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Back The Beholder Save as PDF
Chapters (64)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. 48
  51. 49
  52. 50
  53. 51
  54. 52
  55. 53
  56. 54
  57. 55
  58. 56
  59. 57
  60. Acknowledgments
  61. About the Author
  62. Books by Anna Bright
  63. Back Ad
  64. About the Publisher

“But, Jeremiah, we need to address this now. After tonight’s events, Selah’s reputation will only suffer the longer she continues without a fiancé.” Alessandra’s face lit up, her smile so bright and beautiful and filled with concern it almost stung my eyes to look at. “Besides, our Selah is lovely, cultured, accomplished. She’s a very productive seneschal-elect, and she did so well in school.”

I froze.

I’d often wondered what Peter and the court and everyone thought, when they looked at Daddy and me next to Alessandra. But my stepmother had never left her feelings for me in any doubt.

She disdained me in every way.

Suddenly, I was very, very afraid.

“Really, Selah’s predicament is an opportunity in disguise.” Alessandra’s tone was broad and sincere; but I read an almost manic tension in the furrow of her brow and the press of her palms on her stomach. “In times like these, we need good friends and long arms. Since our search in Potomac has failed, I suggest our seneschal-elect cross the Atlantic in search of her groom.”

5

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I waited for the punch line to her hideous joke. But Alessandra didn’t laugh. Secretary Gidcumb stared at me across the table, his high forehead smooth, his dark brown face carefully expressionless behind his glasses. I could read nothing in the press of his broad lips.

My vision clouded as I slipped into a daze; my thoughts grew fuzzy, as though my brain had fallen asleep the way my arms and legs sometimes did.

Across the Atlantic? The Atlantic Ocean?

Daddy’s brows pinched together. “Alessandra, that kind of planning would take ages. We’d have to dig up protocol officers, pick her out a team of advisers, commission a ship—the whole affair could cost us years. And I don’t want her going so far.”

My heart rate steadied. O ye, of little faith, I reprimanded myself.

Alessandra shook her head. “Jeremiah, don’t be offended, but I’m afraid I foresaw this, and I’m glad I did, because I’ve saved us a wait. Boys like Peter . . . Well, he’s extremely well-liked; he’s handsome; he comes from a good family. You may be seneschal-elect, but Peter has options.” My stepmother reviewed me with a quick glance, shrugging as if to say, You should’ve known.

You should’ve known he wouldn’t choose you.

The oldest stranger narrowed his gray eyes.

Daddy shook his head unhappily, but my smother waved a hand. “Several courts have very graciously agreed to receive our daughter.”

Our daughter. She never called me that.