the darkening of his eyes. "Is it?" he asked.
She nodded.
Deryll looked at her father. "This is my brooch."
"Craven whoreson!" Jason exploded. "I have—"
"Silence," Douglas commanded. "Give it to me." He extended a hand and Deryll passed it to him. Douglas sat in the chair and examined the brooch before saying, "'Tis identical."
"The scratch is newly made," Deryll said.
"Yours did not have a scratch," Airin interjected before her father could reply. "I told you his was a forgery."
"You are certain this is the true brooch?" her father asked, and Airin wanted to bludgeon him. Only moments earlier, he 22
The Pendulum
by Tarah Scott
had been willing to give her to the infamous Scarlet Knight.
Now, he protected her from Jason, when that was the last thing she wanted. The male sex!
"My lord," Deryll said, and again held out a hand for the brooch. Douglas handed it to him. He examined it once more, then faced Airin. "You know I speak the truth." He tossed the brooch on her lap.
"I will kill you for this," Jason hissed.
Deryll tilted his head. "At your command, my lord."
Respect welled in Airin. Sir Deryll Chisolm rose to any challenge with determination to win. Respect gave way to alarm. This situation would not be different. Murderer or no, the knight's blood would be on her hands.
"I found no scratch on your brooch," she insisted. " It was a fake ."
He regarded her and she was startled again to see amusement in his eyes. "You are certain, my lady?" he asked.
Her heartbeat quickened, but she managed to keep her voice level. "Aye."
"'Tis the same brooch."
"The scratch—" she began.
"Is newly formed," he finished.
From the corner of her eye, she saw Jason step toward Deryll. The Scarlet Knight turned and Jason halted. The two men remained motionless as if moving would break the thin ice they trod. Airin wanted to scream. Dying in a brawl over a woman would be an ironic fate for the Scarlet Knight , but she was unwilling to hasten his entrance into Hell. She threw back the covers.
23
The Pendulum
by Tarah Scott
"Airin!" Her father leapt to his feet.
She rose before he could stop her. The room swayed precariously, then reoriented. Her father reached her side and grabbed her shoulders to force her back into bed. "Stand aside, Sir," she snapped.
He raised a brow, then gave a mock bow and stepped aside.
She took two paces, the room swayed again, and she stopped. "Your brooch is a fake, Sir Deryll."
Neither man moved. She cursed under her breath. The knight was going to ruin her scheme. She considered letting Jason kill him, but couldn't face two ghosts in Beaton Hall.
She blew out a frustrated breath.
"If both brooches are in question, I need not marry either of you."
"You will marry the victor," Deryll said.
"Indeed?" she replied in an icy voice.
"Aye," Jason agreed.
"I am no sheep to be bought and sold," she retorted. "Any man who takes me in that fashion will rue the day."
A grim smile curved Deryll's mouth. "I have rued many a day, my lady. I accept your terms."
"They are not terms! I will marry the man I choose."
"Aye," Jason said in unison with Deryll's "Nay."
Airin scowled. "I have the right to choose."
"Honor demands you marry the man who fulfilled your marriage condition."
"He makes a point, Daughter."
24
The Pendulum
by Tarah Scott
Airin sent her father a recriminating look, then addressed Deryll, "Honor demands you produce the true brooch."
"You are willing to wed Lord Bothwell for that brooch. It is mine ."
She drew a sharp breath. He referred to her , not the brooch. "You have no proof."
His gaze bore into Jason as he said, "Proof is in my might."
The earl's hand fisted at his side.
"You would die simply to claim me?" she demanded.
Deryll cast her a glance. "You are certain I would die?"
"Don't be a fool. Lord Bothwell outweighs you by three stones, and his skill is superior to yours."
The knight gave a mirthless laugh. "Should I be offended that you think so little of
She nodded.
Deryll looked at her father. "This is my brooch."
"Craven whoreson!" Jason exploded. "I have—"
"Silence," Douglas commanded. "Give it to me." He extended a hand and Deryll passed it to him. Douglas sat in the chair and examined the brooch before saying, "'Tis identical."
"The scratch is newly made," Deryll said.
"Yours did not have a scratch," Airin interjected before her father could reply. "I told you his was a forgery."
"You are certain this is the true brooch?" her father asked, and Airin wanted to bludgeon him. Only moments earlier, he 22
The Pendulum
by Tarah Scott
had been willing to give her to the infamous Scarlet Knight.
Now, he protected her from Jason, when that was the last thing she wanted. The male sex!
"My lord," Deryll said, and again held out a hand for the brooch. Douglas handed it to him. He examined it once more, then faced Airin. "You know I speak the truth." He tossed the brooch on her lap.
"I will kill you for this," Jason hissed.
Deryll tilted his head. "At your command, my lord."
Respect welled in Airin. Sir Deryll Chisolm rose to any challenge with determination to win. Respect gave way to alarm. This situation would not be different. Murderer or no, the knight's blood would be on her hands.
"I found no scratch on your brooch," she insisted. " It was a fake ."
He regarded her and she was startled again to see amusement in his eyes. "You are certain, my lady?" he asked.
Her heartbeat quickened, but she managed to keep her voice level. "Aye."
"'Tis the same brooch."
"The scratch—" she began.
"Is newly formed," he finished.
From the corner of her eye, she saw Jason step toward Deryll. The Scarlet Knight turned and Jason halted. The two men remained motionless as if moving would break the thin ice they trod. Airin wanted to scream. Dying in a brawl over a woman would be an ironic fate for the Scarlet Knight , but she was unwilling to hasten his entrance into Hell. She threw back the covers.
23
The Pendulum
by Tarah Scott
"Airin!" Her father leapt to his feet.
She rose before he could stop her. The room swayed precariously, then reoriented. Her father reached her side and grabbed her shoulders to force her back into bed. "Stand aside, Sir," she snapped.
He raised a brow, then gave a mock bow and stepped aside.
She took two paces, the room swayed again, and she stopped. "Your brooch is a fake, Sir Deryll."
Neither man moved. She cursed under her breath. The knight was going to ruin her scheme. She considered letting Jason kill him, but couldn't face two ghosts in Beaton Hall.
She blew out a frustrated breath.
"If both brooches are in question, I need not marry either of you."
"You will marry the victor," Deryll said.
"Indeed?" she replied in an icy voice.
"Aye," Jason agreed.
"I am no sheep to be bought and sold," she retorted. "Any man who takes me in that fashion will rue the day."
A grim smile curved Deryll's mouth. "I have rued many a day, my lady. I accept your terms."
"They are not terms! I will marry the man I choose."
"Aye," Jason said in unison with Deryll's "Nay."
Airin scowled. "I have the right to choose."
"Honor demands you marry the man who fulfilled your marriage condition."
"He makes a point, Daughter."
24
The Pendulum
by Tarah Scott
Airin sent her father a recriminating look, then addressed Deryll, "Honor demands you produce the true brooch."
"You are willing to wed Lord Bothwell for that brooch. It is mine ."
She drew a sharp breath. He referred to her , not the brooch. "You have no proof."
His gaze bore into Jason as he said, "Proof is in my might."
The earl's hand fisted at his side.
"You would die simply to claim me?" she demanded.
Deryll cast her a glance. "You are certain I would die?"
"Don't be a fool. Lord Bothwell outweighs you by three stones, and his skill is superior to yours."
The knight gave a mirthless laugh. "Should I be offended that you think so little of
Similar Books
Carousel
J. Robert Janes
The Weary Generations
Abdullah Hussein
The Dom with the Dark Eyes
Raven McAllan
Gauguin Connection, The
Estelle Ryan
The Deceivers
John Masters
Black Gate: Timewalker Chronicles, Book 4
Michele Callahan
Horus Rising
Dan Abnett
TheCharmer
The Charmer
Charmed
Emily Jane Trent