Letitia took in the ornate carving of the baluster guarding the minstrel
gallery and tall Gothic windows fitted with stained glass. The sunlight
mingled with the colors, turning the dull stone floor below into a carpet of
intricate design.
She raised her head. The dark, heavy beams of the ceiling held the roof
like the stretched-out arms of Atlas. The hooks from which the chandeliers
had been suspended beckoned like crooked fingers.
“This is magical,” she whispered. “I had no idea.”
“Thank you.”
Letitia jerked her head. She hadn’t heard Percy come up behind her. He’d
spoken softly, his voice low and intimate in the vast space of the hall.
Suddenly, the powerful beauty of the great hall receded into the
background of her thoughts. The real magic was in Percy’s face, in the
inte
