“I won’t let you down,Tante,” she said to the wind, the sky, the old oak.“I’ll make youproud, I swear.”
CHAPTER 17
Foretold
Lara
It was market day, half a month sinceSophie had passed.Ten days since Lara had forbidden Talon fromstaying the night at her house, and ten nights straight of herwaking from her dreams calling out his name.
He still came by her house daily andoften rode with her as she made her rounds of the valley.It easedher heart and her grief to reminisce with the villagers aboutSophie, and she was sent on her way with more food gifts than shecould ever eat on her own, which Denys and Talon were both happy tohelp her consume.This morning, Talon had business at the garrison,so Lara set off on her own, her wagon laden with cheeses, herbs,soaps, tubs of liniments, and vials of love potion.
She’d sold all but two vials of lovepotion by noon when Ravenna sauntered over to her wagon, flanked bythe steward Roumel’s two daughters.
“Is that all you have?”Ravenna eyed the vials as the blonde-haired sisters preened andgiggled.
“It is.”
“I suppose they’ll have todo.”She set her coppers down on the wagon’s tailboard, then handeda vial to each sister.“Happy hunting, ladies,” she called outafter them as they practically skipped off toward the square wheremusicians were setting up for the harvest dance.“I’m afraid theyhave their caps set on the captain,” she told Lara with a falseconcern matched by her fake smile.“Since he’s apparently finishedwith you, I admit I’ve encouraged them in their pursuit.I do hopeyou don’t mind.”
“Why should I mind?”Laraanswered just as falsely.“The captain is free to do whatever hechooses, as am I.”
“My brother will be sopleased to hear it,” Ravenna said as she sauntered off to join thesisters.
Lara busied herself rearranging whatgoods she had left to sell, when the high-pitched squeals of thesisters rang over from across the square.Talon had arrived, alongwith Phillipe and several other soldiers.They tied their horsesoff at a post and surveyed the square, and though Lara didn’tsqueal out loud at his approach, she couldn’t help but grin as hestrode toward her wagon, ignoring the loud sighs and flutteringeyelashes of not only the steward’s daughters, but several of thewomen selling their wares in the stalls he passed.
“I’d like to purchase abar of soap.”Talon stopped at her wagon and looked over her wares.“A very special bar infused with the attar of rose I understand canonly be purchased from a beautiful but thorny west end witch.Wouldyou happen to know where she might be?”
Lara’s grin grew, and damned if shewasn’t fluttering her eyelashes at Talon.“I might.Are you sureyou can afford such a bar?”
Talon laughed lightly and jangled hispurse, heavy with coin.“Why, I am such a wealthy man, I will buytwo.”
“A big spender, eh?That’ll be two coppers a bar.”She made a point of counting hiscoin before pocketing it and handed him two bars of her favoriterose soap.The soap he’d lathered her body with in the river on themarch to Roncesvalles.Her cheeks heated at the memory of his big,strong fingers rubbing delicious circles into her back and otherplaces.She coughed and busied herself with arranging the remainingbars.
“How goes the marketplacetoday?”he asked as he tucked the bars into his tunic pocket.“Howmany love potions have you sold?”
“Two dozen.The last twoto the steward Roumel’s daughters there.”She indicated the dancefloor, where the women stood watching them and whispering in eachother’s ears.“In anticipation of dancing with you.”
“Me?”
You should go over there, talk withthem, dance with them.”
“What?Why?”
Why indeed?Because whatshe’d told Ravenna was true.He was free to live his own life andshe, hers.Even if it meant letting herheart crack a little.Better that than have it broken into athousand cutting shards when he rode out of her lifeforever.
“You don’t have to watchover me all the time.”She tried to reason with him, leaving herheart out of it.“I’ll be fine.”
He snorted.“Of course, you will.Youget in and out of trouble as easily as a cat with ninelives.”
Lara lifted her chin.“While Iappreciate your sense of honor and duty, your oath was made toSophie, and Sophie is…” She swallowed and swiped at the hot tearswelling in her eyes.“I can look after myself, Captain.I releaseyou from your oath.”
He stood stiff and silent for a longmoment, the muscle in the side of his jaw ticking.“If you thinkthat’s why I stay, then I may as well go.”
Lara’s heart thudded to her feet as hestrode straight for the steward’s daughters, who simpered andgiggled at his approach, clutching their vials of love potion intheir lily-white fists.Ravenna and Ranulf, who were sitting to theside of the dance floor with Lothair and Fulrad, who’d taken upresidence at Oloron Manor after Charles cut him loose, watched withamused grins as the sisters practically swooned overTalon.
After giving the entire group herback, Lara packed up her wagon.The musicians started playing asshe finished and hitched Gaea up to the wagon, and she couldn’thelp but take a peek before she left.
The sisters were draped all overTalon, hanging on to him as if they’d faint dead away without hisbig, strong arms holding them up.Phillipe and Dardinel joined thecozy trio, and soon the square filled with the sisters’ high trillsand the deeper, coarser laughter of the men, Talon’s baritonebooming out over the others.