The de Vere Inheritance

Chapter Fifteen - 19th August 1632

Her neck had grown stiff against the arm of the arm of the couch, but Elizabeth did not have the energy to move. She was enjoying the warmth of the fire in front of her and was content to stay where she was. She could not justify lighting more than one fire when it was only for herself so she had made herself comfortable in the parlour. Her bed in her chamber was quite a distance from the fireplace and Elizabeth knew she would not be able to move such a large piece of furniture alone, so she had settled for the parlour couch which she had dragged across the room until she could feel the welcoming heat of the fire.

She had spent days on the couch, dozing lightly every so often and trying to ignore the noises from the street outside. All of Paris life was carrying on around her, and for the time being she was content to let it. She felt that physically she had recovered a little from her experience of being locked within her bed chamber for five days but emotionally she was still struggling. In reality, she should have wanted nothing more than to spend her time in the fresh air again, walking around parks and markets but there was a part of her that felt foolish and ashamed. She had married Eric in good faith, but he had turned into a creature so prone to bouts of anger and frustration that he had treated her abysmally. Elizabeth was more than happy to shoulder some of the blame for it all. It was very clear to her now that they had never been compatible. It was not that she thought she'd have found a happy marriage with his brother Harry, but she was beginning to see now what she had not seen all of those years ago. Harry loved people and had a care for everyone. He might have been a bit of a rogue and a rake but he wasn't a bad person. He loved women; loved pleasing and admiring them. He might not have been faithful to Elizabeth if they had married, but she thought that he might have had more respect for her than Eric did. Harry would perhaps have treated her better.

The door to the street opened and closed downstairs, but Elizabeth did not flinch. She'd had the same visitor at the same time each day, and had grown to expect him at such a time. He strode into the parlour as he had done the past four days and set his basket of food on the table. Athos ran a gentle hand over her hair as he lifted her legs from the couch slightly to sit down beside her. Elizabeth moved to sit up and put her feet on the floor but Athos kept hold of her ankles, letting them rest on top of his lap.

"how are you feeling today?"

Elizabeth shrugged. "I do feel better today, which I must thank you for. You've been very kind to me. My chest feels a little clearer because I've been eating so well! Between you and Harry, you must have raided the best patisseries in Paris. I just feel a little more drained today. It's as if now that I'm feeling physically well I must now think of everything that happened in more detail. It's exhausting."

"Then don't think," Athos replied softly as he brushed a hand against her hair again. "The bread I've brought will keep for a few hours. Get some sleep."

Elizabeth chuckled lightly. "Athos you did not come here to watch me sleep. That would be rude of me!"

Athos was shaking his head at her. "I came to make sure you were alright. You're tired so I'd rather you slept. I'll stay until your asleep and then I'll go. I can come back later if you like."

There was something comforting about having him so near her as she let herself lie back against the arm rest. With a heavy sigh she closed her eyes, feeling herself begin to drift off almost immediately.

~

The soft dragging sound invaded Elizabeth's slumber as she tried to turn into a more comfortable position on the couch. She opened her eyes slowly as the scent of the bread Athos had left her wafted across the room. Then she heard the sound again. She sat up and looked around, sure that she was alone in the room. Athos had surely left her hours ago to return to his duties. The sound was coming from down the hallway towards her bedchamber. Elizabeth gingerly placed her feet on the cold floor and stood. She walked a little awkwardly, her mind still fuzzy with sleep. Eventually she was padding down the hallway towards her room, breathing a sigh of relief as she spotted Athos through the crack in the door. She pushed the door gently and it swung open quietly to show her the musketeer dragging her large bed across the room all by himself. She stood and watched, a little transfixed by the strength in his arms as he moved the bed with relative ease until it was only a few feet from the fireplace.