By Winter's Light: A Cynster Novel (Cynster Special Book 2) by Stephanie Laurens Read Free Book Online

searched them.
    Lucilla held his gaze and allowed him to see, recognize, and appreciate her knowing.
    He blinked once, then nodded. “That’s a good plan.” He looked at Sebastian, seated alongside him. “That’s what we’ll do.”
    Sebastian looked at Marcus, then looked at Lucilla, then threw up his hands in surrender. “All right.”
    Lucilla turned her head and looked at Prudence.
    Prudence shrugged. “Whatever you say, cuz.”
    Michael and Christopher laughed and started getting to their feet. “Thank you, Lucilla,” Michael said. “These three would have taken until lunchtime to decide.”
    “So can we go already?” Christopher asked.
    A clatter of boots approaching the hall had them all looking toward one of the archways. Aidan and Evan appeared, with Justin, Gregory, and Nicholas crowding behind.
    “Are you lot ready yet?” Aidan asked in long-suffering tones.
    Sebastian glanced at the others about the table, then rose. He was the tallest of the boys, nearly as tall as his father. Stepping over the bench, he nodded at Aidan and the other four. “We’ll meet you at the stable.”
    “Excellent!” Evan said. The five strode off in another roll of thunder.
    After rising from the bench, Lucilla and Prudence followed Marcus, Sebastian, Michael, and Christopher out of the hall. Under the archway, awareness tugging, Lucilla glanced back at the three elders enthroned in their armchairs on the dais, but all appeared to be asleep.
    With Prudence, she headed for her turret. They were already wearing their riding clothes, gathered skirts falling to their lower calves with trousers tucked into boots beneath, the outfits in their signature colors of forest green for her and cornflower blue for Prudence.
    “Scarf, gloves, quirt.” Prudence cocked her head. “Will I need a hat, do you think?”
    “I would certainly advise it,” Lucilla said, taking the lead up the stairs. Unerringly, she glanced to the northwest. “Even among the trees, it’ll be cold up on the range.”
     
    * * *
    Regardless of all intentions, it was a full hour later before they were finally mounted and ready to ride. Lucilla had been partly to blame for the delay, but when she’d suggested that perhaps taking food to fill their stomachs at midday might be wise, all nine males had immediately agreed.
    Of course, they’d left it to her to petition the kitchens, but when she and Prudence had emerged bearing two large hampers, the boys had been quick to help; they’d gathered around and, with a reasonable degree of civility, had divided the food into their various saddlebags.
    Five minutes later, well accoutered and well provisioned, they trotted out into the snow-covered fields. The light covering was still crisp and crunched beneath their mounts’ hooves. Horsey breaths fogging around them, they formed up in a loose group with Sebastian and Marcus in the lead. Lucilla and Prudence rode side by side on Marcus’s left. All of them were excellent riders, while Prudence, Nicholas, Aidan, and Sebastian could lay claim to the title of exceptional.
    Before them, the land stretched under a blanket of white scattered with sparkling motes courtesy of the weak sunshine. This far north, even though the day was fine, there was little warmth in the sun. Luckily, the breeze was a bare whisper, adding negligible sting to the knife-like chill in the air.
    Further ahead, past the limit of the fields—indeed, of civilization—the Galloway Hills rose in heavily forested waves to the bald range known as the Rhinns of Kells.
    Setting a southwesterly course as Lucilla had directed, in wordless concert the riders leaned forward and thundered toward the dark smudge of the forests and the open range beyond.

CHAPTER 3
     
    It had taken a little while to maneuver the sled into the clearing Annabelle had declared was the perfect spot from which to gather the holly and fir they’d come to collect. After wedging two rocks beneath the back of the sled to hold it