The Lady of the Sea by Rosalind Miles

Author:Rosalind Miles [Miles, Rosalind]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance, Fantasy, Adult, Historical, Science Fiction
ISBN: 9780307337559
Goodreads: 7050122
Publisher: Crown
Published: 2004-12-07T06:00:00+00:00

chapter 28

A cloud-laden wind was sweeping in from the sea. In the woodlands behind Dubh Lein, the fiery berries of the rowan were setting the margins of the forest aflame, but everything else in the world was drowned in gray. Isolde stood in her window watching the falling rain. Oh Tristan, Tristan . . . Where are you, my love?

Meanwhile, she had to deal with Darath, and that was hard. Harder than ever, now that Tristan was gone.

Gone? Yes, without a farewell. Yet still she could hardly believe it. Where are you, my love?

At first she thought she would see him again that night, when all the court assembled in the Great Hall. They’d quarreled bitterly, that was true, but by nightfall all her anger had drained away. Remorse and fresh hope tripped over one another in her mind. We can do better, love, we’ll recover from this . . . I should have been more patient and loving, more, more, more . . .

Then her heart leaped with the fresh and joyful thought, At least he’s still here. Tristan’s here in Dubh Lein and he loves me still. Thinking like this made Darath fade from view. When I feast them together tonight, Tristan will outshine Darath as the sun outshines a star.

Tristan, oh, my love . .

How long till evening comes?

“Come, Brangwain, make me fine,” she ordered the maid, her skin crackling with excitement at the thought of seeing Tristan again. The long, slow, silvery hour when twilight descended and the fires were lit had always been her favorite time of the day. Old friends and new gathered by ones and twos, communing by candlelight as the wine went round. For Isolde, the scent of apple wood on the hearth and the candles’ soft glow, the ruby gleam of the wine and the warmth of the flames, all blended together into one seamless joy. Tristan was here. He would be waiting for her now.

But he was not there when she entered the Great Hall. As she moved among the crowd, her eye never left the door. Where are you, my love? Hurry, come to me, I am here.

But he did not come. Sir Gilhan and her lords, her courtiers and her knights, all claimed her attention and wanted her company. Darath appeared in the doorway surrounded by his knights, and they made a magnificent entrance clad in leather, bronze, and gold, drawing breathless sighs from every woman in the room. The salt of the sea and their own wild animal tang came in with them, and the air in the chamber quickened with their approach. And still Tristan did not come.

“He must be keeping to his chamber, lady,” Brangwain said, her face tight with concern. “To rest and recover himself.”

Numbly, she agreed But his last words loomed dark in her mind. I must leave you, lady, he had said. Leave her? Did he mean leave and go away? Or had he simply intended to bid her good night? She could not get fears like this out of her head.

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