Mark helped Delia on with the new dress she had been given for Christmas. It was not of very fine fabric, but it was red and laced in the front, with a low square neckline. "Don’t you look fine!" Mark exclaimed, stepping back from her. "Only I feel rather foolish! And why couldn’t they have given you something just as nice?" "Well, I won’t be seen by the lord, now will I?" "We have been here more than six weeks together, and yet for me just now to be meeting the lord, it makes me very anxious." "Well, he has been away for the final hunt of the season. That should make you easy that this is a man of quality, if he is skilled in the courtly pursuit of hunting." "You’re right, I know." Delia turned around, glancing at her dress and the matching red slippers that barely showed beneath her skirts.
"I’m afraid you’ll be cold as anything in that," Mark said coming over to kiss her bare neck. Little goose bumps appeared on her exposed flesh, and Mark smiled, "see, I am right! You are chilled." "No, no, you know husband why I produce chills--kissing me like that. I shall have to leave in a moment, and then you’ll be left alone to regret that!" Delia said laughing. "No, I can never regret with you, dearest." "Oh, you are too good. Where is my cape?" "Ah, let me get it. You really shall need it, for it is cold outside." "I can feel it nearly in here even." Mark wrapped the cloak around her tightly. "Be careful my dear and wait! Don’t be too taken with the lord so that I am made anxious," Mark said smiling. "Oh, he is likely to be even older than our lady I suppose, only imagine that!"
***
Delia sat at the side of the lady, who was flanked by Constance and Delia. The girls were not considered important enough to attend the lady upon the return of the lord in his main chamber. Anyone of any importance was present; some were seated around the room and others standing. It was cold in the room, and the small bumps on Delia’s skin were still present. The tall torches that lined the room smoked furiously in the drafty hall, and provided not nearly enough light for it to seem to be day. There were two trumpeters who stood at the opening of the entranceway, who were to proclaim the arrival of the lord, who had been away some six months. Delia swallowed, her mouth feeling dry, and she tried to calm her nerves by carefully regulating her breathing.
Finally, a blast of shrill trumpets announced that Delia would catch sight of this mysterious lord, and with a marching purpose the lord entered the room followed by four retainers. Delia was astonished by the spectacle: he was not at all as she had imagined him to be, but a young man. Delia thought to herself that he was probably only Mark’s elder by some five years. Delia, unable to retain her composure, turned to look at Constance and read something very strange on her face. Constance was also disquieted, even though she had obviously seen him before. Dark crimson crept up her cheeks and she fidgeted at her dress with her fingers. Never had Delia seen Constance been anything but totally composed, and now it appeared as if she was entirely losing control.
"Heavens," Delia whispered taking her hand, but Constance pulled it away. The lord approached the lady’s chair, and Delia was able to see him more closely. He bowed very deeply, sweeping his hand back, and the lady put out her hand to be kissed. The lord had black hair cut closely, and was clean-shaven except for a small black mustache. His eyes were a piercing blue, and he oddly reminded her of someone. His smile seemed very practiced, and showed brilliant white teeth, but it appeared to be more like a snarl to Delia. She began to tremble.
He then turned his attention on Constance and made another bow, taking her hand before she offered it. He kissed it, whispering, "my dearest cousin. How good it is to see you again." Delia was surprised at this revealed relation, and was nearly absorbed in thought when he turned to her, saying, "And this, this is…?" Delia found she hadn’t the power to speak and felt herself color. Constance mustered whatever courage she seemed to have left and answered in a whisper, "This is Delia, she is my lady’s newest lady in waiting." Delia was surprised to her herself given such a title, and very frightened by the freedom with which he grasped her hand, pressing it to his lips, which were warm and slightly moist. Delia withdrew her hand, trying not to seem repulsed, but feeling very much that way anyway. "Ah, and so another gem is added to our court."
***
"What did you think of our lord?" tittered Beatrice. Delia looked out of the corner of her eye at the other girls, who were eagerly awaiting her reply. She didn’t answer, and so Agnes shyly asked of her, "didn’t you think him very handsome?" Delia had never thought anyone would call him such, but she saw that the girls were all in agreement; even Constance blushed, although she was pretending not to mind the conversation. "Come now Miss, you cannot truthfully deny that he is very fine!" Delia recalled even his clothes as being much like the others’ here: somewhere between very fine and something she imagined old-fashioned rustic royalty would wear. "I, I didn’t get much of a look at him." "I suppose," Beatrice said taking Delia’s hand, "that you thought he was too fine of a lord to attend directly to his person. Only, you don’t know our lord the way we do, and it is exactly what he wants that you were afraid of!" Delia was marked by the emphasis to which Beatrice gave to their having known the lord better than her. She couldn’t imagine why these girls would know very much about him.
"Come now girls," Constance interrupted, "where is our lady’s meal? Why have not you brought it to her?" At this query, the girls hurried out of the room. Constance took the seat closest to Delia and looked at her with anticipation. Delia felt that Constance wanted her to say something, so she ventured to please her: "you are then, our lord’s cousin?" Constance blushed. "Yes, he is the one that brought me here. I am the daughter of his mother’s sister." "First cousins then? You know, I thought I saw a resemblance of some kind." "People have said as much before, yes." Delia could think of nothing else to say, and was abashed to mention what had really been bothering her: why was such a young man married to someone twice his age? It seemed that everyone was much in raptures with the lord, and she certainly did not feel free to ask any particular questions regarding the odd circumstances.
***
"And what did you think of the lord?" "Ah, but I’ve been asked this many times today, and to you I am finally allowed to speak my mind!" "What then?" "Oh, Mark, he was everything awful." Delia seemed very serious, so he did not make a joke about the man’s age being the disagreeable factor. "What was wrong with him then?" "Oh, what was right might be given in a shorter answer. He simpered to us all, and yet looked like he had no good intentions anywhere in his heart. If he has a heart! For I know not whether he does!" "This is harsh censure indeed for such a brief meeting." "Well, I believe that he deserves no better. He was entirely too…free…in his advances, and it only angered me more that everyone else praised him to the stars. I had at least thought Constance was of sound mind, but apparently I misjudged on that count. His whole appearance was so odious to me, and I can’t understand anyone not seeing how very malicious he appeared." "My dearest Delia, you seem very much disturbed," Mark said hugging her close. "Are you all right? Will you be all right there?"
Delia sighed, "well, I have nothing to do with him. It was made evident that he doesn’t share the lady’s bedchamber, as I hadn’t even thought to tell you, but he is maybe five years your elder!" "Only?" "Yes, imagine my surprise. And how very embarrassing for our lady, whom seems to think herself very much favored, but she is very much disillusioned, for she is not. It was very obvious that he was not the type of man to have any feelings for someone not young and pretty, let alone his wife!" "You begin to make me worry for you, Delia."
Delia paused for breath, realizing that in her own distress she was worrying Mark. "No, I am making it all seem worse than it is, for I only met him for a moment. I only just had this bad feeling about him. I won’t have any contact with him though, so I’m not much worried. I am always at our lady’s side or at Constance’s. Oh! Who, you’ll never guess, but she is his cousin! First cousin." Delia paused once more, and Mark waited patiently. "Then, I suppose he has done some good, in bringing Constance here. This is surely the best place for her…I mean, at court, where she lives in almost the same level of comfort as the lady herself," Delia reasoned. "There, there is something of goodness and praise in everyone. Was Constance from a good family then?" "Well, from her speech and manners I would say ‘yes. ’ But then I cannot imagine why she wouldn’t have made a good match, and set up her own household." "Well, for whatever reason, it appears that the lord saw to it that she was cared for. I suppose that ties of blood are sometimes the only thing which make a person act charitably." "Yes, and at least there is that!"
IV
It had been more than a month since the lord had returned from the hunt, and yet Delia had not ever met with him again, except seeing him from a window or doorway as he made his way through the courtyard. She was never so glad of missing a person than she was of missing the lord. Never had a man so disturbed her upon making her acquaintance. He gave the appearance of a mere roadway bandit posing as a lord. And yet, from the distances of the window, where she was not accosted by his person and could not see his awful grin, he did seem to her like a handsome man: such a contradiction seemed to her all the worse. This is why she supposed he had convinced so many of his assets, none of which she could see. Comparing all men, including the lord, to her husband only served to make him seem a poorer excuse for a man, as Mark was the best of men in Delia’s opinion.
She was engaged in a private in reverie on the subject of Mark, whom she had only left less than an hour ago, when Mabel caught her looking out the window. "Aye, who are you looking for Miss?" "Oh, Mabel, you startled me!" "Excuse me," Mabel said, blushing and attempting a curtsey. "I’m sorry, Miss, but who is it you are looking for?" Mabel’s eyes were wide with curiosity. "Oh, no one." "Aye, well, you can’t be looking for your brother, as he won’t be inside these walls I bargain…" Mabel meant to go on, but Delia quickly interrupted. "Mabel, I haven’t any brothers here. Do you mean, my husband?" Mabel looked guiltily at the floor and attempted to curtsey again, blushing. "What is the meaning of this? You are not the first one to call my husband my brother this week."
Mabel turned quickly and ran from the room. "That was very odd," Delia said aloud, forgetting Constance was retired in the corner. They were all keeping quiet and out of the way, as the lady was taking a nap. "What was?" "Oh, I was just speaking with Mabel, that’s all." "Well, pray, what was so odd about that?" "Well, it was just that she referred to my Mark, my husband, as my brother, and that is not the first time it has happened with the girls this week." Constance laughed lightheartedly. "Well, perhaps they only wish he was your brother, for I’ve heard them say that he is handsome." "Why, when have they ever set eyes on him?" "The first day you came!" "Why all that long time ago? How odd that they would still be silly over that." "I hope that we’re friends, Delia, and that I can say this without offending you, but your husband, he is very handsome." "As handsome as say our lord?" Delia teased. "Oh!" Constance stood up and began to leave the room quickly. "Constance, forgive me!" "Oh, never say things like this to me again. Pray not from you, I couldn’t stand it."
Constance’s behavior quite perplexed Delia, and she vowed to avoid speaking of the lord with all the girls, since he seemed to be a topic of too emotional a nature to be born by even the strongest of them.
***
Delia was not left long to forget the subject of the lord, however. Delia had gone out behind the lady’s apartments to ask one of the servant boys to fetch fresh water from the well for the lady, when she was approached by the lord, who was accompanied by one of his retainers. Delia, although confused, managed to curtsey upon his stopping in front of her, and again he freely took her hand, much to her astonishment.
Having pressed her hand to his lips, he began, "Delia, isn’t it?" "Yes, my lord." "And where have you been? I have not seen you about." "I have been with my lady, my lord." "Ah, and yet I haven’t had the pleasure of seeing you. It is a great shame, isn’t it my man?" he said turning to his retainer. The man bowed in return. "Well, you should not make yourself so scarce." "Yes, my lord," Delia said again curtseying and hoping that this would be the end of the interview. "I suppose you are on some errand?" "Yes, my lord, for my lady." "Yes, it is as I thought. Yet, you should not be sent on errands." "It is my role, my lord, I don’t mind." "You may not, but I do, and I’m in a fair mind to speak with my lady for having treated you so badly. There are ladies for whom such a job would be more appropriate, as well I know. Why have they not been sent?" Delia curtseyed once again, having learned with the lady that this impressed these people more than anything, "forgive me my lord, but Constance and I gave the other servant girls the afternoon off, as our lady is resting and needs not much." "Well! How dear! Imagine that!" he said again turning to his retainer, who again bowed. Delia was again accosted when he grabbed her hand and began to lead her inside. "My lord!" she exclaimed, "you forget yourself, my lady is just inside." Delia feared very much the lady’s anger upon seeing her husband thus with Delia.
They entered the lady’s chamber, where she reclined on the bed with her eyes covered. She heard the stirrings and the shouts of hello from the lord, and sat up. "Oh!" she said, sounding relieved which very much surprised Delia, as she still hadn’t managed to release herself from the lord’s grasp. "I didn’t know it was only you. What is all the fuss?" "I have just found Delia running about outside on common errands, that is what." "Well, whatever made you do such a foolish thing?" "The other girls have gone for the afternoon, my lady." "Why is that?" "That is what I wondered myself, my lady, and then Delia tells me that she and dearest Constance have let them go for the afternoon." "What a sweet pair they are," the lady said, covering her eyes once again, seeming to believe the conversation to be over. "Aye and pretty little poppets too," the lord added, finally letting go of Delia’s hand. He left the room, being quickly followed by his retainer. Upon their leaving, Delia ran out of the room, and having found herself alone, began to weep, frightened to death of having been in the power of such a man.
***
"How is it that you don’t eat, Delia? You worry me. Are you…are you well?" Delia looked at him and almost began to weep. She knew he thought perhaps she might be with child, and she knew that was not possible. Instead, she was terribly troubled by the days events, yet she was frightened to tell Mark. She hated having anything between them unspoken. "Precious, you are very disturbed," he said, starting up and going to her side, where he knelt down taking her hand. "Isn’t there anything I can do to relieve your present distress?" Delia swallowed, "I’m just tired and I had a taxing day. I’m sorry to cause worry for you. I’m all right." Mark looked at her with eyes saying that revealed that he knew she was not alright, but he didn’t press her.
"Oh, Mark," she said rolling over in the bed. He had been asleep, but immediately attended her, "hmmm?" "Mark, this evening, you…you were perhaps hoping…?" Mark sleepily kissed her forehead. "Am I right, Mark?" Mark cleared his throat, "dearest, of course I would be very happy, but…" "Yes?" "Why are worrying yourself over this? I would have thought you wouldn’t have even wished for such an event at this time." Delia realized that Mark knew that she was not satisfied in her present occupation. "But…do you?" He hugged her close; "I have everything I want with you, my dear. And we are both young; we have plenty of time to have a family, and perhaps in a better place than this." Delia quickly fell asleep once she had rested her head against Mark’s chest again.
V
The weather was chillier than ever, and Delia hurried along towards the lord’s manor as quickly as she could. She was coming not from her own house, but from the far fields, where Mark was working. After the midday meal had been served, Delia had requested that she be allowed to leave for a short time. During this time, she had hurriedly made her way towards the field, bringing with her some biscuits and a warm mug of cider. By the time she had reached Mark, the liquid was not quite so warm, but he was so glad to see her and so very much surprised and grateful as well, that it could not have tasted better.
Now she was sure that if she wasted any more time she would be missed, having talked with him for a good while, and so she picked up her skirts and nearly ran towards the house along the hard frost covered path. She heard the sounds of hooves behind her, beating a fast track, and so she came to one side of the path to make way. "Whoa!" a man’s voice shouted, and Delia glanced up at the horseman, who had reined his horse in by her side. The great black animal’s breath came out in white foggy bursts from his nostrils.
"Delia! It is as cold as the Devil! What are you doing?" the man yelled. Delia, if she had not already been red with the cold, would have blushed, for there were a good five horsemen attending behind the lord, who were all now staring at her. "I am going back to attend my lady." "As you should, where there will be some warmth. Only it is a far walk. Come and sit in front of me, and I shall get you there more quickly." "Oh, no my lord, I can walk, thank you." "Nonsense! Why should you refuse? I shan’t run him fast. You shall be quite safe." Delia began to walk along hurriedly, looking over her shoulder, but the lord urged the horse along keeping pace with her. "Come now Delia. Surely you aren’t going to be so foolish. I begin to think you slight me!" Delia began to panic. "No, no, my lord, I mean no offense. I would rather walk under my own power, however. Surely you can support my simple wish. Please, my lord, make no trouble over me, for I am happy walking in this manner."
The lord smiled the grin that she found so very repulsive, and brought his horse so close to her that her skirts were brushing the legs of the animal. He leant down and offered his hand. "Come, I’ll pull you up. No more refusals, Delia." Delia’s breath was coming quickly out of fear, which was only too obvious since it produced small white clouds in the cold air, and she rightly supposed that the lord imagined it was the result of a very different cause. "Oh forbear!" Delia cried, as the lord gripped her under the arm. In a moment he had pulled her up on the steed, directly in front of his seat, and it was all Delia could manage to keep from screaming.
Delia sat stiffly and said nothing, even though the lord continued to speak with her. As they entered the courtyard, the lord set her back down on the ground, and Delia curtseyed running back into the lady’s apartments. She was so out of breath that Constance begged her to sit down and brought her some wine. "Pray, why did you run here, Delia? There is never any need to be so rushed. Our lady did not need you so directly. You look as if you are about to faint!" "Oh, goodness, if only I do not! For I don’t know how I haven’t as of yet." "Were you frightened by something? Heavens you are so pale. Delia, should I call for someone?" "Oh no, don’t, please nothing like that," Delia said still trying to catch her breath. "What frightened you so?" "I can’t…I can’t quite say." "Well, you’re safe here now." Beatrice, hearing the commotion ran into the room, "Miss! Are you all right?" "Yes, she will be fine directly," Constance said, not wishing for the other girls to become hysterical and urging the wine on Delia. Delia knew she couldn’t tell anyone about what had transpired, so she tried to regain her composure before more questions were asked of her.
Sitting with the lady, Constance watched Delia carefully, and observing that she still hadn’t regained her color, spoke up, "my lady?" "Yes, Constance?" "Delia had something of a scare today walking to our lady’s apartment…" The lady interrupted, "What? What is this? What happened my dear?" "Oh," Delia said coloring. "Don’t upset yourself again. You say this happened while Delia was walking, Constance?" "Yes, and I was…" "Well, I can’t have you walking alone then. I am surprised I never thought of this before. It isn’t at all proper. All sorts of people must be ranging around out there. I will arrange for someone to walk with you from now on." "Thank you my lady, you are too kind," Delia said, knowing better than to argue.
That evening a pageboy walked Delia home, where Mark was already waiting inside. "Thank you," Delia said, curtseying to the boy, and entered the room. "Who was that?" Mark asked from the bed, where he was laying with his eyes closed. "One of the servants has been told to walk me home, because our lady doesn’t think it is safe to walk alone at night." "Would you like it if I walked you then?" "Oh, no Mark, you have too much to do as it is." "But, Delia, I don’t know how comfortable I am with you walking with strange servants." "Mark…" Delia said smiling and coming to sit next to him on the bed, "you are too sweet, but really, this was only a page…barely thirteen I wager." "And you are fifteen, I might add, and a woman as well." "I once told you I could take care of myself." "Yes, you once did, but then, I never did believe you." "Really!" Delia said laughing and bending over him to give him a kiss.
"So, what was your motivation to be so early to bed, hmmm?" "You play me wrong, Miss, I was only tired." "Truly? Oh, my poor dear. Well, why don’t I make you some dinner, and you can rest until then." "Not just yet," Mark said, pulling her down with him. Being so abruptly pulled, Delia tried to pull back and gasped. "Delia? I’m sorry, did I hurt you?" Mark looked at her, startled by her reaction. Delia realized that her experience this afternoon was still with her, but she was afraid to say anything. She was worried that Mark would demand to speak to the lord or leave the manor, which Delia knew to be too dangerous at this time of the winter, especially with their contract unfulfilled. "I’m sorry," Mark said, even more disturbed that Delia was vacantly avoiding his gaze. He hesitantly moved his hand towards her cheek, and as he brushed her cheek, she leaned against his hand and closed her eyes. Under her own power she lay down against his chest, and he slowly enveloped her with his arms.
