He shook his head. “You misunderstand,” he said. “Icangive you my title. As Lady Rivenhall, the income would become yours when I am gone.”
Annaleigh’s eyes widened. “Talus, I canna…”
He cut her off. “Please, Annie,” he pleaded. “Please, marry me. Let me die a contented man, even if you do not love me. I’ve never loved anyone but you and I want to give this to you, as I’d always hoped to.”
Annaleigh was horrified but she refrained from telling him so. He was still holding her hand, gazing up at her beseechingly, and she felt pressured. Cornered and pressured. She simply couldn’t lie to the man or take something that she wasn’t entitled to just because he was dying. It occurred to her that War was listening, as she knew he was standing behind her, somewhere, but she didn’t take his opinion or even their blossoming relationship into consideration.
The conversation, at the moment, was purely between her and Talus.
“Talus,” she said, squeezing his hand. “I dunna need or want yer lands or title. ’Tis something ye must give tae the woman ye choose tae marry, and the woman who chooses ye. That is something special, only for her.”
He was disagreeing with her even as she finished. “There will not be another,” he said. “My body is wracked with fever. I knowthat I will not survive the night. Please, Annie… please, marry me. Let me do this for you. Let me die a happy man.”
Annaleigh didn’t want to do it, not even for a dying man. “I canna,” she said, pulling her hand from his grip. “I’m sorry, Talus, but I canna. It would be a lie. I would be taking something from ye that doesna belong tae me.”
“But…”
“Nay,” she said firmly. “Dunna ask me again. It wouldna be right. A woman who would take advantage of a sickly man is a woman of great dishonor. Ye canna ask me tae be dishonorable, knowing that ye willna… that I willna… nay, I willna do it. I’m sorry.”
He just looked at her, disappointment etched on his face. He dropped his hand without trying to reclaim hers, closing his eyes and turning his face away. Unable to look at him any longer, Annaleigh stood up and turned around only to see that the entire chamber had heard the exchange. Humiliated, she quickly pushed through the group, fleeing the chamber.
Tears filled her eyes as she entered the foyer of Castle Questing and she wiped at them furiously. The more she wiped, the more they fell. She was walking, though she didn’t know where. She was simply walking, anything to get away from that horrible and emotional scene in War’s borrowed chamber. But the mural stairs that led to the upper chambers were off to her right and she spied them. Like a moth to a flame, she went straight to them and raced up the stairs, up to her chamber high above in Castle Questing’s towering keep. She’d just made it to the third floor when she heard a sound behind her.
War was right on her heels.
“God’s Bones,” she said, nearly tripping on the top step. “Ye startled me.”
He smiled faintly. “I did not mean to,” he said. “You ran off and I wanted to make sure you were well. What du Reims askedof you in there… he should not have done that, but I understand why he did it.”
Annaleigh sniffed, wiping at her eyes. “Do ye?” she said. “Because I dunna. I dunna know how he could expect me tae be so… so shallow. I would marry a dying man simply tae take his money? How can he ask me such a thing?”
“It’s more than that,” War said quietly. “He wants some part of him to continue. His legacy, as it were. As his wife, you would represent him even though he’s gone.”
“I willnotmarry him.”
War could see that she was standing on principle. She felt very strongly that to grant Talus’ request would be taking advantage of him and he had to admire a woman who wasn’t greedy or petty. One more thing yet to admire about her.
“Where were you going?” he asked.
She turned and gestured to her chamber. “There,” she said. “I need tae… think. Tae breathe.”
He came up the stairs and put his hands on her shoulders, turning her for the door. “You need to rest for a few moments,” he said. “You’ve been taking care of wounded all night and you are exhausted. Go into your chamber and rest a while.”
She let him push her to the door. It was unlatched, as it always was, and she pushed it open. A young lady’s boudoir was revealed beyond. Annaleigh wandered in and sat heavily on the chair near the bed, bending over to remove her shoes, but War stood in the doorway. For propriety’s sake, he would go no further. In fact, he was pushing the boundaries as it was by being where he wasn’t supposed to be.
“I will return for you in a while,” he said. “Sleep if you can.”
“Wait,” Annaleigh said, shoe in-hand. “Where are ye going?”
He paused, smiling faintly. “Back down where I belong,” he said. “If Lady de Wolfe catches me up here, she might take a stick to me.”
Annaleigh nodded, though it was with regret. “Possibly,” she said. “But I would like for ye tae stay. Ye dunna have tae go further than the doorway, but I would like for ye tae stay. Just for a few moments.”
His smile grew. “If I stay, you will not rest,” he said. “We will chatter like two magpies.”
“I like magpies,” she said, grinning. “Ye’re preparing tae leave Castle Questing, War. Would ye really relinquish a moment of time like this tae something as mundane as sleep?”
Immediately, he shook his head. “Nay,” he said flatly. “But I also do not want to be selfish and inconsiderate. You have been tending wounded all night.”
