Meredith was tired of being jostled around inside the carriage. Thankfully, the driver had finally pulled to a stop before a small roadside inn. Annie, who had nodded off, woke as the carriage slowed to a stop.
"Ah, Miss. We seem to have arrived. I must admit, I am quite ready to leave this carriage." Annie announced.
Michael came to the door. "Ladies, please remain inside the carriage until I have attained lodging. I will return shortly." He promptly turned and walked into the inn.
The inn was a quaint two storied structure with exposed beams and a thatched roof. Meredith only hoped the beds would be as comfortable as the inn appeared from without. Soon Michael returned and helped them as they stepped down. Once again, Michael's hand lingered on Meredith's, and she drew in a stabilizing breath. Removing her hand from his, she tried to make polite conversation. "Such a pretty inn," she said, but Michael did not appear to hear her. He was busy watching her mouth, but he wasn't sure what words she spoke.
"Hmmm. Yes." was all he said in return. He then presented his arm to Meredith and walked to the door, which was very narrow for two people. Their bodies brushed together as they entered causing Meredith to shudder slightly.
"Are you cold, Miss Chaney? Let me lead you to the fire in the main room. There we can sit and have dinner, if you would join me."
"Yes, that sounds lovely, sir. Thank you." she replied as they walked to the table closest to the large fireplace.
Annie, who was preparing the room for Meredith, did not join the two at dinner. Instead, the inn keeper's wife sent her meal to the room. This left Michael and Meredith alone for the first time since they had left the ship. Michael, who was normally very easy with the ladies, found that he did not know what to say.
"I hope," he began as she said, "What a lovely....
"I am sorry, Miss Chaney, please begin again," Michael politely said as he motioned for her to continue.
"Thank you, Sir. I was only commenting that this is a lovely fire and I am anxiously awaiting dinner, which has such a wonderful aroma."
"Yes, a hot meal is most welcome after such a long journey with only cold provisions for lunch. I am afraid we will need to pack a lunch again for the next week and only stop to rest the horses occasionally, if we hope to see your village soon."
"I understand, Sir."
"Please, call me Michael when we are alone. I would like to call you by your given name, also, if that is not too forward. Meredith is such a beautiful name, Miss."
"Well, I will allow that when we are dining, but it does seem forward, Sir. I mean Michael."
When she said his name, he could feel his pulse quicken. There was something magical in the way she said his name. "La Belle Dame Sans Merci has thee enthralled. " John Keats' words flowed through his mind as he listened to her. He could see himself as the lonely knight disoriented on a hillside, left by a beautiful fairy to wander alone forever.
Meredith, who had said a few more sentences realized that Michael once again did not appear to have listened to her. He was staring into her face with a far away look. Shaking his head, he apologized for his lack of courtesy.
Saved by the inn keeper's daughter as she placed their meal before them, Michael thanked her and began to eat. Meredith also began to eat, and found herself making a very satisfied noise. Michael, who did not want to embarrass her began to make a similar sound. Looking at one another, they both began to laugh, which lightened the mood for the remainder of their meal. Once they were finished, Michael rose to lead Meredith to the stairs so that she could retire for the night. Bending over her hand, he lightly kissed her fingers and wished her a good night's sleep. Turning he walked back to the table they had just left. Apparently, ale was on the menu again tonight.
Meredith stood at the bottom of the stairs and watched as Michael walked away. She could feel her fingertips tingle, and she unconsciously raised her hand to her cheek. She then gathered her own wits and turned to climb the stairs. Even though she was very weary, she had a feeling sleep would elude her for some time to come.
Annie, who had waited for her to retire, helped Meredith as she undressed and prepared for bed. Having a lady's maid was wonderful. Meredith had not realized what she had been missing until this trip began. She contemplated that thought as she climbed into bed. She also thought of the other thing that she had not realized she was missing until now. Michael Warren. The more she was around the man, the less she wanted to return home to her boring life. And then there was Darrin. He said he wanted and needed her. That she was his. Before Michael, she would have agreed, but now. Well, now she wasn't sure what to think. If only he would not leave her in her village to return to his life as a merchant. Sighing, she allowed herself to drift off to sleep. Worry was something she was becoming very good at, but as Annie said, "What is to be cannot be changed through worrying."
The remaining trip to her village was similar to the first day. They would ride all day, only stopping occasionally to rest the horses, and then find an inn for the night. Michael, who had decided to ride his horse each day, began to wish he was in the carriage with Meredith. He would find himself riding closer to the carriage window so that he could check on the occupants. But really, he knew he only wanted to see her face. If only Darrin Cortland had not claimed her as his own. Michael loved his life as a merchant, and until this week, he had never considered any other way of life. As he sat on his horse for hours, he began to see himself in a house with a lovely wife and children. Then he would shake his head and gallop away from the carriage to regain some perspective. That was not the life for him, and he knew it. Meredith had a gentle bearing and she would need to be a wife in a fine home. Not an adventurer. He may want her, but he knew he was not the right one for her. Cortland be damned, but he seemed to be the one Meredith did need. Once this trip was over and he had made sure Meredith was securely home and safe, he would leave to return to the life he knew. She could never live that type of life with him.
"Ah, Miss. We seem to have arrived. I must admit, I am quite ready to leave this carriage." Annie announced.
Michael came to the door. "Ladies, please remain inside the carriage until I have attained lodging. I will return shortly." He promptly turned and walked into the inn.
The inn was a quaint two storied structure with exposed beams and a thatched roof. Meredith only hoped the beds would be as comfortable as the inn appeared from without. Soon Michael returned and helped them as they stepped down. Once again, Michael's hand lingered on Meredith's, and she drew in a stabilizing breath. Removing her hand from his, she tried to make polite conversation. "Such a pretty inn," she said, but Michael did not appear to hear her. He was busy watching her mouth, but he wasn't sure what words she spoke.
"Hmmm. Yes." was all he said in return. He then presented his arm to Meredith and walked to the door, which was very narrow for two people. Their bodies brushed together as they entered causing Meredith to shudder slightly.
"Are you cold, Miss Chaney? Let me lead you to the fire in the main room. There we can sit and have dinner, if you would join me."
"Yes, that sounds lovely, sir. Thank you." she replied as they walked to the table closest to the large fireplace.
Annie, who was preparing the room for Meredith, did not join the two at dinner. Instead, the inn keeper's wife sent her meal to the room. This left Michael and Meredith alone for the first time since they had left the ship. Michael, who was normally very easy with the ladies, found that he did not know what to say.
"I hope," he began as she said, "What a lovely....
"I am sorry, Miss Chaney, please begin again," Michael politely said as he motioned for her to continue.
"Thank you, Sir. I was only commenting that this is a lovely fire and I am anxiously awaiting dinner, which has such a wonderful aroma."
"Yes, a hot meal is most welcome after such a long journey with only cold provisions for lunch. I am afraid we will need to pack a lunch again for the next week and only stop to rest the horses occasionally, if we hope to see your village soon."
"I understand, Sir."
"Please, call me Michael when we are alone. I would like to call you by your given name, also, if that is not too forward. Meredith is such a beautiful name, Miss."
"Well, I will allow that when we are dining, but it does seem forward, Sir. I mean Michael."
When she said his name, he could feel his pulse quicken. There was something magical in the way she said his name. "La Belle Dame Sans Merci has thee enthralled. " John Keats' words flowed through his mind as he listened to her. He could see himself as the lonely knight disoriented on a hillside, left by a beautiful fairy to wander alone forever.
Meredith, who had said a few more sentences realized that Michael once again did not appear to have listened to her. He was staring into her face with a far away look. Shaking his head, he apologized for his lack of courtesy.
Saved by the inn keeper's daughter as she placed their meal before them, Michael thanked her and began to eat. Meredith also began to eat, and found herself making a very satisfied noise. Michael, who did not want to embarrass her began to make a similar sound. Looking at one another, they both began to laugh, which lightened the mood for the remainder of their meal. Once they were finished, Michael rose to lead Meredith to the stairs so that she could retire for the night. Bending over her hand, he lightly kissed her fingers and wished her a good night's sleep. Turning he walked back to the table they had just left. Apparently, ale was on the menu again tonight.
Meredith stood at the bottom of the stairs and watched as Michael walked away. She could feel her fingertips tingle, and she unconsciously raised her hand to her cheek. She then gathered her own wits and turned to climb the stairs. Even though she was very weary, she had a feeling sleep would elude her for some time to come.
Annie, who had waited for her to retire, helped Meredith as she undressed and prepared for bed. Having a lady's maid was wonderful. Meredith had not realized what she had been missing until this trip began. She contemplated that thought as she climbed into bed. She also thought of the other thing that she had not realized she was missing until now. Michael Warren. The more she was around the man, the less she wanted to return home to her boring life. And then there was Darrin. He said he wanted and needed her. That she was his. Before Michael, she would have agreed, but now. Well, now she wasn't sure what to think. If only he would not leave her in her village to return to his life as a merchant. Sighing, she allowed herself to drift off to sleep. Worry was something she was becoming very good at, but as Annie said, "What is to be cannot be changed through worrying."
The remaining trip to her village was similar to the first day. They would ride all day, only stopping occasionally to rest the horses, and then find an inn for the night. Michael, who had decided to ride his horse each day, began to wish he was in the carriage with Meredith. He would find himself riding closer to the carriage window so that he could check on the occupants. But really, he knew he only wanted to see her face. If only Darrin Cortland had not claimed her as his own. Michael loved his life as a merchant, and until this week, he had never considered any other way of life. As he sat on his horse for hours, he began to see himself in a house with a lovely wife and children. Then he would shake his head and gallop away from the carriage to regain some perspective. That was not the life for him, and he knew it. Meredith had a gentle bearing and she would need to be a wife in a fine home. Not an adventurer. He may want her, but he knew he was not the right one for her. Cortland be damned, but he seemed to be the one Meredith did need. Once this trip was over and he had made sure Meredith was securely home and safe, he would leave to return to the life he knew. She could never live that type of life with him.
For those of you who are reading my newest creation, please realize I write when I can. I'm not sure how long this story will actually be or even exactly how it will evolve. If you have suggestions, please feel free to comment. So far, I like Michael a lot. Meredith is not a wimpy heroin, which I like too. Darrin is a real jerk. Hopefully Meredith will figure that out before things go very, very wrong. And I'm thinking things are going to go very, very wrong soon!
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