I am back on track with this novel and you should see more chapters coming out with more regularity than in the past few months. I foresee more of the emerging conflict with Blackthorne to begin playing out, with perhaps slightly less emphasis on erotica, though never so little that it doesn't fit under the Literotica banner.
*
Isobel slept late the following morning. Nightmares were what woke her; vivid dreams of her husband beating her. Her surroundings confused her at first, then remembered that her husband had lost her in a card game and she was at Cameron Keep. Despite the reassurances of the Cameron's the previous evening, she was still uncertain of her status. She'd never been lost or won in a card game before and wondered what the winner would expect of her. She'd been used to pay her husband's debts before, but never on a permanent basis.
Finding some of the clothes that Muiríol had set aside for her, she got dressed. She did not remember her way to the kitchen; the previous night being somewhat of a blur, and had to ask one of the maids scurrying around for directions. The maid stopped what she was doing and led her to the kitchen, where the cook gave her some bread, meat and cheese. Upon asking where she could find the others, the cook directed her to the courtyard, where Isobel could hear a lot of noise and clamor.
Taking her food with her, Isobel went out to the courtyard and saw many people engaged in fighting. At first she thought it might be some sort of battle, but quickly realized that only a few people were fighting at any one time, the rest leaning on their swords, or squatting, watching the few who were. When those few fighting were done, another group would take their place and the previous group would take their place to the side. All of it done under the watchful eye of Laird Cameron and another fellow she remembered from the trip from Dervaig yesterday. She had only been introduced to the family and not any of the men-at-arms who she traveled with. She supposed that she should find Lady Cameron and begin to find out what her expectations of Isobel's duties would be around the Keep.
"Excuse me," she asked one of the nearby men, "could you direct me to where I might find Lady Cameron?"
"Aye, she's right over there," the fellow said, pointing to another, smaller, group off to the side working with lighter swords who she had thought were youngsters.
She finally realized that one of them was Lady Cameron in a pair of pants, her hair tied back and a large floppy hat on her head. She danced back and forth with the others, one of the thinner swords in her hand, always pointed at her opponent and Frang was keeping that group under his watchful eye. She moved closer to observe.
Ailene's pants and shirt were leather and she had some metal plates over the outside of her shirt over her breasts. The entire outfit was somewhat scandalous for a woman, particularly a lady of her stature. The pants showed off her legs and the metal plates over her breasts did nothing to conceal her curves. Isobel soon recognized the practicality of the outfit as Ailene continued to advance and retreat as the wee swords poked and stabbed at each other. Skirts and shifts would be entirely impractical for the quick back and forth movements. Isobel saw that the swords had flat tips that would keep the opponent from getting punctured, but were still small enough to leave bruises. The practicality of the breast plates was clear when Ailene missed a deflection and the point bent off the plate. She waited until Ailene was resting and another group took over, then she approached.
"Good morning, Lady Cameron, what exactly are you doing?" Isobel asked.
"Call me Ailene, please, Isobel. There is no point in standing on formality if you're going to be staying here with us."
"Ailene, can you tell me what you're doing?" She asked again.
"Aye, well the Cameron's have an enemy, Lord Blackthorne, perhaps you've heard of him. I was nearly defiled when I was out looking for herbals outside the castle and after that, Stuart and I felt that given our enemies, thieves and bandits, it would be good for me to know how to defend myself. Frang is showing us a new form of weapon which has become popular in Italy and France. It's called a rapier, and as you can see, it's light and can easily be maneuvered by a woman."
"You're learning to fight?"
"Aye, and kill if necessary. Being that close to being raped made me realize that I wanted to know how to protect myself. My husband and Frang found me in time to keep the unthinkable from happening, but if I'd been able to defend myself, it might not have come that close."
"Do you think that I could learn to use the rapier as well? Would Frang teach me? I know I'm asking a lot. I should probably help around the Keep, but I'm so tired of being beaten and abused, the means of protecting myself would be a small miracle," Isobel said.
"Of course, Isobel. I'm sure that Frang would be happy to teach you as well. As soon as he's done, we'll ask him."
"I'm sorry I slept so late. It's not like me to be so lazy," Isobel apologized.
"Nonsense. It was a traumatic day. Frang told us how you were mistreated at the card game. Even more, you then find yourself among strangers, not knowing what would become of you because he foolishly allowed you to think that you might be leaving the kettle for the fire. After all that, I'm not surprised you would sleep so late," Ailene reassured her. "Once you've acclimated and established some routine, I'm sure you won't be the slug-a-bed you were this morning."
"I promise you, I won't be."
They both watched as Frang worked with the youngsters, stopping on occasion to give praise or to correct poor footwork or other move that would become deadly if it became habit. He worked with the next group for over a half hour and Ailene pointed out each of the things that he was teaching and what the purpose was.
When he finished and sent the lads off to their other duties, Ailene said, "Isobel was wondering if you'd be willing to teach her the rapier, Frang. She believes that it would be useful to know how to defend herself from the brutes and knaves of the world."
"Aye. I'd be happy to teach her. She'll need some pants and shirts like yours, linen would be fine to start. She won't have to worry about being poked until we get her caught up with the rest of you. If she wishes to learn, I'm going to need a word with you, Lady Cameron, if I may. Excuse us please, Lady McTavish."
Frang pulled Ailene aside and said, "You'll have to get the sizes for her breast protectors, Lady Cameron."
"How am I to do that?" Ailene asked.
"The same way that I did it for you," he replied.
"Why can't you do it, Frang, as you did me?"
"Think of what you're saying, Lady Cameron, and you'll know very well why I can't do it. Until her divorce is approved by the kirk, she's a married woman and even if she were single, another man can't be handling her teets without bringing shame on the lass."
"You did it to me," Ailene said.
"And by the time I did, it was already determined that you'd be shared with Thorburn and me. Fondling your breasts was nothing compared to what we'd already done and planning to do in the future. It was by far the least that could happen. I'll not do the same to another woman. I would imagine that women are always measuring and doing similar to other ladies for dresses and such."
"I'm not a milliner. We're not making a dress and no woman ever held my breasts the way that you handled mine."
"Well, aye. I'd imagine not, but it needs to be done, nevertheless, and you have to find some way to do it or she could be injured when she starts fencing. If you explain the purpose for it, surely she wouldn't be offended," Frang explained.
"It's awkward," Ailene said.
"I can understand that."
"From what I know of your past affaires, you didn't much care for the reputation of married ladies in the past. Why the concern for this one now?" Ailene asked.
"Aye, I was a bit of a rascal, but I was a foreigner and an outsider and they looked down on me for being only half French. I figured it only right to show them their wives didn't mind the Scottish part. But I'm back home, part of a major land owning family and I don't think I should sully the characters of the local ladies without considering how it looks for us. We depend on the good will of the locals and we wouldn't have it were I sleeping with their wives and daughters."
