The Saxon Bride (The Norman Conquest Series) by York Ashley

Author:York, Ashley [York, Ashley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2014-07-20T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty

"So they seem to know our moves before we make them." Philip gently pulled the ripped tunic together over Mark's chest. "They are cold-blooded bastards."

"And they lay it all at our feet," John replied

John was at his wits end trying to piece together what had gone wrong. How had they missed the men who did this? How long could it have taken them to bring about such total destruction on a village? Most importantly, when was it that they'd come across Mark? Had they followed him when he left the castle?

Remembering his time at the castle, John closed his eyes. His emotions were in turmoil. His guilt overwhelming; guilt over letting Mark go alone; guilt over the pleasure he'd found with his wife when he should have been with Mark; and guilt over choosing her company and his own desires over his duty. John needed to know for sure that his being with Mark would not have saved his life.

"We need to trace Mark's steps. Have any of the men returned?" John stepped into the light from the darkened building. Philip followed him to a clearing a short distance away.

"Henry!" Philip called. A bearded man turned at his name, and Philip waved him in. "David and Maurice are helping with the bodies."

The two watched as the men reverently carried Mark's body to the grave that was being dug for him. A burial shroud had been brought out from the church and placed on the ground. Philip adjusted the man's tunic again before wrapping him solemnly in the sacred cloth. Closing his eyes and lowering his head, Philip said a prayer over his body. John bowed in respect but inside he seethed.

This man should not be dead.

John strode to where the horses waited. He dug deep into his bag and retrieved his most treasured possession from his youth, the codex of scriptures he had copied himself. The frail book was wrapped in deer hide and tied with a leather binding. He could again see the brothers hunched over their trestles with their various bottles surrounding their vellum. That would have been his destiny if not for Duke William.

The unsmiling face of Brother James came to mind. "John, the Duke would like you to go with him."

"Why? I haven't done anything wrong."

William knelt beside him. "I would like you to be able to carry that sword. And even learn to fight with it…for me."

Full of excitement for his new adventure, John had packed his meager belongings and gone on to learn to be a knight. A position with honor and power. It was not turning out the way he had hoped, however.

John closed his eyes to rid his mind of the memory. He carefully opened to the Psalms of King David and read for himself that God would not let his enemies go unpunished.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.