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She stiffened, tempted to dig her heels in at his imperative tone, but there was something disturbing about the wildness of his expression, as if his reasons, whatever they were, were important. His gaze was fixed on her, unblinking and direct, as if he were determined not to look around either. Perhaps he was scared of heights? she wondered, moving tentatively towards him. That was one plausible explanation...
‘Ow!’ she yelped as his fingers clamped around her wrist the moment she was within reach, pulling her towards him so firmly that she tumbled forward into his arms.
‘Come with me!
’
‘What is it?’ Indignant, she tried to tear her arm away again, but he was too strong, already hauling her down the stairwell. ‘What have I done?’
He didn’t answer, let alone stop, his jaw set with a look of grim determination as he half-pulled, half-carried her back to their chamber and slammed the door.
‘How dare you!’ She whirled on him the moment he let go, anger coursing through her body like a scorching hot torrent. So much for his not being a tyrant! He was certainly acting like one now! And just when she’d thought he was the kind of man she could talk to. Just when she’d been starting to think that their marriage wouldn’t be so bad! She glared back at him. ‘What’s the matter with you? I was looking at the view! You’ve no right to treat me like that.’
‘You shouldn’t have been up there!’ He leant back against the door, breathing heavily, as if he’d expended the last of his energy in dragging her downstairs.
‘Why not?’
‘Because it’s dangerous!’
‘How? There’s a wall!’
‘You still could have had an accident.’
‘So you had to come running up and save me? I’m a grown woman, not a child!’
‘That’s not the point. You might have—’ He stopped mid-sentence, his gaze dropping to the wrist she was cradling in her other hand. ‘Did I hurt you?’
She glared at him for a few more moments and then shook her head. Truth be told, he hadn’t hurt her. His grip had been firm and infuriating rather than painful. Even when he’d been forcing her down the stairs, she’d had the distinct impression that he’d been taking care not to hurt her, to make sure she didn’t stumble either.
‘You have a tight grip, that’s all.’
‘I’m sorry.’ His voice sounded ragged. ‘I didn’t mean to do that.’
‘If you were worried, then you could have called up or told me later, not acted as if I were about to hurl myself over the edge!’ She stopped as he flinched, the prickling sensation on the nape of her neck coming back with a vengeance as a new, terrible suspicion dawned on her. ‘Matthew? Did that happen? Did somebody fall?’
He didn’t answer though she saw him swallow.
‘Oh...’ She shuddered, feeling sick at the thought. ‘I’m sorry, I had no idea.’ She took a step closer towards him. ‘Who was it?’
‘I can’t talk about it. Just promise me you won’t go up there again.’
‘I promise.’ She fought the urge to ask further questions. ‘If it means so much to you.’
‘It does.’
‘But it might help to—’
‘No!’ His voice was ice-cold, haunted by some painful emotion. ‘I have to go.’
‘Matt—’
He turned away without looking at her again, opening the door and disappearing through it before she had a chance to finish his name.
She closed her mouth, her emotions ranging between anger, shock and frustration. His reaction was yet another mystery and she was getting heartily sick of those! He could at least have told her who...
Her mouth went dry, the hair on her arms standing on end as she recalled something he’d said the previous night. It was the word accident. He’d used it before when he’d been talking about his stepmother, his father’s fourth wife. Blanche, he’d called her. Was she the one who’d fallen? If she was, then this was the second time Matthew had run away at the mention of her. Why? And after he’d promised to be honest with her!
She narrowed her eyes and glared at the spot where he’d had just stood. She had no idea what was going on, but she was suddenly determined to find out.
