|
|
|
|
|
|
There are guilts and guilts. There are ugly things that corrode a man and stain his soul. Simon had seen too much of that. However, he had never before known that there are guilts that lead to a warm intimacy called happiness. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously it was quite wrong to condone what Alinor had done. Not that any man would lose by it or be hurt by it. Even Alinor's soul would not suffer for the lie. She had promised to confess and do penance for that. Merely, it was wrong in the abstract. But abstractions were cold and distant things, and Alinor was warm and close. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The crime committed and condoned drew them together. Laughter sparkled between them and Alinor more often spoke to "Simon" than to "my lord." That was not to say that all was sweetness and light. Both Alinor and Simon were too accustomed to having their own way to agree for long. They quarreled about everything, from the best way to gut a harewhich resulted, to the great amusement of Alinor's huntsmen, in two well-skinned and clean-gutted hares and two exceptionally dirty and bloody gentlefolkto the best way to cast for surf fishwhich resulted in both nearly drowning when Simon slipped and was dragged under by his armor and Alinor, struggling to hold onto him so that the rescuers could find him, was nearly dragged under with him. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
That incident resulted in the most royal battle of all. Simon lost all rationality in his terror over Alinor's danger and Alinor resented furiously the notion that, |
|
|
|
|
|