Unionist, but I’m sure she did agree to sail with you; she wouldn’t allow us to kill one another in this wretched war over her own situation.”
Risa inhaled, hesitating, as she watched the cousins. She damned them both. Yet she must have made some sound that at last alerted them to her presence as she lurked in the hallway, for they broke apart and turned to her. Jerome instantly came to her, drawing her to his side, a supporting arm far too firmly around her.
“Miss Magee, you’ve awakened.”
“Amazing, isn’t it?” she murmured, staring at him. He was tense, eyes were narrowed in warning, the breadth of his body blocked her from seeing Ian.
“Damned amazing,” Jerome agreed, his voice lowering out of Ian’s earshot. “Don’t you dare seek help from my battle-weary cousin. You gave your word. Behave, Miss Magee, or I’ll hang you by the toes myself, I swear!”
“Don’t threaten me!”
“I’ll more than threaten!”
“You drugged me!”
“It was necessary; I apologize. But apparently, I didn’t drug you well enough. I mean it, behave, I warn you.”
She couldn’t reply; by then Ian had reached them.
“Risa, I’m so glad you’re awake,” he said. His blue eyes were so intense. His hair was roughly tousled; his cheeks were shadowed. He’d been through hell. He drew her from Jerome, cradling her against his chest with the deep affection of a good friend. “Thank you, thank you so much.”
“Alaina is all right, that’s all that matters,” she said.
“But now you’re set to sail with this Rebel scoundrelcousin of mine, and all on our behalf. I thank you again.”
She felt his lips against her forehead, then she found herself drawn back. Jerome’s arm was firmly around her waist.
“We had best both be going,” Jerome said to Ian.
Ian’s eyes had a haunted look as he sadly stared at Risa.
He touched her cheek. “You’re certain that …”
She could cry for help right then and there. Ian would be honor-bound to demand she be given over to him. She knew Jerome’s plans; he couldn’t let her go. Someone could die. Blood could be spilled, here, now in this room.
“I will be fine, Ian,” she said, nearly strangling on the words.
He squeezed her shoulder. She closed her eyes, not able to stop herself from thinking about what might have been. When she opened her eyes, he was gone.
“Where …” she murmured.
Jerome was watching her. “Neither of us knows where the other goes once we leave; we don’t ask. Belamar is sacred; neutral ground for we McKenzies. It’s time for us to be going as well.”
“Wait!” she cried, startled as he propelled her toward the door. “I haven’t seen Alaina, I haven’t the strength, I—”
“You had plenty of strength to slip down the hall and try to enlist my cousin’s aid against me!” he accused her.
“I was merely—”
“Trying to escape. When you had given your word. Don’t you remember? You were to behave, I was to keep your friend alive.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I was—I was not trying to escape. Not really. I was just walking in the hallway. Yet I warn you, if you’ve harmed Finn—”
“Miss Magee, you are a bald-faced liar, you were most definitely trying to escape. Yet you may thank God that I never meant to risk human life on the virtue of your word.”
“Oh, how dare you say such a thing—”
“I often dare to speak the truth.”
“The truth as you see it!” she cried. “I can’t come with you. I’m dizzy. I—”
“You will walk; you must come with me.”
“I haven’t the strength; I’ll slow you down, I’m in a wretched state—”
“Oh, do quit whining, Miss Magee!” he said, suddenly stopping then with exasperation, cobalt eyes searing into hers. Then, despite her startled gasp of protest, he swept her up in his arms, and carried her out into the red-tinged darkness of the coming dawn.
Chapter 3
A small boat brought them from Belamar to the deep water of the bay. Risa
Risa inhaled, hesitating, as she watched the cousins. She damned them both. Yet she must have made some sound that at last alerted them to her presence as she lurked in the hallway, for they broke apart and turned to her. Jerome instantly came to her, drawing her to his side, a supporting arm far too firmly around her.
“Miss Magee, you’ve awakened.”
“Amazing, isn’t it?” she murmured, staring at him. He was tense, eyes were narrowed in warning, the breadth of his body blocked her from seeing Ian.
“Damned amazing,” Jerome agreed, his voice lowering out of Ian’s earshot. “Don’t you dare seek help from my battle-weary cousin. You gave your word. Behave, Miss Magee, or I’ll hang you by the toes myself, I swear!”
“Don’t threaten me!”
“I’ll more than threaten!”
“You drugged me!”
“It was necessary; I apologize. But apparently, I didn’t drug you well enough. I mean it, behave, I warn you.”
She couldn’t reply; by then Ian had reached them.
“Risa, I’m so glad you’re awake,” he said. His blue eyes were so intense. His hair was roughly tousled; his cheeks were shadowed. He’d been through hell. He drew her from Jerome, cradling her against his chest with the deep affection of a good friend. “Thank you, thank you so much.”
“Alaina is all right, that’s all that matters,” she said.
“But now you’re set to sail with this Rebel scoundrelcousin of mine, and all on our behalf. I thank you again.”
She felt his lips against her forehead, then she found herself drawn back. Jerome’s arm was firmly around her waist.
“We had best both be going,” Jerome said to Ian.
Ian’s eyes had a haunted look as he sadly stared at Risa.
He touched her cheek. “You’re certain that …”
She could cry for help right then and there. Ian would be honor-bound to demand she be given over to him. She knew Jerome’s plans; he couldn’t let her go. Someone could die. Blood could be spilled, here, now in this room.
“I will be fine, Ian,” she said, nearly strangling on the words.
He squeezed her shoulder. She closed her eyes, not able to stop herself from thinking about what might have been. When she opened her eyes, he was gone.
“Where …” she murmured.
Jerome was watching her. “Neither of us knows where the other goes once we leave; we don’t ask. Belamar is sacred; neutral ground for we McKenzies. It’s time for us to be going as well.”
“Wait!” she cried, startled as he propelled her toward the door. “I haven’t seen Alaina, I haven’t the strength, I—”
“You had plenty of strength to slip down the hall and try to enlist my cousin’s aid against me!” he accused her.
“I was merely—”
“Trying to escape. When you had given your word. Don’t you remember? You were to behave, I was to keep your friend alive.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I was—I was not trying to escape. Not really. I was just walking in the hallway. Yet I warn you, if you’ve harmed Finn—”
“Miss Magee, you are a bald-faced liar, you were most definitely trying to escape. Yet you may thank God that I never meant to risk human life on the virtue of your word.”
“Oh, how dare you say such a thing—”
“I often dare to speak the truth.”
“The truth as you see it!” she cried. “I can’t come with you. I’m dizzy. I—”
“You will walk; you must come with me.”
“I haven’t the strength; I’ll slow you down, I’m in a wretched state—”
“Oh, do quit whining, Miss Magee!” he said, suddenly stopping then with exasperation, cobalt eyes searing into hers. Then, despite her startled gasp of protest, he swept her up in his arms, and carried her out into the red-tinged darkness of the coming dawn.
Chapter 3
A small boat brought them from Belamar to the deep water of the bay. Risa