Page 45 of The Wrong Bride
She let out her breath on a shaky exhale and did as he commanded. Running away would only make him chase her, and might end up worse for her.
She froze in the doorway upon finding Hugh still in his bath before the fire. His wet shoulders gleamed above the rim, his dark hair was damp and hung in waves to those broad shoulders. There was a goblet on a stool beside him, and he reached for it and took a drink, head turned to eye her.
“Close the door; there’s a draft,” he said coldly.
She did so, then leaned back against it.
“You were so curious about my bath. Come closer.”
She wanted to refuse, but found herself taking several steps. She wasn’t curious—she was afraid,she reminded herself sternly. He was like a god here, and she was his prisoner.
Luckily, the room was lit only by a few candles, and it was rather murky and soapy beneath the surface of the water. She shouldn’t be looking.
She concentrated on his face and spoke matter-of-factly. “Why are you in such a foul temper? There has to be more than your problem with your tenants and Dermot. Or do you let such a little setback bother you?”
He leaned his head back and stared at her with narrowed eyes. She should focus on that, but the hair on his chest was damp, and seemed to point downward . . .
“Alasdair had news for me tonight, but ye didn’t hear him tell me.”
She frowned. “No, I didn’t. Was it bad?”
“Seems there was some talk about ye being alone with Samuel by the loch, as if ye were meeting in secret.”
She stiffened, opened her mouth to retort, then closed it. Wasn’t this farce better than him knowing what she’d actually done? Because apparently Samuel hadn’t told him she’d tested the truth of a bodyguard.
But he was scowling at her, and she realized he thought his friend Samuel was either leading her astray or being led. She shouldn’t care if there was a rift between them, but . . . Samuel had tried tohelp her in his misguided way; she didn’t want to see him suffer.
She crossed her arms over her chest and said heatedly, “Samuel was not trying to get me alone, and believe me, I wanted no company.”
He took another swig of whisky, and when he set it down hard, some sloshed onto the stool and dripped to the floor. “Then explain, because this doesn’t make sense. Alasdair—my foster brother!—looked devilish and satisfied with himself. I couldn’t decide if he thought he was helping and taunting me at the same time, or trying to hurt me.” He lowered his frowning gaze.
She couldn’t believe he was speaking to her so intimately about his feelings, and not just about passion. He was obviously affected by drink. “You can’t be hurt by anythingIdo,” she insisted, trying to ignore the pangs of sympathy that stirred in the corner of her soul.
“Tell me what happened, woman!”
He put both hands on the rim of the tub, as if he meant to heave himself out. That was all she’d need, a naked Hugh advancing on her. Instead of running, she might fling herself on him, and then what would he think? And what would she think of herself?
“All right, all right!” she said, holding up both hands. “The only reason we were alone was because I went for a stroll, and didn’t know the groundsaround the castle are off limits to me. There are gardens there,” she added quickly, seeing him focus on her face with eyes as cold as mirrors. “Women work in gardens!”
“Ye tried to escape,” he said slowly. “Ye waited until I was gone, and ye tried to escape.”
“I’m not that stupid,” she said wearily. “I had to see if you truly have someone spying on me. And apparently you do.”
“The guards told Samuel ye’d left?”
She hesitated, then gave one quick nod.
He relaxed back in the tub and raked her with a baffled stare. “Where did ye think ye’d go, you a woman all alone?”
“I told you I didn’t try to escape. But if I had, where do youthinkI’d go?” she countered with sarcasm.
“To your father’s castle.”
“To myuncle’scastle.”
“Are ye not tired of lying, lass?”
She wanted to yell to the rooftops, but kept her voice calm. “I am not lying.”
