Left At The Crooked Pine

Frank and Ellis stood there smiling; Jonathan wore his customary frown at the moment. He was held back from the bed by his two best friends.

“Let me go!” he growled.

“Shush you will wake them.” They chastised him. His scowl deepened.

“But we can’t leave her like that with him!”

“Shush!” Ellis clapped a hand over Jon’s mouth. The two happy men smiled over the sleeping couple. Bianca sprawled on top of Mitchell their legs tangled together, his still covered by britches, her bare, the rest of her body barely covered by her chemise, her head resting on his gently rising chest, his cheek resting against her soft hair.

“She’s almost naked!” they heard Jon complain behind Ellis’s hand. The muffled sound and Frank and Ellis’s laughter stirred the sleepy couple into finally waking. Mitchell was the first to properly come to his senses and scowled back at Jon as was their now customary response to each other. Bianca took a bit longer, freezing in place on top of Mitchell hoping he was still asleep and did not realise where she was, then when she realised he was not only awake but they also had company she blushed furiously and hastily rolled off him to the side. Mitchell caught her by the waist quickly before she rolled completely over the edge of the bed and threw the sheets over Bianca's near nakedness, knowing she valued her modesty. Everyone was distracted from Bianca's embarrassment when Ellis yelled and shoved Jonnie away from him.

“He bit me on the hand!”

“I had something important to say and I couldn’t very well do so with your hand over my mouth,” Jon snapped. “You are getting married as soon as the banns can be called, three weeks from this coming Sunday. You’ll be married on the third Sunday straight after mass.”

Bianca stared at him wide eyed. So soon?” Mitchell just grinned roguishly and pressed a light kiss to Bianca's open mouth. That caused her to blush even more. He was so openly physically affectionate already and they weren’t married yet. It was so inappropriate and when they married she would have to have… Bianca stifled a sob at the idea. She could not do that with a man! Could she? Mitchell made her feel things she had never felt before and they were good things. Would it be like when he kissed her? That would not be so bad she supposed. She needed to know more she surmised. Juliana would tell her she hoped. Mitchell watched with curiosity the emotions flickering across his wife-to-be’s face; shock, fear, worry, understanding, hope. But not happiness. He hoped she was not completely adverse to the idea. He needed to keep her safe. To keep her as his.

“Bianca we need to leave now before jewel, Maddie and Kate go mad with worry. You can return to Mitchell after the wedding and you will see him at mass each Sunday until then.” Frank reassured her when he saw the worry flit across her face at the idea of leaving Mitchell.

“Get dressed we want to leave soon.” Frank and Ellis left the room together but Jonnie stayed behind.

“I’ll be staying if that’s alright with you Connaught. I’d like to get to know my new brother-in-law before you wed my little sister. We have a marriage contract to agree on too.” Jon informed him calmly and coolly with a menacing undertone. Mitchell nodded his agreement. Jon left too and Mitchell climbed off the bed and went into the adjoining lounge to allow Bianca to dress in private.

~

Juliana, Kate and Maddie swamped her when Frank helped her down from Jupiter’s back. Then Kate’s temper was unleashed.

“What were you thinking going off into the woods alone like that? We were worried sick!” she shouted. Despite being worried and tired Bianca couldn’t help but smile, Kate and Jonnie were so alike.

“I wasn’t,” she replied meekly, “Please let us go inside and sit down to talk about this, I am tired and my ankle hurts.”

“You are injured! I hope Jon kills the bastard.”

“He has tried believe me you,” Ellis remarked with a laugh. Maddie paled, she hated all this worry and violence. Ellis repented for his unthinking words quickly. “Oh Mads you know I was joking everything is going to be fine.” He hugged his wife too him and place a quick kiss on her forehead. They all trailed into the large salon.

Bianca sank gratefully down into her favourite armchair and rested her foot on the convenient stool. Everyone else sat down around her and stared at her expectantly. She sighed, now they wanted to hear her side of the story! Now she had agreed to marrying Mitchell. Now she had been taken from him.

“You want me to explain?” she asked to clarify the situation; they all nodded. “I got robbed by Mitchell Monday night. As you properly know we returned unharmed but it left me curious about why he did it and who he was. So when I couldn’t sleep I went to look for him early Tuesday morning. I managed to follow his trail a certain distance but then I lost him. the smell of Mitchell's mare caused Jupiter to bolt when I was holding his reins. He dragged me a way and I got my foot caught on a tree root spraining it. I passed out from the pain. Jupiter ran off and Mitchell caught him. Jupiter cleverly led him back to me and he rescued me. He took me to his cottage and was looking after me until my ankle healed. He never touched me in a disrespectful way, he protected me. When Jon, Frank and Ellis found us he hid me to keep me safe. Not that they were a danger. We spent the night at Mitchell's home, we are getting married in three weeks time” she paused and all the other women stared at her outraged and shocked.

“You have to marry a highway man? But why? Surely he’ll just be hung for his crimes and for you to marry some one below your station is ridiculous!” Kate objected.

“Bianca just so happens to have left out the most important piece of information.” Frank told them calmly.

“It turns out Mitchell is…” Bianca paused and took a deep calming breathe. Everyone looked at her impatiently. “The 3rd Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, Frank and Juliana's new neighbour and very much in line with my station.”

The women all gasped and the men looked pleased with themselves, although they had in no way manipulated the situation themselves. Bianca waited for more off a reaction but none came. They all looked thoughtful for a while and then Kate decided it was time for the men to leave.

“Are you sure about this marriage Bia? You can say no if you want to, I’ll make Jon see sense.” Kate asked her seriously, once they were alone.

“I have already told Mitchell yes, and I meant it he’s a good man, really. I think he might not really be a criminal but none of the men will tell me what is actually happening. He was kind to me when I was at his cottage and looked after me. I trust him.”

“He did not harm you? Touch you in any way?” Juliana asked hesitantly. Bianca blushed and shook her head.

“He’s carried me before and last night we umm…”

“Did he kiss you?” Maddie asked moving over to take Bianca's hand. “That’s not wrong you know if you like him that is and he didn’t force you.”

“He did,” Bianca told them going even pinker, “It was nice, he even kissed my neck and shoulders too. Is that normal? I wasn’t sure.”

“It’s just fine Bianca, that’s normal. In fact when he is your husband he’ll touch and kiss you in lots of different ways. It’s perfectly normal.” Kate was the only one brave enough to explain.

“Will it hurt? Mother told me it would when he took me to the marriage bed.” She asked nervously.

“The first time will but if he is a good husband he’ll look after you and it won’t hurt after that.”
Bianca hid behind her hands and now everyone was blushing as well. “This is so embarrassing.”

“Well you need to know I suppose.” Jewel said with a sigh. “As long as you think you will be happy.”

“I think I might be content with him, but its no fairytale ending.” Bianca admitted a bit sadly. “I’m tired, do mind excusing me?” they shooed her up the stairs to her room and Bianca tumbled into her bed gratefully. She dreamed of the cottage and kissing Mitchell, a small smile on her lips. No nightmares plagued her this time, having all been chased away by Mitchell the night before.