Life with Don Isn't All Bliss
The Black Void - Episode 2720
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As you might imagine, Don and I receive a very warm welcome when we arrive
back at Castle De Freydair. Fortunately Don's father, Lord Richard, has
made a full recovery from the concussion which he was suffering from at
the time of my departure. He offers me indefinite hospitality at the
castle, and naturally I am only too happy to accept. I have nowhere else
to go, and in any case I want to be wherever Don is. In deference to his
father's sensibilities, I don't move into Don's bedroom, but am allocated
the adjoining room. That makes nocturnal visits easy, which we don't tell
Don's father about, though I'm sure that the old retainer - who doesn't
miss much - must be aware of them.
By the time that I have been at the castle for a couple of months, I am beginning to get rather bored, for when Don isn't around or is busy there is little for me to do to amuse myself. Apparently it wouldn't be proper for me to assist the old retainer with the housekeeping. If I was like the ladies of this land, apparently I would spend my time playing the local equivalent of the harpsichord or on embroidery, neither of which I know how to do and the latter of which in any case holds no interest for me. When he is around, boredom isn't a problem of course. We spend much of our time together on horseback, for he is teaching me to ride. (I am not yet sufficiently adept for Don to think it safe for me to go riding on my own. That is a pity, as it would have helped alleviate my boredom when he's away.) As well as my boredom, I have another problem. For the last week or two I have been feeling nauseous first thing in the morning. I think I know what that means. I haven't yet mentioned it to Don. So far he hasn't made an offer of marriage, and I wouldn't want him to think that I was telling him about my pregnancy in an attempt to pressure him into wedding me. I am worried that his father might be scandalised if - or rather when - he discovers that I have conceived out of wedlock. One morning, as Don and I are having breakfast, he says: "I'm afraid that I will be leaving on a quest in a couple of days time, Harry, and I could be away for quite some time. Our family's already precarious financial situation has worsened recently. A lot of our savings went with you and Teran when you came to rescue me, and also we now have an extra mouth to feed - yours, I mean. In both cases, it has been money well spent of course, but I need to earn some prize money to replenish the coffers. If all goes well, I should be back in about two months." "Please take me with you," I say. "I'll miss you terribly while you are gone, and will go out of my mind with boredom. I can ride well enough now that we wouldn't have to share a horse." And we should be back before my pregnancy has advanced far enough to restrict what I can do, I think. Plus it will postpone the day when Lord Richard finds out about it.
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JH
10/16/2006 1:25:32 PM
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