As if she knew his thoughts, she continued, “It always has a roof there, and I used the overhang outside for the horses three months or so ago.”
Odd words for a woman who had shown him nothing but practicality. She must know three months was long enough for there not to be an overhang, and why would one part of these crumbling stonesalwayshave a roof?
“Are you well?”
Her eyes darted to his. “As well as I can be.” Her eyes slid away so all he could do was track how she licked her lower lip, and his body tightened in response. Fanciful thoughts, a foolish reaction, and they still stood in the rain when she was cold and shivering.
This was his fault. He’d made the argument that the sky was overcast, but she fervently begged to leave as soon as possible. His need to protect her warred with her eagerness to get to her betrothed, and something in him caved.
She wasn’t his to protect. She was his as long as the journey lasted to Charles.
Another twinge of conscience, and he rolled one shoulder to release the tension. Charles was a fool to even think of, let alone utter or write one scribble of a word, denouncing this woman.
And Reggie was deluded to believe he could release any tension as he followed Siân around one broken-down wall and then another.
The rain continued to beat against the trees and stones as he clutched some mostly dry twigs along the way. Another crack of thunder and Siân hurried her steps until they were right up against a wall more intact than the rest, and Reggie raised his eyes to a roof over their heads.
An overhang outside to get the skittish horses away from the weather. Just as she’d promised.
He wasted no time unpacking the horses, who shook their heads. He thought Siân would go inside to get out of her soaked cloak, but he should have known better—she, too, took care of her horse first.
“Go. I’ve got them,” he said.
She eyed the keep as if it was a rabid fox and shook her head.
He handed her the twigs he’d collected, and dug in his coat for the flint. “Kindling to start?”
She bit her lip and took what he offered, but still she hesitated. She didn’t act as sure as she had when she left her childhood home without a backward glance. Certainly, it wouldn’t be forever until she returned—after all, Charles would want to claim his inheritance—but nonetheless, she’d left without any questions as to the length of the journey or how long she’d be away.
Her denying herself comfort now made no sense.
“Are you hurt?” he said.
The wariness in her eyes eased, and she gave a lopsided grin. “No, just haunted.”
Reggie took in the entirety of where they were. No rain reached here.
“Drier, though, no?” he said.
“If that’s all we wanted,” she said.
Another odd phrasing, and one that had his imagination spinning again in directions it had no reason to go. Because want was close to need, to desire, tolonging, which was where he was headed. Especially since her hair clung to her bright red cheeks, and all he wanted to do was carefully remove each curl to tuck it behind her ear again.
She was for his friend, not for him. He was lying to her, so that they could be reunited and Charles could see how right she was for him. Reggie wasn’t lying to himself so that he may keep her, was he?
No, it was his understandable admiration of her. It was the cold and rain, and this sudden need to protect her from the elements. Ofcoursehe should feel the need to protect her. Charles wouldn’t want any harm to befall her.
He rubbed his hands that were far too cold to work properly, and watched Siân shake her head.
“I’ll start the fire.” She straightened her shoulders. “I’ll be on the other side of this wall. Not far at all.”
Again, he got the impression she was scared. The horses weren’t going anywhere, and a few more moments wouldn’t break them. “I’ll go with you to help you get started.”
The relief on her face was all the reason he needed. Carrying the one saddle he’d managed to free under his arm, he said, “Lead the way.”
She flashed him a look, one he couldn’t decipher because gratefulness wasn’t all that was there. There was a hint of surprise in her now-furrowed brow. She couldn’t be surprised he wanted to help her; loads of people helped her on the farm. No, it was the strange circumstances he found himself in making him interpret her expressions wrongly. She was probably simply…concerned. Concern would explain the tenseness in her stride and shoulders.
“I thought you said you hadn’t been inside here since you were a child?” he said.
