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Angry with herself, she shrugged out of his hold and corrected her balance. “Yes, I’m fine.”
“You were limping. Are you hurt?”
“No, I said I’m fine.”
“Let me take a look.” He bent as if to inspect her leg but she pulled away swiftly, gathering her skirts close and not allowing him to peek under them. “Nothing is wrong! I said I was all right.”
Starting to get angry himself, Ryan straightened to his full height. “I was just trying to help.”
“Yes, you keep telling me that. But I don’t need your help.” She continued as if to leave once again but this time came face to face with the small flight of wooden steps she had bypassed earlier to the street above. Coming to an abrupt halt, she stared with resentment at the steps.
“Are you sure about that?” He asked cynically close to ear before she even knew he was there. Then without waiting for her consent, he swept her up into his arms and carried her up the stairs. When he would have continued to head down the road toward her home, she stopped him.
“You can put me down now. I can walk from here.”
“I have serious misgivings about that, but fine,” he declared and released her with an exaggerated flour
ish. “As you please.”
“You’re insufferable.”
“And you are infuriating,” he growled in response before running an angry hand through his unruly hair and said, “I don’t understand you at all.”
“Then stop trying.”
“I’m beginning to agree with you.”
Hurt, she lashed out and said, “Just leave me alone. Go live the life you’ve always wanted. I don’t care anymore.”
“And what will you do if I do that?”
“Maybe if I’m lucky, possibly another suitor desperate enough will be willing to accept a crazy bride in exchange for a boat.”
He stilled. Then instead of looking ashamed as she had intended, he looked troubled instead.
Miffed, she turned abruptly and left him abandoned on the side of the road as she made her way home.
Slowly and deliberately.
* * *
Ryan’s first stop after Evelina stormed off was to the shipyard where he found Clive repairing the rivets on the hull of a boat.
“I’m returning the Lady Evelina to you, Clive.”
The older man turned and peered over a pair of protective goggles at him. “Why’s that?”
“I have given it my all but Evelina is too stubborn and mule-headed and refuses to marry me.”
Clive’s brows rose in surprise. “You asked her to marry you?”
“Yes.”
“And she declined?”
“That’s right.”
“And you’re giving me back the Lady Evelina?”
