For a moment he was quiet, just standing there and blinking at her. "Do you think of naught but war? Do you believe there exists no other motive for a deed besides war? I do not plan to force Anne Marshall to do anything. Her father will give her in marriage to your brother."
"And you are sure of this?"
"As sure as one can be about the future." He smiled at her. "But I will not go to the trouble to arrange your brother's marriage if I am not to get what I want in return."
"And you want a Peregrine," she snapped. "You will not go to my brothers' house to live as you have said. You will force me to go to the Howard house. What then? Torture for me? Or do you use me as a hostage to force my brothers to do your bidding?"
"I have told you I will not take you to live with my brother. I will live with you and your family, just as I do now, as Smith."
Zared could only stare at him. Was he stupid? "The Howards watch us. They will see you with my brothers, and they will betray your identity. When my brothers know who you are they will kill you. And your brother will—"
"Yes, I know," he said, his voice full of disgust. "There is no more use in our talking. Go back to your brother. Ask him to propose marriage to Colbrand for you. Marry him. See if on your wedding night he can tell that you are a woman." He mounted his horse and looked down at her. "Give my farewells to your brother."
As she saw him start to ride away all she could think of was that her worries were at last over. She was at last free of the hideous burden of keeping his identity a secret.
But as he turned his horse away she called after him. "Wait!"
He halted and looked down at her.
"What of Lady Anne?" she asked. "How do I get her to marry Severn?"
"The problem is that your brother is an object of laughter, and Hugh Marshall will not allow his daughter to marry him."
"And you can change his mind?" she asked nastily.
He turned his horse away, but she caught the reins.
"Tell me how!" she demanded. "You owe me this after the way I have kept your secret."
"And you owe me for saving you from my brother's men, and you owe me for saving you from the horse, and you owe me for—"
"Tell me!" she yelled, smacking him on the calf with her fist. "It is all to my family and nothing to you."
"You know my price," he said quietly.
She put her forehead against the neck of the horse. "I cannot marry you," she said slowly. "You are my enemy, and I hate you."
"If you think you hate me, it is nothing compared to what Anne Marshall will feel when she's made to marry your brother."
Zared smiled at that and looked at him. "Before the games her horse bolted, and though Severn saved her, she sneered at him. She said she needed to boil the reins before she could touch them again."
"That sounds like Anne."
"You know her well?"
Tearle wasn't sure, but he thought he detected an undercurrent in her voice. He didn't dare hope it was jealousy he heard. "Well enough," he said.
He took a deep breath, for he meant to make her decide. No longer could he bear the indecision about his future, and since it was the last day of the tournament, it was now or never.
"I will get your brother the wife he wants," Tearle said. "Hugh Marshall will give Lady Anne to Severn, but I will not do it nor tell you how unless you agree to marry me."
"You will not succeed," she said. "Hugh Marshall will not do the bidding of a second son."
"Then you have no cause for worry, do you? If I fail, you will not have to marry me." He looked at her. "But I will not make the attempt if you do not swear to what I want."
She dropped the bridle and walked away to look at the forest. To marry him? To marry a Howard? How would her brothers react if they discovered that their new brother-in-law was actually a Howard? Severn might hesitate in killing him since he liked him, but Rogan wouldn't blink before running him through. And then Oliver Howard would bring an army to kill them.
On the other hand, all of England was laughing at the Peregrines. Only Severn's marriage to Anne Marshall would stop the laughter.