A Heart's Treasure by Teresa DesJardien

Author:Teresa DesJardien [Teresa DesJardien]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Trad-Reg
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

I know my life’s a pain and but a span,

I know my sense is mock’d in every thing;

And to conclude, I know myself a man,

Which is a proud and yet a wretched thing.

—Sir John Davies,

Nosce Teipsum

“My eye?” Xavier cried, coming to his feet, not two hours later. “By gum, yes, I’ll tell you how I lost my eye.”

The stable boy before him half cringed, his eyes wide, but as much with eagerness as fear, for it was obvious the gentlemen before him and the others in the inn’s main room was playacting. The toff’s motions were oversized, his one good eye rolled dramatically as he took in his audience, and he propped one foot on a chair in the classic storyteller’s pose.

Kenneth leaned forward, though his expression said he was not truly hopeful of finally hearing the true tale. Haddy passed Michael a pouch of tobacco, and the two proceeded to stuff and light their pipes. All the men were washed and wearing clean clothes, having arrived soaked and filthy.

“It was a dark night, like tonight, but cold, bitter cold,” Xavier continued, his hands curling into fists as he pretended to shudder. “The land was gripped in a terrible, lasting ice storm. No man nor beast ventured out on this night, for the wail of the wind was like the cry of the dead. Women closed their shutters to that wind, hearing it sigh promises of a frozen death for any of the foolhardy who thought to step out from the safety of their homes.” Xavier moved his head, looking from face to face. “All the farmers, they feared their cattle would be frozen by morning, but even so none dared to brave winter’s icy touch. None, that is,” Xavier paused for a beat, “save my brother.”

A murmur ran through the crowd, and someone was heard to say they remembered the year of the ice storms.

“Even so, good sir,” Xavier nodded his way.

Kenneth sat back then. “He has no brother, nor ever did,” he said under his breath to Haddy, who merely nodded.

“He was a big lad,” Xavier spread his hands vertically, “and promised to be bigger yet when he’d grown to full manhood. And prodigious strong. He’d never been bested in a wrestling match. He was the one they called when an animal or a man needed to be held down for doctoring. He could lift fourteen stone, and he only fifteen years of age. He’d never been ill a day in his life, and had never had reason to know fear.”

Xavier straightened and shook his head as though at a terrible memory. “When he saw that one of our horses—a favorite of his, as not many of the horses could carry such a big, strapping lad as he—had been left in pasture, he was determined to bring the animal in. Mama begged him not to go. Papa told him he was being foolish, but there was no stopping him once he’d made up his mind.” Xavier paused

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