The rain descended over the lands of Kentonshire, coating the traitorous roads through the marshes with another layer of slick mud. The drenched mare beneath her strained its muscles to try to maintain a grip, all the while following the black stallion on the road before it. Mary brushed some wet blonde locks from her face, causing even more drops to run down her corset. It really didn’t matter to her, she was cold and drenched to the bone already, so a few more drops wouldn’t matter. It might even ease the strain from the corset that was on far too tight.
Hugh had insisted on her wearing this corset, and she knew exactly why, but she was in no position to oppose him or any plans he made. Since he was named the earl of Wendington, he had become insufferably arrogant and power hungry, even when they had been much closer in the past. Now her brother wanted to expand his power, and his friend Richard was perfect for that. Mary had never liked the plan and Hugh had taken note of this, and now he could catch two birds with one stone. She could hardly breathe, which was keeping her calm and meek, and it made her bosom look much more ample.
The girl would not have been surprised if she had been presented to Richard in just a corset, but luckily her brother had understood at least some comfort was required with women. Even though the third horse behind them was loaded with frivolous dresses she would’ve never picked out herself, she was allowed to wear leather pants, chaps and boots to make the trip at least somewhat comfortable. The cloak she wore offered some protection to dreaded weather, but the light fabric was meant more for style then comfort.
Her bare chest was cold and numb, as were her hands and face, since they were exposed to the cold drops, but since the rain had started when they were only an hour away from Kenton, her brother had seen no need to change. Sadly the weather had changed the visibility of the road, and they had turned back several times from a seemingly good path that ended in a lake or bog. For three hours she had to endure the rain, but she did so with pride, even if it was just because she had little else she could do.
When they crossed the next knoll Hugh let out a small cry of joy, which was just enough when it reached Mary to get her out of her contemplations. The town of Kenton and its small keep lay in a valley, much deeper than the marches, but a clever drainage system of moats kept it dry. The three horses rode into the village, while Mary gave her brown mare a pat on the shoulder, causing the horse let out a content whinny. Since no-one tried to best this weather, Hugh and his sister rode though the large keep doors unto a dreary looking square unopposed.
When she saw the man standing in front of the double doors to the great halls, she lost what little breath she had. He was tall and slender, but muscled from working regularly. He wore a white shirt, that was obviously as drenched as their clothes, showing her the shadows of a few muscles she didn’t know men had. His oak brown hair stuck to the sides of his shaven face, which she studied in great detail. What she noted was that one of his eyebrows had a little scar across it, making it look like it was split in two. He had a square jaw line and his lips seemed fine lines, though they were obviously pale from the cold. By the time she wanted to study his brown eyes, she was once again disrupted from her thoughts by the voice of her brother.
“Will, good to see you! I take it Richard is in his study?”, said Hugh, although his tone of voice didn’t really match the enthusiasm of what he said. Panic struck Mary’s heart, because Hugh had named the man Will, which was not the man she came here to marry. She felt sad and dreary once more, although she hoped that Richard was at least a man like Will. She understood that Will was one of the servants here, because that was the tone of voice her brother had used.
Will indicated that Richard was indeed in the study, then stepped forward to help Mary off the horse. While Hugh slid off the horse with great ease, Mary was about to snip at Will that she could very well get off herself, but when he grasped her hand a warm shiver stopped her from speaking. She felt his warmth even through their drenched clothes as he slipped an arm around her waist and she was calmly lifted down. She pretended to stumble a bit, just so that she could lean forward and take in his scent. As she did so, her bosom accidentally graced his arm. He recoiled in shock, making her lose her balance instead of smelling this man. She quickly fell to the drenched soil, coating her with a thick layer of mud.
