Linda Needham Read Online Free PDF

his brow, a humorless smile that she yearned to smack off his face. “There you see, Lady Talia, Carrisford is my castle now. Officially.”
    Then you and I are officially at war, my lord.
    He turned toward her as though he’d read herthoughts. “Now you’ll announce your acceptance, madam, so that my men and your own people may hear and know that you will comply with my authority.”
    “And if I choose not to accept?”
    “Choose, madam?” The man arched a menacing eyebrow, as though he’d never before been thwarted, and now found a feral delight in the possibility. “Don’t ever think that you have a choice in the matter.”
    Or that all your official blustering will give you power over my life.
    He settled his broad, possessive hand low across the width of her back. “Now you’ll speak, madam, without condition, loudly and clearly.”
    Tired of playing shuttlecock to every warrior who happened to pass by her castle, Talia turned her most innocent smile on the man.
    “Very well, my lord…de Monteneau.”
    The man’s strong, white teeth gleamed as he said, “ Now , madam.”
    Talia raised her chin to the nearly silent mob, marveling again at their easy discipline, wondering what their behavior meant about their leader.
    Her guardian.
    She stilled the trembling anger in her chest and cleared her voice. “I, Lady Talia, heiress of Carrisford Castle, do acknowledge the rights and privileges of Lord Alexander de Monteneau as official guardian over my wardship.” As the crowdcheered, she turned to the impossibly tall man standing, fists against his hips, at her side. “Will that do, my lord?”
    Instead of the red-jowled, flared-nostril anger that she’d come to expect from her guardians, de Monteneau merely said, “It’ll do well enough for now, madam.”
    For now?
    A marriage threat, to be sure. One that stirred a silky-hot memory of their first meeting, the breathless heat of him.
    “Now this is finished, my lord guardian ,” she said, her jaw aching with anger at the raw effect he had on her thoughts, “you’ll excuse me if I take your leave to see that my family hasn’t suffered at the hands of your garrison.”
    “They haven’t. Now, sit, madam. We’re far from finished here.” He lifted her off the bench—his hands hot around her waist—and set her on the bench, her knees as loose as a joint-doll’s.
    “And I should believe they are unharmed because…?”
    “Because I said so.”
    “I trust that information from Leod alone. I sent him to see to their safety when you came crashing through my gate, and I refuse to take your word—”
    “Bring me this Leod person,” de Monteneau said to one of his eager pages, then scanned the crowd as he sat on the table, one boot on the benchbeside her. “Dougal, your security report, if you please. Assure the lady Talia that her castle remains intact.”
    A tall, self-assured man strode from the crowd and stopped in front of Talia. He removed his leather helm cap, even dipped his knee toward her, in what could only be mock courtesy, because he was, of course, just another invader, though he wore a smile that one could almost trust.
    “Dougal of Provence, my lady,” he said. “Carrisford Castle is as Lord Alex received it from Rufus.”
    “Hardly a soothing recommendation, Dougal of Provence.” She sent the rest of her anger toward Alex. “A castle is only as safe as its ability to protect its people. You’ll pardon me if I am not convinced.”
    Rufus would have backhanded her and sent her sprawling, de Monteneau only called up another tall, unhesitating sergeant for still another report.
    “The food stores?”
    “Intact, my lord.”
    “The village.”
    “Untouched.”
    “The wells.”
    “Pristine.”
    And on it went. A litany of her castle’s inventory, as she forced herself to hold her tongue, to control her growing panic, disbelieving her newguardian’s assurances that anything was well, let alone all of it.
    Yet de Monteneau seemed