“It’s all right, Ewan, there’s nothin’ ye could have done about it.”
They sat in silence for a moment, with Ryder swimming round and round in circles and Ewan staring up at the moon. Ryder ducked under the water, swimming for a few strokes before coming up for air.
“Today came too close for comfort,” Ryder admitted. “I got sloppy.”
“Ye have never been sloppy.”
“Then explain why I took me sisters out of the Keep without a full armed guard. Aye, ye were there, but ye and a coachman were not enough.”
“I ken why ye did that,” Ewan countered. “A full armed guard would attract attention, whereas a single carriage and rider trottin’ through the forest wouldnae.”
“Fair,” Ryder conceded. “And if we had nae been attacked, I would have agreed. But the fact is that wewereattacked. I should have been more careful. I just… I thought we’d have more leads by now.”
Ewan nodded. “I understand yer frustration.”
Ryder wasn’t sure if he truly did. Ewan loved Alaina, of course he did, but she wasn’t his sister. If anything terrible happened to her, Ewan’s conscience would clear him as having done everything necessary.
But Ryder’s conscience never would. There was no way of getting around it. He had to keep his sister safe. There was no other way.
“One thing I daenae understand,” Ryder commented, squirting a jet of water between his teeth, “is why anybody would want to take Alaina. It’s her they are comin’ for, nae Sophie, so it cannae be a plain ransom. It cannae be to marry her off. There are more eligible brides than Alaina, surely.”
Even as he spoke, however, Ryder felt a tendril of worry. It wasn’t unheard of for men to kidnap girls with fortunes, forcing them into marriage. Once the marriage was consummated—willing or not—it was legally binding. There would be no annulment. Then the husband would be entitled to the woman’s fortune—allof it.
Of course, if this happened with Alaina, Ryder would not worry about legal battles or morality. He would simply kill the men responsible, and Alaina would go from unwilling wife to relieved widow. But that wouldn’t undo the suffering she had endured in the first place, nor would it undo any consequences that followed.
Best to just keep her safe.
Ewan gave a huff of laughter. “More eligible brides, ye say? Like Megan?”
Ryder sank beneath the water again and surfaced with a growl.
“Careful, Ewan.”
“Careful, how? What are ye goin’ to do? Splash me?” Ewan chuckled, shaking his head. “Me wife is heavy with child. I’ve kent fear that ye could never imagine, friend. Besides, ye are never very intimidatin’ when ye are naked and wet.”
“Well, that is incredibly rude,” Ryder retorted, swimming close. “Daenae talk about me bride-to-be, Ewan. I mean it.”
Ewan wiped his face with his sleeve. “Look, man, I only think that ye are bein’ a wee bit careless. I ken who she is.”
“What a clever lad ye are.”
“Pack it in. I am sayin’ that she is nae some forest lass with nay power behind her. Ye must be careful how ye deal with Megan.”
“What a clever man ye are, Ewan. Such sage and wise advice. I would haveneverthought of this meself.”
“Enough with yer witticisms. This is serious. She is connected to three—three!—large and powerful clans.”
“Aye, and for the next three months, she belongs to me.”
Ewan got up, crawled to the edge of the outcropping, and leaned down to catch Ryder’s eye.
“But she’s nae actually yers, is she?” he said pointedly. “Those three clans…”
“Ach, we can take them.”
“We daenae have to! Ryder, be serious. Please! This is a dangerous thing ye are doin’.”
“Only if it backfires.”
