Read Online The Snow White Bride by Claire Delacroix - Free Book Online
Authors: Claire Delacroix
Ads: Link
the festivities below carrying through the floor. Erik and Rhys fairly carried Alexander, the two men ensuring that the laird successfully made the climb to his bed. Madeline and Vivienne followed Eleanor and the other sisters trailed behind. Eleanor was more upset about the trick played upon Alexander than she might have expected.
“You could be of some aid,” Rhys grumbled to Alexander, who seemingly could not put one foot before the other.
Alexander made no reply.
“I doubt that he could be,” Eleanor noted, wondering at this potion they had come by. She hoped that no error had been made in its formulation.
“I hope whatsoever you gave him wears off quickly enough,” Erik said. “It felled him more quickly than might have been thought possible.”
“I, too, hope that you have not injured him,” Eleanor said.
“It is harmless enough,” Isabella said crisply. “Jeannie said as much.”
“A potion of any kind can be unreliable,” Rhys growled. “I have learned my lesson well enough in this.”
“But Jeannie is well-known to us and her skills with herbs are of wide repute.” Madeline laid a hand upon his arm. “Fear not, Rhys, for she can be trusted.”
Eleanor guessed that there had been some potion of dubious merit in their past, for Rhys was uncomfortable, indeed. It did not reassure her, for she shared his distrust of such elixirs.
“We could have ensured he slept some other way,” Rhys muttered.
“Aye, he is owed a blow or two from me,” Erik agreed, and the two warriors grinned at each other. Eleanor could not imagine that such a man as Alexander could be due any such thing. She hoped the pair made a jest, for they were formidable, indeed.
“Do not look so fearful,” Elizabeth bade Eleanor. “Alexander is hale enough.”
“And the potion will only make him sleep deeply through the morning,” Isabella added. “Jeannie assured me as much.”
They halted on a landing and Vivienne pushed past the trio of men, producing a key from within her skirts. She unlocked the portal and pushed open the door, standing aside so that Alexander could be carried into his chamber.
“I cannot rest,” Alexander mumbled, though his voice was so slurred that it was difficult to discern his words. “I have guests. I have a quest; I must ride the breadth of Christendom to conquer ogres…”
Eleanor caught her breath, fearful of the way Alexander’s thoughts wandered. The men cast the laird of Kinfairlie none-too-gently into his own bed.
“Your guests will leave soon enough,” Rhys said.
“And you can pursue your quest on the morrow,” Erik added, but Alexander had fallen asleep.
His long limbs were sprawled across his own bed, his hair tousled and his face flushed ruddy from whatever had been in the wine. He looked young to Eleanor, yet alluring all the same. She could not keep herself from the side of the bed, could not resist the urge to lift his eyelid. He twitched when she did as much and with some effort she discerned that his pupil was small indeed.
The sight stilled her heart. Perhaps he had need of protection from his own kin.
“What was in your potion?” she demanded, but Isabella merely shrugged.
“Only Jeannie k nows the secrets to her elixirs. ”
Eleanor laid her fingertips upon Alexander’s throat and was not reassured by the wild race of his pulse.
“I have never seen him so merry as he was this night,” Rhys noted.
“He was always thus, before .” Elizabeth said. She folded her arms across her chest and stared at her sleeping brother. “Alexander was amusing once, before he became laird. This is the first time we have glimpsed him in a year.”
Erik laid a hand upon her shoulder. “He has many obligations in these days. You should have compassion for him, for the death of your parents was most difficult for him.”
Elizabeth grimaced. “I would have compassion if he were not so solemn all the time, and if he were not so determined to be rid of all of us. He
“You could be of some aid,” Rhys grumbled to Alexander, who seemingly could not put one foot before the other.
Alexander made no reply.
“I doubt that he could be,” Eleanor noted, wondering at this potion they had come by. She hoped that no error had been made in its formulation.
“I hope whatsoever you gave him wears off quickly enough,” Erik said. “It felled him more quickly than might have been thought possible.”
“I, too, hope that you have not injured him,” Eleanor said.
“It is harmless enough,” Isabella said crisply. “Jeannie said as much.”
“A potion of any kind can be unreliable,” Rhys growled. “I have learned my lesson well enough in this.”
“But Jeannie is well-known to us and her skills with herbs are of wide repute.” Madeline laid a hand upon his arm. “Fear not, Rhys, for she can be trusted.”
Eleanor guessed that there had been some potion of dubious merit in their past, for Rhys was uncomfortable, indeed. It did not reassure her, for she shared his distrust of such elixirs.
“We could have ensured he slept some other way,” Rhys muttered.
“Aye, he is owed a blow or two from me,” Erik agreed, and the two warriors grinned at each other. Eleanor could not imagine that such a man as Alexander could be due any such thing. She hoped the pair made a jest, for they were formidable, indeed.
“Do not look so fearful,” Elizabeth bade Eleanor. “Alexander is hale enough.”
“And the potion will only make him sleep deeply through the morning,” Isabella added. “Jeannie assured me as much.”
They halted on a landing and Vivienne pushed past the trio of men, producing a key from within her skirts. She unlocked the portal and pushed open the door, standing aside so that Alexander could be carried into his chamber.
“I cannot rest,” Alexander mumbled, though his voice was so slurred that it was difficult to discern his words. “I have guests. I have a quest; I must ride the breadth of Christendom to conquer ogres…”
Eleanor caught her breath, fearful of the way Alexander’s thoughts wandered. The men cast the laird of Kinfairlie none-too-gently into his own bed.
“Your guests will leave soon enough,” Rhys said.
“And you can pursue your quest on the morrow,” Erik added, but Alexander had fallen asleep.
His long limbs were sprawled across his own bed, his hair tousled and his face flushed ruddy from whatever had been in the wine. He looked young to Eleanor, yet alluring all the same. She could not keep herself from the side of the bed, could not resist the urge to lift his eyelid. He twitched when she did as much and with some effort she discerned that his pupil was small indeed.
The sight stilled her heart. Perhaps he had need of protection from his own kin.
“What was in your potion?” she demanded, but Isabella merely shrugged.
“Only Jeannie k nows the secrets to her elixirs. ”
Eleanor laid her fingertips upon Alexander’s throat and was not reassured by the wild race of his pulse.
“I have never seen him so merry as he was this night,” Rhys noted.
“He was always thus, before .” Elizabeth said. She folded her arms across her chest and stared at her sleeping brother. “Alexander was amusing once, before he became laird. This is the first time we have glimpsed him in a year.”
Erik laid a hand upon her shoulder. “He has many obligations in these days. You should have compassion for him, for the death of your parents was most difficult for him.”
Elizabeth grimaced. “I would have compassion if he were not so solemn all the time, and if he were not so determined to be rid of all of us. He
Similar Books
