5 Chapter 5

Elle spent much of the next weeks wandering through the castle, attempting to memorize the paths. She had met her mother and father-in-law her first morning here. Lady Darcy did not seem very friendly to her, but then again who would knowing that in the event of Lord Reece's death Elle would take over as Lady Callaghan. Lord Reece was very warm towards her, but in his feeble state, could not be out of his room for very long at all. In the two months that Elle had been living here, she had only seen the Lord of the Manor three times at dinner. It was no wonder that Aedan was so pressured to marry and have a son. He would be Lord Callaghan very soon.

Most of the servants kept their distance from the newest resident. It was as though they were scared of Aedan as well. Elle avoided him herself during the day, which wasn't that hard. He kept himself busy outside of the castle, getting the estate in shape for the coming harvest. Each evening, he came back glistening with sweat and sporting a darker tan than the day before. Just looking at him, Elle could find herself happy with their marriage. Once they were alone in their bed, however, she would cry her silent tears waiting for it to be over. Rose made it all a little more bearable. She was quickly becoming a close friend to Elle. After their first night in the castle, Rose had helped Elle into a steaming bath filled with soothing salts. This became their morning ritual, after a rough night with Aedan.

This morning, Rose helped her bathe and then left to help prepare the carriages for travel. Some of the men in the castle would be traveling to neighboring lands to negotiate trades for the coming harvest. Aedan would be joining them. This thought made her heart swell in a way that it shouldn't. She should be saddened that her husband would be gone for two weeks. Two whole weeks of rest, was all she could think of.  This happy thought guided her to her favorite place in the castle, the top of the third tower. From there, Elle could see a large portion of the grounds surrounding the castle, including the gate she first arrived through. She had not left the castle grounds since that day. Her days were spent learning to direct the servants and plan meals, along with other overall duties she would be responsible for as Lady Callaghan. She took as many chances as possible to hide away in the third tower. This was her only moment of solitude and peace. It gave her the chance to absorb how much her life had changed in the past two months. Her hands drifted to her flat stomach as she wondered when she would become pregnant with her first child. Aedan had done his husbandly duties every night since their wedding. She could sense his frustration growing, as he waited for her to bear him a son. Sighing, she turned and made her way back down from the tower and out to the grounds. It was time to be a good wife and wish her husband a safe journey and swift return. In the back of her mind, she hoped he stayed longer than two weeks.