Beyond Reason by Avril Borthiry

Author:Avril Borthiry [Borthiry, Avril]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, mobi, epub
Publisher: South Knoll Publishing
Published: 2012-01-06T05:00:00+00:00

~ ~ ~

Elias chose a quiet seat in the corner of Glendennan's great hall, the location giving him a clear vantage over the comings and goings of the castle. He enjoyed watching people unawares. A harmless hobby, it was intended only as a study of human interaction and behaviour. He had long recognized the subtle language of mannerisms. The way people moved often told him of their thoughts as plainly as if they had voiced the words out loud.

With a genuine sense of pleasure, he cast his gaze around the hall that had been decorated in celebration of Christ's birth. Sweet aromas of freshly-cut pine and holly subdued the stronger odours of burning tallow and roasted meats. A flaming yule log spat and crackled in the hearth. Several of the castle dogs, drawn to the warmth, were stretched out in front of the fire.

In the midst of this canine pack, a little fair-haired boy lay on his stomach with his chin propped up on his hands. Legs bent at the knees, the boy's feet flailed around behind him in the manner typical of a bored child. Elias smiled at the charm of the scene, and fleetingly wondered to whom the child belonged.

The hall was alive with the hum of pleasant conversation and joviality. People gathered in groups, playing dice or chess while enjoying a cup of spiced ale or mulled wine. Laughter mixed with cries of dismay as gambling bets were won or lost. Due to the early hour, the main dais stood empty. Soon, no doubt, Lord Montgomery and his higher ranking knights would make an appearance, and the festivities of the holy eve would begin.

Elias's thoughts turned to Isobel, which put another smile on on his lips. When he'd first arrived, he'd paid little mind to the small figure standing in the shadows of the stable. But when the rays of the setting-sun had caught Isobel's hair, the vision of it had stunned him. . Lit by the golden light, the woman had seemed almost otherworldly.

His smiled faded as he recalled the confrontation in the courtyard. Elias had guessed immediately that Montgomery and Isobel were lovers. Not a difficult deduction, since he'd noticed jealousy in one pair of eyes and tears in the other.

Edith, in the time-honoured fashion of a gossiping servant, had informed Elias of the upcoming marriage. She had also made it quite plain that all at Glendennan knew of the affair between the master and the young widow. Indeed, he'd been given the distinct impression that most of the servants saw Isobel as little more than the master's plaything. Everyone was, apparently, waiting with bated breath to see what would happen once the master's betrothed arrived in a few days.

Elias felt a sudden pang of sympathy for Isobel. From what he'd seen, the woman possessed a gentle nature and an admirable intelligence. And, despite what Edith had implied, he doubted Montgomery's feelings for the lady were insincere. The emotion in the man's eyes had spoken of more than just the casual bedding of a vulnerable widow.

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.