“Have her bring Heather her boots. You know where I had them put.”
“I do, but I see that did not stop her.” Pitt chuckled again and was gone before Rhys could admonish him for it.
Rhys stood watching his wife. The squirrel inched ever closer to the green leaf Heather held in her hand, though he wondered if it was her softvoice urging him to take the food that the animal found more appealing. A few more steps and the squirrel snatched it from her hand, though he did not run off with it. He sat beside her and munched on the leaf while Heather continued to talk to him.
Rhys shook his head as he approached and the squirrel hurried off as he drew near, running up a tree with his leaf.
Heather went to stand but Rhys said, “Stay as you are.” He hunched down in front of her. “Tell me you feel well enough to be about.”
She smiled, glancing over his face and seeing why she had not recognized him when she had first laid eyes on him. The faint lines around his eyes, the slight scrunch of his brow from frowning so often, the lack of a smile and the fullness of his face from the passing years, concealed the man she knew and loved. But he was there, she knew he was there and somehow, someway she would get him to reveal himself. “I feel good. I have a bit of pain now and then, and I will acknowledge if I do too much and if I am in need of rest.”
“And you give me your word on this?”
“I do,” she said and reached out to rest her hand on his arm, remembering the many times she had done just that while they walked, talked, and laughed. “Besides, I will be with you. What could happen?”
Rhys did not want to think about that, since the prospects would be far too terrifying. And the thought that he would fail to protect her was evenmore terrifying. Never, ever, would he let that happen. As he stood, he took her hand and she stood along with him.
Once on her feet, she slipped her arm around his and held tight. She intended to make sure she kept him close. “I want to thank you for being so tolerant of me last night. I felt safe with you close.”
“I will not deny you when you need me. I will always be there for you.”
Heather felt her stomach clench. Quinn had said those words to her before he knew he would be leaving. He had never intended to leave her, but things do not always go as wished.
They walked along slowly. “Tell me where you heard of the secret passage.”
She did not want to implicate Nessa and have her subjected to endless questions, but she also wanted to be honest with her husband, so she said, “I believe it was a servant who made mention of hearing of it. Do you think that is how the intruder got into our bedchamber last night?”
“No, I heard the door open.”
“That is why you shoved me aside?”
“It was his light footfalls that let me know he did not want to be detected.”
“How could he have gotten into the keep with so many of your men keeping watch?” she asked. “And why do these men who smear their faces with grime chase after you?”
“I would tell you it is nothing you need to concern yourself with, but I know that would mean little to someone as inquisitive as you.”
She laughed softly. “See you known me well already.” Her laughter faded along with her smile. “Who are these men who want to harm you?”
“Old enemies and as you saw for yourself very dangerous ones. So it would be very wise of you to finally obey me. Is that all you know of the secret passage?”
Heather hesitated, knowing that Seamus would not be forthcoming to the Dragon and not knowing what the Dragon would do if the old man was not.
“What causes you to pause?”
What caused her to pause? While he was the Dark Dragon, he was also Quinn and Quinn would never harm an old man. But he was a changed man, could she be so sure? In her heart, she felt she could. “I know of an old man who may know something, but he does not trust the Dragon or his men.”
Rhys did not bother to ask her how she knew all this, he already knew. She had a kind soul. People saw it in her caring ways and her generous smile. They trusted her, were drawn to her, felt comfortable around her, and so they spoke openly with her.
“He would trust you,” Rhys said.
“I believe he would.”
“Do you feel well enough to speak with him now?”
“I do, and I am eager to speak with him and see what he knows, for I do not want another intruder interrupting us in our bedchamber.”
“That I agree with,” Rhys said, “Shall we go find him?”
