Eliza sat at her vanity that night, brushing her still
slightly damp hair. Her thick, curly, hair was slung over her
shoulder as she brushed it absently staring at her reflection.
Marriage. Her mother had had told her that she had to start
considering a husband. As a result she had to go tournament with her
father. Not even watch him joust, but to put herself out there. She
didn't want to get married. She didn't like the idea that she had
to sell herself to a man that knew nothing about her. She had tried
to explain this to her father, but he still thought that all she had
to do is find the right man. She was now entertaining the thought
of joining a nunnery. The only person she had told this to was
Conor, and even he had fought down a hearty laugh.
"Are you busy?" called her mother. Glancing up in the mirror she saw her mother enter her room. "Need you my help."
"No mum, I'm fine." She said. Resuming brushing her hair more vigorously. Jocelyn walked up to her daughter and smiled at her.
"Excited about tomorrow?" she asked.
"Not really. I'd rather be at confession." Jocelyn laughed at that. She took the brush out of Eliza's hand and started brushing her hair.
"I know the feeling. I didn't want to be put on display like meat in a butcher's window. But it is rather exciting once you find someone to root for." Eliza forced a smile as her mother braided her hair. "I know that it's not anything now but you'll see. It'll be all right dear." She said as she finished, and leaned down to kiss her head. She smiled at her in the mirror. Still Eliza's mind was not eased, as she watched her mother light a few of the multitude of candles in her room. She needed more than her parent's words. They were supposed to say those things. How was she to know whether or not they were right. After all, their experience could only be applicable to their life, right? She waited until her mother had left and then she slipped on her overcoat and, grabbing a candle, made her way down to the stables. Conor was there as she knew he would be, still hammering away at horseshoes with as much vigor as this morning. He glanced up at her and frowned slightly.
"Shouldn't you be in bed by now lady?" he asked, shoving a horseshoe into the by now well-used bucket of water and then throwing it into a new pile of horseshoes.
"Yes but I couldn't sleep." She said walking up to him and pulling herself onto a ledge. "I've been troubled."
"By what?"
"My father says that I should be considering marriage by now."
"Aren't you?"
"No, I'm not. I don't want to go out parading my body for some block headed colt who want nothing out of me but children and food when he comes home, and a pat on the back whether he's done a good job or not."
"You're afraid you won't make a good wife." Ethan said smiling gently as he pounded away. Eliza stared at him in amazement.
"How do you do that?" she asked.
"Do what?"
"Just pick my brain and read my mind and heart with out me saying more than two sentences."
"Well with all due respect Lady, this isn't the first time you've come down here begging for advice. Although I have yet to understand why you're coming to me. After awhile you learn to read between the fodder."
"Well you know how opinionated I am! I love the joust, not for the popularity or the men but for the sport itself! I'm obnoxious and stubborn. I'm horrible!"
"Yes but you are also beautiful, smart, funny, sarcastic-"
"A damn nuisance. You've said it dozens of times."
"Yes but that's not the point. Do you honestly expect to be a real person without having any flaws? You're real Eliza. The fact that you're opinionated means that you will debate something and that can be refreshing after a day with the mindless masses. You are fun to be around. Well most of the time anyway.. But that's not the point. You have a lot of good qualities and if you show them as well as a little of your bad you'll be fine. You don't have to change who you are to be accepted. At least you shouldn't have to. Besides your father would never agree to let some scurvy cur marry you without your willing consent. He loves you Eliza. You have nothing to be afraid or ashamed of." Conor said as he threw another finished shoe into the rapidly growing pile. He glanced at her and saw that she was staring at him. A smile worked its way onto her face brightening her features.
"Thank you Conor." She whispered. Then she jumped down from the ledge and grabbed her candle. "Good night." She said and then turned and walked back to her room.
"Good night." Conor whispered as he watched her go. His heart raced and his face flushed as he went back to his work. To think that she would even think of herself as anything but beautiful was a shock to him. Every day he would see her face in the flames of the furnace that he worked over daily, and every night she would float behind his eyelids. It was foolish to feel anything but fondness for her he knew, oh did he know all to well, but it had always been too late for him. So he kept his peace and pounded horseshoes and packed and saddled Sir William's horses. It was all he could do.
"Are you busy?" called her mother. Glancing up in the mirror she saw her mother enter her room. "Need you my help."
"No mum, I'm fine." She said. Resuming brushing her hair more vigorously. Jocelyn walked up to her daughter and smiled at her.
"Excited about tomorrow?" she asked.
"Not really. I'd rather be at confession." Jocelyn laughed at that. She took the brush out of Eliza's hand and started brushing her hair.
"I know the feeling. I didn't want to be put on display like meat in a butcher's window. But it is rather exciting once you find someone to root for." Eliza forced a smile as her mother braided her hair. "I know that it's not anything now but you'll see. It'll be all right dear." She said as she finished, and leaned down to kiss her head. She smiled at her in the mirror. Still Eliza's mind was not eased, as she watched her mother light a few of the multitude of candles in her room. She needed more than her parent's words. They were supposed to say those things. How was she to know whether or not they were right. After all, their experience could only be applicable to their life, right? She waited until her mother had left and then she slipped on her overcoat and, grabbing a candle, made her way down to the stables. Conor was there as she knew he would be, still hammering away at horseshoes with as much vigor as this morning. He glanced up at her and frowned slightly.
"Shouldn't you be in bed by now lady?" he asked, shoving a horseshoe into the by now well-used bucket of water and then throwing it into a new pile of horseshoes.
"Yes but I couldn't sleep." She said walking up to him and pulling herself onto a ledge. "I've been troubled."
"By what?"
"My father says that I should be considering marriage by now."
"Aren't you?"
"No, I'm not. I don't want to go out parading my body for some block headed colt who want nothing out of me but children and food when he comes home, and a pat on the back whether he's done a good job or not."
"You're afraid you won't make a good wife." Ethan said smiling gently as he pounded away. Eliza stared at him in amazement.
"How do you do that?" she asked.
"Do what?"
"Just pick my brain and read my mind and heart with out me saying more than two sentences."
"Well with all due respect Lady, this isn't the first time you've come down here begging for advice. Although I have yet to understand why you're coming to me. After awhile you learn to read between the fodder."
"Well you know how opinionated I am! I love the joust, not for the popularity or the men but for the sport itself! I'm obnoxious and stubborn. I'm horrible!"
"Yes but you are also beautiful, smart, funny, sarcastic-"
"A damn nuisance. You've said it dozens of times."
"Yes but that's not the point. Do you honestly expect to be a real person without having any flaws? You're real Eliza. The fact that you're opinionated means that you will debate something and that can be refreshing after a day with the mindless masses. You are fun to be around. Well most of the time anyway.. But that's not the point. You have a lot of good qualities and if you show them as well as a little of your bad you'll be fine. You don't have to change who you are to be accepted. At least you shouldn't have to. Besides your father would never agree to let some scurvy cur marry you without your willing consent. He loves you Eliza. You have nothing to be afraid or ashamed of." Conor said as he threw another finished shoe into the rapidly growing pile. He glanced at her and saw that she was staring at him. A smile worked its way onto her face brightening her features.
"Thank you Conor." She whispered. Then she jumped down from the ledge and grabbed her candle. "Good night." She said and then turned and walked back to her room.
"Good night." Conor whispered as he watched her go. His heart raced and his face flushed as he went back to his work. To think that she would even think of herself as anything but beautiful was a shock to him. Every day he would see her face in the flames of the furnace that he worked over daily, and every night she would float behind his eyelids. It was foolish to feel anything but fondness for her he knew, oh did he know all to well, but it had always been too late for him. So he kept his peace and pounded horseshoes and packed and saddled Sir William's horses. It was all he could do.
