Did he guess that she would follow him anywhere?
Did that make her a fool beyond compare?
Anna caught her breath, but Evangeline spared the girl a glance, as if to remind her that she stood guard over their treasure. She let her gaze flick to the kirtles, a gesture Ramsay would not understand, and Anna nodded immediately.
“As you wish, my lady,” she said, bowing her head. Evangeline considered the chamber for a moment. The door was bolted to the stables below. Anna had a full belly, a light and a pallet, which was more than a maid might expect in many finer abodes. Evangeline took off Ramsay’s cloak and surrendered it to her maid. “But, my lady, you will be cold,” Anna protested, even as she accepted the garment.
“She will not be,” Ramsay said firmly. “I grant you my word.”
What did he mean?
Evangeline could not wait to find out. Another kiss would set her blood to simmering, to be sure, and she would welcome such a salute. Perhaps she owed Ramsay a debt of gratitude for his aid this day. Perhaps whatever was due could be rendered without revealing the riches sewn into her hems.
Ramsay turned Evangeline before himself, as if they joined a dance at court, holding her hand high as she spun. The gesture delighted her with its gallantry, so whimsical in this time and place, and she laughed, watching his smile broaden with satisfaction. He led her toward a staircase she had not discerned before. It was built into the far wall and shadowed, but evidence that there was another floor to this tower.
She supposed he meant to show her a view, and truly, she would like to see the land around this refuge. It would give her a notion of where they were and how she might flee, perhaps even reveal a path to Kinfairlie or salvation.
She hoped he meant to steal another kiss, perhaps a more leisurely one, and could not imagine a better way to banish the chill that lingered.
When they reached the stairs, Ramsay took the side toward the room, keeping her between himself and the stone wall. His protective gesture warmed her heart, though she was sure-footed beyond all. She felt his hand land upon the back of her waist and caught her breath, keenly aware of his proximity. Something about the shadowy light made him seem more dangerous and his touch more intimate.
She tingled.
Aye, she could smell his skin, a warm musky scent that made her toes curl in her boots and a restlessness stir in her belly. His steps were sure as he guided her up the stairs and she was surprised to see that the roof was open to the sky overhead. There was a corridor at the summit but the roof had been torn away or never built. Ramsay urged her onward, pausing to tip his head back and stare at the night sky.
Evangeline studied him for a long moment, appreciating his handsome profile, before echoing his gesture. The stars shone overhead in all their splendor. The walls were intact and rose high above their heads, so Evangeline could not feel the wind. The roof of the keep might have been a window, granting a view of the heavens, while the ruins offered unexpected shelter. She was awed, but strove to hide how she was affected less he think her sheltered or innocent beyond all.
“What a blessing that it is not raining,” she said.
Ramsay chuckled, a sound she felt against her side. “’Tis not so fearsome as that even when it does rain,” he said in a low rumble, then guided her along the corridor. Her heart was skipping but she could not turn back without knowing his intention. There was a vacant doorway, with starlight spilling through the broken roof into the room there, then a wooden door a little further down the corridor. Ramsay opened that door with a flourish, revealing a chamber so dark that it had to possess a roof.
At his touch, Evangeline waited at the threshold as he vanished into the darkness. She heard a flint again and saw the flare of light as he lit a candle. Two more were lit and the chamber was bathed in a welcoming golden light.
“You might have done that before we climbed the stairs,” she said.
“I like to see the stars,” he murmured and Evangeline dared not look upon him when his voice was so husky.
His gesture said even more than his words. He had brought her to his refuge, which meant he trusted her fully. There was a pile of straw pallets in one corner, furs and robes cast over them so that they resembled a fine bed. Another hide hung on the wall, likely covering a window, and the floor was swept clean. Several saddlebags were on the floor against one wall, along with a pitcher and bowl. Evangeline’s overall impression was of a tidy resting place.
“You have claimed this chamber for your own,” she guessed and Ramsay smiled. He was watching her, his arms folded across his chest.
“’Tis the best room in the keep,” he said with a lift of his dark brow.
“And you claim it as leader of the robber band?”
He laughed. “I do. Better yet, I invite you to share its comforts on this night, my lady.” He stepped past her and dropped the latch on the door, a sound that made Evangeline tremble in anticipation of something she could not name. It seemed both perilous to be here in the shadows with Ramsay and wonderfully thrilling.
“You have a plan,” she accused and his smile flashed again.
“I do,” he acknowledged readily.
He came to stand beside her, his heat making her yearn to lean against him. He claimed a tendril of her hair, holding her gaze as he wound it around his finger ever so slowly. Evangeline stared into his eyes and felt that she could not take a breath. Everything about this moment was forbidden. Every detail was perilous.
And yet, she adored it. She could not step away. She did not wish to step away.
Ramsay kissed the curl and relinquished it, then claimed one hand and entwined their fingers, lifting hers so that he could kiss her knuckles. She watched him, intrigued, her heart leaping when he spoke with low intensity.
“I pledge myself to you, my lady Evangeline Armstrong of Inverfyre, with my body, mind and spirit. I swear that I will defend you and cherish you with my all, until death us do part,” he said solemnly, each word making her heart thrum with delight. He met her gaze and nodded, and she understood.
