Page 88 of The Herald's Heart
She kissed him back with all the love in her heart.
“So now,” he said when they came up for air. “There is no impediment to our marriage, no risk to our souls, and if we wed, the proof of your identity as Lady Larkin Rosham is not relevant because we will have regained our homes together.”
“You sum the situation up quite well.”
“But you still have not agreed to wed.”
“Have I not? Let me think,” she teased and fell silent long enough to give him the smallest doubt she would say yes.
“I have been a fool.” Talon said, before she could reassure him that their marriage was her greatest desire.
She turned to look at him. “Beloved, you are sometimes foolish, but you are no fool.”
“Yes, I am a fool. Look.”
She followed his hand as he pointed at the altar face decorated with a relief of the bleeding heart of Christ. Talon’s hand continued forward until he pushed on the heart in the relief. A pair of clicks sounded. The entire altar face panel fell forward. Talon caught it with both hands before it could smash onto the floor.
“Oh my goodness.”
“Goodness indeed.”
There, within a space behind where the panel had been, lay a large box. Larkin reached in and removed it, setting the archbishop’s letter in its place. Talon set the king’s letter beside the archbishop’s missive and replaced the panel. Larkin handed him the box.
“Don’t you want to examine it and be certain the proof is still there?” he asked.
“As you’ve said, there is no need. We both know who I am.”
“Aye.”
She gave him a tender kiss. “’Twill take you some time to examine all the contents of the box. I have a note I want to write to the archbishop before the messenger leaves here. Come and find me when you are finished.”
He opened the panel, set the box atop the two letters, closed the panel, and followed her. “If you do not need to look within, neither do I. We will write our missives together. You to the archbishop and I to the king, but kiss me first, please.”
She smiled and moved into his arms. They did not write the letters before the sun rose the next morning.
