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He didn’t dare look back He simply walked out the door and down the stairs before he lost his nerve
Chapter Twenty-Six
THE SOUND OF BIRDS pulled Free froh the openShe woke, opening her eyes to a spill of sunlight across the carpet It was still scarcelylight illuminated the pattern of some rich carpet, iany furniture stood against the walls Thefra hills of an estate that she didn’t want but was going to have anyway After last night, though… After last night, that feeling of disconnectedness had faded to a dull ache In another ht even be satisfied
The one consolation--the only thing that ether She shut her eyes and turned in bed, reaching for her husband
She found cold sheets instead That woke her right up She got out of bed and fu room, nor in the library next to it, nor in… She didn’t have names for all the roo rooms, all in different colors?
Where was he? Why hadn’t he woken her up? He wouldn’t leave her entirely, she told herself She wouldn’t panic The thud of her heart had nothing to do with fear
She rushed down a stairide enough to host a stas, she one But there were no servants--except in the stables Surely they’d have seen hirass soaked into her slippers But as she came up on the stables, she heard voices--just audible over a loud, soughing sound She heard Edward She hadn’t realized how she’d worried until she staggered in relief, knowing that he hadn’t disappeared
"Just like that," he was saying "Yes, we’ll need it a bit hotter than you’d use for a shoe Wait until it glows orange"
That heavy soughing sound repeated, and now she recognized it as a belloorking He’d showed her a bit of that yesterday She dashed up to the stables, turned the corner to the farrier’s station
Edas holding a thin piece of loves, removed his coat, and rolled up his sleeves He turned the iron in his hand, sloith great precision Free found herself unable to breathe at the sight of hiht, displayed to such lovely advantage, at the intent concentration on his face
The e He picked up a tool--so that looked like a pincers--and then tapped theit into a graceful curve
"There," he said to thethe bellows "Now to heat the end This will have to be damned hot, Jeffreys--work the bellows hard, until the iron is al "Yes Precisely like that"
Before she could understand as happening, he’d set so small and shiny He touched the heated end of his iron to that thing, holding it in place for a moment
"There That’s the last one, Jeffreys"
Thethe bellows "You know your way around a forge, sir My lord, I mean"
Edward’s nose wrinkled at that last, but he didn’t say anything Instead, he crossed to a barrel He slipped the thin metal inside and stea it froood view of the thing before She could see it now It looked like a flower A flower raceful leaves, the ste into some unseen wind It terminated in what looked like a tiny iron bell