A Place Beyond Courage by Elizabeth Chadwick & Sourcebooks Inc

Author:Elizabeth Chadwick & Sourcebooks Inc
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Literary, Fiction, Historical, General
ISBN: 9781402271083
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Published: 2012-09-01T21:38:22+00:00

It was quiet in the hall at Salisbury. Most folk had gone to their beds and only a few candles still burned in isolated corners and crevices to light the darkest watches of the night. One such illuminated the dais and the figure of Patrick, sitting in the chair from which his father in his prime and then William had dispensed justice and presided over the affairs of the sheriff.

Quietly Sybilla joined him, setting a fresh cup of wine at his right elbow and lighting a new candle from the drip-festooned remnants of the old. At first, because he was gripping his head in his hands, she thought he was mourning for their brother. William had been buried yesterday before the altar at Bradenstoke Priory following his painful death from some internal malady that had wasted his body to skin and bone.

Patrick’s eyes, however, were dry and his mouth was set in a hard line that spoke of deep thought and resolution rather than grief. Sybilla poured wine for herself and sat down beside him. Her own eyes were burning and heavy. She felt wrung out. She had loved William because he was her brother, but they had not otherwise been close; however, no one should have to die like that in such pain and terror, convinced he was damned.

Patrick sighed and, straightening up, looked at her. ‘I am sorry William is dead. We did not always see eye to eye, but I would rather he had lived to share disagreements than lie in cold ground . . . But now I am master of Salisbury, there are going to be changes.’

Sybilla’s stomach leaped with alarm. ‘What kind of changes?’

‘If I swear my allegiance to King Stephen, he will give me mercenaries with which to rule Wiltshire and keep our lands safe. I’ll be able to clear the Kennet of FitzGilbert’s scourge and regain Ludgershall for us.’

‘But William had made peace with him . . .’

‘Because he didn’t have the resources to take him on. He’s a wolf, Sybilla, and I won’t have him on our borders if I can fashion it otherwise. I followed William’s way for long enough. Now it’s my turn to rule.’

‘Then be careful,’ she said. ‘I cannot afford to keep losing brothers.’

He gave a taut smile. ‘I am not William and I won’t be led into the same kinds of traps. Don’t fret your head about it. Leave the business to me.’ He pressed his palms flat on the board and eased to his feet. ‘I’m for my bed. It’s going to be a long day tomorrow.’

Sybilla too rose. She supposed if you had a thorn in your flesh, it would fester until you were rid of it, but what if it got rid of you instead by working its way in until eventually it killed you? She knew Patrick wouldn’t listen to her. If she tried to say something now, he would only grow more stubborn in his resolution. He would have to be tackled from the side with gentle nudges, hints and soft words.

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