Chapter 7: Misunderstandings

The two rode into the bailey and dismounted, then took their mounts into the stable. Natalie watered the stallion, then brushed him down. She smiled at Drapper as she walked out and was surprised to see him frowning at her. Telling Rav she was going to change and wash up for dinner, Natalie went up stairs to her room. Passing Mary on the stairs Natalie asked for a bucket of hot water be sent to her room. Mary gave her a cold look and nodded. Natalie waited in her room for the hot water, it never came, so she washed with what she had left in the pitcher, then changed her dress. Sitting down to dinner, Hank asked how she liked SheringCross, smiling Natalie told him how much she had enjoyed her visit, how much she enjoyed seeing the green house and the bathing pools. "Maybe Rav could build something like that in the house he is building? said Hank. Natalie looked at Rav "your building a house?" Harriett helping serve dinner almost slapped the plate down in front of Natalie. Looking at Harriett, Natalie sighed to herself. Rav started talking about the house and where he wanted to build it, Natalie listened and nodded on occasion. He hadn't even asked her what she might like to add to the house or if she had any ideas for it. Hank was full of idea's and started to chatter away. Jacquilt chuckled at Collin "I can feel another pool room coming up." Rav grinned "Not a bad idea." Laughing Hank said "then you can teach us to swim." Rav looked at Hank "you don't know how to swim?" Hank shook his head. That got everyone talking about swimming lessons and the best way to teach a person to swim. Collin had noticed how quiet Kat had been all during dinner but decided not to say anything until later. He had also noticed the way Harriett had all but tossed the plate at Natalie. He watched Mary come in and start to clear the plates off the tables and watched Natalie's plate accidentally slip out of Mary's hand and into Natalie's lap. Natalie wiped off her dress the best she could and excused herself for the night. Rav and Hank left right behind Natalie, wishing everyone a good evening. Mary came in to pick up the last few dishes, Collin looked at her, "Mary ask Harriett to come in here for a moment, the come back yourself, please" Jacquilt who had also seen what had happened sat and waited, he wanted to hear what Mary had to say, her behavior was so at odds with the easy going friendly Mary. Kat looked at Collin, "I don't think this is a good time for this, Collin, I would like to talk to you first, if you don't mind." but Mary and Harriett had already returned to the dining room. Collin looked at Kat, then at the other two. "I want to know what's going on, if you please, lets start with you Harriet." Huffing Harriett looked at Collin "the gal is to uppity, she always has her nose stuck in the air, and after what Mary had to tell me, I think she should be tossed out on her ear," then she looked at Jacquilt "and your to old to be given in to temptation."

With a surprised look on his face Jacquilt start to say something but stopped when Collin held up his hand, he looked at Mary "lets hear what you have to say Mary." Mary standing with her hands on her hips glowered at Jacquilt then turned to Collin "that girl seemed nice enough when she first got her, but then she put her nose in the air and got all cold, talking to everyone in that clipped way of hers, we all heard Master Rav out in the nights roaring, the boy isn't happy and we don't like that and its her fault. she come in the kitchen the other day all high and mighty. Bad enough she got our boy all riled up, but to be taken a man old enough to be her father to her bed, wellll that's just wrong, and with her own husband down the hall no less." Jacquilt stood up and looked at Harriett and Mary, "are you accusing me of having bedded Natalie?" Nodding emphatically Mary said "saw you meself shutting her bedroom door almost at dawn it was, then you went downstairs to the kitchen." "You saw me shut her door and made the assumption that I had been in her room, it was a mistake, I had seen candle light coming from under her door and simple knocked and asked if everything was all right, its not easy moving into a new home and being surrounded by strangers and unfriendly strangers at that, not to mention a husband who is acting like an ass." Jacquilt looked at Kat with a deep look of disappointment realizing that Kat had believed what Mary had told them. He quietly left the room. Collin looked at Mary and what were you doing when Natalie walked into the kitchen, he asked quietly even though he was seething with rage. Mary looked at Harriett with a guilty look, "talking about the girl and how cold and uppity she was." Did you think that she might of heard you and that's why she responded the way she did? Mary admitted she hadn't thought of that. Collin told them that he never wanted to see such cruel behavior from them again and that they better be quick to pass the word along. Then he dismissed them and turned to Kat. Collin looked at Kat for a long time. Kat sighed "I was wrong to believe what Mary told me, but I knew Rav was unhappy, he has been behaving like I've not seen him behave since he was in his teen years." Collin looked down at his folded hand, then back at Kat "he's been behaving like a love sick fool, who didn't know how to fix the mess he made of his wedding night, to compound the problems I firmly believe Natalie was fed nothing but hatred for the sex act by her Aunt Patricia, now I'm sure most of the keep thinks she is an unfaithful wife. Perhaps you should think of how you've treated her since she got here." He stood up and looked again at Kat about to say more when Mary and Harriett came in, wringing their hands. Natalie undressed and put on one of the pretty nightdresses that she had found in one of the drawers when she had first arrived, she was sitting brushing her hair, trying not to blush as she remembered the things Bitsy had told her. She was half way to the bed when the first horrible stomach cramp hit her, she fell to her knee's hugging her stomach, groaning, she used the bed post to pull herself up, she managed to grab the wash basin as she started to vomit, her stomach cramping over and over again, as she lost her dinner, Natalie lay on the cold floor retching. Rav walked in at first not seeing Natalie, then he heard her and rushed over and knelt down next to her. Picking her up he laid her on the bed, she curled up on her side her knee's drawn up tight against her chest. sweat covered her face, her whole body trembling. Collin came striding into the room, Kat right behind him. Rav was surprised to see the furious look on his fathers face, Natalie saw it too and cringed, she wanted to say it wasn't her fault but couldn't as another cramp hit her. Collin moved Rav aside and ran his hands over her stomach, over her forehead, he did it several times until he saw her legs start to relax and the shaking slow down. Kat passed Collin a cool wash cloth, and watched him wipe off Natalie's face. Rav looked at his father, Collin looked at Rav and said "Mary and Harriett." With a snarl Rav turned, Natalie grabbed his jacket with shaking fingers, "please don't, Rav, it will only make them hate me more, please don't." the tears streaming down her deathly white face. Collin motioned Kat to the door, "if you need me, just let me know, you should be able to ease anymore cramps she might have." then they left Rav with Natalie. Pulling up a chair, Rav washed Natalie's face again with the cool damp cloth, he rubbed her stomach gently each time she had a cramp, brushing the hair back out of her face he frowned seeing how horribly pale she still was. Realizing her nightdress was soaked with sweat, Rav stripped it off her, Natalie was to worn out to protest even while she tried to pull the covers over herself. Rav chuckled at her and whispered as he started to run the cool cloth over her body "your my wife, I'm bound to see you naked eventually, preferably sooner then later." That brought a little color to her cheeks. Grabbing a nice warm soft nightgown, he slipped it over her head, dressing her like a baby, making soothing noises at her. Natalie started to cry, tears sliding down her cheeks, she had wanted to look pretty for him tonight instead she was a retching mess. Rav wrapped her in a blanket and carried her over to the fireplace, he sat down and held her as she curled up in a ball on his lap. Every time he felt her stiffen, he would run his hands over her stomach until he felt her relax again. When she finally fell asleep, he carried her to bed and eased her gently down between the sheets. Stripping off his clothes, he got into the bed and pulled her up next to him, he could still feel the slight tremors that ran through her body. She woke once and snuggled closer trying to get warm, she felt so cold and shivered. Rav felt her shiver and wrapped his arms around her, spooned along her back, he tucked the covers more firmly around her. A very tired Rav got up and dressed, then checking again on Natalie, he tucked the covers more firmly around her, his hand smoothing back her lank hair. She opened her eyes for a minute, then closed them she felt so very tired. "I'm going to go down and get some bath water sent up and some tea and soup, you need to get something in your stomach." She grimaced but didn't argue with him. Rav came back carrying a large tray, he set it on the beside table, then opened the door for Mathew so he could bring in several buckets of hot water. Rav set Natalie up against the pillows and put a napkin on her lap, then set a cup of hot tea in her hands, she tried to take a sip but her hands shook to badly and it spilled down the front of her. Rav frowned, he hadn't realized how weak she was, taking the cup, he wiped her nightgown off, then held the cup up to her lips. she took a small sip and felt the tears slip down her cheeks. Gently Rav wiped the tears and smiled "its ok sweets, I don't mind helping and you shouldn't be upset that you need help." He fed her a few spoonfuls of soup, seeing the grimace on her face, he stopped and ran his hand over her stomach again, easing the cramps. Rav pulled out the bathtub and frowned he hadn't realized she had such a little tub, almost a small hip bath, she would only get chilled in that he decided. Rav was about to take her to his fathers lair, when he remembered the looks his parents had been giving each other as they left the room last night and thought better of the idea.

Sitting on Brand's lap, Bitsy suddenly frowned, Brand looked down at her and raised an eyebrow, "you don't like the jam?" Bitsy giggled at him and gave him a pinch. "Rav wants to bring Natalie here to use the bathing pools, I got the impression there is something wrong." Rav picked up Natalie as she slept and took her to Bitsy's pools, he carefully took off her night gown, then stripped off his own clothes. As the hot water washed over her, Natalie woke up, startled she started to struggle, Rav spoke softly to her assuring her that he had a hold of her, remembering what Hank had said about their not knowing how to swim. Natalie closed her eyes and let the warmth of the water sink into her body. Rav washed her gently, watching the pink on her cheeks, he grinned for a moment, then he sat her on the step and washed her hair, laying her back on his arm to rinse her hair until it was squeaking it was so clean. The whole time he had been washing her hair, she made little noises of pleasure that had him gritting his teeth. After he was done with her hair he whispered in her ear "one of these days your going to be making those sexy little noises in my mouth." He grinned at the look of confusion on her face, "I'll point them out to you, next time you make them." He carried her out of the pool and wrapped her in a large towel, after drying her off he frowned, he needed a clean nightgown for her. He was holding up the one he had taken off her looking at it trying to judge how to go about getting her one when Bitsy laughed, Rav turned around holding the nightgown in front of him. Bitsy tisked at him then laughed, she stopped abruptly when she saw Natalie curled up in a towel on the marble bench sound asleep. Rav dried off and got dressed as Bitsy hovered over Natalie, her hands glowed as she looked Natalie over, frowning she looked at Rav, "she's going to be sick for a while, even though most of the poisonous herbs are out of her body, its going to take a week or two before she is totally well. I gather Hank is all right, that it was just Natalie they were after." Rav nodded "I'm not sure yet exactly what's going on but I intend to find out after I get back home and make sure Natalie is comfortable. Bitsy put Natalie in a nice warm nightdress, and told Rav if there was anything the two of them needed to just send her a message. Rav thanked Bitsy, told her to tell Brand and the twins hello, then he returned Natalie to the keep. Rav tucked Natalie back in bed, then sat in the chair by the bed thinking. Kat came in quietly check Natalie, "go down and get something to eat, Rav, I'll sit here with Natalie, if she needs you, I will call you." Rav walked into the dining room, he was surprised not to see Jacquilt, who was an early riser, but shrugged figuring he had all ready eaten and was off in the study or over with Mar. Rav nodded good morning to his father, then sat down, helping himself to a plate and a hot cup of coffee. After a few drinks of coffee, Rav looked at his father, "why did they do it?" Collin saw the tired look in Rav's eyes, and debated putting it off but knew he couldn't do that for long and decided to get it all said and out in the open, there had all ready been to much whispering and behind door talking. Quietly Collin told Rav what Mary and Harriett had said, what they had done, thinking they were helping him. Collin watched fury, hurt, sadness, disbelief, flash through Rav. "They love you deeply and put their own safety for their lives and their positions aside for that caring. What we need to do now is repair the damage they caused and go from there." "As soon as I receive word on the property, I will start putting it together, it would take years to build a home the size I want, so I'm going to be asking yours and Mar's help in getting the job done." Collin nodded, he knew that would be coming next, at least Rav would still be close and not taking Natalie and far away, where they would be unable to see them often. "I would also like to talk with Mar about finding a Lair, I've been searching but haven't found anything suitable yet." Collin started to mention that Marti'en might be of more help, when he looked towards the doorway. Rav seeing the direction his father was looking in, turned and with a straight face said good morning to Hank. Hank stood in the door way, not smiling, he looked at Collin and Rav, then limped into the room, strapped around his waist was a sword belt, in the belt was an ancient dagger, in its sheath was a sword, dragging on the ground behind Hank as he moved forward. Hank piled food onto a plate, then turned and left the room, the sword dragging behind him, they could hear it hitting the steps as he slowly climbed them. Collin sighed, "I would say we have a very angry young man in our midst, the sword I'm not worried about, but I hope the dagger is dull, we're going to be dodging blows for a while." Hank got the door to Natalie's room open without dropping his plate, he shoved the door and walked in, he didn't even look at Kat as he set his plate down, then went and stood by the side of the bed looking at Natalie. As he sat on a stool by the table eating, Kat quietly said good morning, Hank looked at her with a to grown up look in his eyes "is it?" he replied. Hank, it was a mistake, a very bad mistake, everyone is very sorry and something like this won't every happen again, said Kat. Hank touched the dagger at his side, "no it won't" was all he said.