The Eye of the Beholder (2012) by Elizabeth Darcy

Author:Elizabeth Darcy [Darcy, Elizabeth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: NPC Books
Published: 2014-08-23T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 22

The Rage

I had never before been so furious with Lysander. I had tried my best to maintain my patience, to redirect the conversation, but to no avail. He was apparently determined to prove to me that he was a truly depraved being, and he had succeeded. How foolish it had been of me to ever think there might be something worthy inside of him, something that I might discover and draw out. How arrogant it had been of me to assume that I would have the power to help him change into something he was so clearly determined he would not be.

The expression in his eyes as I dropped the heavy tome in his lap was one that I would not soon forget. I had astonished him in the past, but this time I truly stunned him. His disbelief was plain, and I knew he had believed I would never have the courage to take such a stand with him. I took great pride in having proved him wrong. Lysander could engage in a battle of wills with me all he liked, but it had been foolish of him to assume that he would always have the upper hand. He held no dominion over me, nor would he ever, and I was going to prove it to him.

My steps rang out angrily upon the marble floors as I stalked back to my wing of the castle. I needed to be away from him, needed to do something that would free my mind of him, and I knew that seeing to more castle repairs would be just the thing. It was an act of defiance against him, but it was also constructive, and that would satisfy me immensely more than ranting and raving in my chambers would. Perhaps I might even indulge myself by taking a beater to the curtains and pretending it was Lysander I was hitting rather than innocent fabric. It was petty but, nonetheless, it did make me feel better.

As I entered the corridor leading to my chambers, a smile of genuine pleasure spread over my face. The servants bustled about it setting it to rights. There had to be at least thirty there, the largest number yet, and watching their efficient industry did my heart a great deal of good, making me all but forget my quarrel with Lysander. It was simply impossible to hold onto feelings of anger and resentment when met with the picture of progress before me.

I wended my way through the servants, pausing to praise their labors and express my genuine delight over the wonders they had managed to work. In a surprisingly short amount of time, a corridor that had once been in such a state of disrepair, so filthy and gloomy that it had seemed almost beyond salvation, had been nearly restored to its former glory. Standing there surveying the emerging grandeur of the corridor left me breathless with wonder.

"It is wonderful," I said quietly.

Out of the corner of my

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