“Then off we go!”
He unceremoniously heaved her up into the air, swinging her over his shoulder. Alaina shrieked with delight, not bothering even to pretend to struggle.
“I will see ye soon, Lady Megan!” he called, flashing her a quick grin, and set off at a brisk trot toward the dancing platform, where other men and a few women of all different ages were already gathering.
Megan folded her arms, biting back a smile.
“Well,” she mumbled aloud, “I think it’s fair to say that there’s a good reason for Alaina’s strong opinions on love.”
It wasn’tlove, though. Not proper love. Surely it was just infatuation, or something that Ma used to call “young love”.
But then,Megan thought, her face creasing into a frown,how would I ken? I’ve never experienced either.
Hamish seemed to be a decent young man, bright-eyed, enthusiastic, and probably pretty good-looking to a girl of Alaina’s age. She supposed that they were awkward around each other in the Keep, and only out here, away from Ryder’s ever-present glare, could they be themselves.
Would Ryder approve of Hamish? Almost certainly not.
I should say somethin’ to her,Megan thought, with a flutter of regret.I willnae betray her, of course, but this cannae last. It cannae!
She wouldn’t say anything now, though. The music began, and the dancers started to skip around the platform, their heels drumming on the wooden boards to create an echoing sound like thunder. Alaina stood a little way away, her back turned to Megan, her attention fixed solely on Hamish.
I’ll say somethin’, but nae now. Nae today, Megan decided.
Then somebody cleared their throat right next to her ear. Before she could react in any way, a low, menacing voice spoke.
“And what in God’s name do ye think ye are doin’ out here, me sweet wee bride?”
CHAPTER 16
In hindsight,Ryder thought that he was pretty lucky not to have received an elbow in the gut or perhaps a fist to the nose. He wasn’t sure what had prompted him to sneak up on her that way.
It was too late now, of course. Megan’s entire body tensed, and he heard her suck in a breath.
She took a step forward, turning to face him, and there was a plain wariness on her face.
She bloody should be wary,he thought, with a burst of anger.
“Didnae expect to see me here, did ye?” Ryder said after a moment. He flashed a grim smile, which she did not return.
“Nay,” Megan said at last. “I didnae.”
“I heard word that there was movement in the Keep,” he said grimly, even though she hadn’t asked. “I heard that there was a wee bit of to-ing and fro-ing. Imagine me horror when, after havin’ gone to check on me sisters, I found two of the guards insensible outside of Alaina’s door. Nae drunk, mind ye,drugged. I forgot the name of the herb that was used to drug them. It gave them a very nice sleep, apparently.”
Megan went red. “I didnae drug the guards!”
He rolled his eyes. “If I thought that ye were behind me sister sneaking out of the Keep, ye would have woken unconscious in the dungeon, I can promise ye that.”
She reddened further and glanced away.
Ryder wondered briefly if he really had meant that.Wouldhe have thrown her into the dungeon?
He’d spotted Alaina first, before he approached Megan. Alaina was standing by the dancers, clapping and laughing. She looked happy and safe, and so Ryder hadnotwithdrawn his sword and plunged, point-first, into the crowd to find her. She was safe for now, so he could rein in his panic and fury and concentrate on finding answers.
“I saw her sneakin’ out,” Megan confessed, meeting his eye and holding it, “and I thought it best to follow her instead of lettin’ her disappear.”
“And ye never thought to inform me before she left?”
“There wasnae time. And besides, I thought I was meant to be helpin’ her trust me.”
