Read Online Heaven and the Heather by Elizabeth Holcombe - Free Book Online
Authors: Elizabeth Holcombe
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scenery.
“Norse marauders!” Canard shouted. “Viking invaders from Denmark! Men in furs and long boats! A terrible sight to behold!”
Sabine searched the players, dressed in rainbow shades of satin trimmed with white fur, wearing gilded pointed hats with gilded horns, and could not find Niall in any of them. Perchance he had taken flight, found some sense.
She relaxed a fraction in her chair, keeping her back perfectly straight. She let her breath out and tried to ignore her hollow stomach. The “Vikings” rode their long boats through waves of blue velvet. The players chanted poetry about pillaging and defeating Scotland. Then they disappeared behind the scenery.
Lord Campbell yawned while everyone else applauded.
“Delightful!” the queen exclaimed. She leaned in toward Lord Darnley, who forced a wan smile in her direction.
Sabine clapped as monsieur Le Canard stepped out from behind one of the false trees. “ Alors! ” he exclaimed a hand to his ear. “Savages remain in Scotland. Men with wool on their backs and little else! Men who hide like the fox and the bear in dark, unhappy hills. Alors! They come…beware!”
He slipped back behind the “trees” with a flourish.
Sabine leaned forward, her hands gripping the arms of her chair, steadying himself. A hush fell over the spectators, collective breaths held in anticipation of the next act.
The servants waved long green cloths. Two figures stepped tentatively out from behind the scenery. One was taller than the other and wore a bear mask that covered his entire face. The other, a head shorter than the bear, wore a half-mask of a ginger-haired fox. This figure stepped forward into one of the wavering cloths.
Sabine leaned to the edge of her seat.
The “fox” aimed its pointed snout to the floor, throwing his profile Sabine’s way.
She gasped at the sight of the thick waves of auburn hair flowing from under the mask touching the top of…what was he wearing?
She recognized the length of wool, it looked cleaner, brushed. His common linen tunic, the one he wore when he invaded the palace grounds, was gone, switched with a doublet of saffron and green. The garment was open to the center of his chest, revealing muscle forested with dark auburn hair. His cross-hatched wool was wrapped about his hips in the same familiar fashion. She dropped her gaze to his legs, well-muscled, powerful, partially concealed in strips of red brocade over the calves down to his own pieced leather shoes, covering his rather large feet.
The “fox” continued to regard the undulating green wool barricading him from the throne before he grabbed it with one fist and yanked it from the hands of the astonished servants. He dropped it unceremoniously on the floor leaving no barrier between him and his Royal audience.
Monsieur Le Canard nervously cleared his throat. “Unh, the fox…unh…the prince of the forest commands the wood, allowing nothing to deter him.”
The Highland bear lumbered behind the fox.
Sabine sat up very straight, her spine as rigid as a pike. She stared into the eyes of the Highland fox. The fox grinned slyly back at her, displaying perfect pearls of white teeth. In her periphery, she saw Lord Campbell staring at the fox then at her.
Niall took another step forward and bowed low before the queen. She nodded.
He stood upright and spread his arms wide.
“Round and round!” he cried out. “This ginger fox roams!”
His blue eyes gleamed through the holes in his mask. The grin wavered a bit then disappeared. He looked ceilingward.
“Uh….”
Then monsieur Le Canard’s anxious whisper from the side, “An errant Highland—”
“Oh,” Niall said, lowering his gaze back to his audience. “Aye…aye.” He aimed one hand at the ceiling. “An errant Hieland beast without a home. Away from sight of those that prey, to run by night, rest by…uh…day….”
He allowed his words to fade away, his gaze becoming more fierce, like the beast he
“Norse marauders!” Canard shouted. “Viking invaders from Denmark! Men in furs and long boats! A terrible sight to behold!”
Sabine searched the players, dressed in rainbow shades of satin trimmed with white fur, wearing gilded pointed hats with gilded horns, and could not find Niall in any of them. Perchance he had taken flight, found some sense.
She relaxed a fraction in her chair, keeping her back perfectly straight. She let her breath out and tried to ignore her hollow stomach. The “Vikings” rode their long boats through waves of blue velvet. The players chanted poetry about pillaging and defeating Scotland. Then they disappeared behind the scenery.
Lord Campbell yawned while everyone else applauded.
“Delightful!” the queen exclaimed. She leaned in toward Lord Darnley, who forced a wan smile in her direction.
Sabine clapped as monsieur Le Canard stepped out from behind one of the false trees. “ Alors! ” he exclaimed a hand to his ear. “Savages remain in Scotland. Men with wool on their backs and little else! Men who hide like the fox and the bear in dark, unhappy hills. Alors! They come…beware!”
He slipped back behind the “trees” with a flourish.
Sabine leaned forward, her hands gripping the arms of her chair, steadying himself. A hush fell over the spectators, collective breaths held in anticipation of the next act.
The servants waved long green cloths. Two figures stepped tentatively out from behind the scenery. One was taller than the other and wore a bear mask that covered his entire face. The other, a head shorter than the bear, wore a half-mask of a ginger-haired fox. This figure stepped forward into one of the wavering cloths.
Sabine leaned to the edge of her seat.
The “fox” aimed its pointed snout to the floor, throwing his profile Sabine’s way.
She gasped at the sight of the thick waves of auburn hair flowing from under the mask touching the top of…what was he wearing?
She recognized the length of wool, it looked cleaner, brushed. His common linen tunic, the one he wore when he invaded the palace grounds, was gone, switched with a doublet of saffron and green. The garment was open to the center of his chest, revealing muscle forested with dark auburn hair. His cross-hatched wool was wrapped about his hips in the same familiar fashion. She dropped her gaze to his legs, well-muscled, powerful, partially concealed in strips of red brocade over the calves down to his own pieced leather shoes, covering his rather large feet.
The “fox” continued to regard the undulating green wool barricading him from the throne before he grabbed it with one fist and yanked it from the hands of the astonished servants. He dropped it unceremoniously on the floor leaving no barrier between him and his Royal audience.
Monsieur Le Canard nervously cleared his throat. “Unh, the fox…unh…the prince of the forest commands the wood, allowing nothing to deter him.”
The Highland bear lumbered behind the fox.
Sabine sat up very straight, her spine as rigid as a pike. She stared into the eyes of the Highland fox. The fox grinned slyly back at her, displaying perfect pearls of white teeth. In her periphery, she saw Lord Campbell staring at the fox then at her.
Niall took another step forward and bowed low before the queen. She nodded.
He stood upright and spread his arms wide.
“Round and round!” he cried out. “This ginger fox roams!”
His blue eyes gleamed through the holes in his mask. The grin wavered a bit then disappeared. He looked ceilingward.
“Uh….”
Then monsieur Le Canard’s anxious whisper from the side, “An errant Highland—”
“Oh,” Niall said, lowering his gaze back to his audience. “Aye…aye.” He aimed one hand at the ceiling. “An errant Hieland beast without a home. Away from sight of those that prey, to run by night, rest by…uh…day….”
He allowed his words to fade away, his gaze becoming more fierce, like the beast he
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