𝐸𝑑𝑔𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝐷𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑟𝑒 || 𝑇𝐻𝐸 𝑊𝐻𝐼𝑇𝐸 𝑄𝑈𝐸𝐸𝑁

𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝐶𝐼

~Tell the Tale of Long Ago~

It was fully night when Eleanor came to him at last. She entered their bedchamber dressed just in her nightgown and a small smile on her face. Without hesitation or any change from her usual intimacy she walked over and settled herself sweetly on his lap, laying her head against her chest.

"Tell me" she said softly, tracing delicate patterns with her finger on Richard's shirt "tell me of you and Kate, from the beginning" he lifted his head a little from where he was leaning it on the back of his chair and looked down at the redhead in his lap.

"Are you sure?" He asked, taking to playing with her hair, combing his fingers through it "you never wanted to know before now....do not let her upset you, my love"
"I want to know, Richard" she said stoutly and he nodded.

Where to start? At the beginning, he supposed. Eleanor wanted to hear nothing but the truth from his lips from start to finish and wouldn't let him go until she was satisfied. Taking a deep breath he looked up at the ceiling and finally unlocked the memories he had shut away for over a decade.

"We met in the summer of fourteen sixty seven. I was fourteen, so was she and we were staying at Jack Howard's manor, Tendring, in Norfolk. We may have been young but we became so enamoured with each other, so caught up by each other that we were lovers by the end of August. I could not believe the first time she let me have her, she had been debating on weather to give herself to me for weeks and when she took me aside one night after supper and told me she wanted me I could not believe it. And after that night, well, we were making love every chance we got. I was away from her often but our feelings for one another did not dwindle. They were intoxicating, we consumed one another's hearts and minds fully...."

He trailed away, forcing himself to stop as he realised his words, not wanting to hurt Eleanor but she merely looked up at him and tilted her head.
"Continue" she urged "please, Dickon" and he obliged her.

"I would go to her home on Jack's lands as often as I could and, well, our love proved fruitful and in September of the next year Katheryn was born. She was so tiny when I first saw her and Kate was so proud! As was I really! I remember taking of them both into my arms and holding them close. Kate and I were only fifteen then but we had a child. Our child. She was my mistress for many months after that. We both knew we could never marry but we would not deny ourselves the love that had grown between us. She became pregnant with John in June of fourteen sixty nine and I was overjoyed. Then in August I was told I was to marry you"

Again he stopped. Surely that was enough for Eleanor? Surely she would not want to hear how he and Kate had carried on bedding one another after their marriage. It would only serve to hurt her and he was sure Kate had wounded her more than enough that day though she did not say it or show it.