Harvest of Gold by Tessa Afshar

Author:Tessa Afshar [Afshar, Tessa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Historical
ISBN: 0802405592
Publisher: River North
Published: 2013-06-15T05:00:00+00:00

Darius rode to the inn, his stomach turning somersaults with tension. In a few moments, he would see Sarah. He had spent half the night trying to figure out what could motivate Lysander to bring her to Damascus. The more he had pondered the strange circumstance, the heavier his anxiety had grown. He knew Lysander would not have made such a decision lightly.

Nothing could have prepared him for what awaited him in the diminutive, private bedchamber. He noticed inconsequential details as he walked in: the whitewashed walls; Pari’s downcast face; Sarah’s hair, lying loose down her back like a waterfall of silk; the green embroidery on her blue linen dress; the way her eyes softened when she saw him. And then, with speech-robbing, mind-numbing shock, the rise of her belly, which pressed against the fabric of her loose gown. His wife, who had bled the life of their baby into his arms only weeks ago, was clearly with child.

Darius had spent a significant part of his childhood learning to control his emotions. Learning to conceal the expression of them. His long-practiced defenses failed him. He had to remind himself to close his mouth. He whipped his head to the corner of the room where Lysander waited.

“Did you … did you misdiagnose her condition?”

“No. She must have been carrying twins. She lost one that morning. The other …” He made a vague gesture toward Sarah. “As you see.”

Darius felt torn between the desire to pull his wife into his arms, to feel the new curves of her body pressed against him, their child cradled between them, and the equally strong need to keep his distance. He leaned against the wall, crossing his legs at the ankles to give the impression that he hadn’t a care in the world. He would rather have fought against Niq and his staff for a week straight than admit he needed the wall for support.

“I see. You brought her all the way to Damascus in order to show me this?”

“Of course not. I brought her because there’s a complication.”

Darius straightened. He forced himself to look at Sarah. “You’d better sit down.”

She obeyed him, her movements awkward. For the first time he noted her pallor and the dark circles under her wide eyes. She was tired. As Lysander spelled out the risk to the pregnancy, Darius studied her from the corner of his eye. She was on the verge of tears. The thought of losing this child weighed heavy on her.

“Is Sarah’s life in peril?” he asked Lysander, careful to keep his voice neutral.

“I don’t think so. I don’t even know if the baby is at risk. But I could not take a chance, given what happened before.”

Darius gave a slow nod. “You made the right decision. Thank you for bringing her.”

Lysander gave a tight smile. “I’m relieved you think so. I feared you’d strike me first and ask questions later.”

“I considered it.” He lifted his chin toward Sarah. “The sight of her made me forget my intentions.

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