simply that he’d grown so conceited he couldn’t believe any woman wouldn’t find him attractive? That wasn’t amusing at all.
“My lord?”
He’d been staring at her for far too long. He motioned for her to get behind him. “I’ll go first.”
“Naturally.”
He stepped into the blackness, shielding his candle with his hand against the breeze. The passageway appeared to have been hewn out of rock and sloped down rapidly. The floor was littered with seashells and pebbles that caught the candlelight and crunched under his booted feet.
He held the candle high. “Do you want to take my hand?”
“I’d rather you use it to find your way, sir.”
He placed his free hand on the wall and took a step forward. “Be careful, it is rather steep.”
It was also barely high enough for him to navigate without crouching. At certain points, he had to duck his head to avoid a low hanging rock. He glanced behind him. Miss Pelly didn’t have the same problem, being much shorter than him, but she was shivering so hard her teeth were chattering.
“Do you want my coat?”
“Not at the moment, it would impede my progress.”
“Let me know if you change your mind.”
“We should be near the end of the tunnel soon. I can hear the sea quite clearly.”
So could he, the regular pounding of waves hitting the rocky shoreline. The walls were becoming slimy and difficult to find a handhold on. He almost slipped when his foot hit a large slab of flat rock. As he struggled to right himself, the candle went out.
“Devil take it! Are you all right, Miss Pelly?”
“I’m right behind you.”
“Good, stay there until our eyes adjust to the light and we can see what lies ahead.”
He went to move forward and she grabbed his sleeve. “Be careful, the tide must be high. If we are just above the caves, they might be flooded.”
Ian carefully moved forward, stretched out one booted foot, and encountered nothing. With a curse, he knelt down on the damp rock and strained to see what lay below. Water lapped at his fingers as he gripped tightly to the ledge.
“One has to assume you are right and that the caves below us are full of water.” He carefully retreated and stood up. “We’re stranded here until the tide goes out. That shouldn’t be long now, should it?”
“I’m not so sure about that.” She gulped in a hasty breath. “By my reckoning, we could be trapped here for hours.”
5
“You cannot be serious, Miss Pelly?”
Faith grabbed hold of the earl’s arm. “Of course I am, why would I lie? Do you think I want to drown? If I remember correctly, the lower levels of the caves at the shoreline flood completely at high tide. If we keep moving downward, we’ll eventually meet the incoming sea and be swept out into the cove.”
“Why didn’t you think to mention this before we started down the passageway?”
She prayed he couldn’t see her face too clearly. “I . . . forgot.”
That wasn’t the truth. As she’d followed him down toward the sea, she’d found herself hoping that they wouldn’t be able to get out, that he’d have to stop and hold her and comfort her and—
“Miss Pelly, you are one of the most intelligent women I have ever met. I doubt you forget anything .”
She produced a trembling sigh and put her hand on his chest. “I do when I’m afraid.”
His arm immediately closed around her and drew her even closer. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep you safe.”
She smiled against his chest as he kissed the top of her head. Sometimes men were so delightfully predictable. “I’m so cold. Could we stay here a moment and get warm?”
“We could return to the cellar. It’s probably a little cozier up there.”
“And be caught by my father?” She wrapped her hand around his neck. “If we stay here, we can wait for the tide to go out, and continue on our way.”
“What time will that happen?”
“About four in the morning, I think.” It would probably be closer to two, but she
“My lord?”
He’d been staring at her for far too long. He motioned for her to get behind him. “I’ll go first.”
“Naturally.”
He stepped into the blackness, shielding his candle with his hand against the breeze. The passageway appeared to have been hewn out of rock and sloped down rapidly. The floor was littered with seashells and pebbles that caught the candlelight and crunched under his booted feet.
He held the candle high. “Do you want to take my hand?”
“I’d rather you use it to find your way, sir.”
He placed his free hand on the wall and took a step forward. “Be careful, it is rather steep.”
It was also barely high enough for him to navigate without crouching. At certain points, he had to duck his head to avoid a low hanging rock. He glanced behind him. Miss Pelly didn’t have the same problem, being much shorter than him, but she was shivering so hard her teeth were chattering.
“Do you want my coat?”
“Not at the moment, it would impede my progress.”
“Let me know if you change your mind.”
“We should be near the end of the tunnel soon. I can hear the sea quite clearly.”
So could he, the regular pounding of waves hitting the rocky shoreline. The walls were becoming slimy and difficult to find a handhold on. He almost slipped when his foot hit a large slab of flat rock. As he struggled to right himself, the candle went out.
“Devil take it! Are you all right, Miss Pelly?”
“I’m right behind you.”
“Good, stay there until our eyes adjust to the light and we can see what lies ahead.”
He went to move forward and she grabbed his sleeve. “Be careful, the tide must be high. If we are just above the caves, they might be flooded.”
Ian carefully moved forward, stretched out one booted foot, and encountered nothing. With a curse, he knelt down on the damp rock and strained to see what lay below. Water lapped at his fingers as he gripped tightly to the ledge.
“One has to assume you are right and that the caves below us are full of water.” He carefully retreated and stood up. “We’re stranded here until the tide goes out. That shouldn’t be long now, should it?”
“I’m not so sure about that.” She gulped in a hasty breath. “By my reckoning, we could be trapped here for hours.”
5
“You cannot be serious, Miss Pelly?”
Faith grabbed hold of the earl’s arm. “Of course I am, why would I lie? Do you think I want to drown? If I remember correctly, the lower levels of the caves at the shoreline flood completely at high tide. If we keep moving downward, we’ll eventually meet the incoming sea and be swept out into the cove.”
“Why didn’t you think to mention this before we started down the passageway?”
She prayed he couldn’t see her face too clearly. “I . . . forgot.”
That wasn’t the truth. As she’d followed him down toward the sea, she’d found herself hoping that they wouldn’t be able to get out, that he’d have to stop and hold her and comfort her and—
“Miss Pelly, you are one of the most intelligent women I have ever met. I doubt you forget anything .”
She produced a trembling sigh and put her hand on his chest. “I do when I’m afraid.”
His arm immediately closed around her and drew her even closer. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep you safe.”
She smiled against his chest as he kissed the top of her head. Sometimes men were so delightfully predictable. “I’m so cold. Could we stay here a moment and get warm?”
“We could return to the cellar. It’s probably a little cozier up there.”
“And be caught by my father?” She wrapped her hand around his neck. “If we stay here, we can wait for the tide to go out, and continue on our way.”
“What time will that happen?”
“About four in the morning, I think.” It would probably be closer to two, but she
Similar Books
