Page 57 of Christmas at Castle Dunrannoch
The person standing in her doorway, having to bend to avoid the upper lintel, was none other than Rye himself.
“I’ve come to apologize.” He had the decency to look sheepish, at least. “I mean to say, there are things I should’ve mentioned.”
Ursula felt a surge of anger. She’d had enough of being told half-truths. “You shouldn’t be here. I’m only ‘staff’ but I still have a reputation. Did anyone see you come up?”
“But I’m only—” He looked confused for a moment then shook his head. “No. No one knows I’m here.”
“That’s something.” She barged past him to close the door then stood with her back to it.
Rye turned to face her. “I knew I ought to tell you, but I never could find the right moment.”
Ursula folded her arms. “I’m sure it was far too amusing, having me ranting on. Why would you want to stop me?”
“It wasn’t like that, Ursula.” He pushed his fingers through his hair. “You made me laugh, sure, but I wasn’t laughing ‘at’ you.”
The look he gave her was earnest. In her heart, she knew he was telling the truth but her pride remained wounded.
“Since I won’t be staying, it doesn’t matter.” She stepped to one side, grasping the door handle. “I took the position on a whim and it was a mistake. If there’s a cart or something to take me, I’ll depart tomorrow. Now, I think you should leave.”
“Whoa there.” In one stride, he was in front of her, his palms on her shoulders. She was brought up short, confronted by the sheer physicality of him, smelling faintly of perspiration and sandalwood—more strongly of horse and leather and peat smoke. And his hands were so warm. She remembered how it had felt to have him lie beside her through the night, how it had felt to have him hold her while they were riding.
“There’s no need for you to go anywhere. We can forget all this, can’t we? Move past it; start again?”
She didn’t know why he was making such a fuss. It couldn’t matter whether she stayed. There were enough other people to show him the things they were expecting her to teach him.
Part of her wanted to agree to anything he asked. The way he was holding onto her made it difficult to think of leaving, but she shook her head. “You weren’t completely honest with me—”
He interrupted her before she could finish. “And you’re telling me that you have been?”
“I d-don’t know what you mean.” Ursula looked upward, into eyes that told her he wasn’t fooled.
“Well, Miss Abernathy, I can’t say that I understand what’s going on here, but somethin’ doesn’t quite add up—what with you thinkin’ you were comin’ up here to teach a child.”
“A simple misunderstanding.” Ursula shrugged away from Rye’s hold. “I was distracted when the initial letter of request arrived. There’s nothing more to it.”
“Uh huh?” Rye folded his arms. “So why is it I get the feelin’ you’re running away from somethin’?”
“Running away?” Ursula frowned. “Don’t be ridiculous. I came here to do a job.”
“And what’s with the accent you’re usin’ with my grandmother?”
Ursula had no answer for that—or none she cared to share with him.
He raised one eyebrow. “Look, I’ll be honest with you. Then you can decide how honest you want to be with me.”
“If you must.” Mrs. Douglas was sending up some lunch on a tray at one o’clock. She’d just need to be sure Rye was gone before then. Meanwhile, she might as well warm up the room. Bending to the grate, she fiddled with bits of kindling, only to find him kneeling next to her.
“I promised my father and I’m determined to see it through. I’ll be learnin’ everything about the cattle ’n’ the estate. I’ll take good care of the folks that rely on this place for their livelihood and—”
“—you’ll wed as your family see fit.”
“A wife will keep me on the straight and narrow, I guess.” Rye shrugged.
And put the necessary babies in the nursery for you.Ursula snapped a twig in two, throwing it on top of the others.
“It’s not how I imagined doing things, but they’re stuck with me, and I’m not what they were expecting. I need to make a few concessions.”
“But you’ve left behind everything you grew up with to come here. Isn’t that enough?” She sat back on her heels, glaring at him. If she felt indignant about it, why didn’t he?
