"Sara Douglass - The Troy Game 2 - God's Concubine" - читать интересную книгу автора (Douglass Sara)

more finely wrought, and framing lips far plumper and redder than her much younger
sister-in-law's.
And her eyesтАж a man could sink and drown in those eyes. They were as black as a
witch-night, great pools of mystery that entrapped men and savaged their souls.
When combined with her tall, lithe bodyтАж ah, most men in this hall envied Harold
even as they whispered about him (the envy, of course, fueling many of the whispers).
Even now, sitting leaning back in her great chair so that her swollen five-month belly
strained at the fabric of her white surcoat,
most men lusted after Swanne as they had lusted after little else in their lives. She was
a woman bred to trigger every man's wildest sexual fantasy, and she was the reason why
over a score of men had already dragged female thralls outside to be pushed against a
wall and savagely assaulted in a vain attempt to assuage their lust for the lady Swanne.
On this occasion Swanne did not watch her husband or his sister, her black eyes trailed
languidly over the hall, her mouth lifted in a knowing smile as she saw men staring at her,
lowering frantic hands below the table to grab at the lust straining at their trousers.
Swanne was a woman who enjoyed every moment of her dominance, yet loathed those
who succumbed to her spell.
Among the other members of the wedding party on the dais sat Harold's younger
brother, Tostig, a bright-eyed, lively faced youth, and sundry other noblemen, earls or
thegns closely allied with Godwine. But King Edward had a few supporters, two Norman
noblemen who had remained at Edward's side since he had returned from his twenty-year
exile in Normandy at the young duke's court, and the rising young Norman cleric, Aldred.
Aldred had also come to England with the returning Edward's retinue, and now he
enjoyed a powerful position within the king's court. Indeed, he had performed the nuptial
mass, although most had not failed to note than Aldred spent more time watching Swanne
than either his benefactor or the tender bride. Aldred was a thickset man who, having
cleaned his own platter, was now leaning over the table to lift uneaten portions of food
from the platters of other diners. A trail of spiced wine had thickened his unshaven chin,
and stained the front of his clerical robe.
Aldred was not known for the austerity of his tastes.
He snatched a congealing piece of roast goose from the platter of a Saxon thegn,
stuffing the morsel inside his mouth.

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 Sarah Douglass - God's Concubin


All the time his eyesтАФstrange, cool gray eyesтАФnever left Swanne's form.
EVENTUALLY CAME THAT MOMENT WHEN GODWINE
decided that the wedding was not enough, and that the bedding must now be
accomplished.
At his signal (shout, rather), Swanne rose from her husband Harold's side and, together
with several other ladies, took Caela and led her toward the stairs at the rear of the hall,
which led to the bedchambers above.
The largest and best of the bedchambers had been prepared for the king and his new
bride, and once Swanne had Caela inside, she and the other ladies began to strip the girl
of her finery.
There were no words spoken, and Swanne's eyes, when they occasionally met Caela's,
were harsh and cold.
When Caela at last stood naked, Swanne stood back a pace and regarded the girl's