She turned slowly to see Ruelwalking up the path toward her. He was the same. No trace of the vulnerabilityfor which she had prayed as she had looked down at Annie's cottage. Except forlooking tougher, leaner, he had not changed.
God in heaven, what was wrongwith her? She felt as if she were going to faint. She couldn't breathe. Shefelt as chained as she had that day she had left Kasanpore— chained, desperate,sad, and other emotions too chaotic to define. She took a deep breath, tryingto steady the rapid pounding of her heart. "You weren't supposed to behere until tomorrow."
"It's never wise to dothe expected. It allows one's enemies to prepare themselves."
"You have no enemieshere."
"Don't I?" He dreweven with her on the path. "Then why has the thought of you tormented memore than any enemy I've ever had?" He smiled at her. "Did you thinkabout me too?"
"No, I didn't think ofyou at all," she lied. "I've been far too busy."
The wind lifted his hair awayfrom his forehead, revealing the stark beauty of his features. She foundherself staring at him with the same fascination she had felt the first timeshe had seen him.
"So Maggie wroteme." He looked down at the mill in the valley below. "The repairs onthe castle, the dairy, the new mill. Ian must be very happy."
"Isn't that what youwanted?"
"Not entirely." Hisgaze shifted to her face, and she received the shocking impact of those searingblue eyes. "I also wanted you to suffer, and instead you've taken the easyway."
"Easy?" she asked,stung. "I've worked very hard."
"But it's the kind ofwork that fulfills you, that you'd be unhappy doing without."
"I'm sorry to disappointyou, but Margaret prefers to care for Ian's personal needs."
"I should have expectedyou to escape, I suppose." He smiled. "But now that I'm here, I canrectify that mistake."
She stared at himincredulously. "You can do nothing to me. I told you it was my choice tocome here and it will be my choice if I leave."
"And you've been thinkingof leaving Glenclaren, haven't you?" he asked softly. "I've beenexpecting that for quite a while. Three years is a long time."
"I suppose Margaretmentioned that I've been seeking work with a few of the local railroads."
"No, she spoke only ofGlenclaren, but I knew you'd grow restless."
Yes, the mandarin had alwaysknown her thoughts, she realized in despair.
He nodded as he read them now."Aye, I know you. I thought I knew you before, but no one knows you aswell as I do now. I didn't want to think about you, but you werethere."His lips tightened. "I'd lie down to sleep after breaking my back onthe mountain and there you were. At first I was angry, but after a while I grewaccustomed to you intruding. You became part of my life. You became part ofme."
She shivered. "You hateme."
"I don't know what I feelfor you any longer. I know only that I have to rid myself of you." Hepaused. "And I can't do that until I know you've been punished for whatyou did to Ian."
"Good God, Ihavebeenpunished. Every time I look at him I hurt."
"But you don't look athim. You stay away from the castle in your cozy little cottage by the mill andseldom see his pain."
She refused to justifyherself, when he wouldn't believe her anyway. "I'm not going to makeexcuses. You don't want to hear what I have to say."
"No, it's too late forexcuses. Actually, I blame myself for failing to take into account Maggie'szeal. I suppose it doesn't really matter. I'm here now and can shape events tosuit myself." He smiled. "I have to get on to the castle. I stoppedby only to warn you not to try to run away from me."
"If I chose to leavehere, nothing you say could make me stay."
"But I'd find you. Or LiSung." He paused. "Or Patrick. Did I mention I paid a visit toPatrick at his lodging house in Edinburgh?"
She stiffened warily."You know you didn't."
"Perhaps because he wasless than coherent. Is he always drunk these days?"
