Wednesday, November 24, 2021

The Treasure

 The barren, tan corn stalks behind her snapped

in the cold evening breeze, the only sound louder
than the dry, fiery red leaves swirling around
her slender, leather clad feet. She'd lost her
bearings again , and was hoping that the fox hunters would find her.

Elizabeth  had gone further than she’d intended on the lushly wooded estate.

But she felt that she HAD to get out of the house, after father’s horrible ultimatum: that she must marry the decrepit but wealthy Duke at the estate next to theirs.

 A gray tree with endless arms
and fingers, devoid of any remaining foliage,
loomed before her. She gazed at the odd markings
on the trunk, which appeared to outline a hand-cut
door of sorts. And, as she stared, it opened...

Elizabeth peeked inside the open door, and couldn’t believe her eyes! A fortune in jewels and gold coins! As she looked further she found French cognac and Cuban rum, as well as exotic spices and perfumes.

Her quick mind worked feverishly. If only she could find a way to transport and keep it! It would be more than enough for her to live on, and for a dowry besides, and she wouldn’t have to marry the aged Duke that her father had arranged for her. She could escape!

She heard the hunting party approaching, and hid in the brush so they wouldn’t discover her. Once she was sure they were gone, she came back and stood beside the tree. She was trying to think of a way to transport the treasure, when an old woman wrapped in a shawl came by. Elizabeth offered the woman two gold coins to take her and the crates to the next town, and soon they were on their way.

It was well after dark when the old woman deposited her at a small, cozy inn, then went on her way.

Elizabeth had the staff of the inn bring some ale, along with bread, cheese, and fresh fruit, to her room.

Once she’d eaten, she undressed down to her underthings and laid down on the bed. HHHHmmm….tomorrow she’d see about renting a cottage, and some new clothes. Soon she was fast asleep.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth’s father was frantic over her disappearance……he dispatched men to search for her.

The next morning, Elizabeth located a small cottage to rent, and had her crates transported from the inn.

It was a furnished cottage, but she still purchased a few things to make her more comfortable, like extra candlesticks and potpourri bowls, and some fresh flowers. She also stocked the pantry with food and drink, and hired a maid to do laundry and housecleaning for her.

It was a busy day, and Elizabeth was oblivious to the fact that she was being watched. But that night, once she was abed, she heard a movement in the hall. Before she could get up to see what it was, a hand was over her mouth and holding her down on the bed.

“If you value your life, you will not scream. You stole from me. And I intend to steal from you in return.”, said a deep masculine voice; she could not see the man’s face in the darkness.

At first Elizabeth thought he meant to steal the treasure back, but when he began ripping at her clothes, she realized that he meant something else entirely, and she struggled wildly.

“Undoubtedly a virgin…..all the better. I like virgins.”, the man said. He parted Elizabeth’s thighs and plunged inside her……

When it was over, Elizabeth was reduced to weeping; she was ruined now.

“Elizabeth, you must listen to me. It is true that I am a pirate and that you stole my treasure, but I am also the son of the Duke your father arranged for you to marry. I could not bear to see you in my father’s bed; I want you for myself. So when you stole the treasure,  I saw my chance to take you, and I did. You are not ruined, for I will marry you myself. And by the way, my name is Nigel.”, he told her.

 

They made love again, this time much more gently.

The next morning, Elizabeth and Nigel were married by the town priest. Elizabeth’s father found them just as the ceremony was concluded. He was shocked when he recognized Nigel as the Duke’s son.

Within months, Elizabeth had produced another sort of treasure: a son…….

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