Shana Abe by The Truelove Bride Read Free Book Online Page A

Elfrieda, the grim face of her young man, both of them now helping her to her feet.
    Bryce had bought the Picts. Bryce, who had everything to gain from the death of Geoffrey and his daughter, and who had not invited that daughter back to her home once it was discovered she still lived. After all, Avalon had inherited a great deal of Geoffrey’s wealth; Bryce had the title and the castle, but Avalon got all three of the manored estates, direct endowments from her mother’s side, plus a good portion of the wealth of Trayleigh.
    Bryce had had to give it all back to her when she resurfaced from the dead, a fourteen-year-old heiress. And he had never complained about it at all.
    Mistress Herndon was lost in her memories again and didn’t look up as Avalon bent over and brushed her lips against one of the withered cheeks.
    “Thank you for taking care of Luedella,” she said, and saw the shining path of a tear that slipped down the old woman’s face.
    “She was a fine lady,” Avalon heard her whisper.
    Elfrieda opened the door, taking a cautious look out, then let Avalon precede her.
    Avalon turned her back as the lovers said good night, pretended to study the blackened walls of the hallway as the two exchanged kisses and murmurs. At last they finished, the man going back into the room, Elfrieda beside her again, reaching up and pulling the hood close over Avalon’s face.
    Avalon couldn’t help it; she stared down at the girl, her swollen lips.
    Elfrieda caught the stare, looked away, and then back at Avalon.
    “We’re to be married this harvest,” she said, defensive.
    “I wish you all the best,” replied Avalon gravely.
    The noise was much louder than before as they approached the top of the stairs. Elfrieda took the lead again with determination.
    The uproar grew and grew as they crept down the spiral, much too loud to Avalon’s ears, almost deafening. It left her dizzy, it slammed into her head and wouldn’t leave, making her put one hand on the wall to find what was up and what was down again. And still the noise flourished, rebounding inside of her, an insanity of sound that made her falter and start again, until she was lost and blind.
    She wanted to call out to Elfrieda but couldn’t focus enough to do so. How could she go on? How could she even make it down into that room itself, the source of her confusion? She must conquer this; it was a reflex of the chimera, alive and now gone mad with its own power, keeping her feet numb and her eyes from seeingwhere she stepped on the slippery stairs until she crashed into something.
    Into some
one.
    The world came into focus again.
    There was a man in front of her, between her and Elfrieda. Even though he was two steps below her his head was still above hers, darkened in the obscure light of the passageway. Elfrieda was attempting to turn back to her, under his arm, her face the picture of fear. The man noted the disturbance behind him almost casually, and then he faced Avalon again.
    She belatedly dropped her chin almost to her chest, hunched her shoulders.
    “I beg your pardon, milord,” she said, changing her inflection to match how she thought Elfrieda would say it.
    The man didn’t move aside, but remained solidly in the middle of the stairs, blocking her path. Avalon waited, staring at the tremendous sword strapped to his waist, then took a small step to the right, as if to allow him to go on. Still, he didn’t move.
    Behind him Elfrieda was paralyzed, peering up at the two of them in agony.
    Avalon shifted again, this time to the left. The man stopped her with his arm, then placed one finger under her chin to tilt her head up. The contact of his skin against hers seemed to sear her, almost causing her to jump.
    She took in his face and had only the impression of strength, power, before looking away hastily.
    “Who are you, child?”
    His voice was deep and sure, the purity of his accent clearly marking him as one of Bryce’s visiting nobility.She bit her