![Julie Garwood - [3 Book Box Set]](https://fs.dianahicksbooks.com/573249/thumbs/152x264/julie-garwood-3-book-box-set.jpg)
Read Online Julie Garwood - [3 Book Box Set] by Gentle Warrior:Honor's Splendour:Lion's Lady - Free Book Online
Ads: Link
eager to hear her tale, to understand what had transpired at Montwright.
“My parents, my sisters, one of their husbands . . . all killed,” she whispered. “And Belwain, my father’s younger brother . . . he is to blame. He must be punished.”
“From the beginning, Elizabeth,” Geoffrey encouraged in a gentle tone. “Tell me what you saw, what you heard.”
Elizabeth nodded and took a deep breath. “I did not see them arrive. Little Thomas and I were out riding when it began. The family had gathered to celebrate my little brother’s birthday. It was a tradition,” she explained.
Geoffrey nodded and then realized that she was looking right through him, didn’t seem to notice his encouraging gesture at all. Memory had control of her mind now, and from the torment etching her features,Geoffrey knew a chilling account was about to be told. He wanted to gather her in his arms, to hold her and offer comfort, but he sensed she would not accept his compassion from the way she held herself erect. Memory was taking her to hell’s nightmares, and all he could do was listen.
“My eldest sister, Catherine, and her husband, Bernard, came all the way from his holding near Granbury, but Rupert, ailing from liver upset, could not attend. He allowed Margaret to come, though . . . Oh, God, but if he had not been so agreeable! She would still be alive.” Elizabeth took a deep breath, a calmness setling over her features. She told the rest in a flat, emotionless voice. “Thomas and I came in through the side entrance, intent on changing our clothes before our mother caught sight of us, for we were covered with mud. There is a stairwell, well hidden from the great hall, with a tapestry hung over the door on the second landing. As I neared the top I could hear screams and shouts. I knew then something was wrong. I made Thomas stay on the steps and opened the door. No one saw me, but I could see everything from my position. There were bodies, dead, mutilated bodies, strewn about the floor like so many soiled rushes. Those doing the killing were dressed as peasants but they wielded their swords like trained soldiers. Several of the men wore black hoods to conceal their faces. I tried to find the one in charge when I caught sight of my sister Margaret. I saw her stab one of the men in his shoulder, and then run toward our mother. The man she injured followed her and plunged his knife into her back, and Margaret went down. I felt little Thomas against my side then, and turned to shield him from the view and to find safety for him. One of the attackers, his voice was somehow familiar to me even then, called the order to find the boy. ‘Find the boy or we fail,’ that is what he screamed, and I knew they meant to kill little Thomas. I had to protect him. He was now heir . . . I couldn’thelp my mother, but I couldn’t seem to move either. It was as if I was frozen in place. I just kept watching her. They were tearing at her clothes. My mother’s clothes! She broke away and raked her nails against the face of one of her captors. He screamed with pain and then the one who had killed Margaret. . . he came up to my mother with an ax in his hand. He raised it high into the air and the blade came down, down and across her neck, and her head, her head was torn from her body!”
She had never said the words until now. She wanted to crumble to the earth and die. The pain was so intense, the screams of her family so agonizing, so deafening, that she involuntarily placed her hands over her ears.
Geoffrey did not say a word. He gently reached out and pulled her hands from her face and held them.
His action helped Elizabeth gain control. She looked at him then, really looked at him, and saw the compassion in his eyes. “I don’t remember much after that. I took Thomas back down the stairway and we stayed there until Joseph found us and took us to the outside. We sent word to Bernard’s relatives and to Rupert.”
Geoffrey pulled
“My parents, my sisters, one of their husbands . . . all killed,” she whispered. “And Belwain, my father’s younger brother . . . he is to blame. He must be punished.”
“From the beginning, Elizabeth,” Geoffrey encouraged in a gentle tone. “Tell me what you saw, what you heard.”
Elizabeth nodded and took a deep breath. “I did not see them arrive. Little Thomas and I were out riding when it began. The family had gathered to celebrate my little brother’s birthday. It was a tradition,” she explained.
Geoffrey nodded and then realized that she was looking right through him, didn’t seem to notice his encouraging gesture at all. Memory had control of her mind now, and from the torment etching her features,Geoffrey knew a chilling account was about to be told. He wanted to gather her in his arms, to hold her and offer comfort, but he sensed she would not accept his compassion from the way she held herself erect. Memory was taking her to hell’s nightmares, and all he could do was listen.
“My eldest sister, Catherine, and her husband, Bernard, came all the way from his holding near Granbury, but Rupert, ailing from liver upset, could not attend. He allowed Margaret to come, though . . . Oh, God, but if he had not been so agreeable! She would still be alive.” Elizabeth took a deep breath, a calmness setling over her features. She told the rest in a flat, emotionless voice. “Thomas and I came in through the side entrance, intent on changing our clothes before our mother caught sight of us, for we were covered with mud. There is a stairwell, well hidden from the great hall, with a tapestry hung over the door on the second landing. As I neared the top I could hear screams and shouts. I knew then something was wrong. I made Thomas stay on the steps and opened the door. No one saw me, but I could see everything from my position. There were bodies, dead, mutilated bodies, strewn about the floor like so many soiled rushes. Those doing the killing were dressed as peasants but they wielded their swords like trained soldiers. Several of the men wore black hoods to conceal their faces. I tried to find the one in charge when I caught sight of my sister Margaret. I saw her stab one of the men in his shoulder, and then run toward our mother. The man she injured followed her and plunged his knife into her back, and Margaret went down. I felt little Thomas against my side then, and turned to shield him from the view and to find safety for him. One of the attackers, his voice was somehow familiar to me even then, called the order to find the boy. ‘Find the boy or we fail,’ that is what he screamed, and I knew they meant to kill little Thomas. I had to protect him. He was now heir . . . I couldn’thelp my mother, but I couldn’t seem to move either. It was as if I was frozen in place. I just kept watching her. They were tearing at her clothes. My mother’s clothes! She broke away and raked her nails against the face of one of her captors. He screamed with pain and then the one who had killed Margaret. . . he came up to my mother with an ax in his hand. He raised it high into the air and the blade came down, down and across her neck, and her head, her head was torn from her body!”
She had never said the words until now. She wanted to crumble to the earth and die. The pain was so intense, the screams of her family so agonizing, so deafening, that she involuntarily placed her hands over her ears.
Geoffrey did not say a word. He gently reached out and pulled her hands from her face and held them.
His action helped Elizabeth gain control. She looked at him then, really looked at him, and saw the compassion in his eyes. “I don’t remember much after that. I took Thomas back down the stairway and we stayed there until Joseph found us and took us to the outside. We sent word to Bernard’s relatives and to Rupert.”
Geoffrey pulled
Similar Books
