"Sir Guy's Dilemma" (Book 2), by Gratiana Lovelace, 2012-2013

"Sir Guy's Dilemma", Ch. 21 (PG-13)--Betrothal Bridal Brinksmanship, Part 1

"Sir Guy's Dilemma",  Ch. 21 (PG-13)--Betrothal Bridal Brinksmanship,  Part 1,  February 27, 2013  Gratiana Lovelace

(An Original Fan Fiction adaptation of the characters from the BBC's Robin Hood;  & a Sequel to "Guy's Rose" by Gratiana Lovelace)

(All Rights Reserved; No copyright infringement intended)

[From time to time, I will illustrate my story with my dream cast of:  Richard Armitage as Sir Guy, Clive Standen as Lord Archer, Emma Watson as Lady Rose, and James McAvoy as Lord George, etc.]

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Author's Mature Content Note:  "Sir Guy's Dilemma" is a story of romance and intrigue set amidst Medieval times.  As such there will be some passages in this story involving heartfelt love scenes (R rated) and some passages involving highly dramatic moments.  I will label the maturity rating of those chapters accordingly.  Otherwise, the general rating for this story is PG or PG-13 due to some mature situations and topics.  If you are unable or unwilling to attend a movie with the ratings that I provide, then please do not read the chapters with those labels.  This is my disclaimer.

Author's Recap from the previous installment:  Lord Archer and Sir Guy returned to Middleton Manor after only a week away at Nottingham.  Sir Guy revealed the trying time that he had in Nottingham to his Lady Rose--who required and charged him to stop allowing people to almost kill him for his past wrongs because his family with her now takes precedence. There are also lingering tensions and unclear intent amongst the two betrothal couples--Lord Archer and Lady Mary and Lord George and Lady Saline--that neither set of bridal parents are fully aware of. 

"Sir Guy's Dilemma",  Ch. 21 (PG-13)--Betrothal Bridal Brinksmanship, Part 1

After most of the grooms had left with Althea the healer woman to help her unpack her belongings in her new cottage home on the estate, Lord George finds himself having to saddle his own horse for the ride to clear his head.  But lifting a saddle with only one good arm is not possible.  So Lord George gives up and walks toward the manor to have a lie down himself.  Not wanting to actually sleep in bed--just wanting to rest his eyes in a quiet corner--Lord George walks into the large parlor salon that Rose typically uses.  He is glad to see that it is vacant so he can just be alone with his thoughts. 

The large double sized parlor room is filled with comfortable chairs and settes that ladies so like--and, it would seem, that men like, too.  The pale pinks and creams of the furnishings are a bit feminine for Lord George's taste, but he heads straight for the set of high backed deep plush burgundy settes that are back to back--separating the parlor into  a ladies conversation grouping side and a men's conversation group side facing hearths on opposing sides of the room.

Lord George:  "Hhhhh!  Alone at last!"  He sighs gratefully as he lays his head back on a cushy pillow and he closes his eyes.

Having long since calmed herself down after her crying spell of a few minutes ago, Lady Mary sits up slowly on the companion sette on the other side of Lord George's sette.  Her hands grasp the high backed rim of the sette and she slowly pulls herself up to peer over the top to see who it could be--though her heart already recognized his voice.  Seeing Lord George sleeping so peacefully, she does not wish to disturb him.  So Lady Mary carefully and quietly stands up from the sette.  She removes her slippers so she will not make a sound on the wooden floor and she starts to creep around the paired settes in her bare feet--having scandalously eschewed stockings on this warm day.  The wooden floor is mostly covered with rugs, so she is not likely to get any splinters in her bare feet.  Lady Mary has rather small feet and toes compared to her siblings, but their daintiness is in keeping with her person.