Read Online Lilah by Marek Halter - Free Book Online Page A

anger.
    Lilah tried to calm herself with a mouthful of the scalding herb tea, which her aunt loved: sharp yet sweet, it seemed to have been conceived in her image.
    Sarah was leaning towards her. ‘I know you were with Antinoes last night,’ she murmured, her face creased with curiosity. ‘I heard you come home.’ She chuckled. ‘I’d have liked to see you then, so that you could tell me everything, but Mordechai had decided to sleep with me, and that’s not something that happens often!’
    The questions came thick and fast, and Lilah replied as briefly as she could. Yes, Antinoes loved her as passionately as ever. Yes, he had become a hero of the King of Kings. Yes, he wanted her as his wife. Yes, yes . . .
    â€˜And Ezra?’
    Lilah bit her lips, then, seeing her aunt’s large eyes shining with impatience, she smiled. ‘Ezra is like Antinoes,’ she replied. ‘He hasn’t changed either.’
    â€˜Hasn’t changed? You mean . . .’
    â€˜You know what I mean, Aunt.’
    There was no tenderness in Sarah’s face now. ‘You mean he won’t hear of your marriage, is that it?’
    â€˜He’s devoted to his studies, and nothing else interests him,’ Lilah replied patiently.
    â€˜All I know is, he’s mad and he’ll cause you a lot of unhappiness.’ Sarah’s voice was as harsh now as it was when she discovered a defect in a carpet.
    Lilah was on the point of standing up and leaving the room. She, too, would have liked to speak her mind, to say loud and clear that she was no longer a child, that all this was no one’s business but her own, and that she’d prefer to be left in peace. But that would not have been the truth. Whether she liked it or not, her marriage to Antinoes was everyone’s business.
    â€˜I didn’t tell him about the marriage,’ she forced herself to reply calmly. ‘There was no point.’
    â€˜No point? No point in telling him about your marriage? What are you talking about?’
    â€˜There’s no rush, Aunt Sarah. Give Ezra a little time. He knows Antinoes is back. He’ll think about it.’
    â€˜Think about it!’ Sarah cried. ‘We know what he’s going to think about it!’
    Lilah said nothing.
    â€˜And what about you?’ Sarah went on, frowning. ‘You want this marriage, don’t you? You andAntinoes love each other – you’re promised to each other . . .’
    â€˜What we’ve promised each other is no one’s business but ours, Aunt!’ Without intending to, Lilah had spoken curtly and had slammed her glass down on the tray.
    Sarah gave a muffled moan and turned towards the garden. She was weeping. She had a very particular way of weeping: soundlessly, almost without tears. A violent shudder rippled through her.
    â€˜Aunt Sarah!’
    â€˜Don’t you want to get married?’
    â€˜That’s not what I said.’
    Her aunt looked at her for a moment in astonishment, then shook her head. ‘I don’t understand you! I haven’t understood your brother for years, but now you . . .’
    â€˜Ezra is doing what he thinks is right,’ Lilah said, remembering that she had used the same words in trying to calm Antinoes.
    â€˜Oh really? What does that mean – right? Doing all he can to hurt his uncle and aunt?’
    â€˜Aunt Sarah, Ezra isn’t a child, and hasn’t been a child for a long time. Uncle Mordechai and you know what he’s doing in the lower town and why. You should be proud and recognize his greatness.’
    â€˜His greatness?’ Sarah cried. ‘In the lower town? As if that wasn’t enough to make us ashamed! Hecould just as easily pursue his studies here – even with that old sage of his, who turned up out of nowhere, like a beggar. There’s no better man than Mordechai. Even after all this time, he would still