Read Online The Ground She Walks Upon by Meagan McKinney - Free Book Online
Authors: Meagan McKinney
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correct every evil. You can't pull blood from a stone. " The priest's lips hardened. "What happened was God's will. "
"Was it God's will for me to banish her as I did?"
The question needed no answer but Father Nolan felt compelled to answer it anyway. "You were angry. It was the only thing you could think of to do when she revealed how she had tricked you. Take comfort that you didn't annul the marriage and leave her in poverty as a lesser man would have done. Instead, she had Trevallyan Castle with all the luxuries of London. "
"My wife hated this place and you know it. It was her version of hell to be stuck in a desolate Irish county so far from the things she loved. I knew that when I sent her here. And as to the luxuries...." Trevallyan's face became rock-hard. "She had every one except the luxury of a physician to tell the blithering fools attending her that five weeks without a birth is too long to go after the water breaks. "
"Even a physician might not have been able to save her."
"Nonetheless, she should have had one. If I hadn't sent her here, she would have had one. "
"We have a physician now. You've done that much good for Lir." The priest held out a shaking hand. "My son, " he whispered, " 'tis time for healing. The people view you as one of the Ascendency, and ever since Helen's death you've done your willful best to be as debauched and dissolute as possible, but living up to every wicked opinion of you is not the answer. "
"What is the answer?"
"My Lord Trevallyan... you know the answer. "
Trevallyan's laughter was dark and mirthless. "Ah, yes. The geis. My willful flaunting of it has been my damnation. Is that your point?"
"I see a good man in you, Niall. You care for this county. No one starves in Lir. No one lacks a roof over their heads. Your patronage of this county is excellent, too excellent. Some, as you know, would not have it at all. But these villagers in their small little world don't understand that it's mostly because of you that they have avoided the squalor and disease so prevalent in most counties. Because you are not willing to abide such horrors, because you are not willing to look away, these things don't occur in Lir. But they will. Someday, they will come here and knock on Lir's door. If you don't consider the geis. "
"I will not consider it. The fate of Lir is in my hands, not the hands of a geis. " Trevallyan arrogantly, defiantly, resumed his preoccupation with the landscape.
"Your pride is your greatness and your downfall, my lord, " the priest said gravely.
"I thought the geis was to be my downfall?"
Trevallyan's sarcasm cut like a rapier. Father Nolan saw no point in answering.
The carriage passed beneath the barbican and bumped across the castle courtyard. It rolled to a stop before the doors of the great hall, but no footmen came to open the door until Trevallyan signaled that the occupants of the carriage were through with their conversation.
"Were you walking home when I picked you up, Father, or would you like a drink before my driver takes you where you were headed?" Trevallyan turned to the priest.
"Don't be marrying the girl."
Trevallyan froze with his knuckle poised to knock on the trap for the driver.
He lowered his hand, anger simmering in his eyes. "I'll be married in two weeks. Elizabeth is a beautiful woman. She'll make me a fine wife. I mean to have her. "
"You don't love her."
"That is for me to discover on my wedding night, and such things I will not discuss with a priest. "
"Four years ago when you were going to marry Mary Maureen Whelan, you got all the way to the altar before I could force a confession from you that you didn't love her. When I asked if you would love Mary Maureen as your wife, you couldn't lie to me. Don't lie to me now, son. You don't love this Elizabeth. You are courting tragedy. "
Trevallyan's anger boiled over. "I'm thirty-three years old. 'Tis my right to take a wife and no man shall stop me. "
"Love will stop you,
"Was it God's will for me to banish her as I did?"
The question needed no answer but Father Nolan felt compelled to answer it anyway. "You were angry. It was the only thing you could think of to do when she revealed how she had tricked you. Take comfort that you didn't annul the marriage and leave her in poverty as a lesser man would have done. Instead, she had Trevallyan Castle with all the luxuries of London. "
"My wife hated this place and you know it. It was her version of hell to be stuck in a desolate Irish county so far from the things she loved. I knew that when I sent her here. And as to the luxuries...." Trevallyan's face became rock-hard. "She had every one except the luxury of a physician to tell the blithering fools attending her that five weeks without a birth is too long to go after the water breaks. "
"Even a physician might not have been able to save her."
"Nonetheless, she should have had one. If I hadn't sent her here, she would have had one. "
"We have a physician now. You've done that much good for Lir." The priest held out a shaking hand. "My son, " he whispered, " 'tis time for healing. The people view you as one of the Ascendency, and ever since Helen's death you've done your willful best to be as debauched and dissolute as possible, but living up to every wicked opinion of you is not the answer. "
"What is the answer?"
"My Lord Trevallyan... you know the answer. "
Trevallyan's laughter was dark and mirthless. "Ah, yes. The geis. My willful flaunting of it has been my damnation. Is that your point?"
"I see a good man in you, Niall. You care for this county. No one starves in Lir. No one lacks a roof over their heads. Your patronage of this county is excellent, too excellent. Some, as you know, would not have it at all. But these villagers in their small little world don't understand that it's mostly because of you that they have avoided the squalor and disease so prevalent in most counties. Because you are not willing to abide such horrors, because you are not willing to look away, these things don't occur in Lir. But they will. Someday, they will come here and knock on Lir's door. If you don't consider the geis. "
"I will not consider it. The fate of Lir is in my hands, not the hands of a geis. " Trevallyan arrogantly, defiantly, resumed his preoccupation with the landscape.
"Your pride is your greatness and your downfall, my lord, " the priest said gravely.
"I thought the geis was to be my downfall?"
Trevallyan's sarcasm cut like a rapier. Father Nolan saw no point in answering.
The carriage passed beneath the barbican and bumped across the castle courtyard. It rolled to a stop before the doors of the great hall, but no footmen came to open the door until Trevallyan signaled that the occupants of the carriage were through with their conversation.
"Were you walking home when I picked you up, Father, or would you like a drink before my driver takes you where you were headed?" Trevallyan turned to the priest.
"Don't be marrying the girl."
Trevallyan froze with his knuckle poised to knock on the trap for the driver.
He lowered his hand, anger simmering in his eyes. "I'll be married in two weeks. Elizabeth is a beautiful woman. She'll make me a fine wife. I mean to have her. "
"You don't love her."
"That is for me to discover on my wedding night, and such things I will not discuss with a priest. "
"Four years ago when you were going to marry Mary Maureen Whelan, you got all the way to the altar before I could force a confession from you that you didn't love her. When I asked if you would love Mary Maureen as your wife, you couldn't lie to me. Don't lie to me now, son. You don't love this Elizabeth. You are courting tragedy. "
Trevallyan's anger boiled over. "I'm thirty-three years old. 'Tis my right to take a wife and no man shall stop me. "
"Love will stop you,
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