What was he to do about her?
Kindness? He was in love with her, and his heart was aching with the knowledge he had almost lost her.
But he was also furious.
Her shoulders slumped and she lowered her head, about to cry again.
“Blast it, Heather. What is wrong now?”
“How are we to avoid tongues wagging when we walk in looking like two shipwreck victims?”
He did not know and did not care. He could walk into his home stark naked while talking gibberish and all would beoverlooked because he was a duke. But Heather’s reputation would be lost, he supposed. Especially with her gown clinging to her every luscious curve.
This girl had a body that could stop a man’s heart…or make it speed up to the point of bursting.
She was slender and delicate, and obviously too drained from her near-death escape to make it up the stairs. They had not climbed more than five steps before she faltered.
“Heather,” he grumbled, and hoisted her over his shoulder as a farmer might hoist a sack of grain. It was not in any way romantic, but his arms were numb and he would drop her if he had to carry her in his arms as though he were a gallant lover.
She ought to be grateful he had her slung over his shoulder.
“What are you doing?” She tugged lightly on his hair. “Your Grace, put me down. We’ll be seen by your guests!”
“I am not putting you down,” he muttered, tightening his hold on her. “Of all the stupid, thoughtless—”
“I thought you said you weren’t angry.”
“I lied. We were about to die, and I did not want our last words to each other to be filled with ire and resentment. But we’ve made it out alive. I am so furious with you right now, I want to wring your little elf neck. What were you thinking? Did I not tell you to keep away from the caves? Not five minutes later, you are running toward them.”
“She came to me on the beach! I asked her questions, but we were only seated on the sand. I did not go anywhere near the caves.”
“Then how did you end up in one of them? Were you magically transported?”
“Something like that.” She tugged on his hair again. “Will you put me down? I am not a sack of grain to haul over your shoulder. I would rather not have you talking to my backside.”
“And I would rather not have you soaking wet and almost drowned.” Although he did not mind the soaking-wet part so much, since her body was exquisite. It was the fact she had almost drowned that had him seething. “Why were you at the caves?”
“Bella became angry with me, and…I did not realize ghosts had this power, but she pulled me into them.”
“Pulled you in?”
“Yes, as though she had a rope attached to my soul. Then her eyes turned a horrid shade of black, as dark as obsidian or onyx.”
“For pity’s sake.” He shifted her more securely over his shoulder as she struggled to free herself. “We are both going to fall if you do not stop wriggling, and I shall likely land atop you. I have no wish to squash you.”
“Just let me go.”
“So you can run back to your ghost and ask her more questions?”
“No! I’ve learned my lesson. I dare not go near her again. Besides, I gave you my word.”
“And you expect me to trust it now? Oh, hell. Do not start crying again.”
“I never meant to break my promise.”
“But you did.”
“I know, and I shall be eternally ashamed of it. But I learned something very important. Bella did not go into the caves alone.”
