Origin of the Body by H.R. Moore Read Free Book Online

old, wise, grounded.  They were eyes that judged, taking no prisoners.
    When she had read all she could, she sat back against the barn wall, turning her gaze back to the dance floor.  ‘He loves you.  You do know that?’
    Anita wanted to get up, to leave, to tell her this was none of her business.  They had only just met, for Gods’ sake, what right did she have to make this so purposefully awkward?  She didn’t though.  ‘He says he loves me, but he’s also said many things that frighten me.  He’s changing as the days go by; Austin is moulding him into the kind of monster he wants for a son, the kind of person who thinks he can dictate who I can and cannot see, who trails my every move, who thinks it’s fine to demand rent from farmers when their crops are failing and they have nothing to give.  You of all people should know why I did what I did.’
    ‘Really?’ she spat.  ‘And pray tell me why is that?’
    This sudden change in approach took Anita off guard, but she decided honesty was the best policy.  ‘Because from what others have told me, you left Austin for similar reasons.’
    ‘In small part you’re right, meaning in large part you’re wrong.  At least I finally got to meet you,’ she said, standing up and leaving the barn, walking with the grace of a much younger person.  Anita was pondering the conversation when Alexander came and sat down next to her, handing her another punch and feeling the confusion in her energy.
    ‘Are you okay?’ he asked, concerned.  ‘What did she say?’
    ‘Think she’s pretty pissed about me dumping Marcus, not to mention that there is something going on between me and you, and she said something cryptic about her relationship with Austin, something about them not really splitting up because of him turning into Tobias…’
    Alexander raised his eyebrows.  ‘Well tonight has been eye opening if nothing else,’ he said, draining his glass.  ‘Who would have thought the Institution was so well attended.  I had no idea about Anderson.’
    ‘And I can’t believe Bas is here,’ said Anita, ‘especially against Alistair’s wishes; Bas never keeps things from him.  And it seems likely that Alistair is the Alistair in the diary, meaning if he’s opposed, he’s frankly a bit of a hypocrite.’

Chapter 3
    They woke the following morning, huddled together on a pile of straw, a raft of others strewn across the floor around them.  The welcome smell of sizzling bacon wafted through the air, enticing the hung over group to their feet.  If there had ever been any doubt that Alexander and Anita were a couple, it was now thoroughly dispelled, Bas and Anderson throwing a raised eyebrow at each other as they walked past.  Anita couldn’t help but feel guilty, he was putting on a brave face, but Bas’ energy noticeably dropped as he passed.  ‘He certainly likes you,’ Alexander commented, half-mocking, half-uncertain, before pulling her to her feet.
    ‘I know,’ was all she said in reply, pursuing the spectacular smells, that now included freshly baked bread, out of the barn.  They ate greedily and drank several cups of tea, trying to quell the throbbing headaches the rum punch had left behind, then took themselves off to the copse of trees on top of the hill to continue with the diary, hoping today’s excerpts might shed more light than those the day before.
     
    ‘11th February, 1333.
     
    So much has happened since a year ago when I last wrote.  But today, I again find myself with something to say, but not a soul to say it to, so again I turn to you in the forlorn hope that spilling my thoughts onto your pages might in some way help.
    The day after my last entry, I told my parents I was going to stay in Kingdom with Jeff.  They went ballistic, calling me stupid and naïve first, and then trying to win me round with reasons why it’s so dangerous to collude with members of the Institution.  Needless to say none of it worked, but they did