“As ye wish,” he murmured.
Half an hour later, Keira sat behind Jasper, her thoughts a tumultuous storm of relief and apprehension. Jasper had been quiet most of the ride, but now he whispered, “If ye want me to kill him, lass, just say the word.”
“That sounds tempting, but no. Thank you, Jasper,” Keira whispered back and then gave a bitter laugh that earned her a curious look from Raphael. That was the only time he looked at her. She knew, because her eyes occasionally stole glances at him as he rode alongside her.
The distance between them, despite their close proximity, weighed on her heart. She wanted to break the silence, to express the depth of her gratitude, but an unspoken understanding seemed to keep her words at bay. It was far too late to say anything now. The matter was settled. All they had to do now was tell everyone when they returned to the castle.
The path ahead seemed to stretch on endlessly, illuminated by the moonlight, and as the castle drew nearer, the weight of their shared experience remained palpable. But, that was all she was left with. Stolen moments and an adventure much different than the one she had hoped for when she had first met him. At least, it might make it easier to forget. To leave him behind and—
Who was she trying to fool? It was her heart that she would leave behind. And Raphael could do whatever he wanted with the pieces, for she knew she would never see him again.
With Jasper and Dallas gone to the stables to feed the horses, Raphael led Keira into the castle, towards the drawing room, where their families were waiting. There was no more music from the cèilidh. The guests who remained in the castle had already retired to their chambers, while those who had come with their carriages had left a long time ago.
As they entered the drawing room, the atmosphere was charged with tension and concern. All eyes were on them, with Keira’s parents shocked to see them. The whole room seemed to rightenwith the weight of the unspoken fears gripping their hearts. But the moment their eyes fell upon Keira, relief washed over them.
Tears welled up in the eyes of both mothers, and the Duchess held her daughter close. It seemed that the worry and anxiety that had plagued her heart had melted away in the warmth of their embrace.
Even the Duke, a usually stern man, had his countenance softened by a smile of relief as the family basked in the happiness of their daughter’s safe return. Then, the man turned his attention to Raphael.
“Will someone offer some sort of an explanation for what happened?” he demanded, back to his stern self. “You claimed that our daughter was safe here, and now look at this! She had been taken from your own home!”
It didn’t escape Raphael’s attention that the man had not assumed even for a single moment that Keira had left on her own. After all, it had happened once. No, it was his fault immediately. But he didn’t say anything because itwashis fault. Keira had been taken because of his past debts that were not settled.
“Ye’re right—” Raphael started, but Keira suddenly interrupted him.
“Raphael does not owe anyone any explanations,” she snapped.
Raphael couldn’t believe that after everything that had happened, she was still defending him. His heart ached so much it clenched inside his chest. He wanted nothing more than to throw all caution to the wind and admit that he loved this little lass more than he could ever describe in mere words.
But the danger was still there, looming over him, and that meant it was looming over her as well. She had almost died once. He couldn’t allow her to find herself in such a situation ever again. Not because of him.
“What do you mean?” Her father’s eyes were wide and incredulous.
“None of this is his fault,” she continued. “And as such, there is nothing for him to explain. I am the one who should be explaining things, and I don’t want to stay here in Scotland anymore. I… I miss London too much. I would never be able to live here, in the middle of nowhere. It simply isn’t me. I don’t know why I thought it would ever be possible.”
Her father was still frowning. “You cannot just keep changing your mind like that, Keira.” The tone of his voice was becoming increasingly more agitated. “There is the question of your reputation—of your courtship.”
“I know,” she replied hastily. “I’m sure that word of this might not even reach London, or if it does, perhaps I can soften it somehow. In any case, there has to be someone back in London who will want me as his wife, despite my reputation. Perhaps I could even get Edward to forgive me and take me back.”
Take me back.
The words echoed in Raphael’s mind like a million little daggers, all pinning him and pricking him at the same time, causing horrible pain. He didn’t want her to go back to anyone other than him. But he bit his tongue so he would keep quiet. He had to keep reminding himself that this was for the best. All he wanted was for her to be happy and safe. His own happiness was irrelevant.
“Well…” The Duchess gently placed her hand on her husband’s upper arm. This was obviously her way of softening the situation and regaining control over everyone. “If this is truly how you feel, darling…”
“Yes.” Keira nodded without hesitation.
“In that case, we shall all return home,” her mother affirmed.
“Tomorrow morning,” Keira informed them.
“Well, we’d need to pack and ready the carriage—” her mother said, but she was not allowed to finish her thought.
“Tomorrow morning, Mother.” Keira was adamant. “I see no reason to linger here any longer than we already have.”
Raphael was hurt beyond words. And all the while, she refused to look at him, to even acknowledge that he was here. He was grinding his teeth angrily, helpless to do or say anything, whileall he wanted to do was grab her by the shoulders and force her to stay because this was where she belonged. Here, with him.
“All right,” her mother finally acquiesced.
