He already bore her mark that said tothe world he’d tried to touch her without her say-so.As didRanulf, whose story had spread far and wide since Mallus, and who’dadded to it since, declaring that he’d touched all of her by hersay-so many times before that day, before they’d had afalling-out.
Lara hadn’t spoken one word of it toTalon or anybody else he knew of.Of course, that left out Sophieand the entire gaggle of women who lived along the road that ranwest from the town’s marketplace to Crossroads Keep, all of whomseemed to be related to Berta.There was her daughter andgranddaughter, Enid and Marta, who worked at the keep, as well asanother daughter, a pretty brunette named Patience with freckles asbig and brown as her eyes.Patience was married to a leather workernamed Willem, whom Talon had gone to with an idea for a saddle withstirrups, a thing he’d seen horsemen in the east use to greatadvantage.As he’d explained to Willem, a rider could stuff theirboots into these straps with wooden toe holds, allowing them tostand up and over their saddle and turn and twist about withoutbecoming unseated.
They were drawing designs for thestirrups in the dirt floor of Willem’s workshop when Wolf cameloping in and came straight to Talon for pets.
“Berta said Wolf hadbecome fond of you.”Willem raised his brows.“You should considerit an honor.The dog doesn’t take to many men.”
Talon gave Wolf’s hind end a goodsound pat, and then the dog sidled over to Willem for an ear rub.“He seems to have taken to you as well.”
“Aye, well, it took awhile,” Willem admitted.
Talon glanced out into the empty yard.Lara must’ve been in the house, for wherever she was, so was Wolf.“You know his mistress well?”he asked Willem.
“My wife is Lara’s closestfriend.”Willem’s steady gaze held Talon’s.“If it wasn’t for thefact that I know from Lara herself that you treat her well andfair, we wouldn’t be doing business this or any otherday.”
Talon had to give the tradesmancredit, standing him off for the sake of his wife’s friend.Henodded and offered Willem his hand.“Fair enough.”
Willem shook his hand and pulled anewly tanned cowhide out to spread on his worktable.They weremaking their measurements when Wolf pricked his ears forward, thenloped back outside to where Lara and Patience and a tow-headed ladof three or four years walked out into the yard.Lara spied hisblack horse tied to the post by the shop and stopped in hertracks.
“Ladies,” Talon called outfrom the open door.“Good afternoon.”
“Good afternoon, Captain.”Patience waved over.A gentle breeze pinned her apron to her belly,full and round as a small melon.Following Talon’s gaze, she pulledher apron away with a shy grin as Lara strode past him toward theroad.He smiled and dipped his head to her, and she gave him herbackside, a not altogether unpleasant view.He turned back toWillem and Patience watching him with interest and rubbed the backof his neck, vowing to himself not to be so obvious in hisadmiration for Lara’s twitching skirts in the future.
***
His vow lasted through supper but wasbroken by breakfast the next morning when Talon caught the sway ofLara’s skirts as she cleared away the bowls from the table anddisappeared through the kitchen door.He stood and noted several ofhis men watching him with foolish grins on their faces.At leastthey were watching him and not Lara, else he’d have to knock a fewheads.
“Let’s go,” he commanded.“Our mounts won’t run drills by themselves.”
He made it as far as the stables whenhe realized he’d forgotten his riding gauntlets in his chamber.“Damn it.Phillipe, I need to go back for my gauntlets.Get the menstarted.”
“Yes, Captain.”
Talon scowled at his grinning dolt ofa lieutenant, who’d been riding him hard over his undeniableinfatuation with Lara, then he turned on his heels and strode backto the house, grumbling about being cursed and damned by a twitchyskirt and changeling eyes.The doors to the hall were open for thesummer air.When he entered, Lara was tending to Fulrad at his cotby the hearth fire.
Fulrad could speak again, but his moodhadn’t improved apace with his ability to talk and be understood.Nor had he even attempted to walk yet, wasting his days and nightscamped out on his cot, ignoring the crutches under it, belly achingabout anything and everything, but especially about Lara walkingaround freely while he lay broken and sober.Talon shook his headand set his jaw.Fulrad’s neck wounds were healing over without anysign of infection, and his knee, while still a swollen mass ofcrepitus, was no longer bruised and mottled.The longer he stayedprone, the more his muscles would atrophy, and the less likely itwas he’d ever walk again.King’s cousin or not, it was time thelazy bastard started helping with his own recovery.
Talon veered from the staircase towardFulrad and Lara, and he saw her spine and shoulders stiffen.Hecame to a stop behind her, where Fulrad couldn’t seehim.
“Where will you go then,eh, bitch?”Fulrad rasped as Lara rubbed a stringent balm on hisknee.“Where’ll you go when the captain’s done with you?After heand his men’ve had their fill of you?No man’ll have you then, aused-up, put-out whore.”
The only sign of response from Larawas her stillness before she wiped her hands with a rag and turnedto toss it onto the pile of dirty washrags next to the washbasin.She saw Talon, and her cheeks flushed and her chin lifted as sheglared daggers at him as if he’d been the one abusingher.
Talon stepped intoFulrad’s view and glowered down at him.“If youeverdare speak to her like thatagain, I will personally finish what Wolf started.”He laid hishand on the hilt of his short sword as Fulrad shrank into hispelts.“Do we have an understanding?”
Fulrad put a hand to his throat.“Aye,Captain.”
“See you keep toit.”
Talon turned to Lara and held his handout.She slapped it away.
“I can take care ofmyself.”She got to her feet and strode out of the hall, up thestairs, and slammed shut the door to the chamber she shared withhim.The chamber where he’d left his riding gauntlets sitting ontop of his chest.
He gave Fulrad one last, hard glare,then stalked out of the hall and to the stables, where Denys heldthe Black at the ready.Jumping onto his saddle, Talon sent thestallion into an easy canter and headed for the open field wherehis troop were riding drills.
“Where are yourgauntlets?”Phillipe called out as Talon rode past him to wherejumps were set up.“The pair you went back for?”
“In my chamber,” Talonsnarled over his shoulder.“Caged with a spitting-mad wildcat.”Heglanced up at the window to his chamber where Lara paced back andforth behind it as Phillipe’s laughter drifted over.Talon urgedthe Black into a slow gallop and circled the stallion around thehalf dozen jumps, warming the horse up and trying to cool himselfdown.After the third circle, he looked back up at the chamberwindow, where Lara was now sitting on the sill, facing the field.He leaned over the Black’s withers, and the horse broke into a runand jumped the first and lowest pile of logs without slowing.Hereined the Black toward the second, higher jump.If he couldn’treason Lara out of his head, maybe he could ride herout.
