“She is.”
“Can she cook as well asher mother?”
“Nobody cooks as well asBerta.”Lara wiped her hand on the washrag.“But Patience is a goodcook, when she gets good food to cook.”
“When doesn’t she?”heasked as she closed the tub.“The valley is rich in field and thewoods in game, and Willem is a skilled leatherworker.”
“Aye, he is, when he canget good work.”
Talon didn’t understand.The valleywas full of people, from field workers to farmers to tradesmen, allof whom would need the talents of a leatherworker at one point oranother.“When can’t he?”
“Whenever it’s the count’swork,” she said, arranging the bandages in the basket.“He refusesto become the count’s man, so Nithard won’t send work Willem’s way.Nor will others who are afraid of the count or covet his trade.So,Willem and Patience keep their free status and their bit of land,and Patience drinks mead and eats squirrel and chicken when sheneeds red wine, beef, and venison.”
“There are difficultieswith her pregnancy?”
Lara shrugged.“Maybe.I’m not reallysure.It’s only…” She held his gaze and measured it, and he musthave been the right distance.“I feel anxious about thispregnancy.”
“What does Sophiesay?”
“That everything’sfine.”
Talon laid his hand over Lara’s on thetable, and she didn’t pull away.“Yet you’re stillworried.”
Her eyes grew mossy green, and shedropped her gaze to their hands and nodded.
“Well, I’m not,” he said,and she lifted her gaze.“Do you know why?”She shook her head.“Because she has the best of healers watching over her.”
Lara slipped her hand out from underhis and stood.“Is that a compliment, Captain?”
Talon glanced from her hand at herside to her teasing smile, wondering what his name would sound likeon her lips.Wondering if things would be different between themhad they met under other circumstances.But they hadn’t, and thingswere how they were.“Aye.”He answered her with a purposely cockygrin.“A compliment truly meant from an arrogant ass with meagercharms.”
“I see I pricked yourpride that day as well as your hand.”She gave the faintest twitchof her full, lush lips.
Talon clutched his hand over hisheart.“Some wounds go deeper than others,” he said so mournfullythat Lara laughed out loud, soft, sweet, and melodious.He reachedfor her hand, and she skittered away, pulling a bandage from thebasket.She stood behind him and started to wrap the bandage aroundhis head.Talon closed his eyes and gave himself up to her gentlebut firm touch, her smell, the rhythmic sound of her breathing.Then she stopped and he felt the void as she stepped back from him.He opened his eyes.She was standing in front of him, arms akimbo,surveying her work.Talon reached his hand up and tested thebandage.“You would be a good healer on a battlefield.”
“While I thank you for thecompliment, Captain,” she said as she gathered the used washrag andbandages up, “I have no interest in going to war.”
“It was never my intentioneither.”
“Then why did you become asoldier?”
“Why?”He stretched hisarms up and back, wincing a little as his shoulders strained andhis neck pulled.Still, he wouldn’t have left his seat for gold asLara sat back down across from him.“Why was morehow.”
“How, then?”she pressed,and Talon chuckled.
“Sophie isn’t the only oneto ferret out information in your house, I see.”
She gave him a saucy grin that madehim grit his teeth to stop from groaning.“It’s we west-end women.It’s said a man can’t keep a secret from us.”
“Is that because you’reall witches?Or because you all listen at cellar doors to privateconversations?”
Her eyes widened and her cheeksflushed, then she lengthened her spine.“How is that any differentfrom listening to conversations in a language you feigned ignoranceof?”
“Other than being in plainsight?”Talon said, and her chin lifted.“Nothing,” he admitted.She dipped her chin to him, and they sat silent for a long, uneasymoment, though he could see she clearly had something more to say.“What is it?”She pressed her lips together and shook her head.“Whatever it is, Lara, just say it.”
Hazel eyes held his, as hesitant as hehad never seen them.“Who, ah, who is the wildcat that has cursedand damned you?”
Talon didn’t speak.He couldn’t.Neither his mind nor his mouth could form a single coherentresponse.
