The Gisborne Chronicles

CHR5/CH1-Husband Hunting, and Glenys' Child is Born

Aunt Gwyneth's frantic search for a sixth husband was only exceeded by her needlecraft, as she sought to alter every gown she had ever owned to the fashion of the day. She sat up for interminable nights, sewing with Auriel, and Guy complained he felt like a widower, and would not stand for it much longer.

"You must speak to her on it," said Guy, "there are other matters of far greater import than her gowns to be seen to in this house, one of them being the needs of your husband and children. There has been no bread made for two days, and the parlour is thick with dust. A hot supper is fast becoming a distant memory, and damn it all wife, I miss you!"

"It has always been this way with her," said Auriel, " she gets an idea in her head and will not be turned away from it, she is like a woman possessed. It's as if she thinks she will die a widow! I believe she would marry a warty toad if one should ask her, and the desperation in her eyes fills me with dread."

"More than a dozen rich suppers I have cooked, to say naught of all the sewing, and still she dithers. There is not a man in the district of marriageable age that does not quake at the sight of her."

"They come to our table one after the other like lambs to the slaughter, and she parades about like a queen, lording it over all like some grand lady. I feel like a serving girl in my own house, I merely lack payment for my services. My husband is becoming a stranger, and when we do chance upon one another, I am asleep before my head touches the pillow, little chance of aught else, even if I should desire it, I am that worn out with it all."

"It seems always to be so with your family, my love," said Guy, smiling at her, "first there was your brother, desperate for a wife, and presently your Aunt seeking a husband! Now it would appear that she casts her net wider, for she tells me that Frederick the hosier is next at our table, we shall at least not want for hose if she succeeds in getting him to the altar."

"One hundred and eight years old!" he continued, "yet making it known that she is forty two, and he is all of thirty seven, and a confirmed singleton, but she will have none of it. I fear she means to bring him home to us, and then discard him as she has all the others!"

"My love, in her eight years of widowhood, she has known the embrace of only two men," said Auriel, "one was our loyal friend Thorin, and there was one other whose name I cannot recall, but he was also a dwarf. Small wonder that she seeks a man's embrace." Then she remembered, "Fynn," she said, "his name was Fynn, she told me that he could......

"Stop!" shouted Guy, "I have no wish to hear of your Aunt's licentious interludes!"

"But he could........ and you never have........"

"Wife, do you seek to decry my efforts to please you?" he asked, then when he saw her face he added, "please tell me that you do not discuss our most private moments with your Aunt."

"Discuss them, sweet man?" she said, " why would I discuss what she hears with her own ears! In your passion you become wild as a runaway horse, and a noisy one at that! I may also add, that her advice has often brought a little more sweetness to my offerings. I seek always to please you and she.......

"Enough!" said Guy, " I have no wish to quarrel with you my darling. Be assured, there are no shortcomings in your offerings as you call them, you are ever a delight to bed, and it has been so from the first, you have no need of advice."

"Oh," she said, reaching up to caress his cheek," a delight to bed? as are you sweetheart, though there must surely be better words with which to describe your efforts. Let me think on it."

"I am waiting," he said, his slow sideways smile bringing his dimples to the fore.

"If you look at me that way with those blue eyes of yours, I am unable to think," she said, "off with you to your work, and leave me to mine, for did you not mention dust in the parlour and a lack of fresh bread? Aunt Gwyneth is still sleeping, and there will be no help forthcoming from her until noon I'll warrant, for it was almost dawn before she went to her bed. I heard her footsteps clearly though she tried to be quiet, for I know the position of every creaking board in this house. We should be thankful I suppose that she does her "sampling" away from the house!"