“Kylemore!” she screamed while the world around her turned to chaos. “Kylemore, help me!”
“I’ve got you.” He leaned back as her full weight dragged painfully on his arms. For a long moment, she swung free. Then she fell back against the rock face.
“Hold on. I’ll pull you,” he said after the worst of his paralyzing horror had passed. His muscles strained to support her and the leather creaked in protest.
Slowly, unsteadily but, thank God, surely, he hauled her upward inch by inch. A few times, ledges or hollows disintegrated under the weight of a hand or a foot, but having brought her so far, he wasn’t letting her fall now.
Finally, he hauled her over the rim. His arms and legs felt like they were on fire. He was too damned relieved to care.
With a groan, he crumpled to his knees and wrenched her into his arms.
“Never do that to me again,
” he gritted out and pressed her face into his chest with hands that shook uncontrollably.
Dear heaven, he smelled good. Warm. Alive. The special scent of Kylemore. Sobbing, Verity buried her nose in his filthy shirt and closed her eyes while reality slowly returned.
She wasn’t lying crushed and broken at the foot of the ravine. Instead, she was with Kylemore.
She tried to regret the failure of her desperate escape attempt, but all she felt was overwhelming gratitude that she hadn’t plunged to her death. Overwhelming gratitude and shaming joy to be with him. She’d thought never to see him again. The pain of leaving him had weighted every step out of the valley.
Curling her arms around him, she burrowed into his embrace. Her heart pounded with the remnants of terror, and she couldn’t dam her weak tears.
She cried in reaction to her ordeal. She also cried because she’d fought so hard and long against this surrender. Her hands clenched in the linen covering his powerful back.
In spite of all her efforts, every trial she’d endured, she was still Kylemore’s captive. As the heat of his shuddering body surrounded her, she realized she’d never be free. Even if he let her go, she was his forever.
“Shh, mo cridhe. Shh. It’s all right,” he murmured. He stroked her tangled hair, soothing her convulsive sobs. “You’re safe now. I’ve got you. Nothing’s going to hurt you.”
Except you, she whispered silently.
But even that insight couldn’t make her pull away.
She’d expected him to be furious with her, as he’d been furious in Whitby. Instead, he just offered endless comfort. She told herself his fleeting kindness meant nothing, but she couldn’t stop her aching heart opening to his every word.
She didn’t know how long they stayed like that, kneeling on the stony ground like survivors of a shipwreck. With her face pressed against his chest, she listened as gradually his heartbeat slowed.
He’d been so calm, so sure when he’d hauled her up that hillside. But now she knew he’d been terrified too.
“Your Grace?” Hamish’s question sliced into their silent communion, a communion full of gratitude and relief and emotions she’d never dare to name.
With surprise, she raised her head. She’d been so lost in Kylemore’s embrace that she hadn’t even heard the horse approach.
The older man had dismounted and stood several feet away, watching them. She couldn’t mistake the relief in his lined face.
“Och, thanks be tae the Lord. You’ve found her.”
“Yes, Hamish.”
She waited for Kylemore to say more, perhaps boast of his heroics. Only his valor, strength and cleverness had saved her.
But he merely said, “Find the others. I’ll bring madame. We can all go home.”
Home, yes. The isolated house did feel like home now. How easy everything became once she ceased to struggle against the inevitable. She could float calmly and joyfully to her doom.
Gently, Kylemore untangled himself from her and stood up. It was just another sign of her ruin that she missed his warmth the moment he left her. The world seemed a cold place when she didn’t rest in his arms.
He spoke softly from his great height down to where she knelt before him like a supplicant. “I know you’re frightened of horses, Verity. But if I take you up before me, I promise no harm will come to you.”