“Thank you,” Lara toldInigo as Patience and Doralice walked in slow circles, whisperingto each other and loosening stiff joints while Isabeau and Wilricchased each other in a wider circle around them.“They aren’t usedto such journeys.”
“You are, Ithink.”
Lara nodded.“I’ve been chased up thisvery mountain by my uncle’s men before.Yet I’ve always been theone to make it back down alive and whole,” she added for goodmeasure.“You do know my husband will come for his wife and child,”she said with a smile meant to unnerve him, but he only bowed hishead, as if offering his condolences.
“Your uncle,” he said,“counts on it.”
***
Talon
Talon took his seat as count of theprovince in the center of the long table, with Anglbert to hisright and Phillipe to his left.The day had been long butproductive, and he was ready to relax and enjoy a meal with hisfriends and comrades before riding back to the keep, where Larawould likely be sleeping by the time he returned.He grinned,anticipating waking her and making sweet love to her in their bed,as long as Isabeau was still in her crib.If she wasn’t, there wasalways the pile of pelts.
“You did well today,Talon,” Anglbert said as the kitchen maids set trays of summerfruit and cheeses on the table.“You were very politic andcount-like in settling the dispute between the tinker and thesilversmith, along with the other twenty-odd arguments andcomplaints brought to you.”Anglbert grinned.“Now, if only youcould settle our friend Phillipe here as well.”
“What, pray tell, do Ineed settled?”Phillipe speared a strawberry and bit it off hisfork.
“Your love life,” Anglbertsaid, causing Phillipe to choke on the berry.“Or rather your lackof.”He took no mercy on the sputtering Phillipe.“I swear, lad,you’re acting as dense as our friend Talon here did.”
Phillipe swallowed, coughed, thenturned to Talon, his eyes begging for mercy.Talon pressed his lipstogether and shook his head.He’d show Phillipe as much mercy asPhillipe had shown him.“Do you love the girl?”heasked.
“Lo-love?”Phillipestammered.“I-ah-uh.”
Talon almost felt sorry for Phillipeas he cast his glances about the table and realized all eyes andears were on him.Almost.“It’s a simple enough question.Do youlove Doralice: yes or no?”
Phillipe opened his mouth, clamped itshut, and nodded.
“Then do yourself a favor,go to her house this very night and get down on bended knee and askher to marry you.”
Phillipe tried to reply butfailed.
Talon clapped his hand on Phillipe’sshoulder and held his gaze.“I thought my lady, my love, gone.Ilay on her grave and thought her lost to me forever, and the onlything I regretted was each and every moment we’d beenapart.”
“You’re right,” Phillipesaid at last.He ran a finger around the neck of his tunic.“It’sjust, the thought of marriage, it’s like a noose tightening aroundmy neck.”
“Aye, friend,” Talon saidwith a wry smile hard earned.“And so it is.A silken noose tighterand stronger than any rope, but soft and giving too.You must trustyour wife will not pull too tight or sever the tie, but keep itbound with love and tenderness, and honor and loyalty.”
“You think she will haveme?”Phillipe said with such a pathetic edge to his voice thatevery man at the table burst out laughing.
“Good God,” Talon askedthe table at large.“Was I this bad?”
“Worse,” Anglbertchortled.“Kept brooding about, snapping our heads off, and fallingoff your horse.”He turned to Phillipe.“Of course she’ll have you.Though her father may not give his consent as easily.”
“Aye,” Oswald addedominously.“He’ll not want to be giving his only child in marriageto just any man.”
“Especially one with areputation as a ladies’ man,” Dardinel piled on.
“True.”Talon eyedPhillipe sternly.“Fathers can be overly protective of theirdaughters.”
“And the miller carries areally big axe,” Willem, who’d accepted an invitation to supper,said with a laugh as Wyatt sat grinning beside him, happy to beincluded in the men’s company.
“Thanks.”Phillipe winced.“You’ve all been so…helpful.”
“We do what we can.”Anglbert chuckled.
Phillipe cleared his throat andstraightened his shoulders.“I guess I’ll be buying that piece ofland from you sooner rather than later,” he told Talon.
Talon offered his hand and Phillipeshook on it.“We’ll talk price tomorrow.”
