me your word, too. Last week. You said that you owed me for Hugh’s life. That if I ever needed anything, all I had to do was ask.”
They’d all said it: Guy Dappleward, Tam, Hugh, he and his father. But he’d never imagined this request.
“If you won’t do it for me or Ivy, then do it for Hugh. I know you love him as a brother. Think how much joy it would give him if Ivy were to walk freely again!”
Cadoc hesitated.
Larkspur stepped closer. “You would have done it for Hugh. You thought of doing it.”
“He’s a Dappleward,” Cadoc said lamely.
“Ivy will be, too, the day after tomorrow!”
“Larkspur . . .” He couldn’t bear the sight of her face any more, the sight of those unshed tears in her eyes, her desperation. He turned away from her. “Larkspur, I can’t. I gave Guy Dappleward my word .”
There was a long moment of silence. Cadoc stared at the nearest horse stall, feeling sick.
“Very well,” Larkspur said quietly. “Be loyal to Dappleward. I shall find another man to help me, someone who doesn’t have your scruples. And he’ll learn about the barrow and what may be earned there.”
Cadoc turned around and stared at her. “That’s blackmail.”
Larkspur’s gaze fell. “I don’t intend it to be.” And then, to his horror, she dropped to her knees in front of him. “Cadoc, please .”
“Gods,” Cadoc said, appalled. “Get up. Get up!”
He hauled her to her feet, but as soon as he released her, Larkspur knelt again. “Please, Cadoc.”
Cadoc’s throat tightened until breathing was impossible. He stared down at Larkspur’s thin, beseeching face. Her desperation and determination were clear to see. If he refused, she would ask someone else. She would ask until she found a man who would go with her, and that man would defile her in the darkness of the Faerie prince’s barrow.
His hands clenched into fists. Helpless rage choked in his chest.
“Please.” Larkspur begged again.
If Larkspur went with another man, they’d get into the barrow, but there was no guarantee they’d ever get out . People had died in there.
And if they did get out . . .
Someone other than the Dapplewards and the Ironfists would know about the Faerie prince’s barrow—and unlike a Dappleward or Ironfist, that man wouldn’t be sworn to serve the best interests of Dapple Vale. He’d serve himself. And that was dangerous. Very dangerous.
“Larkspur . . .” As Cadoc uttered her name, he knew he’d surrendered. Gods help me . He slowly knelt. On his knees, he was almost eye to eye with her. “I’ll do it.”
“You will?” Relief transformed her face.
Cadoc nodded. Shame sat heavily in his belly. Whose interests am I serving now? The vale’s or my own?
“Thank you,” Larkspur said, and she flung her arms around his neck and hugged him.
Cadoc froze. She was so feminine, so slender. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and hold her tightly to him, wanted to kiss her silky hair, kiss her soft lips. He held himself very still.
Larkspur released him and sat back on her heels. “Thank you,” she said again. Tears spilled down her cheeks. She brushed them impatiently aside.
Cadoc nodded dumbly.
“Can we go today, please? This afternoon?”
He nodded again.
Larkspur climbed to her feet. “In half an hour. I need to find my sisters. I’ll tell them I’m going riding with you. They won’t worry until dusk, and by then it will be too late for them to come after us!” She bent and shyly kissed his cheek. “ Thank you.”
A blush suffused Cadoc’s face. Larkspur didn’t see it; she was already heading for the door, almost running. Her hair shone like silver in the sunlight, and then she was gone.
Cadoc touched his cheek where Larkspur had kissed him. Gods, what am I doing? And then he pushed to his feet and went to saddle two horses.
Like to read the rest?
Larkspur’s Quest is available online .
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
A NUMBER OF people helped to
They’d all said it: Guy Dappleward, Tam, Hugh, he and his father. But he’d never imagined this request.
“If you won’t do it for me or Ivy, then do it for Hugh. I know you love him as a brother. Think how much joy it would give him if Ivy were to walk freely again!”
Cadoc hesitated.
Larkspur stepped closer. “You would have done it for Hugh. You thought of doing it.”
“He’s a Dappleward,” Cadoc said lamely.
“Ivy will be, too, the day after tomorrow!”
“Larkspur . . .” He couldn’t bear the sight of her face any more, the sight of those unshed tears in her eyes, her desperation. He turned away from her. “Larkspur, I can’t. I gave Guy Dappleward my word .”
There was a long moment of silence. Cadoc stared at the nearest horse stall, feeling sick.
“Very well,” Larkspur said quietly. “Be loyal to Dappleward. I shall find another man to help me, someone who doesn’t have your scruples. And he’ll learn about the barrow and what may be earned there.”
Cadoc turned around and stared at her. “That’s blackmail.”
Larkspur’s gaze fell. “I don’t intend it to be.” And then, to his horror, she dropped to her knees in front of him. “Cadoc, please .”
“Gods,” Cadoc said, appalled. “Get up. Get up!”
He hauled her to her feet, but as soon as he released her, Larkspur knelt again. “Please, Cadoc.”
Cadoc’s throat tightened until breathing was impossible. He stared down at Larkspur’s thin, beseeching face. Her desperation and determination were clear to see. If he refused, she would ask someone else. She would ask until she found a man who would go with her, and that man would defile her in the darkness of the Faerie prince’s barrow.
His hands clenched into fists. Helpless rage choked in his chest.
“Please.” Larkspur begged again.
If Larkspur went with another man, they’d get into the barrow, but there was no guarantee they’d ever get out . People had died in there.
And if they did get out . . .
Someone other than the Dapplewards and the Ironfists would know about the Faerie prince’s barrow—and unlike a Dappleward or Ironfist, that man wouldn’t be sworn to serve the best interests of Dapple Vale. He’d serve himself. And that was dangerous. Very dangerous.
“Larkspur . . .” As Cadoc uttered her name, he knew he’d surrendered. Gods help me . He slowly knelt. On his knees, he was almost eye to eye with her. “I’ll do it.”
“You will?” Relief transformed her face.
Cadoc nodded. Shame sat heavily in his belly. Whose interests am I serving now? The vale’s or my own?
“Thank you,” Larkspur said, and she flung her arms around his neck and hugged him.
Cadoc froze. She was so feminine, so slender. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and hold her tightly to him, wanted to kiss her silky hair, kiss her soft lips. He held himself very still.
Larkspur released him and sat back on her heels. “Thank you,” she said again. Tears spilled down her cheeks. She brushed them impatiently aside.
Cadoc nodded dumbly.
“Can we go today, please? This afternoon?”
He nodded again.
Larkspur climbed to her feet. “In half an hour. I need to find my sisters. I’ll tell them I’m going riding with you. They won’t worry until dusk, and by then it will be too late for them to come after us!” She bent and shyly kissed his cheek. “ Thank you.”
A blush suffused Cadoc’s face. Larkspur didn’t see it; she was already heading for the door, almost running. Her hair shone like silver in the sunlight, and then she was gone.
Cadoc touched his cheek where Larkspur had kissed him. Gods, what am I doing? And then he pushed to his feet and went to saddle two horses.
Like to read the rest?
Larkspur’s Quest is available online .
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
A NUMBER OF people helped to
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