Read Online Quick, Amanda by I Thee Wed - Free Book Online Page B

Circle. At that time he concocted his own meditation tapers, creating them with his personal choice of fragrance and color. Edison had received his first candles from Ignatius Lorring. They had been a rich, dark purple. He would never forget the exotic scent. Almost as exotic as Emma's scent. Where the devil had that thought come from? he wondered. Irritated by his own lack of concentration, he focused again on the flame. At about the time he would have been expected to craft his own candles, he had stepped outside the Circle. He had never got around
     
to creating his own personal tapers. On the infrequent occasions when he elected to meditate, he used any ordinary household candle that came to hand. Common sense told him it was not the scent or the color that enabled one to sink into that quiet place where truth existed. It was willpower and concentration. He gazed deep into the flame. Methodically he went through the process of stilling his body so that his mind could focus more clearly. The cloak of stillness settled on him. The flame flared more brightly, until he could see into its heart. He looked into the depths while he allowed his thoughts to chart their own course. After a while they took shape and substance. The decision to bring Emma Greyson into the tangled mystery of the missing book might well prove to be a serious mistake. But after examining it, he was satisfied that his logic was sound. I f Lady Ames was the thief and if she had convinced herself that Emma was suscep tible to the elixir, then Emma was already ensnared in the web. She might well be in peril at some point in the future, although he doubted that she was in any immediate danger. After all, if he was correct in his conclusions, Miranda needed Emma. She could hardly afford to harm her at this juncture. By employing Emma to help him in his inquiries here at Ware Castle, he would be in a better position to keep an eye on her, Edison thought. The flame burned more brightly. Edison allowed himself to be drawn deeper into it, to the place where some truths burned hottest. Here nothing was ever completely clear. At best he could catch only fleeting glimpses of inner knowledge. Shards of the old rage and pain he had felt as a young man still burned here. So did the abiding loneliness. Here, too, was the source of the unrelenting determination that could have transformed him into a Grand Master of Vanza had he chosen that path. Instead, he had used it to build his financial empire. He looked past the old truths and concentrated on searching out the flickering glow of the new one that he sensed was there. He watched closely for a long while. After a time he saw it flare up
     
for an instant, just long enough for him to be certain of it. A second later it vanished back into the heart of the fire. But he had seen enough to know that he must acknowledge its presence even though he had the uneasy feeling that it would haunt him. Here was the truth in the flame, he thought. He had not employed Emma Greyson merely because he thought she could be useful to him this week. He had not taken her on as a temporary assistant because he wanted to protect her or because he wanted to help her out financially. What he had done was take advantage of the opportunity to draw her closer to him. Such a motivation was most unusual for him. Possibly dangerous. He realized that he did not want to look any deeper into the flame. You have won again, Miss Greyson." Delicia Beaumont snapped her painted fan. I vow, it is most unfair. That makes three times in a row that you have selected the correct card from the pack." There were other rumblings of discontent from the small circle of ladies who had agreed to participate in Miranda's newest game." Emma glanced surreptitiously at the elegant group. She had been aware of the growing irritation of her companions for some time now. It was one thing to tolerate a little nobody in their midst so long as she had the good sense to lose when