Patricia Veryan - [Sanguinet Saga 09] - Logic Of The Heart Read Online Free Page B

it!"

Chapter 2
    Longhills, for almost three hundred years the country seat of
the barons of Montclair, was situated on a rolling knoll some miles
north of Tewkesbury. It was an enormous Cotswold stone mansion of the
late Tudor period; the kind that brought visitors to an awed halt on
their first sight of it and evoked such comments as "My God! What a
museum!", "Who could live in such a pile?", or "Oh, is it not heavenly?"
    "A palace
veritable
?" depending upon the
point of view. Despite its vast size, however, it had a simple charm,
for no Flemish or German artisans had been imported and permitted to
desecrate it with Italian Renaissance distortions, so that the Tudor
architecture remained unsullied and pure. The graceful gables and
mullioned windows, the tall and beautifully worked chimneys prevailed
throughout the three storeys of the main block and the two storeys of
the more recent south wing, their charm embellished by the surrounding
sweeps of parkland and richly wooded slopes. The
piece de
resistance
was the famous marble fountain and Montclair
mermaid, rising with fairy-tale beauty from the flower gardens of the
huge circular entrance court about which the mansion was erected.
    As in most Tudor houses, the rooms sprang from a great hall,
customarily the household gathering place. This huge chamber had fallen
into disrepair over the centuries, but had been much improved by the
sixth baron, Digby Montclair, the present lord's sire. It was now a
delightful room, the floor of black and white marble squares spread
with thick rugs, the ceiling plastered in an exquisite design of lilies
and birds, with the Montclair mermaid proudly centred. The old oak
panelling gleamed anew, and the two massive fireplaces, scrubbed clean
of their long-worn shroud of smoke stains, revealed once again the
glorious carvings wrought by skilled Tudor artisans.
    Of all the rooms, the great hall was the favourite of Sir
Selby Trent, who was administrator of the estate in Lord Geoffrey
Montclair's absence. Sir Selby had a deep love for Longhills. He
delighted in the immaculate and productive farms. The well-kept woods,
the broad ribbon of the river, the three picturesque villages, the fat
brown cattle chewing placidly in the lush meadows, warmed his heart and
brought a fond smile to his moon-like visage. As for the mansion, there
was scarcely a room that did not receive a weekly visit from him, nor
one he viewed with displeasure. It was to his favourite chamber,
however, that he had taken his guest on this rather sultry June
afternoon, and they had settled themselves in two comfortable chairs
facing the rear terrace.
    They were an oddly disparate pair. Sir Selby was plump and
colourless, with pale brown eyes, a pasty complexion, and pale brown
hair. Even his voice was pale, for he invariably spoke in a soft
monotone. This afternoon, however, he was unusually animated, for his
cheeks were slightly flushed and there was a gleam in his eyes as he
examined a dagger, turning it almost reverently in his pudgy hands,
gazing down at the shining, razor-sharp blade, the four prongs that
curved down from the hilt, and the elaborately chased counter guard.
    Chin in hand, one elbow resting on the arm of the rose brocade
chair, the other man watched Trent in silence. Even seated, he was
clearly very tall. Of slender build, he was clad with elegance but
without ostentation in a navy blue double-breasted tail coat, a white
pique waistcoat, and dove grey pantaloons. His eyes were near black,
dull, and fathomless. His face, framed by lank black hair, was narrow
and long, but his complexion was clear, and if pallid, showed no hint
of sallowness. He had thin, very graceful hands, marred only by the
black hairs which presented a rather unpleasant contrast to the
excessive whiteness of the skin. Watching Trent's rapture, his full red
lips curved to an expression of faint distaste. "It pleases you?"
    Trent tore his eyes from the dagger. "It is exquisite. A
main
gauche
.