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invisible, laying aside her jewels, undressing, and getting into the bed. After a stunned moment Simon followed her behind the screen and stood watching her, hardly believing what she seemed to mean. |
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"Good night," she replied. I beg you not to trouble me longer with talk. I am tired. Do not strain my forbearance." |
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Simon stood a moment longer, took an uncertain step toward the edge of the screen, and then stopped. The solar was dark except for the pale flicker of a night candle. That meant his father and mother were asleep. Even as he stood there, the oldest of the maids dropped the bars across the outside door and drew her pallet across in front of it. Another was snuffing the lights. Really, there was no place for Simon to go. He thought briefly of sleeping on the floor and resentment flooded him. Why should he? |
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Instead he threw off his clothes and climbed into the bed, dropping flat with an ill-natured thump. If he was not irresistible, he thought angrily, neither was she! In truth, Helen herself would not have been irresistible to Simon that night. He was bone tired, both physically and emotionally. Thus, in spite of the turmoil of resentment and remorse, he fell asleep very quickly. |
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His deep, even breathing was an additional insult to Rhiannon. Although the fury with which Simon had cited his oath to her as a bar to his seeking another woman's company had convinced her he had not yet betrayed that oath, she told herself angrily that it was only temporary. Next time he would. But she was uncomfortable even in her rage. There was a falseness in it and in the fuel she was using to feed it. Nonetheless, for some reason she could not bear to contemplate at all, she would not let it go. |
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Simon slept like a log and did not wake until he heard the tables being set up for breakfast. Then he remembered he had missed the evening meal the night |
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