He slipped, slid a distance, got back on his feet and slid some more. If no’ for the boulders, they’d be rescuin’ him, as well as Deidre.
After what seemed like hours, he was finally just a couple of boulders above her. She was still huddled in the same position, but from here, he could see her shivering. She was soaked through, as was he.
“Deidre, it’s Reginald. I’ve come tae take ye back, lass.”
She stiffened, so he kenned she heard him, well enough.
“No one knows what happened in the shed. And they willnae. No’ from me. I’ve told them ’twas my fault, and no one questions it.”
He studied the narrow ledge she was on. She must have slid over the boulder, onto the shelf. He couldnae reach her wi’out doing the same, but ’twas no room for him. It barely held her, tucked up, as she was.
“We’ll need tae work together, lass, tae get ye out of there. ’Twill only be a wee bit longer. Drew is bringing some rope so we can get off these cliffs, together. ’Twill be easier than the climb down, aye?”
Mayhap if he kept talking, she’d listen to him and not let her jumbled thoughts push her to something even more foolish.
“I was hopin’ for a moment alone wi’ ye, anyway, before we join the others—who send their love, but cannae wait tae tell ye themselves.”
She tucked her head even tighter.
“Deidre. Ye’re a bonny lass. Ye must ken that. And had yer sister no’ already stolen my heart that night in the gulley, well, who knows? But what I wanted tae say is… I dinnae have the blessing of brother, or sister, though I’ve wished for both. Even though I ken there is no’ always agreement between them. But when yechoosea brother or sister—choose straight from the heart—’tis a stronger bond even, than blood. That’s the wonderous thing about chosen siblings, ye ken.”
He waited a few minutes before going on, watching for any sign of interest from her, or any sign of Drew, from above. He glanced at the sun, trying to estimate how much time had lapsed since Julia should have called him. Two hours? Three?
Pray God they’d been able to reach Drew, at all. All Reginald kenned, was he needed to keep talking, keep Deidre focused on him, and not the drop-off, below.
“Regardless of what the future holds for Lauren and me, I choose ye, Deidre, for my forever sister. I will always care for ye and watch out for ye—which I pledge, here and now, tae do for the rest of my days. Ye’re no’ required to choose me in return, o’ course. Though I’d consider it a precious gift, if ye did. Either way, my pledge stands. For life.”
Reginald noted a slight shift of her shoulders as her head came up, just a little.
He sighed, heavily enough that she couldnae miss it. “But I have tae tell ye, as a brother would, I highly disapprove of Phillip Stansbury. He is a scoundrel. A blackguard. And if ever I cross his path again, he’ll ken my full opinion of him. Ye deserve better, Deidre. I ken it, and I pray ye do, too. And if ye’ll stop sellin’ yerself short, so will everyone else.”
This time she turned her face to look at him. Even though ’twas wet from the falls, her eyes were red and puffy from an abundance of tears.
“Dinnae fash, lass, we’ll get ye out of here, and all will be well.”
Her gaze suddenly darted above his head, and he turned to see Lauren standing there, and Drew, swinging his arm in a wide arc, to release a large coil of thick rope.
Thank the stars he’d finally come.
“Watch out,” he said, as the tail of the rope—with something tied to it—bounced off a boulder several feet below them. The length trailed past him, a few feet away. “I’m going to grab the rope and try tae swing it over tae ye. If I dinnae get it close enough, I’ll try again. But doonae lean out past the ledge ye’re on. Do ye ken?”
“Yes,” she nodded, wide-eyed and shivering. “I understand.”
The first try slid off the big boulder above her and fell out of her reach. The second try laid over her, but nearer her feet. Having Deidre reach for it was too perilous on such a narrow, slick surface.
“Stay put. I’ll try again,” he instructed beginning to reel the rope in.
“No. I can get it,” she called back.
She hooked it with her foot and slowly inched it up until she could grasp it with her hand. Then she wrapped it several times, around her wrist.
“Smart lass,” Reginald called. “Now, can ye gather enough of the tail tae tie around yer waist? Be careful!” he yelled as she followed his instructions. “Doonae lean out!”
He couldnae breathe as she squirmed on the narrow ledge.
“Okay. It’s tied.”
His breath came out in a whoosh of relief. “Tight? Tie it double. Nae, triple. Be sure it’s tight.”
