Patience is a virtue Norah 
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Porthos rode through the crowded streets, the horse tossing its head and dancing sideways at the unaccustomed noise and people. He reflected that Kate had not been joking when she'd said it was not an easy ride, but it had covered the ground as tirelessly as she'd promised and he was here well ahead of schedule. He'd stopped at Norah's shop but found it closed with no answer at the door, so kept an eye out for her as he pushed the horse onwards to the garrison. He grinned in delight as he saw her moving through the crowd, then frowned slightly as she turned to a man who was walking with her - deep in conversation and carrying her bags. They both saw him at the same time - Norah's delight evident on her face; the man frowning slightly as he looked at the horse and rider.
"You're back early!" Norah beamed up at him.
"I borrowed a horse from Kate - I need to get back to the garrison and deliver the papers."
The horse spooked sideways and Norah's companion reached up, soothing it with quiet words, then glanced at Porthos "Bring him up to the stables when you're done, I'll see he gets home." Porthos raised his eyebrows, annoyance building at his familiar attitude towards Norah and assumption of responsibility for the horse.
Norah rolled her eyes, reading his body language. "Porthos, this is Martin - Kate's groom?" She smiled at him, amused "I'll see you later..." He kicked the horse on, shooting another suspicious look at Martin as he left.
Norah looked apologetically at Martin. "Sorry, he gets a bit grouchy when he's been away for a while. Anyway, she's fine, honestly. I mean she obviously wasn't great last time I saw her, but the betrothal - " Norah paused, wondering how much he knew "She's fine with it. She likes him Martin, and he'll look after her - you don't need to worry on that account. Has she actually introduced you?" He shook his head glumly and Norah sighed. "Well you saw them at the dance?"
Martin snorted and looked unimpressed. "Oh yes, he made sure we saw them at the dance." Norah grinned at the recollection, then looked a bit sheepish.
"That was my fault." Martin looked bemused. "I was giving him grief for not dancing with her. You know what court's like - the gossip is vicious and they were sneering at her, calling her a slut and saying he was only marrying her because he had to, that he didn't really like her... you know? I think he was making the point for their benefit. She certainly didn't object."
"Didn't look like she had much choice to me."
"Martin." Norah rolled her eyes. "Don't be daft. This is Kate we're talking about, of course she had a choice. You think she'd have been sitting with him if she didn't want to? That she'd have fallen asleep on his shoulder if she wasn't happy in his company? That's what I meant about seeing them at the dance - not - well..." she grinned.
He kicked a stone along the street. "I suppose...."
"Well then. She likes him, trust me. She must have talked to you about it when she had that week off court duties?"
He shrugged "She said that she thought it would be ok, that they'd work something out. She said she liked him." He shot Norah a worried look "But would she have said anything different in the circumstances? You know what she's like - may as well try to get blood from a stone as try to get her to admit if she's got a problem." He sighed "She just told me not to worry, that she was ok, and that was it - subject closed."
Norah shot him an appraising look. She could understand his concern - she knew he'd promised both Kate's father and her husband that he'd look after her. But she wasn't going to break Kate's confidence and tell Martin how Kate felt if he didn't already know. She tried to think of something she could say to reassure him. "You know, I didn't like him much when I first met him, he seemed really arrogant and aloof, but he's not, he's just - I don't know. He's just quiet and, well, really reserved until he knows you better. Get her to introduce you properly when they get back - or maybe you could return that horse and catch up with them before they get back?"
"I suppose..." They stopped at Norah's door and he handed her the bags. "I'd better get back."
Norah shook her head as she watched him leave. She could understand how the opportunity hadn't arisen for proper introductions, but Kate ought to have tried harder to reassure Martin that all was well - assuming he'd been willing to listen. Still, never mind about Kate, or Martin - Porthos was home. She smiled happily to herself and went to get changed.
...
Porthos delivered the papers, gave Treville a brief report of the journey, and then went to settle the horse. It had snapped and kicked out at several stable boys and he took over grooming - his hands getting progressively dirtier as he brushed the accumulated dust and dirt from its coat.
"Good trip then?" He spun round, surprised and pleased to see Norah standing in the doorway. She backed away at the sight of his hands and laughed "You can keep those to yourself until you've washed them, thank you. I don't want to walk back through the garrison with handprints all over me!"
He grinned ruefully, and led the horse outside. He returned to spread a bed of straw for it inside and looked up to find Norah inside the stall, leaning against the wall while she watched him work. The air was hot and still - she could see sweat running down the back of his neck, and his shirt clung to his body.
"I, on the other hand, am perfectly clean..." she advanced on him, grinning mischievously and he let her take the fork from his hand and push him back against the wall, groaning as she reached up to kiss him and pulled his shirt loose Her hands moved over his stomach to his chest - fingers tickling across his chest, feeling his nipples hardening at her touch. She leant against him briefly, breathing in his scent, feeling the heat from his body - for all that she had been busy, and her bed had seemed unusually and pleasantly spacious, she had missed him terribly and longed for his return. He reached out instinctively to hold her and she pulled away, eyebrows raised.
"No touching!"
He blew out a frustrated breath and leant back against the rough wooden wall as she kissed his neck and her hands dropped lower again, followed by her mouth as she pulled open his breeches and sank down into the thick bed of straw.
Porthos groaned again as her mouth descended, shuddering as her tongue and fingers teased him, bracing himself against the wall - self-control almost failing as she glanced up at him. He wanted above all to touch her - run his fingers though her hair, feel her skin soft against his hands.
She worked quickly, feeling simultaneously nervous and excited to be doing this to him in such a public place - even though the walls kept her safely hidden from sight. He was huge now in her mouth, almost too big for her, but she continued to suck and lick, relishing his taste while her hands ran across his body. She glanced up and her stomach contracted at the sight of him so turned on, at her mercy and struggling not to touch her. His body spasmed under her touch as she brought him to the brink, then tipped him over the edge with a final flourish.
Treville walked past the stables and saw him leaning against the wall. "Finished?"
Porthos choked and faked a coughing fit "Just about..."
Treville frowned slightly and carried on walking as Norah shook with silent laughter below, pulling Porthos' breeches back together.
"You..." Porthos looked down with a grin "just you wait..." he reached out his hand to pull her up - she screwed up her face at the dirt and pushed herself up from the straw, brushing it off her clothes. She picked up her skirt as she left the stable to let Porthos bring the horse in, then turned and found herself face-to-face with Treville and blushed scarlet.
"I was just, um..." she smoothed her skirt out nervously as his eyes looked past her to Porthos, still filthy from the ride and brushing the dirt from his hands as he shut the door. Then looked back at Norah, who had a few bits of straw on her skirt still but was otherwise as clean and tidy as usual.
He shot them both a suspicious look then turned away, smiling slightly "Get out of here, both of you. Porthos - I'll see you tomorrow." He heard a squeak and looked back to see Porthos wiggling his fingers threateningly at Norah who stayed well out of reach and pointed firmly at the well.
Porthos drew a bucket of water plunged his hands into it, rubbing the dirt off, cleaning under the nails and then scrubbing at his forearms before giving his face and neck a quick wash. Norah looked on, relieved to see the dirt vanishing, and then gulped slightly as he shot her a quick look, a wicked grin on his face. She knew that look well.
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