Page 28 of Bride Under Contract

Heard his silence.

‘I’ll leave you in peace.’ She started to walk off.

‘There’s no peace to be had here.’

Grace paused and, given what she’d found out today, she understood why he felt that way.

‘Someone on the tour said something about...’ She took a breath and made herself ask. ‘Was it your family who were attacked?’

‘Yes.’

‘I’m so sorry.’

‘It was a very long time ago.’

‘Even so...’ It was too dark to read his features, but he must have seen her eyes move to his scar. ‘Felicity said...’

‘There are a lot of rumours. None of them true. I was there, and even I don’t know what happened.’

She waited, but he didn’t elaborate or tell her what that meant.

Even the thought of him having been there made her shiver. She doubted he’d appreciate knowing that, so she quickly blamed her shudder on the dark night.

‘I feel as if a hundred pairs of eyes are watching me.’

‘Thousands,’ he corrected.

‘Don’t.’ She gave a nervous laugh. ‘Really?’

‘Of course.’

There was the sudden hoot of an owl and a rustle of the low bushes nearby and she moved a little closer to the other human present. Only the other human present startled her more than the jungle at night, because he placed a hand on her bare arm and the contact was electric.

‘It’s fine,’ he told her, when there was a loud crash in the trees behind them. ‘It’s just your friends the elephants.’

‘How do you know?’

‘I used to...’ He halted. ‘I used to know these things.’

They looked out into the night and listened for several moments. The silence between them was far gentler now, and his eyes were narrow, yet alert, as the noise faded into the distance.

‘Aren’t they too close?’ Grace asked. ‘I mean...’ She looked at the wooden fence that lined the boardwalk.

‘It’s their land,’ Carter said, and they both turned to lean on the fence. ‘The staff are all aware. If they get too close they’ll try to move them back. They’re quite a way away.’

He looked at her properly then. She was wearing her sarong, and it was the first time he’d seen her with her hair down. He knew he’d hurt her, and it pricked his conscience.

‘I was short with you before,’ he said. ‘I apologise.’

‘It’s fine.’

‘No.’ He shook his head. ‘You didn’t deserve it.’

Now it was Grace who turned and looked at him.

‘I can see why you don’t care what happens to your grandfather’s home, but...’ She swallowed. ‘It’s just sad to think of it changing.’

‘What did you hear?’ he asked, then guided her so that she stood in front of him.

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