Read Online The Edge of Light by Joan Wolf - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Joan Wolf
Tags: Biographical fiction, Fiction, Historical fiction, General, Romance, Historical, Great Britain, middle ages, Middle Ages—Fiction, Kings and rulers, Alfred - Fiction, Great Britain - Kings and Rulers - Fiction, Anglo-Saxons - Kings and Rulers - Fiction, Anglo-Saxons
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flashed again and he too turned to watch the storm,
For perhaps ten minutes neither of them spoke. They stood in the open doorway, letting the chill hard rain blow on them, watching the storm. Finally, as the lightning dimmed and began to move away, they turned to look at each other once more.
“Your presence certainly helped calm the horses,” Alfred said.
She had her brother’s arrogant nose, though hers was slim and elegant as well as haughty. Her eyes were a much darker blue. He had not thought eyes could be so dark and yet so blue. “And why were you not in the guest hall, Prince?” she retorted in her curiously husky unchildlike voice.
“I came to the barn to find something I had forgotten.”
Silence fell as they regarded each other speculatively. Thunder rumbled in the distance. Then, at exactly the same moment, they began to laugh.
“I love storms,” Elswyth confessed. “As soon as my mother began to close up the shutters, I slipped out.”
“I did exactly the same.” They were regarding each other now with distinct approval.
“You are the Lady Ethelswith’s youngest brother?” she asked after a minute.
“Yes.”
She nodded. “I have heard of you.”
He smiled faintly and did not reply. She leaned her shoulders against the open door and looked him up and down. She could not be more than twelve, Alfred thought. Her self-possession amused him. “I met your brother earlier this afternoon,” he said.
“Athulf. Yes.” She shrugged, “He has been attending on the king since my father died. My other brother and I have just come to Tamworth to join Athulf and my mother. I can’t see why I had to come. I usually bide in the country on our estates.”
She did not sound pleased with her present situation. “Perhaps your brother wished to give you a treat,” Alfred said.
“A treat?” She looked at him as if he were mad. “I can assure you, Prince, it is no treat to be cooped up here in Tamworth with my mother.”
Alfred’s lips quivered. He knew Eadburgh, Elswyth’s mother, and he could see Elswyth’s point perfectly.
“Speaking of my mother,” she said glumly now. “She will be looking for me. I had better get back to our hall.”
Without a backward look she walked out into the brightening yard. Alfred watched her small figure until it disappeared from view into one of the halls; then he too left the barn in order to return to Ethelred.
----
Chapter 6
There was a great hunt on the day of Alfred’s birthday. Burgred knew his young brother-by-marriage well enough to know that nothing would please Alfred so much as a hunt. Hunting seemed to be a passion that ran in the West Saxon royal family. Hunting and dogs.
Ethelred had his two new wolfhounds running beside his horse when Alfred trotted his own chestnut stallion up to stand beside his brother’s bay in the bright morning sunshine. The weather had been considerably cooler since the storm, and the great courtyard of Tamworth was crowded and noisy, with nobles on horseback, and grooms and houndsmen and gamesmen on foot. The excited dogs milled around under the legs of the horses. Alfred noted with approval that none of the high-spirited Mercian horses had tried to kick a hound. Burgred’s horses were well-trained, he thought, as his eye alighted on a small gray gelding with a particularly elegant carriage. A beautiful animal, he thought, and looked to see who was the rider. His eyes widened in surprise as he recognized young Elswyth, dressed in brown hunting tunic and cross-gartered trousers like all the men in the courtyard, and sitting astride the gray with perfect ease.
Alfred’s finely drawn brows drew together. This was not a hunt for girls. What could her brother be thinking of? For Elswyth was obviously here with Athulf’s permission; Alfred saw that he was sitting his own bay right beside his sister.
The tide in the courtyard seemed to shift suddenly and Alfred looked to see what was causing the disruption. A
For perhaps ten minutes neither of them spoke. They stood in the open doorway, letting the chill hard rain blow on them, watching the storm. Finally, as the lightning dimmed and began to move away, they turned to look at each other once more.
“Your presence certainly helped calm the horses,” Alfred said.
She had her brother’s arrogant nose, though hers was slim and elegant as well as haughty. Her eyes were a much darker blue. He had not thought eyes could be so dark and yet so blue. “And why were you not in the guest hall, Prince?” she retorted in her curiously husky unchildlike voice.
“I came to the barn to find something I had forgotten.”
Silence fell as they regarded each other speculatively. Thunder rumbled in the distance. Then, at exactly the same moment, they began to laugh.
“I love storms,” Elswyth confessed. “As soon as my mother began to close up the shutters, I slipped out.”
“I did exactly the same.” They were regarding each other now with distinct approval.
“You are the Lady Ethelswith’s youngest brother?” she asked after a minute.
“Yes.”
She nodded. “I have heard of you.”
He smiled faintly and did not reply. She leaned her shoulders against the open door and looked him up and down. She could not be more than twelve, Alfred thought. Her self-possession amused him. “I met your brother earlier this afternoon,” he said.
“Athulf. Yes.” She shrugged, “He has been attending on the king since my father died. My other brother and I have just come to Tamworth to join Athulf and my mother. I can’t see why I had to come. I usually bide in the country on our estates.”
She did not sound pleased with her present situation. “Perhaps your brother wished to give you a treat,” Alfred said.
“A treat?” She looked at him as if he were mad. “I can assure you, Prince, it is no treat to be cooped up here in Tamworth with my mother.”
Alfred’s lips quivered. He knew Eadburgh, Elswyth’s mother, and he could see Elswyth’s point perfectly.
“Speaking of my mother,” she said glumly now. “She will be looking for me. I had better get back to our hall.”
Without a backward look she walked out into the brightening yard. Alfred watched her small figure until it disappeared from view into one of the halls; then he too left the barn in order to return to Ethelred.
----
Chapter 6
There was a great hunt on the day of Alfred’s birthday. Burgred knew his young brother-by-marriage well enough to know that nothing would please Alfred so much as a hunt. Hunting seemed to be a passion that ran in the West Saxon royal family. Hunting and dogs.
Ethelred had his two new wolfhounds running beside his horse when Alfred trotted his own chestnut stallion up to stand beside his brother’s bay in the bright morning sunshine. The weather had been considerably cooler since the storm, and the great courtyard of Tamworth was crowded and noisy, with nobles on horseback, and grooms and houndsmen and gamesmen on foot. The excited dogs milled around under the legs of the horses. Alfred noted with approval that none of the high-spirited Mercian horses had tried to kick a hound. Burgred’s horses were well-trained, he thought, as his eye alighted on a small gray gelding with a particularly elegant carriage. A beautiful animal, he thought, and looked to see who was the rider. His eyes widened in surprise as he recognized young Elswyth, dressed in brown hunting tunic and cross-gartered trousers like all the men in the courtyard, and sitting astride the gray with perfect ease.
Alfred’s finely drawn brows drew together. This was not a hunt for girls. What could her brother be thinking of? For Elswyth was obviously here with Athulf’s permission; Alfred saw that he was sitting his own bay right beside his sister.
The tide in the courtyard seemed to shift suddenly and Alfred looked to see what was causing the disruption. A
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