Chapters (76)
- Title Page
- Copyright Notice
- Dedication
- PROLOGUE
- PART I
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- PART II
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- PART III
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- INTERLUDE
- PART IV
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- INTERLUDE
- PART V
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- PART VI
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- INTERLUDE
- PART VII
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- PART VIII
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- EPILOGUE
- AUTHOR’S NOTE
- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
- ABOUT THE AUTHOR
- Newsletter Sign-up
He heard her, but he didn’t turn to smile at her, and he didn’t stand and take her in his arms. He didn’t brush her hair or put his fingers on the back of her neck. Instead he sat motionless.
“I heard about it from Lady d’Oily, and I laughed. It was so ridiculous an idea I actually laughed out loud. I came here to tell you about it, so you could laugh, too.” She caught herself and laughed now, a different laugh. The only thing that was funny was that she had fallen for it. “Not so ridiculous, actually. So ridiculous that it was real.”
Still he didn’t move. If he stood up now and told her it was a lie, she would believe him. If he just smiled and brushed it off, it would be that easy. Even if he was angry and didn’t have the time for her, it would be fine, it really would be.
Instead, the back of his head.
“It’s not a joke, is it?”
The back of his head didn’t have a mouth but still it said, “It’s not.”
“You’re getting married.”
“Yes.” Nobody else was in the room, but he didn’t say it to her.
“What did I do?” she asked. She should have asked, What more could I have done?
“This has nothing to do with you.” That punch should have hurt, but instead she laughed again. His shoulders clenched, as if this were some torture to have to deal with her.
Again, to nobody, “This is for strictly political reasons.”
“Why didn’t I know?” she screamed it, because it needed to be screamed. “When did this happen? Where is this even coming from?”
“Lady Marion is cousin to King Richard—”
She cut him off. “Don’t you even say her name to me.”
But he kept talking, he kept saying things that didn’t matter. “Her family is above reproach.”
“Her family? I didn’t realize that was what you cared about. I’m sorry my family isn’t good enough for you, but your father chased them out of England. You remember that, don’t you?”
“That’s not what I meant.”
And finally he turned around. His face was wrought with grief and his eyes were red. Even furious as she was, it was hard to see. “Arable, I love you, you don’t understand. My position here…” no, he was trying to explain it again, when that was the only thing she didn’t want to hear, “… it’s resting on a knife’s edge. Prince John is watching me like a hawk. Convincing him to keep me as sheriff was probably the most dangerous thing I’ve ever done.”