Coulter, Catherine. Rosehaven / Catherine Coulter.

Severin said more to himself than to Gwent or Alice or the other

dozen servants milling about, hoping to overhear something, “I wanted only to talk to her privately. You know there is no privacy here. She even picked up a stone again once she escaped me on the beach.”

Gwent cleared his throat. He saw Lady Marjorie from the corner of his eye. He knew at any moment that Severin would leap from his chair

and want to leave Oxborough on the instant. That was the way he was. He was brooding now, and that boded well for Hastings. It gave her time so that before Severin caught her, he would be relieved of most of his bile.

Time. By Saint Ethelbert’s nose, they had best be after her. But where had she gone?

Gwent cleared his throat again. Lady Marjorie was nearly upon them.

“My lord.”

Severin continued to frown down at the trestle table. He drank the rest of the ale and wiped the back of his hand over his mouth. “Damn her, now I must take time and men to find her. I wanted to finish the work on the eastern wall today. If she picks up another rock to hurl at me, Gwent, I will surely . . . We leave at once.”

“Aye, my lord.”

“My lord, what has happened?”

“Eh? Oh, it’s you, Marjorie. Where is the child?”

“Eloise is with Dame Agnes.”

“I am away to find my wife and bring her home.”

“She attacked you, Severin. All saw it. Will you kill her?”

“Now, that is a thought,” he said, nodded to Alice, who looked ready to leap for his throat, and strode up the solar stairs.

He met his mother near the jakes.

“You had best hurry, Severin. Hastings has been gone close to an hour.”

“I will find her, Mother.”

“She isn’t happy, Severin.”

“Neither am 1.1 am now one of the richest men in England and I vow a toad is happier than I am. That’s what she believes me to be-a toad.”

“Surely she would not liken you to a toad.”

“Not yet. She will as soon as it occurs to her. Ah, Trist, you wish to come with me? You must swear you won’t try to protect her.”

Trist had stuck his head out of Severin’s tunic. He mewled and hung on.

Lady Moraine watched her son stride into his bedchamber and fling the heavy wooden door shut. She hurried down the stairs to find Gwent, the small vial held tightly in her hand.

Marjorie met her at the bottom of the solar stairs, a cool smile on her beautiful face.

9/19

“A/bu look fatigued, Lady Moraine,” Marjorie said, so beautiful surely

1 God had fashioned her after his angels. “Would you care to have a cup of milk with me?”

Lady Moraine shook her head, looking frantically about for Gwent.

“I believe perhaps your eyes look a bit wild. Perhaps you are not thinking clearly? Perhaps you need to rest? Let me help you, Lady Moraine. Let me take you to your chamber. Some time alone would refresh you.”

“Alice!”

Marjorie lowered her eyes to her white hands. She stepped back when Alice nearly ran her down getting to Lord Severin’s mother.

“I need to find Gwent,” Lady Moraine whispered, but Marjorie heard her. She also saw that vial in the woman’s hand. She knew what was in that vial. Eloise had overheard the women talking of it and had told her.

All three women whipped about when Severin pounded down the solar stairs. He carried a fat blanket that was tightly knotted.

“Mother,” he said, leaned down, and kissed her. “I will return as quickly as possible. Ah, Beamis, you and Lady Marjorie will be in charge of Oxborough whilst I am away. Mother, take care.”

He was gone.

PAT,

It was too late. Lady Moraine slipped the vial into the pocket of her gown. When he brought his wife back, then she would pour the potion into his wine. If he brought Hastings back alive. He was very angry. What had she done to him? And he had left Marjorie to be mistress of Oxborough in his absence. She sighed. She supposed she couldn’t blame him for not trusting that her wits would not wander. At least not yet.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171

Leave a Reply 0

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *