“Simon, mark well my words! Wives are the devil—and I know!”
“In truth,” Alan sighed, “I am the only wise one amongst us all.”
“Art a silly lad!” Fulk rumbled, and cast him an affectionate though fiery glance.
“Alan speaks sooth for once,” Simon said, and placed his finger on Margaret’s indignant lips. He had her in his arms again, and like a needle to the magnet, Jeanne had drawn near to her Geoffrey. “For Alan throughout hath known that needs must I fall, and at Margot’s feet.”
“Ah, and he knew that I loved thee, even before I knew it myself,” Margaret cried. “Methinks he hath worked very quietly to bring about our happiness. And yet he will not seek his own.”
“I observe thy folly,” he said, “and know mine own wisdom. That is happiness.”
Jeanne looked at Geoffrey, and a smile passed between them, of boundless conceit. Margaret stole her hand into Simon’s, smiling also. Not one of them answered Alan, and he laughed, leaning on his father’s shoulder, and surveying his two friends with soft, satisfied eyes.
“Are my sage words beneath contempt?” he asked.
“Ay,” Simon answered simply, and looked down into Margaret’s face for a long moment. A deep breath he drew, and glanced again at Alan. “Beneath contempt,” said Simon the Coldheart.
Endnotes
-
As a matter of stern, historical fact this post was held successively by the Earls of March and Salisbury. —Author’s note ↩
Colophon
Simon the Coldheart
was published in by
Georgette Heyer.
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