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Chapters (76)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. Dedication
  4. PROLOGUE
  5. PART I
  6. ONE
  7. TWO
  8. THREE
  9. FOUR
  10. FIVE
  11. SIX
  12. SEVEN
  13. EIGHT
  14. NINE
  15. PART II
  16. TEN
  17. ELEVEN
  18. TWELVE
  19. THIRTEEN
  20. FOURTEEN
  21. FIFTEEN
  22. SIXTEEN
  23. SEVENTEEN
  24. EIGHTEEN
  25. NINETEEN
  26. PART III
  27. TWENTY
  28. TWENTY-ONE
  29. TWENTY-TWO
  30. TWENTY-THREE
  31. TWENTY-FOUR
  32. TWENTY-FIVE
  33. TWENTY-SIX
  34. INTERLUDE
  35. PART IV
  36. TWENTY-SEVEN
  37. TWENTY-EIGHT
  38. TWENTY-NINE
  39. THIRTY
  40. THIRTY-ONE
  41. THIRTY-TWO
  42. THIRTY-THREE
  43. THIRTY-FOUR
  44. INTERLUDE
  45. PART V
  46. THIRTY-FIVE
  47. THIRTY-SIX
  48. THIRTY-SEVEN
  49. THIRTY-EIGHT
  50. PART VI
  51. THIRTY-NINE
  52. FORTY
  53. FORTY-ONE
  54. FORTY-TWO
  55. FORTY-THREE
  56. FORTY-FOUR
  57. FORTY-FIVE
  58. INTERLUDE
  59. PART VII
  60. FORTY-SIX
  61. FORTY-SEVEN
  62. FORTY-EIGHT
  63. FORTY-NINE
  64. FIFTY
  65. FIFTY-ONE
  66. FIFTY-TWO
  67. PART VIII
  68. FIFTY-THREE
  69. FIFTY-FOUR
  70. FIFTY-FIVE
  71. FIFTY-SIX
  72. EPILOGUE
  73. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  74. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  75. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  76. Newsletter Sign-up

Somewhere in the world, Marie told him to trust his instinct. Then he was moving again, with two of the future of the Sheriff’s Guard keeping time behind him.

A REMARKABLE TEMPTATION OCCURRED to Roger at the top of the four flights of stairs that led to his office. Aside from the joy of knowing he would never climb them again, he realized what he might do after he was no longer sheriff. He hadn’t spared a single thought to what came after, and doing so brought a renewed sense of drive.

He’d take his name back.

He’d been Roger de Lisours for most of his life, but every other de Lisours he’d ever met made him despise the name. There had been but one notable de Lisours, his grandmother Albreda. When she died the rest of the family fell on itself to divide and claim her considerable lands. Roger wanted none of it, and that unthinkable lack of greed made the rest of his family untrusting of him. They demanded he take the barony of Pontefract, a county away in Yorkshire, and in exchange he abandoned his name. But legally he still had every claim to it. And the night had whetted his appetite for taking things.

Marie could suffer to wait for him in France a while longer. Perhaps he could stay a player in this game, if Roger de Lisours reclaimed his land and kept a neighborly eye on Gisbourne. Being deposed may even be the greatest thing that could happen here.

Roger pushed open the door to his office to find William de Wendenal inside, startled. Between his fingers was a parchment with which Roger was quite familiar, famous for refusing to change the name written upon it. Wendenal started to apologize, but Roger waved him off.

“It doesn’t matter. I see you’ve read it.”

In a world full of Gisbournes and Oughtibridges, Roger had found a rewarding friendship in Wendenal. He had provided clarity of thought and well-needed conversation. Actual conversation, where people develop and strengthen their ideas, rather than blindly throw their own at the other with increasing volume.

Another step into the room and Roger realized Wendenal was not alone. The haste with which Arable was adjusting her dress said more than enough as to what they had been doing.

“I’m sorry,” she said, and she was the sort that meant it.

“There’s no offense.” Roger smirked. “After all, it’s not even my office anymore.”

“That’s not what I meant.” She reached out and touched the letter.

“Is there nothing to be done?” Wendenal asked. He seemed freshly shaken. Perhaps he had only just read it before Roger walked in.