Seduced by an Earl Read online

  Elizabeth was up early and dressed to make her long trek to the castle. She helped her mother prepare breakfast and place the bread and butter on the table. Elizabeth had brought meat from the Earl’s kitchen that he allowed them to give to their families. When her father came to breakfast, he was delighted to see the feast.

  “The breakfast is fit for a king. Your lordship is a kind man.” Elizabeth smiled and ate and said no more. She hurried through the pork meat and bread and washed it down with fresh milk from their milking cow, which had a calf that would be sold soon to pay for seeds for crops.

  She kissed her mother and father on the head and headed out the door and down the road. She reached the bend of the road where a stream coursed through the hills and sitting under a large tree sat Edward with a mare and his black stallion in hand. The mare, a beautiful chestnut brown horse, appeared to be very gentle, as she grazed on the tall grass nearby.

  On Elizabeth’s approach, Edward stood and smiled in her direction. “I did not expect you kind sir.” Even as Elizabeth allowed these words to escape her lips she knew they were indeed false. She was hoping that the handsome young Earl who had heaped such complements would come back. Since she became a young woman, she had noticed that she had been admired by many young men some poor and now some very rich.

  Yet her brothers and parents warned her that she should never dream of marrying out of her station because she would end up being a spinster with no one to protect her and keep her in her old age. Everyone warned her that she would come to grief if she loved anyone out of her class.

  Edward turned to Elizabeth, “This is yours.” And he handed her the reins that led to the chestnut mare. He noticed a frightened look cross Elizabeth’s face, “You can ride can’t you?”

  “It is not that sir, I can ride, but I cannot accept such a gift. I would have to consult the Earl of Tyrone before I can bring a horse into his stable.”

  “Nonsense, Elizabeth. If I want to give you a gift to prevent you from walking, then Colum will not deny you this little gift. Come on let me help you stride the mare,” Edward said placing his hands about her waist.

  “I can manage sir,” she said looking into his eyes. She could see the desire in his deep dark eyes. She felt the piercing gaze cover her. His hands trembled so he grabbed hold of the reins.

  “When are you going to learn to call me by my given name? If you want to thank me for the mare you can call me Edward.”

  Edward stared long at Elizabeth as he held the horse so Elizabeth could mount it. “Please do this thing for me. I know you want to keep the horse,” he said.

  “Edward do you think My Lord will let me keep it?” Edward was elated when Elizabeth mentioned his name. He was enthralled with her and it was possible that he was in love with her. But that was something new to Edward. He had many young women at his call, but now he only thought of Elizabeth.

  “You see it wasn’t hard to say.” He climbed on the large black stallion and galloped off and left Elizabeth behind. Then he turned and came back with a hand full of flowers. The meadow was awash with colorful flowers, “These are for you.”

  “No one has ever brought me such wonderful gifts,” Elizabeth leaned and caressed the horse’s mane.

  “You deserve gifts as if you were a high born lady because you are beautiful and chaste.”

  “Oh no sir, I would not presume to be a lady.”

  “You are better than any lady I have met and I have met many.” Edward looked off in a distance remembering his wayward life. “Why don’t you come and live on my castle, you are old enough and I can give you all the things that you desire. I will treat you like a queen.”

  “I would have to ask your lordship first and my father.”

  “Then it is arranged because Colum would not dare keep you from coming to work for me. I hear he is to marry soon. I don’t think that his lady would want you around, you are too beautiful and innocent for the likes of them.”

  Elizabeth toyed with the idea. Maybe she could change her station in life by leaving the Earl’s keep. She could no longer stand to be close to Colum because she was infatuated with him and it would do her no good to pine over someone that she could never hope to marry. However, Edward proved to be promising in his offers. Maybe she could better herself by accepting his offer.

  “Elizabeth, will you come with me?” Elizabeth did not answer; she stared into the distance thinking about Edward’s offer. “I will send you to school. If you prefer, I can provide a governess to teach you how to speak, read, and write where you can feel that you are not just a maid. You can have all these things that can make you a desirable wife.”

  “I am already desired to be a wife, and I can cook and clean and take care of a man’s home as well as make spirits to comfort him on dreary days.”

  “Then you will have more skills that will make any man desire you as a wife, even a count or Earl.” Elizabeth interest peeked when Edward said that she could hope to marry an Earl one day under the proper tutelage.”

  “I will accept your offer Edward.” Edward surprised at Elizabeth’s strong sense of self, made her all the more attractive to him. He was even delighted that she did not appear the quiet little mouse he had thought.

  “My dear Elizabeth, how many brothers do you have in your family?”

  She thought that the question was unusual but she never asked why he never asked if she had any sisters. “I have seven brothers.”

  “You are a family of many males. Quite interesting,” Edward said tilting his head as if in deep thought. “Elizabeth you will be a joy to any man that takes you for his wife.”

  Chapter 3

  The horseback ride to Colum’s castle took far less time than by carriage. Yet Edward ventured to take the long route, which coursed through woods and glens. A large estate with several small stone huts and one gigantic castle sat in the middle of the wood surrounded by trees. “This is where I reside Elizabeth. Come in and see where you will be living before we set out for Colum’s estate?”

  “I think we should ask my lord first before I stay. My brothers work for him and they will be worried if I do not show myself before the sun sets.”

  “Do not worry yourself I will explain to Colum,” Edward murmured dismounting his steed then walking to help Elizabeth off the mare. His hands felt strong and comforting. She did not feel threatened as they encircled her waist. He sat her in front of him and their eyes met. He was enchanted by her warm green eyes and she was drawn in by his dark smoldering eyes, and devilish handsome face.

  She had only felt a desire for a man once and that was Colum. Now she felt her body yearn for a touch of a man since she had become a woman. Edward peered at her full round natural red lips and thought of lying with her and making love to her. He thought of satisfying her in all possible ways.

  He had visited a friend in Paris, France once, and now each spring he made the pilgrimage and there he learned of the ways to satisfy women. He knew that once he could make love to them they would never leave him. But Elizabeth was of a different sort—young, inexperienced, fresh, and chaste. She would allow only her husband to love her in the manner that Edward had in mind.

  She did not feel threatened, she felt that she could be happy in his home because he treated her like a person and a woman a man would court. Elizabeth enjoyed the feeling of being special that Edward provided. He led her by the hand and she followed like a lamb.

  * * *

  Colum always felt in good spirits when ever Elizabeth was nearby working in the castle. He felt emptiness in his heart during her absence whenever she visited her family. Knowing she was away caused a longing that he could not explain. He would always find some reason to visit the kitchen staff or request his tea and have Elizabeth serve it. Just staring into her eyes was enough to make his manhood rise and he would go to bed aching for her and rise the next day wanting her.

  He enjoyed knowing that she was somewhere around and he could see her whenever his youthful burnin
g passion would over-take him. It was Sunday and he did not hear her laughter or see her pretty smiling face.

  The kitchen was busy after dinner with all the servants scurrying around and preparing meals for the next day. Colum could not wait any longer so he strode to the kitchen to request that Elizabeth serve his tea. As he stepped through the doors, the servants stood straight and silent with eyes downward. “Good night, has anyone seen Elizabeth?”

  “Sir, she has not returned from her visit with her family,” the kitchen steward said as he straightened his white collar.

  “The sun is low in the sky and dark is upon us, did no one take the time to notify me and her brothers, and send out my guards to look for her?”

  “My Lord,” the groom stated standing and bowing with a mouth full of bread. “Elizabeth is an able young girl and she is not in harms way.”

  “How do you know? There are wolves in the forest and she is afoot!” He yelled with his eyebrow arching, which displayed his displeasure at the groom’s words.

  Colum’s eyes focused on the groom standing in front of his evening meal. “Get my steed,” he said pointing in the direction of the stable.

  “Do you hear me? I will be ready in a minute.” Colum stomped out of the kitchen increasingly disturbed with the groom.

  The groom took one last spoon of soup with a piece of bread trailing out of his mouth and ran for the stables to ready the Earl’s mount. The grey steed was ready and brought to the front of the castle, where Colum was waiting in his riding clothes. The groom gave his hand to help lift the Earl on the large stallion. He dismissed the groom with a wave of his hand and mounted the horse. Colum headed out into twilight. There was a queer light in the sky and as the dust from the horse’s hoofs struck the stones, it gave off a bright light.

  The stallion made a full gallop and the sound of hoofs beating on the stone road leading out of the estate made a loud thunderous sound. The Earl dressed hurriedly and forgot the chill in the night spring air. He did not feel the chill because his blood was boiling and he was frightened at the thought that something could have happened to his beloved Elizabeth.

  It was impossible to admit to himself that he was in love with the young girl he had met some years before. She was not even of an age where she would have a suitor, but now she had grown into a wonderful and lovely young woman that any man would desire her as his wife. Colum knew that because of his station in life and his responsibility to convention that he could never hope to marry her. But there is no way he could ever allow her to marry another. She would become his one and only love.

  It was a selfish notion but for his own happiness he could never see her with another. These thoughts crossed his mind each time he imagined losing Elizabeth. Having a man kiss her the way he wanted to and touch her soft skin and love her mad him jealous beyond reason. Colum would do anything to keep Elizabeth, even if it meant never marrying another woman.

  He slowed his steed to ensure that he did not miss her if she was at the side of the road hurt. Rushing out into the forest he had forgotten his lantern, and the dark woods gave no light. Only an occasional fire fly put him at ease. His stallion galloped at a careful pace as if it sensed danger. By not waiting for a servant or guards to accompany him, he may have put himself in harms way. Although there were no reports of highwayman, anything was possible because of the constant wars that had left the country poor and starving.

  Colum decided that he needed someone to help him search for Elizabeth because he left in a hurry and did not prepare for a long ride. Coming to a fork in the road that led to Edward’s estate, he thought it best to turn in that direction. As he headed down the pebble strewn road, he saw a lantern moving in his direction. Stopping his steed and positioning it to run if he needed to, he called out, “Make your self known otherwise I will be prepared to shoot anyone who gets close.”

  “Colum, it’s Edward,” Edward shouted back. “Save your powder for the wolves in the forest.” Edward rode his stallion in front of Elizabeth’s mare, stopping directly in front of Colum.

  “I am relieved to see you,” Colum said with concern and anger. “Elizabeth the whole castle is alarmed and thought that you had come to harm. And I’m not so sure that you were not harmed.” Colum glared at Elizabeth with raised eyebrow with a dark look in his eyes focused on Edward.

  “Your lord ship, Edward…” Elizabeth read the strange look crossing Colum’s face. “I was directed to call him Edward. I know it is wrong and I won’t do it again.”

  “It is not wrong if I request that she address a suitor by his first name.”

  “A suitor?” exclaimed Colum and Elizabeth.

  “Yes, I am declaring my intentions to court Elizabeth.”

  “I don’t think this is a suitable place to discuss something this important,” stated Colum.

  “Why don’t we discuss this at my castle and you and Elizabeth stay the night because it is too dangerous to continue this late in the night.”

  Colum finally agreed that it would be better to stay over with Edward and he would take Elizabeth on tomorrow back to his castle.

  * * *

  It took only minutes to reach Edward’s castle. Edward a far richer Earl than Colum and his estate demonstrated his enormous wealth. The gas lanterns were lit and gave light to his beautiful gardens and pools, and the castle had over two hundred rooms and all full with light. Edward had inherited everything because he had been the only heir to his mother and father’s fortune. His parents had been only children and if Edward did not marry and have children his fortune would be lost.

  Edward was a lover of fine horses and he owned over a hundred Arabian stallions. It would take lots of English pounds and gold to feed and board the horses alone. He kept a staff of cooks, maids for each bedroom, and several man servants, guardsmen, and groomsmen. His hunting dogs alone cost the estate a thousand pounds a day. He may have been richer than the queen and because of this he was always at odds with the English who had occupied the nearby lands since 1602.

  A shrewd Earl, Edward knew what the English soldiers needed—money. He paid to keep them from confiscating his land and exacting large amount of taxes. Colum on the other hand despised the thought of paying for extortion. And because of Colum’s attitude, he would be the first Irish lord that the soldiers would target.

  * * *

  On reaching Edward’s estate, all were famished. Pork and potatoes wafted from the dining room, the cooks had prepared quail as well. Colum surprised at the large spread prepared for only a few visitors, ask to speak to Edward alone.

  “Elizabeth, the maids will assist you with a bath and new cloths.” Edward said ringing for the maid. An elderly maid came and took Elizabeth’s arm and pointed her in the direction of the maids’ sleeping quarters. “No take Elizabeth to one of the bedrooms and dress her from the trunks that hold some Paris originals I bought.”

  Colum raised an eyebrow and a frown lay on his face. “You cannot take an innocent young woman that has never been married and introduce her to our world.”

  “And what would you have me do? Leave a beautiful girl to linger in your keep as a slave, so you can spend your time wanting her and never marrying her?” He walked around to the table and placed the breast of quail on his plate, then turned to Colum, “I plan to marry her,” Edward said with a grin.

  “When are you planning on asking her? Does she know of your intentions?”

  “She will know tonight. You can be my best man, Colum.” Edward then took a sip of wine.

  Colum’s face grew hard and his eyebrows arched. He bit his lips and then turned to see who was coming into the dinning room.

  Both men heard the footsteps on the circular stairs and they rushed to the door. Edward’s face brightened and his eyes smiled as his lips parted. He rushed forward as Colum kept his composure. He watched as Edward escorted Elizabeth to the table. She wore a dark blue silk gown, cut low in front, displaying her ample bosom.

  “My lord I am not use to b
eing served in bed and wearing silk.”

  “You wear it well. You will get use to it.” Edward sat Elizabeth at the end of the table and Colum sat near her. When Edward reached for his second glass of wine he said, “I would like to propose a toast to my up coming marriage.”

  “I hope you will be happy my lord,” Elizabeth stated with a warm smile.

  Edward showed a strained look. He then turned to Elizabeth. He took a drink and stated, “You are the one I intend to marry.”

  Elizabeth stood in disgust and anger. “I am no ones slave where everyone knows about my marriage and I am not a part of it. In the morning I will leave with my lord Tyrone and proceed to his castle. At least he treats me like a person.”

  Edward’s jealousy and anger overtook him and he spoke out, “He is in love with you too but he is a coward and he will let convention prevent him from asking you to marry him. He will ask some silly high-born woman, not because he loves her, but because he allows convention to dictate that he must.” He peered at Colum, “He is a coward.”

  “Enough! Edward.” Colum sprang to his feet. “Edward I would like to borrow your carriage to take Elizabeth back to my castle where she will be safe.”

  “Are you trying to convince Elizabeth that if she stays with me, I will try to seduce her?” Then you are wrong. I will treat her as you have never. I will marry her quickly and give her the things that a girl as beautiful, innocent, and kind needs in her life. These are dangerous days Colum, nothing is certain. If you are at all in love with this girl, tell her to marry me.”

  Elizabeth looked on confused. Her eyes shifting from Edward to Colum trying to make sense of the whole affair, as the maid walked in to provide Elizabeth with a velvet cloak to keep her warm.

  Edward saw the paleness in Elizabeth’s face that she was not pleased at the evening’s occurrence. He ordered his carriage to be brought to the front of the castle, where Colum and Elizabeth waited in silence.

  Under the hood of her cloak she eyed Colum. He stood a perfect example of the Irish gentry steeped in tradition and perfect manners and conventions. He would not cross the threshold and declare his love for her as did Edward. Elizabeth was in love with Colum, but was Colum indeed in love with her as Edward had suggested?