Page 8 of The Herald's Heart
She nodded.
“Very well.” He set the meat beside her and untied the knots. The rope dropped away, and she fell upon the food as one starved. Talon coiled the ropes and placed them in a sack.
“When will you let me go?” she asked between chomps on the hard meat.
“’Tis not in my best interests to let you go.”
“Why? There is no call to keep me. You must release me.”
“You are a trespasser, a liar, and possibly a thief. You claim to be my father’s wife. An extremely foolish claim to make, even were it true, which it is not. What I should do is hold you in the dungeon until the earl returns.”
The color drained from her face. “You can’t be his son. The earl has no children.” She swallowed and squared her shoulders. “Obviously, I am not the only person given to ridiculous claims.”
“Think you so?” he challenged. “I am the child of the earl’s first wife. He repudiated me on the day she died and tossed me from the keep. Nonetheless, I am his son and, as far as I know, his only child.”
“I would not believe you were you the king of England.” Her voice shook on the brave words.
“Verily, I am Sir Talon Quereste.”
He paused, pondering his choices. He wanted her off-balance and scared enough to cooperate but not trembling with fear. Mention of the dungeons had frightened her before. He would toss that dart again and see where it landed. “’Twould save myself and the earl much trouble if I locked you in the dungeon and left you there. I’m sure he will think it a fitting punishment when he hears that you search his keep in disguise, frighten his people from their work, and lie outright about your identity.”
She gasped at his threat but did not cower. Instead, she defied him. “I do not lie. And were you to lock me away, ’twould only be to prevent the earl from fathering a legitimate child on me.”
That she misread his motives should not have troubled him. “Since you are not his wife, neither you, nor your potential children, bear me any threat.”
“I say I am Lady Larkin Rosham, Countess of Hawksedge by proxy.”
“Were your claim true, you would not need to sneak and frighten.”
She remained stonily silent.
“Tell me who you are and why you search Hawksedge Keep.”
She bit her lip again. “I already told you who I am. I search for ... for a box that belonged to my mother.”
Talon gave a huff, rocking back on his heels. The woman was a constant source of surprise. All of Edward’s court knew the fate of the Roshams of Rosewood. Talon had heard the story direct from Amis Du Grace, his friend and fellow herald.
“You can’t possibly be Lady Larkin Rosham. The lady is dead.”
“I am not dead!”
“She and all her family were killed by Scots.”
“Nay, ’twas the Earl of Hawksedge who ordered my family murdered.”
“Cease your lies. They do not help you.”
“I knew you would not believe me.” Her shoulders slumped, and she rubbed her hands against her skirts.
“Such a tale is too idiotic to believe.” Talon stood.
“Not if I am Lady Larkin.” She leapt to her feet, hands fisted at her sides.
“Well, you aren’t.”
“Prove I am not.” She angled her shoulders forward.
“Prove that you are.” He thrust his face within a thumb’s length of hers.
