Fairest Of Them All by Teresa Medeiros

Author:Teresa Medeiros [Medeiros, Teresa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 17

“Aye, a more treacherous harlot never lived! As cunning as Eve. As wanton as Jezebel. Enticing decent, God-fearing men to her bed like bees to a honey pot” It took Holly a dazed moment to realize the damning denouncement had come not from Austyn, but from his father. The old man waved his arms for emphasis as he strode toward the grave, all traces of uncertainty banished from his step. The fire had been restored to his rheumy eyes. Sanity flirted with their depths, somehow more dangerous than the vague madness that kept him occupied most of the time. Having never heard him utter more than two words at a time, Holly could only gape.

“A weak, willful woman my Gwyneth was, given over to sins of the flesh. She could never be satisfied Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

with only one mortal man to quench her insatiable lusts. Nor with two. Nor with . . .”

Twas as if the floodgates of silence had parted to loose a river of virulence. As he ranted on, Holly became aware that his impromptu sermon was collecting an audience. Emrys, Carey, and a white-faced Winifred clustered at the garden gate. Nathanael watched from the chapel door. Other castle inhabitants came creeping out from the brewery, the mews, the smithy, their curiosity overcoming their trepidation.

Holly kept her eyes averted from Austyn, fearing he would judge her just another leering witness to his anguish.

Twas Carey who came forward and gently took the old man by the arm. Holly suspected it was not the first time he had done so. Nor would it be the last

“Come, sir,” Carey said. “ Tis time for your evening meal. Pickled lamprey, you know. Your favorite.”

The others retreated as abruptly as they’d appeared, as if Carey’s simple act of kindness had shamed them.

Rhys of Gavenmore pointed a condemning finger heavenward as he marched alongside the man-at-arms. “Strumpets, every last one of them! Panting for a man’s rigid staff like bitches in heat. Only too eager to spread their thighs and milk him of every last drop of God-given vigor—”

A door thudded shut, mercifully cutting off the vivid recital. If Holly could not look at her husband before, she certainly couldn’t look at him now.

“I’ve never seen you blush before. Tis quite becoming.”

Austyn’s quiet words confused her. They gazed at each other over the chasm of his mother’s grave.

Unnerved by his steady perusal, Holly ducked her head, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth.

Since he’d began to stare through her instead of at her, she’d grown rather careless about mangling her appearance.

Tve never seen you throw flowers before, sir. Twas quite unbecoming.”

“I should have warned you. All the Gavenmore men are cursed with”—he hesitated, as if uncertain how much to reveal—”unpredictable tempers. By Gavenmore standards, that was but a mild tantrum.”

“Then I should hate to see a severe one.”

“As would I.” Austyn rose and wandered to the crest of the hill. He stood with hands on hips, gazing over the crumbling curtain wall to the swollen river.

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