BooksBarbecue
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

“Good night, Lang,” I said softly. And he left me alone.

I took the fairy-tale book from my trunk and put another lonely tick mark on the back page. I fell asleep reading, alone when my eyes closed and alone when I woke.

But in between sleeping and waking, she found me.

Into the night I was carried, across the grounds and across England and across the Atlantic by the sound of my godmother’s voice. I chased her over the waves and through Potomac’s fields and into Saint Christopher’s crypt.

She was saying my name.

She asked a question, words I couldn’t make out; the answer was muffled. I only heard her reply, her voice that I’d know an ocean away.

England, Althea said. With nothing but that boy to hold on to.

And a lifeline, said the other voice. Thanks to you.

Thanks to you.

The pause in their conversation was a musical rest, the reflective selah for which I was named. Even in sleep, I yearned for its end, to know what she’d say next.

It was only this:

She has everything she needs.

My godmother’s voice was a sigh, and I wanted to fall back asleep to it, to dream again of being home and safe.

I was poking at a breakfast tray when Perrault sailed into the room, no knock, no warning.

“Seneschal-elect.” He bowed gracefully. Then his face turned hard and efficient. “I’ve spent the morning in negotiations with Myrddin and Prince Bertilak. We’ve agreed upon a series of outings for the two of you, in which you will spend time getting to know one another.”

I stretched out my hand, and Perrault passed me the list.

Day one of our visit, Sunday, was already over.

Day 1 (Sunday, passed): rest, state dinner

Day 2 (Monday): rest

Day 3 (Tuesday): afternoon tea, Winchester Castle gardens (court ladies and Prince Bertilak attending)

Day 4 (Wednesday): visit Winchester’s high street (preselected shops)

Day 5 (Thursday): family dinner

Day 6 (Friday): village school visit (with Prince Bertilak), state dinner

Day 7 (Saturday): tournament, ball

Day 8 (Sunday): church, rest

Day 9 (Monday): fishing on the Itchen (with Prince Bertilak), family dinner

Day 10 (Tuesday): walk through castle gardens (with Prince Bertilak)

Day 11 (Wednesday): foxhunt (various courtiers and Prince Bertilak attending), family dinner

Day 12 (Thursday): private luncheon aboard Prince Bertilak’s boat

Day 13 (Friday): meeting of the Round Table (various knights and Prince Bertilak attending), state dinner

Day 14 (Saturday): tournament, ball

Affair after affair, outing after outing. The days looked nothing like my life in Potomac, quiet and private and productive.

“I want two events taken off this agenda,” I said suddenly. “I can’t commit to this many activities.”