Page 83 of Christmas at Castle Dunrannoch
She still hadn’t quite forgiven him, but he’d told Arabella he loved her. That they loved each other, actually.
He’d said it without a moment’s thought, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
That must mean he believed it.
He’d defended her honour as well—telling that madwoman that she wasn’t a floozy.
“You don’t just want to marry me because I might already be having your baby?” It felt strange to ask when she wouldn’t be able to see the expression on his face. How would she know if his answer was truthful? Would she be able to tell from his voice alone?
“Don’t you know yet?” His hand came to her cheek. “I don’t want to marry you because of what we did, or because you might have conceived. I want to marry you because I can’t imagine you not being here. Now I’ve found you, I don’t want you to go away. I want you here with me, Ursula, always.”
She smiled. “If I’m going to die, I suppose I might as well die engaged.”
She couldn’t see it, but she knew that Rye was smiling.
He slid the ring right onto her finger. “That’s the spirit.”
When the woodenlid slid back and lantern light filled the opening, it seemed so bright that Rye could hardly bear to look.
Cameron called both their names.
“By all that’s holy, I’m glad to see you.” Shielding his eyes, Rye waved his hand.
“She’s gone off her rocker!” Cameron’s voice was shaking. “I’d no idea, I swear, but she told me everything—including that she’d shut you in here.”
Rye reached down to pull Ursula to her feet. “Get that rope ladder down here, buddy. It’s been a helluva party, but I’m ready to call it a night. Get us out of here, and you can tell us everything.”
“To think that, for a while, I thought I might be in love with her.” Cameron could barely bring himself to look Rye, or Ursula, in the face. “I’ve been trying to break it off for months.”
“We all make mistakes.” Climbing out behind Ursula, Rye resisted the temptation to slap Cameron’s injured shoulder. “But didn’t the others get curious about where we’d gone?”
“Your grandfather was convinced that Arabella’s story was true—that you two had gone off to… you know.” Cameron gave an apologetic shrug, then winced, clutching his shoulder. “He said you and he had had a long talk earlier in the day and you’d told him you were going to ask Miss Abernathy to marry you. It all added up. It was only when we were sending the last guests to bed that Arabella pounced on me. She was so excited, telling me how she’d planned everything, starting with killing Brodie.” He shuddered and passed his hand over his face.
Rye had to admit, Cameron looked as sick about it as Rye felt. But had only a few hours passed? It felt as if they’d been in that hole for days.
“Where is she now?” Rye had to know.
“I left her sobbing in her room. I made it clear that anything between us was over. She’s in a bad way.” Cameron gave Rye a pleading look. “I’m not sure what she’ll do next—whether she’ll hurt herself.”
Rye turned to Ursula. “We’ll get you something warm to drink and I’ll light the fire in your room, then I’ll go with Cameron. It’s too much for him to deal with on his own. We may have to lock Arabella in, until we work out how to handle this.”
“There’s no time for that.” Ursula squeezed Rye’s hand. “We need to see Arabella first. She’s a danger to more than herself. We can’t leave her on the loose.”
“That’s my little bear.” Rye dropped a kiss on Ursula’s forehead.
“Follow me,” said Ursula. “It’s quickest to take the servants’ stairs.”
As they turnedonto the corridor in which Arabella’s bedchamber was sited, they were in time to see her emerging from the room.
“You!” She screeched at Cameron. “Betrayer! After all I did for you.”
“Arabella, calm down. We can talk this through.” Cameron inched along the passageway.
“There’s nothing to talk about, you weasel! I don’t know what I ever saw in you.”
“Come back! Arabella!” Cameron called out, but it was too late.
Lifting her skirts, Lady Balmore ran in the opposite direction.
