I hope you’ve had a great
weekend celebrating which ever holiday is yours. At our house, the kids came
home and we’re still celebrating.
weekend celebrating which ever holiday is yours. At our house, the kids came
home and we’re still celebrating.
Our Medieval Monday is still
about Celebrations. This week our guest is Elisabeth Hobbes. She has an excerpt
for The Blacksmith’s Wife. I hope you enjoy it.
about Celebrations. This week our guest is Elisabeth Hobbes. She has an excerpt
for The Blacksmith’s Wife. I hope you enjoy it.
Excerpt
Thundering beats on the door roused them from
their bed as men from the villagers came to claim ale from Hal as Lord Danby’s
representative. He allowed himself to be taken away, leaving Joanna in the
hands of Meg and the other women to gather flowers and greenery from the moors
and bind them into wreaths.
their bed as men from the villagers came to claim ale from Hal as Lord Danby’s
representative. He allowed himself to be taken away, leaving Joanna in the
hands of Meg and the other women to gather flowers and greenery from the moors
and bind them into wreaths.
The women arrived on the village green at
midday. Raucous, uncontrolled games were taking place amid cheers and catcalls
of the onlookers already well into the ale, but stopped as they appeared.
midday. Raucous, uncontrolled games were taking place amid cheers and catcalls
of the onlookers already well into the ale, but stopped as they appeared.
‘Crown the queen!’
The call was taken up and repeated by everyone
present. Girls giggled and blushed, young men freely ogled them and Joanna felt
hands in her back pushing her to the front of the crowd.
present. Girls giggled and blushed, young men freely ogled them and Joanna felt
hands in her back pushing her to the front of the crowd.
Hal appeared from among the men. He took her by
the hand and turned her to face everyone. A crown of twisted greenery was
placed on her head to cheers and good-natured whistles from everyone watching.
Pipers began to play and dancers found their partners.
the hand and turned her to face everyone. A crown of twisted greenery was
placed on her head to cheers and good-natured whistles from everyone watching.
Pipers began to play and dancers found their partners.
‘I thought the May Queen was supposed to be a
maiden,’ Joanna whispered to Hal.
maiden,’ Joanna whispered to Hal.
He held her waist tightly as he led her to the
circle. ‘This year I thought I’d exercise my rights to choose.’
circle. ‘This year I thought I’d exercise my rights to choose.’
‘You can do that?’
‘I can do what I like, I’m their lord’s son,’
he joked. He put one hand on her back, the other to her cheek and looked into
her eyes. ‘I cannot give you tournaments and pageants to delight you, but I
wanted to give you something to remember.’
he joked. He put one hand on her back, the other to her cheek and looked into
her eyes. ‘I cannot give you tournaments and pageants to delight you, but I
wanted to give you something to remember.’
She covered her hand with his. ‘You have,’ she
said. ‘This is enough.’
said. ‘This is enough.’
She realised as she said it that she spoke the
truth.
truth.
The dancing and games carried on long into the
night. As the sun set Hal and the men carried brands from the forge and lit the
bonfire. More barrels of ale were tapped and the ox that had been roasting all
afternoon was speedily eaten.
night. As the sun set Hal and the men carried brands from the forge and lit the
bonfire. More barrels of ale were tapped and the ox that had been roasting all
afternoon was speedily eaten.
As groups and couples began to disperse to find
their own diversions Joanna sat alone by the fire, warming her hands and
yawning. She’d danced until her calves burned and drunk far too much wine. Her
bed called her. Hal had vanished a while before, called away by the miller, and
she was becoming tired of waiting. She walked home and was halfway to the door
when she noticed light coming from the forge.
their own diversions Joanna sat alone by the fire, warming her hands and
yawning. She’d danced until her calves burned and drunk far too much wine. Her
bed called her. Hal had vanished a while before, called away by the miller, and
she was becoming tired of waiting. She walked home and was halfway to the door
when she noticed light coming from the forge.
Curious, she walked across the dewy grass. The
door was partly open, but no sound came from within. Cautiously Joanna pushed
the door wider and peeped around it.
door was partly open, but no sound came from within. Cautiously Joanna pushed
the door wider and peeped around it.
Hal was standing by his workbench. In the dull
glow of the furnace Joanna could only see his back.
glow of the furnace Joanna could only see his back.
‘What are you doing?’ she asked.
Hal jumped at her voice. He strode towards her,
blocking her entry into the forge.
blocking her entry into the forge.
‘What’s wrong? Why won’t you let me in?’ she
asked.
asked.
‘Nothing’s wrong. I’m coming now,’ Hal said.
His voice was guarded. He took hold of her arm and tried to turn her away.
His voice was guarded. He took hold of her arm and tried to turn her away.
He was so obviously hiding something.
Determined to find out what Joanna twisted from his grip and pushed past him.
Her blood drained slowly away, leaving her cold to the bone as she recognised
her own drawing pinned to the beam above the furnace.
Determined to find out what Joanna twisted from his grip and pushed past him.
Her blood drained slowly away, leaving her cold to the bone as she recognised
her own drawing pinned to the beam above the furnace.
‘That’s mine!’ she hissed. ‘How did you get
it?’
it?’
‘You dropped it on the moors,’ Hal said.
She remembered the day, but that had been over
a week ago and he had kept it all this time! Furious, she lunged and ripped the
drawing from the wall. She rounded on Hal.
a week ago and he had kept it all this time! Furious, she lunged and ripped the
drawing from the wall. She rounded on Hal.
‘How dare you keep it,’ she stormed. ‘You had
no right to do that.’
no right to do that.’
She pushed roughly past him and wrenched the
door open, stumbling out into the darkness.
door open, stumbling out into the darkness.
Back
Cover Copy
Cover Copy
A
passion forged from fire
passion forged from fire
Rejected
by her favored knight, Joanna Sollers knows she will never love again.
Especially when the man she’s now forced to marry is none other than her
beloved’s half brother!
by her favored knight, Joanna Sollers knows she will never love again.
Especially when the man she’s now forced to marry is none other than her
beloved’s half brother!
For
blacksmith Hal Danby, marrying Joanna makes his lifelong dream of entering the
Smiths’ Guild possible, even if the secrets in his past mean he’ll forever keep
his distance. But everything changes with one stolen night, and in the arms of
his new bride, Hal wonders if this loveless arrangement could transform into
something real…
blacksmith Hal Danby, marrying Joanna makes his lifelong dream of entering the
Smiths’ Guild possible, even if the secrets in his past mean he’ll forever keep
his distance. But everything changes with one stolen night, and in the arms of
his new bride, Hal wonders if this loveless arrangement could transform into
something real…
Buy links
0 Comments