Falcon's Love

Osbert and Marcus completed two circles around them, and when they came by Darius the second time, Osbert cleared his throat. “Obviously the two of you would like to be alone to share this moment of total silence together. Master Marcus and I will be over in the field teaching this horse a thing or two.”

Marguerite wiped at her tears and turned away.

Darius stepped forward and pulled her hard against his chest. Countless words rushed to his throat. He swallowed, trying to decide what to say, what to ask first.

Finally, he choked out, “What have you done?”

She shook against him, her sobs muffling her voice. He cradled her head against his chest.

“Marguerite, crying will not help.”

When she heaved a sigh and regained control of herself, he asked again, “What have you done?”

She remained in his arms, speaking into his chest, “I thought only to protect my son.”

“Your son? I am fairly certain you did not create him alone. I do not think anyone could deny who fathered him.”

“Thornson is his father.”

“Why do you lie? Thornson is dead. And that boy is Faucon through and through.”

She stiffened against his chest. “He is Thornson’s son.” Her voice rose with each word. “He is Marcus of Thornson.”

“Shh. Hush, Marguerite.” Darius ran a hand down her back, seeking to calm the hysteria apparent in her voice.

Odd, now that he should be angry with her and at all that she had taken from him, Darius’s main thought was that she did not feel threatened. He rested his chin on her head and gently swayed from side to side.

“Why did you seek to hide him?”

“I promised Henry that I would keep our son safe.”

“He was safe at Thornson, was he not?”

“Until you came, yes.”

“Marguerite, what did you think I would do to a child? Is your opinion of me so low that you would believe me capable of harming a child?”

Her head shook beneath his chin. “No.”

“Then why hide him?”

She shrugged. “I was afraid…I thought that…” She sucked in a big breath of air. “I thought that if people saw you and Marcus together that they would think…they would assume…” She paused and buried her face in the folds of his tunic. “They would know he was yours.”

Darius closed his eyes. The pain behind her words tore at his heart. “And why would that be so bad, Marguerite?”

“I promised Henry to never let anyone know the truth. In exchange, he raised Marcus as his own and made sure both of us wanted for nothing.”

“So, he knew?”

“Of course he knew. I was not a virgin on that wedding night. I was already carrying your child.”

“From our wedding night.”

“Yes. Henry protected my child and my honor.”

“And in exchange he gained a son he could no longer conceive on his own. My son.”

She pushed him away. “It was not as if he stole him from you.”

“Heavens, no. He could not steal what I did not know I had. How clever of him.”

“Clever? You talk as if he devised some great plan for his benefit.”

“Did he not? You think Thornson held your honor and well-being above his desires?”

“Desires?” Marguerite fisted her hands at her sides. Her face flamed with anger in the midday sun. “Desires? What desires? What evil plots do you lay at a dead man’s feet?”

Before he finished his missions and returned to Faucon, he’d lay a great many evil plots at Thornson’s feet, but this was not of that caliber. “I did not say his planning was evil, only clever.”

“Clever, how?”

“Please, Marguerite. Do not seek to convince me you have become blind or addled. Tell me the people of Thornson did not look upon your elderly husband in a different light once your condition was known.”

“Different?” Her forehead creased while she searched for an answer. “No. I do not think they did.”

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