the long plait she’d made of her hair and toyed with it. “Perhaps we should become better acquainted. The idea has some merit. ’Twould take little to persuade me.”
She gasped. “You wouldn’t.”
He sighed and dropped her braid. “You are right. I would never force a woman, and since you do not choose to spend your nights with me, then—for your safety, of course—you must spend them in the dungeons or perhaps chained to the kitchen hearth. I would not wish you to suffer a chill.”
She did not respond, so he fell silent. He preferred to let her think that he contemplated ways to punish her for lying than allow her to know how conflicted he was. As a liar and a thief, her safety and comfort should matter not at all, yet both seemed to matter greatly. So greatly in fact, he should decide how best to guard her before they reached Hawksedge. Then he could cease to concern himself with her and get on with the more important work Edward sent him to do—find the vanishing earl and compel him to court to swear fealty to his king. In the process, he would do all possible to achieve his aim of regaining his place at Hawksedge Keep.
• • •
Riding pillion, Larkin allowed the rhythm of the horse’s movement’s to relax her as she had not been since that arrow struck the side of the pony cart. She’d been lucky, and the archer’s attack at dusk was a poor choice. ’Twas obvious the mud that trapped her cart had been meant to position her as a target for the nameless archer. But why? She’d told Talon the truth. She could imagine no one who might wish to kill her. Wat the miller might wish her harm because of her rejections, but surely not enough to do murder. Talon might be angry enough, but murder did not seem his way. The earl? Perhaps. His reaction when she claimed to be his wife certainly gave him motive, but how could he have achieved this when he’d been missing for weeks? Wearying speculation whirled in her brain, and she fell forward against Talon’s strong back only to jerk herself upright.
She gripped the cantle of the saddle rather than touch his body. “’Twould take little to persuade me.” Clearly the only acquaintanceship he wished was the carnal sort. She had no desire to share any man’s bed, especially his. Once she proved her identity, she would be his stepmother, and the church forbade congress between any sort of mother and child as sinful. However, she did need to understand him, for the longer she knew him, the more confused she became.
He suggested sex in one moment, then insisted on protecting her, and, in the next instant, proposed dungeons and chains for her. Any of those would impede her ability to search the keep for her family’s marriage box and the proof it contained of her identity. Without status as Lady Rosham, she had no chance to escape a fate as either the plaything or the servant, or both, of men such as Sir Talon Quereste. For her own security and freedom, she must regain her name and her home, Rosewood Castle.
As they neared the keep, her gaze lingered on his broad shoulders and the easy way he sat in his saddle. He was an attractive man, and did she not know the consequences of yielding to his lures, she might be tempted. He thought she wished to escape the earl’s justice. She almost wished she could leave, but to serve justice, she must remain and be free enough to continue her search. ’Twas a risk, especially when the earl returned, for he would not hesitate to toss her in a dungeon.
When they emerged from beneath the keep’s portcullis into the bailey, a crowd of guards and horses thronged the yard.
“So ye’ve found her, Sir Talon.”
“Aye, Cleve. Any sign of the earl?”
“Nay, but he may have met with Baron Le Hourde. We’re still waiting to hear from him.”
“Very well then, dismiss the men.”
Cleve did as ordered, but the men lingered as the guard captain turned to help Larkin dismount.
“’Twas a naughty thing ye did, girl,
She gasped. “You wouldn’t.”
He sighed and dropped her braid. “You are right. I would never force a woman, and since you do not choose to spend your nights with me, then—for your safety, of course—you must spend them in the dungeons or perhaps chained to the kitchen hearth. I would not wish you to suffer a chill.”
She did not respond, so he fell silent. He preferred to let her think that he contemplated ways to punish her for lying than allow her to know how conflicted he was. As a liar and a thief, her safety and comfort should matter not at all, yet both seemed to matter greatly. So greatly in fact, he should decide how best to guard her before they reached Hawksedge. Then he could cease to concern himself with her and get on with the more important work Edward sent him to do—find the vanishing earl and compel him to court to swear fealty to his king. In the process, he would do all possible to achieve his aim of regaining his place at Hawksedge Keep.
• • •
Riding pillion, Larkin allowed the rhythm of the horse’s movement’s to relax her as she had not been since that arrow struck the side of the pony cart. She’d been lucky, and the archer’s attack at dusk was a poor choice. ’Twas obvious the mud that trapped her cart had been meant to position her as a target for the nameless archer. But why? She’d told Talon the truth. She could imagine no one who might wish to kill her. Wat the miller might wish her harm because of her rejections, but surely not enough to do murder. Talon might be angry enough, but murder did not seem his way. The earl? Perhaps. His reaction when she claimed to be his wife certainly gave him motive, but how could he have achieved this when he’d been missing for weeks? Wearying speculation whirled in her brain, and she fell forward against Talon’s strong back only to jerk herself upright.
She gripped the cantle of the saddle rather than touch his body. “’Twould take little to persuade me.” Clearly the only acquaintanceship he wished was the carnal sort. She had no desire to share any man’s bed, especially his. Once she proved her identity, she would be his stepmother, and the church forbade congress between any sort of mother and child as sinful. However, she did need to understand him, for the longer she knew him, the more confused she became.
He suggested sex in one moment, then insisted on protecting her, and, in the next instant, proposed dungeons and chains for her. Any of those would impede her ability to search the keep for her family’s marriage box and the proof it contained of her identity. Without status as Lady Rosham, she had no chance to escape a fate as either the plaything or the servant, or both, of men such as Sir Talon Quereste. For her own security and freedom, she must regain her name and her home, Rosewood Castle.
As they neared the keep, her gaze lingered on his broad shoulders and the easy way he sat in his saddle. He was an attractive man, and did she not know the consequences of yielding to his lures, she might be tempted. He thought she wished to escape the earl’s justice. She almost wished she could leave, but to serve justice, she must remain and be free enough to continue her search. ’Twas a risk, especially when the earl returned, for he would not hesitate to toss her in a dungeon.
When they emerged from beneath the keep’s portcullis into the bailey, a crowd of guards and horses thronged the yard.
“So ye’ve found her, Sir Talon.”
“Aye, Cleve. Any sign of the earl?”
“Nay, but he may have met with Baron Le Hourde. We’re still waiting to hear from him.”
“Very well then, dismiss the men.”
Cleve did as ordered, but the men lingered as the guard captain turned to help Larkin dismount.
“’Twas a naughty thing ye did, girl,
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