A Rip in the Veil (The Graham Saga) by Belfrage Anna

Author:Belfrage, Anna [Belfrage, Anna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: SilverWood Books
Published: 2014-01-19T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

Simon was crowing when he came through the door to his office, bringing with him a basket from which emanated the smell of warm bread. He kept his back turned as Alex and Matthew scrambled into their clothes, all the while humming under his breath.

“Someone tried to set the inn on fire,” he informed them once they were decent. “And the innkeeper is right sore about it. Well, he would be.” He raised innocent blue eyes to Matthew’s. “Now who would do a thing like that?”

“Simon!” Matthew sounded very displeased. “You haven’t!”

“Me?” Simon shook his head. “How can you possibly think that I would?” He bent forward in a conspiratorial gesture. “Nay, word is out that a certain Luke Graham did, in view of him not finding his dear brother where he had hoped to, stark naked in his marriage bed.”

“He did?” Alex said, and both men turned to give her an exasperated look.

“Aye, of course he did,” Matthew sighed, a very green eye on his humming brother-in-law. “Really, Simon, you shouldn’t have.”

“You did it?” Alex said, looking at Simon, who beamed back.

“At least it will force Luke to keep low to the ground for some time,” Simon said in a satisfied tone.

Several hours later, Alex stood beside Simon, studying a huge beast.

“Are you sure it’s a horse?” she said. “It looks like an elephant.”

Simon laughed. “No trunk. It’s a horse.”

Matthew was glowing when he came back to them. “Look at him! Isn’t he magnificent?”

“Hmm.” She supposed it was good looking for a horse, grey and with enormous hooves. Nice hair though, the mane fluttering in the wind.

“Uncut,” Matthew said to Simon. “I hope he isn’t too tempered. That might explain the price.”

“Bad tempered?” Alex backed away, certain that the horse was eyeing her with the express intent of sinking those big yellow teeth into some part of her anatomy.

“He’ll easily carry two,” Matthew went on, “and with those legs he’ll have a mighty stride.”

Simon nodded his agreement, and cocked his head in the direction of Alex.

“Don’t you have horses in Sweden?”

Alex gave him a wavering smile. “Of course we do. But they’re much smaller.” She went back to studying the stallion; she’d need a ladder to get on, not that she particularly wanted to.

It was far more comfortable than she’d expected, a rocking motion that made her drowsy where she sat behind Matthew, her arms around his waist. She leaned her cheek against his back and rubbed affectionately, hearing a contented rumble in response.

“Will they think me strange?” she said, trying to keep the twinge of unease from her voice. He just nodded, and she tightened her hold round his waist. “Will they like me, do you think?”

“I like you.”

She could hear the smile in his voice.

“I sincerely hope so, but that wasn’t what I asked, was it?”

“Nay. Simon liked you, didn’t he?”

“I liked him.” Alex laughed under her breath. How someone could be so…so…spherical was beyond her.

“Joan will surely like you as well,” Matthew said, and she felt a slight tension drain away.

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