Page 77 of Dangerous Exile

They rammed into each other hard, forearms hitting chests, one impenetrable body bouncing off the other.

Talen found slippery footing and jumped a step backward as the other man grabbed the doorframe to steady himself, then reached out to steady Talen. “By graces, you’re a wall, man.”

Talen shrugged off the man’s hand pawing at him and took another step backward, then looked up.

The devil.

The man looked just like him. His cousin. Both products of their fathers. Their grandfather. Except for his eyes. His brown eyes looked just like the dowager’s eyes.

Talen’s eyes narrowed. “You—you’re…”

“I’m Clayborne—your cousin. I saw you from the study charging up here and I thought to meet you before you made it inside.”

The hairs on the back of Talen’s neck spiked, his fingers instinctively curling into fists. “Meet me outdoors? Why? Where’s Ness? What have you done with her?”

Clayborne’s eyebrows drew together. “Ness? Who is Ness? What else do I not know? Blast me. I’ve only been back for fifteen minutes and my mother cornered me to tell me about your arrival. My cousin, back from the dead.” He paused, his head shaking. “I saw you approaching and I wanted to catch you outside.”

“Why?”

“Please, speak with me privately.” Clayborne looked over his shoulder and then motioned toward the exterior and Talen took another step backward.

Clayborne closed the door behind him, looking to the left and right and only finding empty landscaping. “Out here so as to not have our first meeting in front of my mother. She can be a…handful. I thought this better to handle between the two of us.”

“Your mother told you exactly who I am?”

“She did. But I have always known of you. I just thought you were dead. I gather you don’t remember me?”

“I don’t.” Motion drew Talen’s attention away from his cousin and he looked to the east side of the manor to see the dowager in a grey cloak walking down toward the pond and then shifting direction, disappearing into a long row of manicured hedges that led away from the house. Looking for her son, no doubt.

His impatient gaze shifted back to Clayborne. “There is very little that I do remember.”

“I understand. She did say memories of those times were slowly coming back to you, but that you hadn’t truly recalled your life here,” Clayborne said. “I wouldn’t expect you to remember me as it was. I was eight, almost nine, when you died. I would watch you playing from inside, wanting to join you, but I wasn’t allowed. My mother always kept me away from my cousins.”

Clayborne’s mouth closed for a long moment and then he shook his head to himself. “Excuse me. This was a shock and I’m only just wrapping my mind around what my mother just told me. Forgive me, but I must verify the truth of it.” His look pinned Talen. “When you disappeared, I thought you had died along with your parents. But my mother just informed me that was not the case? She told me you survived an attack on your family and that she found you and she sent you off on a ship for safety.”

Talen gave him one nod.

He drew in a deep breath, his eyes going up to the sky as he exhaled it. His gaze dropped to Talen. “I am sorry for all that has happened to you. What happened to your parents. My mother said that you are still reeling from the new memories that have returned?”

“I am. It has only been a few days since I remembered…this place.”

Clayborne nodded, his look fixed on Talen as his fingers ran along the backside of his neck. “I will come out and address head-on why I wanted to talk to you in private. The title. Mother claims you don’t want it, but I think that is a mistake. It is yours. I can start the arrangements with the crown to transfer the title immediately. I can set it into motion today.”

Talen didn’t have time for this. More idiotic talk about a title he didn’t care about. He needed to get on with finding Ness. “I don’t want it, but if it will get me what I want, I’ll take it.”

Clayborne’s eyebrows lifted. “What you want?”

“Ness.”

“Ness?” Realization crossed over his brown eyes. “Oh, is Ness Mrs. Docherty? Mother mentioned you had a lady companion with you.”

“She is, and I’m more interested in finding her at the moment than talking to you.” Talen pointed toward the door. “Is she inside?”

“Inside? No, mother said she left early today. Mother said something about a mistake she made? Where is Mrs. Docherty?”

“If I knew I would be with her and not talking to you.”

Clayborne nodded. “Of course, what can I do to help find her?”