Riverbreeze: Part 2 (26 page)

The final scene topped the other three; clouds suspended from the ceiling appeared to be floating over the stage. On the clouds were dancers dressed as more clouds in white puffy cotton and other dancers were dressed as the wind in streaming diaphanous costumes floating around them. All of them were garlanded with thousands of flowers and it was an unbelievable sight Elizabeth would never forget.

“It was magical.” Elizabeth sighed, ending her story.

“You miss living in London, don’t you?” Robert said, tenderly stroking her face.

“Sometimes.” She admitted, lowering her eyes. “’Tis so quiet here. There’s no people milling around outside our window, shouting, hawking or laughing, and there’s no dogs barking…” Suddenly her eyes widened and she bolted upright. “The dogs! I forgot about the dogs.” She started to throw the covers off of her, but Robert stopped her.

“The dogs are fine. I glimpsed them with Nathan before I came in the house. I’m sure they’re fine.”

“Do you think so?” She asked, still worried about them. It had been quite some time since Nathan had taken them out and she felt bad about leaving them with him for so long.

“I know so.” Robert said absently, eyeing her breasts. With her upper body exposed, she had grown cold and her skin broke out in goosebumps, her nipples puckering. “And I also know you need warming up.” He added huskily, his eyes full of lust.

It always surprised her how quickly he became aroused and she was pleased to accommodate him. She relaxed and reached for him, a lazy smile on her face. “Oh, you think so, hmm?”

“Like I said, I know so.” He murmured and leaned in to kiss her gently on her lips. “What do you say we perform our own masque, right here, right now. I’ll be the king and you can be my queen…” He reached for Elizabeth’s hand and brought it to his crotch, saying, “and little Jeffrey here…” He shook his head, changing his mind, “and
big
Jeffrey here needs a little attention.” Elizabeth burst out laughing. Robert continued with a smile on his own face. “Big Jeffrey would like to go on an adventure, searching through the woods and finding a cave…”

“A dark, warm, moist cave?” Elizabeth suggested, smiling into his eyes and licking her lips.

“How did you ever guess?”

Elizabeth laughed out loud at his lecherous look, but threw herself into his arms nevertheless.

Jeffrey’s journey lasted a full ten minutes as the king and the queen explored each other with warm, teasing fingers. By the time Jeffrey found the cave, both the king and queen were panting with carnal desire, the queen’s body flushed with heat. Jeffrey found the cave to be hot and inviting, and once inside gloriously tight and enfolding. The queen felt like she was climbing those golden mountains and Jeffrey filled her with wondrous feelings. She arched her back, she raised her hips to draw him in further and without meaning to, clawed her king’s back until she reached the pinnacle and the stars exploded behind her closed lids. The king followed closely behind, and together, they floated down from those clouds, gasping for breath and smiling goofily at each other.

And Jeffrey was very happy, small again, but very happy.

* * *

Almost immediately afterwards, all chaos broke out below them. Shouting, yelling, crying. Footsteps running up the stairs, dogs barking following behind.

“What the hell?” Robert exclaimed, exchanging a startled look with Elizabeth.

“Oh God, no.” She breathed, knowing exactly what had happened.

Chapter Twenty-five: Crisis Averted

Evelyn burst into Elizabeth and Robert’s bedchamber, crying her eyes out and feeling sick to her stomach. It was utterly humiliating and downright hurtful having her husband accusing her of being a witch.

It wasn’t her fault that she had reacted to Elizabeth’s
petite mort
just as Elizabeth had reacted to hers this morning! It wasn’t her fault that she and her sister had this special connection and felt each other’s passions! Robert had stayed calm when it had happened to Elizabeth. He hadn’t gone mad and ranted and raved like a fanatic. Why couldn’t Jamie be more like Robert? Why couldn’t Jamie accept her the way she was?

The dogs, having been brought back to the house by Nathan only minutes ago, raced into the room ahead of Evelyn, barking like mad. Naturally, they headed straight for the bed, where Elizabeth was sitting up, already prepared for Evelyn’s arrival with the comforter pulled up, concealing her breasts and a look of reassurance on her face. But the poor dogs, no matter how hard they tried, couldn’t jump up on the bed because it was too high. Elizabeth attempted to catch them, but Robert, a scowl on his face, ordered them down and they slunk off to the corner of the room.

Fortunately, Robert had been sitting on the edge of the bed, securing the laces of his buckskin leggings which, no doubt, he had pulled on at Elizabeth’s urging. Evelyn was glad she hadn’t caught him unclothed. She glanced at him worriedly, knowing she had invaded their privacy, but this was urgent. Her need to find solace from her sister overruled any guilt she may have felt.

Jamie’s voice boomed from the staircase. “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live!”

“Bess.” Evelyn sobbed, weeping pitifully into a handkerchief and clutching her stomach. “May I come in?”

Before Elizabeth could respond, Robert spoke, “Comfort your sister.” He said to his wife. “I’ll take care of my stupid brother.”

The ‘stupid brother’ could still be heard yelling the line from Exodus as he reached the top of the stairs, his crazed voice dark and deliberate.

Hearing Jamie’s voice again, the excited dogs raced back into the hallway, their toenails scrabbling for purchase on the wooden floor. The poor things didn’t know where to go.

“Thank God they’re gone!” Robert muttered in an undertone, pushing himself up and steadying himself with a hand on the bedpost. He put weight on his leg, testing its strength, his face twisting in a grimace.

“Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live!”

“God’s bones! We heard you the first time, Jamie!” Robert shouted back, furious.

Evelyn let out another sob and Elizabeth held out her arms. Without hesitation, she ran into her sister’s embrace, her cries heartrending.

“Shh. Shh.” Elizabeth hushed her, rubbing her back and stroking her hair. “Everything will be all right.” She said, but Evelyn wasn’t so sure about that.

It was frightening how quickly Jamie had turned on her. They had been discussing her ‘gift’ like two sensible people. Jamie had been eating his dinner and listening to her with an open mind, she had thought. He had seemed to finally accept her, but then that wondrous moment had happened…. For that minute Evelyn had forgotten all about Jamie and had allowed herself to bathe in Elizabeth’s joy. She couldn’t have been happier for Elizabeth, but when it was over and she opened her eyes to see Jamie looking at her in absolute fear and with burning denouncement, she felt her heart stop. She assumed it was Jamie’s fear and strict upbringing that fueled this hateful behavior. She had tried to calm him, but had failed. He had become too irrational, and her only thought was to run to her sister for comfort and advice.

The dogs raced into the chamber again, heading for the bed a split second before Jamie appeared in the doorway. He looked like a madman, his eyes blazing. He pointed his finger at the two girls, intoning, “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live! You are possessed by the devil, Evelyn Bassett!”

She cringed, squeezing her eyes shut and pressing her forehead into Elizabeth’s shoulder. She didn’t want to look at Jamie’s cruel face and see the condemnation in his eyes.

Robert shooed the dogs away again and they cowered at his deepened voice. “How dare you say that!” Elizabeth yelled back, her arms tightening protectively around Evelyn. “My sister is not possessed by the devil and we are not witches!”

How many times are we going to have to say that
? Evelyn thought

“Get out, Jamie!” Robert said, advancing on him. “Leave these girls alone.”

* * *

Jamie stood his ground; he was not going to let Robert bully him. Crossing his arms over his chest and lifting his chin, he declared, “I do not need to get out. I will take my wife to task!”

Robert advanced on him, limping painfully, a grimace on his face, but there was fury in his eyes. “You will get out or I will throw you out!” He said

“Go ahead and try.” Jamie retorted, eyeing his brother. He didn’t believe Robert could succeed in bodily removing him from the bedchamber with his sore leg, but he didn’t realize how weak his own body was due to his illness and the long, tiring journey.

Robert walked right up to his brother, grabbed his shirt and twisted his fist in the sturdy buckskin. His face nearly in Jamie’s face, despite his painful leg and Jamie’s attempts to block his way, he was able to push Jamie out through the doorway and into the hall.

Humiliated and angered, Jamie pushed back, but his fists kept sliding off Robert’s sweaty skin and much to his disgust, his body betrayed him. He felt incredibly weak and puny against Robert’s strength.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Robert shouted, slapping Jamie’s face, not hard, but enough to rile him.

“You bastard!” Jamie spit back, trying to slap Robert in return, but Robert blocked his arm. So instead Jamie slapped him with his other hand.

“Me!” Robert retorted, slapping Jamie again. “You’re the bastard! Look what you’ve done to your wife. She’s in there sobbing like a lost child.”

“You have no right to interfere with me and my wife!” Jamie announced, struggling against Robert’s hold. He punched him in the ribs and grabbed his shoulder.

Robert grunted, but that didn’t stop him from pushing Jamie backwards directly into the other bedchamber. “I have every right to interfere when
your
wife barges into
my
bedchamber interrupting
me
and
my
wife because
you
are acting like a jackass!”

Jamie nearly lost his balance as Robert pushed him back, tripping over his own two feet. “Will you let go of me!” Jamie snapped, not realizing Robert had succeeded in pushing him up to his bed. He grabbed Robert’s fist still clamped in his shirt and tried to pry it loose.

“Gladly.” Robert sneered, pushing Jamie right onto the bed. Jamie fell like a felled tree.

Fuming at being bested, he scrambled up onto his elbows. “That was mean, Rob.” Robert let out a harsh laugh. “Mean? You were ready to punish your wife for something she was born with!”

“You’re wrong.” Jamie said, straightening his shirt with a jerk. “They’ve bewitched you. Evelyn is a witch! She is possessed and the Bible says ‘thou shalt not suffer a witch to live’.”

“And the Bible also says, ‘Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love coverth all sins’; and Jesus said, ‘Judge not, and ye shall not be judged; condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned; forgive, and ye shall be forgiven’.”

“I didn’t know you still remembered your Bible.” Jamie looked up at his brother with some surprise. Robert was not the most pious of men.

Robert snorted, leaning against the sturdy bed post. “I remember a lot more than you realize.”

“Well, I have done nothing wrong.” Jamie said stubbornly. “You have no right to quote Jesus to me.”

Robert huffed in exasperation. “Evelyn hasn’t done anything wrong either! She’s as sweet and innocent as a newborn babe.”

“Sweet and innocent! Ha!” Jamie shook his head, remembering their wedding night or rather their wedding morning. “She wasn’t so innocent.” He muttered under his breath. Then suddenly lifting his head, he pointed his finger at Robert and quoted, “A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband; but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones.”

“Jamie!” Robert exclaimed, incredulous. “You truly believe that? What happened? Tell me what has convinced you that Evelyn is a witch.” He said, easing himself down onto the bed next to his brother.

Jamie let out a sigh, hanging his head. He let his hands dangle down between his knees. “We were talking; she explained everything to me; it was just as you said.” He looked back at Robert. “They have dreams of the future that come true. And I started to accept that, but then out of the blue she stiffened and her eyes went wide. Her breathing quickened and I watched as her mouth opened a little, her eyes closed and a look of pure pleasure came over her face. It lasted less than a minute, but for that time…” Jamie’s voice lowered to a whisper. “…she was possessed. I swear, Rob, I have never been more scared in my life.” He admitted. “It was as if she were in a trance and experiencing some kind of rapture.”