed to the stranger with the cap of dark hair. He was leading Gretchen by the hand to the courtyard entrance. "There, see? He has Gretel by the hand, and leading her outside to the gardens. Him? You see him?"
Toby's head moved up and down, "Aye," he backed up and stood straight. "I know him, he came on a nice ride last night, very late. He didn't speak much. He asked where he could find the chieftain. Then he walked away once I told him."
"Odd."
Toby shrugged. "For what it is worth his name is Salvatore. I didn't catch his first name, but he comes from Italy among other places."
As Shannon's mouth opened to ask how Toby had come across that information he added with a smile, "He told me himself. I assume you aren't going to just let him propose to Gretchen, are you?" He smiled at her, proving once again he knew her far to well.
"Well of course not," Shannon began, "I think it would be poor manner not to warn Mr. Salvatore of my cousin's childish, immature ways." She flashed a smile, "He can do much better than that, I think."
Toby laughed and backed away. "I have to go check on the horses, one of them is about to foal, ye ken?" He winked and turned, running down the corridor and leaving Shannon to look by herself at the entrance to the courtyard.
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"Innocent child, how you thought you knew me" - (London After Midnight, The Bondage Song)
Scotland - 1744
Shannon Drake sat looking down the table at the man with the cap of dark hair. Every now and then his eyes would sweep her side of the table, boldly meeting hers for an instant before moving on. It bothered her that he did not appear to have any trouble ignoring her. She knew she was beautiful, or at least attractive, with her own raven dark hair that fell to her waist in a tumble of waves and curls. To her disappointment though, the man with the dark hair was studying Gretchen, her blonde cousin.
So that is what he wants, Shannon quipped in her mind. He likes the classic blonde and blue eyes. Shannon lowered her own dark eyes to the long, oak wood table of the dining hall. Dinners like this, were common in the Drake estate and people would come from everywhere to dine in the immaculate Drake hall.
The Drakes were one of the most prominent families in Scotland. Their wealth was well known, as were her father and brothers who were all well known Jacobites and supporters of the Bonnie Prince Charlie. The dining hall was stone and wood, and filled with the noise of a large crowd. There were titters from the females and booming barks from the males. People crowded around the family table, where Shannon sat, anxious to get a word or appearance in with her father, the chieftain of their clan.
Tired with the turn the night had taken, Shannon gathered the skirts of her maroon dining dress and made her way to the staircase that led to the west wing, where the family rooms were located. A sharp noise from the stairwell caught her attention, walking to the foot of the stair, she smiled.
"Toby."
Toby shook his shoulder length auburn hair in reply. "Lady Shannon." He bowed with mock formality. "How was dinner? Looked very exciting."
Because he was one of the stable hands, he was not allowed to eat with the family even though he had practically been raised with Shannon and her cousin Gretchen.
"No, it was very boring, but I think Gretel may have a proposal coming soon." She deliberately used her cousin's annoying nick name to represent the frustration she was feeling toward her cousin at the moment.
"Who?" he said, taking her hand and leading her to the door, not quite entering the dining hall but crouching behind the frame so that the whole room was visible to Shannon and Toby, but they remained invisible to the eyes in the room.
Placing a hand on Toby's shoulder to balance herself as she pointed to the stranger with the cap of dark hair. He was leading Gretchen by the hand to the courtyard entrance. "There, see? He has Gretel by the hand, and leading her outside to the gardens. Him? You see him?"
Toby's head moved up and down, "Aye," he backed up and stood straight. "I know him, he came on a nice ride last night, very late. He didn't speak much. He asked where he could find the chieftain. Then he walked away once I told him."
"Odd."
Toby shrugged. "For what it is worth his name is Salvatore. I didn't catch his first name, but he comes from Italy among other places."
As Shannon's mouth opened to ask how Toby had come across that information he added with a smile, "He told me himself. I assume you aren't going to just let him propose to Gretchen, are you?" He smiled at her, proving once again he knew her far to well.
"Well of course not," Shannon began, "I think it would be poor manner not to warn Mr. Salvatore of my cousin's childish, immature ways." She flashed a smile, "He can do much better than that, I think."
Toby laughed and backed away. "I have to go check on the horses, one of them is about to foal, ye ken?" He winked and turned, running down the corridor and leaving Shannon to look by herself at the entrance to the courtyard.