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"He is not dangerous or vicious," Marciana said, rolling her eyes "No more than any man is He would never dishonor her How can I put this? As Colvin has always told me, we are slow to believe that which if believed would hurt our feelings He would never deliberately try and make her love him and then scorn her But he may do it inadvertently Warn her of that He pretends roeary of his little gallantries Soill probably be as well after she is gorged on theo Whether they give or refuse, it delights a wohted You could see it on her face as well as I could"
Lia looked at Marciana probingly "You observe people"
Marciana offered a twisted snore most people But there are so been born in a Family under such circu me my life Ellowyn and I have that in coain, he loved her so much That is the kind of love I want The kind I want for ift of observation, if I have any, is only about those who toy and flirt and scheme and envy and stumble in a thousand ways to fall in love And in the last two nights of being here, I have seen all the subtle clues that exist in Sowe Warn her, Lia He is a knight-maston and an earl But he is also a man with a heart and is easily distracted by beauty And she is a beauty"
Marciana gazed at Sowe for a moment, then turned back to Lia who took another bite from the bread She nearly choked on it when Marciana said, "So who is this boy you care about – the one you had promised to dance with last Whitsunday! When you were lost in the swaretted that you would miss the maypole dance because of this boy What is his name? Is he a learner? Do you still like him?"
CHAPTER EIGHT:
Jealous
The only people Lia had ever truly been jealous of during her life were those who carave The embodiment of that jealousy became Ellowyn Demont She was like an uncertain dancer at theeveryone else, but always a skip and a twirl too late – one so preoccupied with getting thesteps could not be referred to as dancing Lia’s thoughts were cruel and she recognized that The problem was she could not help herself The deeper problem lay in the fact that she was jealous of Ellowyn for another reason as well The nub of it – Colvin’s constant attention to her
When he ounded and hid in the kitchen, they had argued about Lia’s outspokenness and her ability to keep secrets Colvin had praised Sowe’s shyness and reserve as qualities worth ad She reirl The deference Colvin paid to the Deirl was obvious, tender, and – truthfully – infuriatingly sensitive Every ti was so strong that sometimes she wondered if she needed valerianum tea to calm her stomach She understood the emotion It was jealousy and it tormented her
For example, after a visitor arrived from nearby Wells Abbey, Lia was commanded by the Aldermaston to speak to Ailsa Cook about a ether near the laundry, deep in conversation Colvin looked anirossed, taking in his every word as if they were honey The feeling in Lia’s chest was so powerful, so painful, she went another way, afraid she would be noticed, that the Mediu that would be!
The evenings in the kitchen were especially difficult, and she found herself co were enjoyable But it was as if her private doer her refuge but theirs Every night, Marciana wheedledshe could not to stare at Colvin toorong Sowe and Bryn had grown closer over the year,Lia feel as if her place was usurped The depth and intensity of her feelings were so strong she began worrying that the Mediuether
A week passed since Martin had left She missed him and his surly advice, his bluff manners He was always practical, always one to force an issue, never hide fro her? What was it that truly bothered her? She pondered the question, seeing Martin’s scrunched up eyebrows, the angry jut of his jaw Was it that Colvin was treating Elloith respect when he had treated her so angrily? Did she fear he was forirl? Was that it? That they would e her atte Colvin’s thoughts that bothered her Was she seeing too much in his deference to Ellowyn? Was his politeness no more than that? In the Cider Orchard, she had assuirl But his manners belied any trace of it How she wished the Mediuain!