34/100 The blacksmith's wife [38]

By dark Gabriel’s forgiving sweetness had turned sour.
His hands around my throat, not quite in jest, jeopardised my breathing:  ‘There’s penance to be paid for your promiscuity,’  

He’d forgot that he had likewise sinned, also that I fought dirty, and, hand-slipped, I did.

‘And what of yours?’ I squeezed, then told him of my condition.

‘You’ve lied before, why should I believe you now?’

He yelped again and smacked me;  our bed became a battleground, the loose-weave wool that covered us a sweat-reeked coat of arms – Thor rampant, wife couchant.

By morning status quo had been queasily restored.

This is part 38 of 'The blacksmith's wife'.   The whole is a prompt-led serial  which began on the Friday Prediction, in March  and continued, one hundred words at a time, for forty-one episodes.   One of my aims in this 100 days project is to complete the illustrations for each episode and publish the tale in book form.    The  story can be read in its entirety here.

33/100 The Blacksmith's wife [37]

 ‘Sweetling’ he grinned, ‘‘Tis time you learnt experience eclipses fumbling adolescence every time.   His dangled promise of delight is but soft come-quickly when compared to the stiffness of my intent to prick more than your conscience into cleaving solely unto me.’

I allowed my hair to eclipse my gleeful anticipation:  such a welcome promise to dangle before me, sufficiently dispelling stiffness from the tumble I had taken (and sorrow for the one I’d not, since my jealous spouse appeared several minutes sooner than desired.)

But damn his eyes, he well read mine, and laughed and bade me wait ‘til dark.

This is part 37 of 'The blacksmith's wife'.   The whole is a prompt-led serial  which began on the Friday Prediction, in March  and continued, one hundred words at a time, for forty-one episodes.   One of my aims in this 100 days project is to complete the illustrations for each episode and publish the tale in book form.    The  story can be read in its entirety here.

31 /100 The blacksmith's wife [35]

Post his immoral interlude with the tavern-doxy, how would Gabriel now view my past philanderings?   Given that he’d also seen me taken by his brother, he surely couldn’t now complain?

The boy was beautiful, which was why I’d wanted him.  Finger to my lips I directed him to the meadow behind the forge, trusting that the meadowsweet would shield us.  

Led the horse to Gabriel, smiled sweet and said ‘No hurry.’

But I was mistook to think that all was fair, that because there was no danger of foisting onto Gabriel a bastard brat, he would not mind.

He did. 

This is part 35 of 'The blacksmith's wife'.   The whole is a prompt-led serial  which began on the Friday Prediction, in March  and continued, one hundred words at a time, for forty-one episodes.   One of my aims in this 100 days project is to complete the illustrations for each episode and publish the tale in book form.    The  story can be read in its entirety here.

30/100 The blacksmith's wife [34]

Gabriel’s ever-fluctuating sense of filiality returned him to accusative.

‘Your callous immorality shocks me,’ he complained, days after he’d willingly posted his limp and green-shit-leaking brother through the side-slats of the dead-dog cart while I shielded him by offering soup to its malodorous driver.

My own concerns were several:   I was with child to a man I’d wed most willingly but now wondered if I should have second thoughts; the Earl was like to demand both letters and retribution for my alleged releasing of Mathias, and now approaching with a needing-shod stallion was the speedwell-eyed youth I’d once lain with. 

This is part 34 of 'The blacksmith's wife'.   The whole is a prompt-led serial  which began on the Friday Prediction, in March  and continued, one hundred words at a time, for forty-one episodes.   One of my aims in this 100 days project is to complete the illustrations for each episode and publish the tale in book form.    The  story can be read in its entirety here.

29 /100 The blacksmith's wife [33]

We exchanged a glance as he demanded more to eat.

 ‘I’ve been on prison rations for a week.’  

‘He changes colour oftener than a squid’ I muttered,  contemptuous, ‘from pride to pathetic in the bat of an eye.’

‘But at least lacks energy for the priapic.’

‘And will lack more than that when the senna I’ve put in the soup starts to work.   He’s thin enough now but his belly’ll be flatter than the bladder of a suicidal jester!’

‘I don’t want him evacuating here!’

‘The dead dog collector’s cart’s due in an hour - we’ll put him on that.’

This is part 33 of 'The blacksmith's wife'.   The whole is a prompt-led serial  which began on the Friday Prediction, in March  and continued, one hundred words at a time, for forty-one episodes.   One of my aims in this 100 days project is to complete the illustrations for each episode and publish the tale in book form.    The  story can be read in its entirety here.

28/100 The blacksmith's wife [32]

‘Written in squid ink and signed with the Captain’s blood!’

‘It doesn’t smell of fish, and blood dries rusty.’

‘Not this!   The treasure map.  This tells where it’s hid.’ 

Mathias, having drawn my blood, forced Gabriel to release the letter.   Starvation rendered him irrational;  he clearly under-estimated our intelligence. 

I snorted with disbelief:  Gabriel’s warning glance suggested he’d likewise under-estimated mine.  Flattering his recently-incarcerated brother, he said  ‘You forget I‘ve not your education, find it hard to trust in pen-scribed words.   Why risk your life, and threaten me and mine, for this?’

Hoarsely, eyes a-glitter, ‘Riches, brother, riches beyond compare!’

This is part 32 of 'The blacksmith's wife'.   The whole is a prompt-led serial  which began on the Friday Prediction, in March  and continued, one hundred words at a time, for forty-one episodes.   One of my aims in this 100 days project is to complete the illustrations for each episode and publish the tale in book form.    The  story can be read in its entirety here.