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closed his eyes a nd released her, already exhausted.
    Alyna stood, shaking.  The baroness guided her out of the room.  The moment the door shut Alyna’s control dissolved.  She rounded on Eleanor.
    “ You allowed the monk to bleed him.”
    Eleanor’s mouth pressed into a white line .  “I had no choice, Brother Martin--”
    “ I told you Garin was too weak.  His body suffered terribly in the Holy Land.  He went too long without food, he lost too much blood, and completely exhausted himself.  No wonder he is blind now.  It is a miracle he i s alive at all.”  Her voice cracked and she buried her face in her hands. 
    Agony assailed Alyna.  There would be no wedding now.  She could not marry a blind man and Garin would not receive his inheritance.  A blind baron could not render his required ser vice to the king.  He would be given to the church to live out the rest of his days in darkness and loneliness, the whispering of prayers his only comfort.
    She felt the baroness grip her arm and heard her speak to someone.  Abruptly her father’s strong arm s held her tightly, his hand stroking his hair.
    “’ Twill be all right, Alyna.”
    Anger rose suddenly.  Anger at God and everyone else.  Her sobs grew more powerful, threatening to choke her.
    “ Take her back to her room,” the baroness said and Alyna heard her f ighting her tears as well.
    Her father gently guided her down the hall.
    Alyna tried to gather herself but she was exhausted and shaking.  A chill settled in her belly and would not leave her.  Her heart shattered into a thousand tiny pieces.  She could not stop crying as she curled on her bed.  Her father finally pressed a cup to her lips.  From the bitter taste she knew the wine was laced but she did not care.  Anything to escape the terrible pain of knowing that her dreams would never be.  But her heart ac hed more for Garin, he not only had lost his sight but his future. 
    The drugged wine worked quickly and she was soon tumbling through strange nightmares.
    Alyna stood in her uncle’s workshop, arguing vainly about the wedding.  She was furious with him.  “Y ou know I cannot marry Garin now.”
    Roger moved across the shop, absolutely certain of his surroundings.  He opened the drawers holding the gemstones he worked with.  Alyna or Cecily helped him sort them but once they were in the drawers Roger knew exactly which ones were sapphires, emeralds, or rubies, which ones were high quality or poor, which ones were well cut or still ragged.  He could tell by touching them if their size or shape was what he wanted.  He worked with confidence and skill.
    Roger never cea sed to amaze her.  Alyna stopped her foolish argument just to watch him work.  His experienced fingers picked up a sapphire and felt around the edge.  He frowned and set it aside, reaching for another.  He repeated the process until he found one he liked.
    “ You know, Alyna, people can surprise you if you give them a chance.”
    He turned around to face her and Alyna jumped.  Roger no longer stood before her.  Garin, his blue eyes beautiful and sightless, held the gem out to her and she took it.  “But sometimes, Alyna, even they don’t know it.”
    Alyna awoke sharply and sat up in bed, blinking to focus her vision.
    The days after Roger recovered from his accident had been terribly hard on everyone.  Geoff brought the family to stay at Salkeld and Roger vented his an ger and frustration.
    Alyna had not escaped his wrath, but he seemed not to hound her as much as he did his brother and wife.  Alyna thought it was because she was still very young.  More often than not, Alyna, crying in the wake of Roger’s fury, crawled in to his embrace, rather than run from him.  Instead of rejecting her, her uncle clung to her and cried as hard as she. 
    Little Alyna began bringing things to Roger to see with his fingers.  It became a game with them.  Roger’s sense of touch was already ac ute because of