He shrugged. “I’ve been hiking these hills since I was a young boy.”
From this higher vantage point, Victoria could see the tops of the mountains that marched away north and east. Craggy gray rock jutted up from glittering layers of ice and snow, presenting an imposing landscape. The slanting rays of the setting sun danced over the highest peaks, making them glow with orange fire. It was wild and fierce and altogether beautiful.
“It’s breathtaking,” she said softly.
Nicholas pointed at the closest peak. “That’s Beinn Narnain. I climbed it with Logan when I was fifteen.”
The mountain loomed impossibly large. “That must have been quite an adventure.”
“It was grand,” he said in a softer tone.
She smiled, imagining him taking on the challenge with boyish determination. “I’d like to hear all about it someday.”
He seemed to come back to himself. “There’s nothing to tell. We climbed up, and then we climbed down.”
Well.
There was no thaw between them, and she’d clearly been a fool for thinking it possible.
“I’m ready,” she said, standing up.
“Victoria, I didn’t mean—”
She picked up her skirts and hurried past him, ignoring his aggrieved mutter. The sooner they got to Kinglas, the sooner she could stop bashing her heart against the wall he’d erected between them.
The trail was surprisingly dry, probably due to its high, exposed position. But now the wind had picked up, its gusts flapping her skirts about her legs. One blast caught her in the face, blowing dust in her eyes. She stopped, blinking to clear her vision.
“Here, let me go ahead,” he said. “It’s a bit tricky on the turn down.”
Victoria nodded and moved aside. She was growing cold now, despite her exertions. The sun was fast approaching the horizon, and soon even the top of the ridge would be in shadow.
Nicholas glanced back and extended his hand. “It’s narrow and icy here. Be careful—”
His eyes widened as his feet started to slip out from under him. He pinwheeled his arms and went down with a crash, his momentum carrying him toward the edge and the valley floor below.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Nick searched for cracks to grip in the brittle rock as his feet scrambled for purchase on the scree. With every scrape of his boots, debris plummeted down the steep slope. He’d fallen because he’d been fretting about Victoria instead of keeping a closer eye on his own damn feet. If he fell to his death off a trail he’d walked countless times, it would be the final irony of his life.
“Nicholas, give me your hand!” Victoria ordered. She knelt precariously above him on the edge of the ridge, panic lurking in her gaze.
“No, and don’t come any closer,” he gritted out. “It’s too dangerous.”
“So you informed me before you fell on your confounded arse,” she said, reaching for him.
Nick almost laughed. But when he lifted a hand to seek better purchase, the movement dislodged him and he slipped again.
“If you move again I’m going to kill you,” she yelped.
“Best not. You’ll start to get a reputation.”
The entire day was beginning to strike him as perfectly ridiculous. It was like one of those gothic novels Taffy loved to read, but without a ghost or a villain. Of course, hedidhave an old castle, so maybe he was the villain. He’d certainly been acting like one toward poor Victoria.
“Shut up,” she said as she edged toward him again.
“It’s all right, love. It’s going to be fine.”
“Not if I don’t help you.”
