There was a moment of taut, angry silence. Megan was determined not to look away first. He stared at her, a furrow between his brow, and she stared right back. This was not a battle she intended to lose.
And itdidfeel like a battle. Everything to do with Ryder felt that way, as if one misstep or one sign of weakness would send everything crumbling down to the ground.
Perhaps that’s how he lives,she thought suddenly.Perhaps he could never risk showing weakness, could never back down, or else his enemies would pounce.
It cannae be easy, being a laird.
Abruptly, he broke away, striding over to Ewan, who had just managed to calm the horses.
“Take the lasses to Mistress Weatherby’s,” he instructed. “They’ll buy dresses here. Tell Alaina to pick one out for Megan—she has good taste.”
“Aye, Laird,” Ewan answered with a nod.
“I will see ye back at the Keep,” Ryder continued, stepping back. The driver snapped the reins, and the coach went lurching forward, rattling away down the road.
Then he turned back to Megan.
“I thought I was meant to go with them,” she managed.
He lifted his eyebrows. “I rather got the impression that ye dinnae want to go dress-shopping.”
“Is that the point?”
“Nay, it is nae.”
He strode past her, snatching up his horse’s reins. He led the creature a few steps off the path, tying it securely to a tree. Megan stood there, staring at him, trying to work out what was going on.
“If ye plan to punish me by makin’ me walk back to the Keep, that’s nae much of a punishment,” she snapped.
He gave a low chuckle. “Oh, that’s nae yer punishment.”
“I daenae intend to bepunishedat all.”
“Nobody ever does.” He came striding over to her, eyes glinting. His shirt still clung to his skin, and Megan tried her best not to notice.
“I brought ye here,” he continued, standing far too close to her, “to protect me sister.”
“Aye, and that’s what I was doin’! Ye think I could protect her well enough from inside that coach?”
He growled. “I meant that ye were to protect her when I wasnae around. Do ye ken how much could have gone wrong? Ye could have died; me sisters could have died. They could have been taken, could have risked…”
“But we did nae die,” Megan interrupted sharply. “None of those things happened.”
He threw up his hands. “Because we werelucky. Luck is a fine thing, lass, but we cannae rely on luck. So, that is why ye must learn to obey me.”
She stared up at him. “Ye must be jokin’.”
“I am deadly serious.”
The rain was making Megan’s cloak heavier. The wool was good and kept out the rain, although it wouldn’t keep it out forever. She could feel dampness seeping through at the back of her neck. The ends of her hair hung out of her hood at the front,curling down in a thick braid over her chest, and of course, it was already wet, soaking into her cloak.
“Here is what we will do,” Ryder continued, offering a lopsided smile. There was something mischievous in the back of his eyes, a glint there that Megan could not quite interpret.
Whatever it was, it sent fire leaping down her spine, coiling in the pit of her stomach. She wanted the feeling to go away. It clouded her mind, making her feel dizzy and ill at ease.
I daenae desire him,she told herself fiercely.I daenae. There’s nay reason at all for me to feel like this. It’s just… It’s just afeelin’. It will go away.
If he would only leave her alone, it would go away more quickly.
