Ch. 2
A couple weeks into the group, after they'd moved on to other books, Mark invited them all to a Renaissance festival in his hometown about an hour's drive from the college. Everyone gave non-committal answers, but the next week, Mattie stopped by Dr. Carmichael's office.
"Hi, Mattie! Come on in! How are you?"
"I'm doing pretty well, Dr. Carmichael. I was wondering if you're going to be going to Mark's Renaissance festival. I'm kind of thinking about going myself."
"Actually, I probably will go. Would you like to carpool?"
"Sure! My car isn't terribly reliable."
"That's OK. I'll drive." Dr. Carmichael chuckled. Cars were such a bother.
"I don't really have anything to wear, but I was thinking about hitting the local Goodwill stores."
"If you'd like, I can bring something for you. You and I are just about the same size, and I have a couple dresses that would be perfect for that kind of festival. Why don't we meet here about 9:00 Saturday morning, and we can change there."
Saturday came and Mattie and Dr. Carmichael drove to the fairgrounds where the festival would be held. There were two garment bags in the back of the car, but Amy wouldn't show Mattie the dresses until they got to the festival. The two women went to the bathrooms there and Amy handed Mattie one of the garment bags before stepping into one of the stalls to change. Mattie slipped into another stall and opened the bag. The dress inside was beautiful. It was deep red velvet, simple, but elegant. The sleeves were flared and fell almost to the floor. The square neckline wasn't too low, but flattering. It fit her perfectly. She put her boots back on, glad the 2" heels kept the hem from dragging on the ground. After stuffing her other clothes in the garment bag, Mattie opened the door and walked out of the stall.
Dr. Carmichael was standing in front of the mirror in a beautiful dark green dress. It seemed made for her. Her long dark hair was down and fell almost to her waist. There was an elegance about her that stole Mattie's breath. "Wow!"
"Quit gawking, Mattie. I can get dolled up when I want to. Let me help you with your hair." Fifteen minutes later, they'd finished with hair and taken garment bags back to the car.
"Any idea where to find Mark?" Amy asked while scanning the crowd.
"Not a clue. Look—there's swordfighting over there. Let's go look! That is, if you want to…" She trailed off, a little unsure of herself, remembering that this was her professor, not a school friend.
"Yes, let's." Dr. Carmichael took the lead, and they wandered over to the sparring ring. "Well, what do you know? We find him when we aren't looking for him."
Mattie looked at her quickly, confused, before looking back at the competitors. She gasped, recognizing Mark. Dr. Carmichael whispered, "Looks different without his shirt, doesn't he?" Indeed, Mark had removed his shirt because of the heat. Muscles neither woman would have guessed existed gleamed with sweat. "I always enjoy Indian summers, but this is an added benefit." Mattie looked at her askance, but the professor continued serenely, "Just because I'm older doesn't mean I can't look. He's also an excellent swordsman. Look at the fighting or the fighters, I don't care. Just enjoy the show, Mattie. It's no crime to look."
After another minute or so, the match ended, and Mark took a towel from a fencepost. He wiped off his face, then looked up and noticed Mattie and Dr. Carmichael. He stared at them for a moment before recognition set in. He glanced down at his bare chest, a little embarrassed, but walked over to them anyway.
"Hey! It's good to see you two. You look great." He was speaking to them both, but his eyes were riveted on Mattie. He seemed to realize it and turned his gaze back to Dr. Carmichael.
"You're an excellent swordsman, Mark. Where did you learn?"
"My dad…before he died…"
"I'm sorry."
"No. It's OK. I miss him, but for the most part, I'm over it."
"Sometime we'll have to spar. I haven't used a sword in a long time, so I'd probably be easy prey, but it would be fun to try."
"Yeah, I'd like that. Any time…well, sort of."
Dr. Carmichael laughed. "Anytime it's convenient, you mean. Perhaps later today. Is there a program to the event?"
"There are a lot of things scheduled throughout the day, but the only organized thing is the noon meal. Why don't you let me get cleaned up a little, and I'll show you around." Dr. Carmichael nodded, and he turned away from them, wiping off the sweat before pulling on the discarded shirt. He returned the sword to its scabbard, which he buckled around his waist.
When Mark got back, Dr. Carmichael spoke. "Are you pretty active in this group?"
"Not as much as I used to be. I go to the occasional festival, and I practice a little archery here and there, but I haven't been terribly active in it since my dad died a couple years back. The rest of my family thinks it's stupid, and it's easier not to aggravate them."
"Are you close to them?" Dr. Carmichael asked.
"Not really. I avoid them as much as I can. I'm supposed to be at a cousin's birthday party right now, but I couldn't bring myself to sit through endless hours of 8-year-olds' temper tantrums. Here, if you've got that kind of attitude, you'll find yourself in the stocks."
"Do they actually use them?"
"Only with volunteers. If anyone's really rowdy, we just call the police. If it's just an annoying drunk, we usually give them the option of the stocks before we call the cops." Mark chuckled. "No one here could be anywhere near as bad as my cousins, anyway."
Mark showed them around for an hour, and then it was time to find their places for lunch. He led them to the tent where the main meal would be held. "Andrew!" He called out a name, and a well-dressed man turned to them. He looked like the "lord" of the feast. The other man walked over.
"Mark! It's good to see you." The two shook hands. "And who are these two fine ladies?" Mark introduced them, and Andrew kissed both women's hands. Mattie looked a little uncomfortable, but Amy was completely in her element.
"It's a pleasure, milord." Dr. Carmichael's reply came easily.
"Would you care to join me at the high table?" Andrew asked.
"We'd be honored." Amy took the elbow Andrew offered, and chuckled as Mattie hesitantly took Mark's arm. The foursome was seated, and after a short introduction, the first course was served. Amy asked Andrew about the Renaissance group, and kept the conversation going throughout most of the meal. However outgoing Mattie usually was, she was nervous, and it was all Amy could do to keep her involved in the conversation. The older woman watched Mattie and Mark with amusement. Mark was back to being very shy, and Mattie, nervous as she was, wasn't doing a very good job of engaging him in conversation.
Eventually, the meal ended, and Amy slipped off on her own, leaving Mattie with Mark. She found them half an hour later laughing over Mattie's attempts at archery. The long sleeves didn't help. Mark fired a few shots with an obviously modern bow, and at least hit the target. Mattie struggled to even bend the bow, but when she did, she usually ended up hitting the haystacks behind the target range. Once Mark ran back to retrieve the arrows, Amy walked up to them and strung the bow she was carrying.
"Where did you get that?" Mattie asked.
"You obviously didn't look in my trunk." Dr. Carmichael turned her attention back to the bow, and Mattie noticed she had changed into a light green tunic and darker green pants. A sheathed sword hung at her side. "I was hoping I'd have a chance to get this out, so I brought a change of clothes so I'd be able to shoot without worrying about my dress." Mark returned with the arrows, and offered them to Dr. Carmichael. Amy looked at them for a moment before pulling one out of the quiver at her back. She drew the bow and shot a perfect bullseye in one fluid motion. The two students just stared at her for a moment. Mark was the first to find his voice. "Might I look at your bow? It's beautiful." There was no trace of technology on it, just elegant carvings.
"Try it if you'd like." Dr. Carmichael handed it to him and watched him examine the bow, and amused look on her face. Mark took an arrow from his pile and drew the bow. It required more effort than he'd expected. He took careful aim and fired, managing to hit the second circle on the target. He handed the bow back to the professor.
"Thanks, Dr. Carmichael. Your bow is amazing."
"I'm glad you like it. Are you still game for a little sword fighting?"
"Sure, I think. If your swordfighting is anything like your archery, though, I may be in trouble."
Amy laughed, a clear sound that seemed to fill all of them with her mirth. "Let's give it a try, and pass judgement later." The threesome made their way to the open field set aside for swordfighting. Amy set her bow and quiver aside, then drew her sword, raising it in salute before beginning. They circled each other for a moment, then Amy feinted in, and the fight began in earnest. Mark was good, but so was Amy. They played cat-and-mouse for several minutes, but Amy started pushing Mark harder, faster. Her stamina was greater than his, and he eventually yielded to a sword at his neck. There was a round of applause, and Mark looked surprised when he saw a large audience gathered there. The rest of the day passed uneventfully.
Mattie was quiet on the drive back. Dr. Carmichael gave her space. It had been quite a day. The attraction for Mark had caught the girl off-guard. It had felt good to practice swordfighting and archery again. Amy hadn't taken time for that kind of practice in years. She dropped Mattie off at her dorm, then drove to her quiet house. The house was elegantly furnished, but empty. Amy missed having people around. She was isolated here. Nevertheless, life goes on.
A couple weeks into the group, after they'd moved on to other books, Mark invited them all to a Renaissance festival in his hometown about an hour's drive from the college. Everyone gave non-committal answers, but the next week, Mattie stopped by Dr. Carmichael's office.
"Hi, Mattie! Come on in! How are you?"
"I'm doing pretty well, Dr. Carmichael. I was wondering if you're going to be going to Mark's Renaissance festival. I'm kind of thinking about going myself."
"Actually, I probably will go. Would you like to carpool?"
"Sure! My car isn't terribly reliable."
"That's OK. I'll drive." Dr. Carmichael chuckled. Cars were such a bother.
"I don't really have anything to wear, but I was thinking about hitting the local Goodwill stores."
"If you'd like, I can bring something for you. You and I are just about the same size, and I have a couple dresses that would be perfect for that kind of festival. Why don't we meet here about 9:00 Saturday morning, and we can change there."
Saturday came and Mattie and Dr. Carmichael drove to the fairgrounds where the festival would be held. There were two garment bags in the back of the car, but Amy wouldn't show Mattie the dresses until they got to the festival. The two women went to the bathrooms there and Amy handed Mattie one of the garment bags before stepping into one of the stalls to change. Mattie slipped into another stall and opened the bag. The dress inside was beautiful. It was deep red velvet, simple, but elegant. The sleeves were flared and fell almost to the floor. The square neckline wasn't too low, but flattering. It fit her perfectly. She put her boots back on, glad the 2" heels kept the hem from dragging on the ground. After stuffing her other clothes in the garment bag, Mattie opened the door and walked out of the stall.
Dr. Carmichael was standing in front of the mirror in a beautiful dark green dress. It seemed made for her. Her long dark hair was down and fell almost to her waist. There was an elegance about her that stole Mattie's breath. "Wow!"
"Quit gawking, Mattie. I can get dolled up when I want to. Let me help you with your hair." Fifteen minutes later, they'd finished with hair and taken garment bags back to the car.
"Any idea where to find Mark?" Amy asked while scanning the crowd.
"Not a clue. Look—there's swordfighting over there. Let's go look! That is, if you want to…" She trailed off, a little unsure of herself, remembering that this was her professor, not a school friend.
"Yes, let's." Dr. Carmichael took the lead, and they wandered over to the sparring ring. "Well, what do you know? We find him when we aren't looking for him."
Mattie looked at her quickly, confused, before looking back at the competitors. She gasped, recognizing Mark. Dr. Carmichael whispered, "Looks different without his shirt, doesn't he?" Indeed, Mark had removed his shirt because of the heat. Muscles neither woman would have guessed existed gleamed with sweat. "I always enjoy Indian summers, but this is an added benefit." Mattie looked at her askance, but the professor continued serenely, "Just because I'm older doesn't mean I can't look. He's also an excellent swordsman. Look at the fighting or the fighters, I don't care. Just enjoy the show, Mattie. It's no crime to look."
After another minute or so, the match ended, and Mark took a towel from a fencepost. He wiped off his face, then looked up and noticed Mattie and Dr. Carmichael. He stared at them for a moment before recognition set in. He glanced down at his bare chest, a little embarrassed, but walked over to them anyway.
"Hey! It's good to see you two. You look great." He was speaking to them both, but his eyes were riveted on Mattie. He seemed to realize it and turned his gaze back to Dr. Carmichael.
"You're an excellent swordsman, Mark. Where did you learn?"
"My dad…before he died…"
"I'm sorry."
"No. It's OK. I miss him, but for the most part, I'm over it."
"Sometime we'll have to spar. I haven't used a sword in a long time, so I'd probably be easy prey, but it would be fun to try."
"Yeah, I'd like that. Any time…well, sort of."
Dr. Carmichael laughed. "Anytime it's convenient, you mean. Perhaps later today. Is there a program to the event?"
"There are a lot of things scheduled throughout the day, but the only organized thing is the noon meal. Why don't you let me get cleaned up a little, and I'll show you around." Dr. Carmichael nodded, and he turned away from them, wiping off the sweat before pulling on the discarded shirt. He returned the sword to its scabbard, which he buckled around his waist.
When Mark got back, Dr. Carmichael spoke. "Are you pretty active in this group?"
"Not as much as I used to be. I go to the occasional festival, and I practice a little archery here and there, but I haven't been terribly active in it since my dad died a couple years back. The rest of my family thinks it's stupid, and it's easier not to aggravate them."
"Are you close to them?" Dr. Carmichael asked.
"Not really. I avoid them as much as I can. I'm supposed to be at a cousin's birthday party right now, but I couldn't bring myself to sit through endless hours of 8-year-olds' temper tantrums. Here, if you've got that kind of attitude, you'll find yourself in the stocks."
"Do they actually use them?"
"Only with volunteers. If anyone's really rowdy, we just call the police. If it's just an annoying drunk, we usually give them the option of the stocks before we call the cops." Mark chuckled. "No one here could be anywhere near as bad as my cousins, anyway."
Mark showed them around for an hour, and then it was time to find their places for lunch. He led them to the tent where the main meal would be held. "Andrew!" He called out a name, and a well-dressed man turned to them. He looked like the "lord" of the feast. The other man walked over.
"Mark! It's good to see you." The two shook hands. "And who are these two fine ladies?" Mark introduced them, and Andrew kissed both women's hands. Mattie looked a little uncomfortable, but Amy was completely in her element.
"It's a pleasure, milord." Dr. Carmichael's reply came easily.
"Would you care to join me at the high table?" Andrew asked.
"We'd be honored." Amy took the elbow Andrew offered, and chuckled as Mattie hesitantly took Mark's arm. The foursome was seated, and after a short introduction, the first course was served. Amy asked Andrew about the Renaissance group, and kept the conversation going throughout most of the meal. However outgoing Mattie usually was, she was nervous, and it was all Amy could do to keep her involved in the conversation. The older woman watched Mattie and Mark with amusement. Mark was back to being very shy, and Mattie, nervous as she was, wasn't doing a very good job of engaging him in conversation.
Eventually, the meal ended, and Amy slipped off on her own, leaving Mattie with Mark. She found them half an hour later laughing over Mattie's attempts at archery. The long sleeves didn't help. Mark fired a few shots with an obviously modern bow, and at least hit the target. Mattie struggled to even bend the bow, but when she did, she usually ended up hitting the haystacks behind the target range. Once Mark ran back to retrieve the arrows, Amy walked up to them and strung the bow she was carrying.
"Where did you get that?" Mattie asked.
"You obviously didn't look in my trunk." Dr. Carmichael turned her attention back to the bow, and Mattie noticed she had changed into a light green tunic and darker green pants. A sheathed sword hung at her side. "I was hoping I'd have a chance to get this out, so I brought a change of clothes so I'd be able to shoot without worrying about my dress." Mark returned with the arrows, and offered them to Dr. Carmichael. Amy looked at them for a moment before pulling one out of the quiver at her back. She drew the bow and shot a perfect bullseye in one fluid motion. The two students just stared at her for a moment. Mark was the first to find his voice. "Might I look at your bow? It's beautiful." There was no trace of technology on it, just elegant carvings.
"Try it if you'd like." Dr. Carmichael handed it to him and watched him examine the bow, and amused look on her face. Mark took an arrow from his pile and drew the bow. It required more effort than he'd expected. He took careful aim and fired, managing to hit the second circle on the target. He handed the bow back to the professor.
"Thanks, Dr. Carmichael. Your bow is amazing."
"I'm glad you like it. Are you still game for a little sword fighting?"
"Sure, I think. If your swordfighting is anything like your archery, though, I may be in trouble."
Amy laughed, a clear sound that seemed to fill all of them with her mirth. "Let's give it a try, and pass judgement later." The threesome made their way to the open field set aside for swordfighting. Amy set her bow and quiver aside, then drew her sword, raising it in salute before beginning. They circled each other for a moment, then Amy feinted in, and the fight began in earnest. Mark was good, but so was Amy. They played cat-and-mouse for several minutes, but Amy started pushing Mark harder, faster. Her stamina was greater than his, and he eventually yielded to a sword at his neck. There was a round of applause, and Mark looked surprised when he saw a large audience gathered there. The rest of the day passed uneventfully.
Mattie was quiet on the drive back. Dr. Carmichael gave her space. It had been quite a day. The attraction for Mark had caught the girl off-guard. It had felt good to practice swordfighting and archery again. Amy hadn't taken time for that kind of practice in years. She dropped Mattie off at her dorm, then drove to her quiet house. The house was elegantly furnished, but empty. Amy missed having people around. She was isolated here. Nevertheless, life goes on.