Claiming(3)

The tall stranger clapped his hands slowly. “Brave, but foolish words. We have other copies of the document.” He came towards her, towering over her, trying to intimidate her but she refused to move. “And it will happen.”

“You seem to forget to whom you speak, sir.”

“I know exactly to whom I speak. I would not mistake the woman whose father left his entire estate—including her—to me.

“What?”

“Yes. Your father not only left me his land, manors and castles. He left me you. We are to be married, my lady.”





CHAPTER TWO





Rowena pressed her hand to her side, trying to stem the pain and panic that swamped her. She could hardly believe it—after all these years of being her father’s closest daughter, to have worked and lived alongside him, for him to then betray her in this manner? They must be wrong.

“You are mad, sir.”

He huffed quietly as if the idea amused him. “No. Despite a life that at times has driven me close to it, I am not mad.” He beckoned to the priest. “Certainly sane enough to ensure that the highest authority in the county,” he nodded respectfully to Sir William, “witnesses our betrothal ceremony.”

It was too much. She paced away from the fire, and looked out the unshuttered window to the busy bailey. Sir Saher’s men were everywhere, commandeering stables, her own people doing as they were bid as if she’d already lost control. She gritted her teeth—she had to fight for this. She turned to him, her hands seeking out the hard, cold stone to stop herself from showing weakness. “You speak of marriage, of being my father’s heir, yet I have no knowledge of your existence before now.”

“Your knowledge, my lady,” interjected the sheriff curtly, “is not important.”

Rowena ignored the sheriff’s comment and continued to look accusingly at the man who was to be her husband. “It is to me.” The sheriff huffed angrily and paced away.

“’Tis fitting for Lady Rowena to know.” Saher answered smoothly. “My lady mother was a cousin of your father’s.”

“No doubt he had many cousins. Why you?”

“I fought with him in France. We got to know each other well and he spoke of you often. He wanted you to stay on this land, to be safe on this land.”

She turned away then, as she felt the pain shoot through her body and come to rest in her head, pressing against her skull. She closed her eyes tight. Her father knew her. He knew that the land was the most important thing to her. Nothing else. She’d always been her father’s favourite child, but he’d betrayed her. Her mind raced to comprehend the choices available to her. There were only two—she could either stay on the lands she loved and marry this man, or she could leave. But she refused to leave destitute, with no options. No. She had to keep her cool, had to think.

She took a long deep breath and turned back to the men.

“Let me get this straight. My father has bequeathed the estate to you, providing you will marry me. And the King agrees to this ridiculous arrangement. What if I decline?”

“I will still inherit the estate and you will have nothing.”

The truth of his words slammed into her gut. “You cannot want to marry me.”

“I wish to have heirs. You are as good as anyone else.”

“Charming.”

“I’m not known for my charm.”

“I’m not surprised. I dare say you are not known for many things.”

He came around her then and flicked away some barley seeds that had caught in a strand of hair that had escaped her coif. “Do not try to insult me, lady. For one thing, I am immune to insults, and for another, it gives you a distinct unladylike quality.”

She slapped his hand away. “I care nought for your opinion. There is only one man whose opinion I regarded”—she turned away—“and he is now dead.”

She sensed him behind her. “You really believed you would inherit the estate, didn’t you?” His tone was softer now.

“Of course. It was always understood that that was what would happen.”

“He told you this?”

“He…” She couldn’t continue because as her memory roamed back and forth over the years she’d spent time with her beloved father, those words had never passed his lips. “He made it known.”

“But not through words. My lady, he could never have left you this land. If he loved you, he would never have left you undefended. These are troubled times, no one and nothing is safe, least of all an estate as wealthy as this one.”

“I could have defended it.” Rowena was annoyed to hear her voice catch.