Lynn Kurland - De Piaget 10 by Stardust of Yesterday

Author:Stardust of Yesterday
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2011-11-25T23:57:14+00:00

Chapter Nineteen

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Kendrick stood in the shadows of the great hall and watched the party in progress. It had been Genevieve's idea, this reviving of the old customary Christmas celebrations. Kendrick had found himself going along with it, simply because it reminded him of home, and this year was the first year in centuries he had felt homesick.

Villagers had been coming to the keep in the evenings for almost two weeks, partaking of the lord's winter stores as they would have in the old days. Genevieve left the lord's chair empty each night and sat down in the chair next to it, as would have been her place had things been a bit different. Most of the villagers thought her daft. A few, like Mistress Adelaide, thought her actions to be hopelessly romantic.

Kendrick had eavesdropped on the good woman when she babbled for a solid evening about the tenderness of the gesture. Little did the villagers know that Kendrick had been sitting in that chair off and on for almost a fortnight, keeping himself invisible.

Genevieve had known the moment he first sat down. He'd spent the rest of the evenings since, whispering into her ear. She'd blushed at his less-than-gentlemanly suggestions and smiled at his words of love. It had satisfied him.

At first.

Now, things were different. This was Christmas Eve. He should have been in that chair next to her.

Instead, he stood in the shadows, like a misbegotten stableboy too ashamed to show himself. He ground his teeth in frustration. Never had he been so dissatisfied with his unlife.

No longer. He could bear it no longer. He'd stewed and fumed and raged for three weeks since the night he had tried to touch his love. He was past reason, past restraint. He would take his rightful place at the table and when the guests were gone, he would take his lady upstairs and give her the gift he had purchased her and ask her the appropriate question. The time for action had come.

Without giving it another thought, he strode from the shadows, stepped up on the dais and walked around the table. Worthington hastily pulled out the chair and Kendrick sat down.

The silence in the hall was deafening.

He felt the eyes of every soul there on him. That made him want to squirm, but he'd come too far to turn back now. He set his jaw and looked at his lady, daring her to say anything against his behavior.

Genevieve merely smiled.

"Good evening, my lord Seakirk."

He nodded imperiously.

Her smile deepened. "Your guests have arrived, my love."

"Aye, I can see that," he nodded again, feeling suddenly unwilling to look anywhere but in her eyes. By the saints, had he gone daft?

"Perhaps you should say a few words. In welcome." The chair was far enough away from the table that Kendrick could stand without standing through it. He rose to his feet and let his gaze sweep over the crowd.

Half the group fled. Kendrick might have laughed at the scurrying for the door, but it actually hurt his feelings quite a bit.

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