The words did not come easy to him, for he wished it had been anyone other than Colby Green who’d been visiting him at the time of the attempt on Meredith. All the same, there was no denying that he’d appreciated the man’s help in his search.
Colby had followed Ryder unquestioningly, assuring him that he would do everything in his power to help him find the man who’d tried to take Meredith from him. Ryder was a proud man, but when it came to his wife, he was not too proud to accept help in bringing anyone who hurt her to justice — and he didn’t particularly care where that help came from, either.
“Nae need to thank me,” Colby assured him now as they rode side by side through the darkening night. “I’m at yer service, Ryder. Me and as many o’ me men as ye need. Ye only have to ask.”
“I’m grateful for it,” Ryder said again, the words barely registering with him, so consumed was he with thoughts of Meredith and the need for vengeance upon whoever had tried to take her from him.
Meredith was his priority now. And, despite his rude treatment of him the first time he and Meredith had met - treatment that Ryder now deeply regretted - Colby was here now offering Ryder his assistance in the one matter that was of the utmost importance to him — assistance which Ryder could not afford to turn down.
“I thank ye,” he said now, turning to him. “I will track him down, no matter how long it takes me. I can promise ye that.”
“Indeed, I daenae doubt it.” Colby’s voice was smooth in the darkness, his manner completely at ease. “But may I suggest ye track him down in the daylight rather than the pitch dark? Ye’ll have a much better chance o’ actually finding him then.”
Ryder did not want to give up now. It was not in his nature. But as he struggled even to see his horse’s ears in front of him, let alone Colby, who rode alongside him, he was forced to concede that the other man had a point.
“We will return home for now,” he said grudgingly. “But I will be out here again at first light — before it, even.”
“And I’ll be right here, beside ye,” Colby assured him. “We’ll find him, Ryder. I’m sure o’ it. But will have a better chance of doing it with full stomachs and a good night’s sleep. Trust me on that.”
And, with that, the two men turned their horses around and headed for home.
* * *
Back at Millar Castle, all was calm. In fact, as Ryder rode into the courtyard and handed his horse’s reins to the stable boy who came running out to meet him, it was hard to imagine anything had been amiss.
Despite the lateness of the hour, everyone was still awake. Meredith and Melissa huddled by the fire with their mother, who appeared reluctant to leave their sides.
“I wouldnae be surprised if she tries to follow me to me bedchamber,” said Melissa, who had apparently recovered from her ordeal of earlier, and was now thoroughly enjoying the attention she’d been receiving as she recounted her story to anyone who’d listen, her own bravery becoming more exaggerated with each re-telling.
“She even insisted on telling the maid who brought in our dinner,” Felix said, grinning shyly at Ryder. “The poor lass dinnae ken what to say! I wish ye’d let me come with ye, Ryder,” the boy continued eagerly. “By the time I heard the commotion, ye’d already left.”
“There was nothing ye could’ve done,” Ryder said, dropping exhausted into his usual seat by the fire. “We searched for hours, but we dinnae see hide nor hair o’ him. Ye may join us tomorrow, though. We’ll be startin’ the search at first light, and we’ll need as many men as we can muster.”
“Is that really necessary?” Meredith said, crossing the room to sit next to him, the shadows under her eyes making them look even larger than usual against the paleness of her skin. “Whoever it was must be long gone by now. I’d rather ye stayed close by, Ryder, rather than riding out in search of him. I daenae want ye putting yerself in danger.”
“The only danger is to ye,” Ryder told her, his voice sounding harsher than he’d intended. “There now,” he reached for her, attempting to soothe her. “I daenae mean to scare ye, lass. I’m just worried that he’ll come back, whoever he was. And I mean to be prepared if he does, so I danenae want ye to leave the castle until we’ve found him. There’ll be a guard with ye at all times. And yer sister and parents, too.”
Meredith stared up at him, her eyes wide.
“Not leave the castle?” she said, astonished. “But, Ryder, I cannae stay here all the time, I’ll go mad! Surely if ye stay beside me, I can go about me business as usual. Nobody would dare come near me then.”
“I cannae be with ye all the time, lass,” Ryder said softly. “I wish I could. But I must resume the search. We have to get to the bottom of this to find out if the person who tried to take ye is the same one who burnt down yer family’s castle.”
There was a loud gasp from Melissa, who sat upright in her seat, shocked.
Ryder cursed silently under his breath. He had not intended to blurt out his thoughts in front of them all, but it was too late. The damage was done, and perhaps it was just as well that they all knew what they were dealing with.
“I’m sorry, Meredith,” he said, turning to his wife. “But it’s better she ken. It’s better ye all ken,” he added, looking around the room. A row of white, terrified faces stared back at him.
“I think we’re all in real danger,” he said bluntly, seeing no point in softening his words. “I daenae ken where it’s come from or who’s behind it, but I promise ye, I mean to find out. And until then, I think it’s for the best if ye all stay safe in the castle. Meredith in particular. Please, Meredith,” he said, his voice breaking as he turned to look at her. “Do it for me. Because if I lose ye now, I think I’ll lose me mind along with ye.”
There was a moment’s silence, then he felt Meredith’s small hand slip into his, squeezing it reassuringly.
“Well,” she said briskly, with a confidence she did not feel. “I think me and Melissa have proved that we’re more than able to look after ourselves.” She paused as Melissa grinned in her direction. “But, of course, Ryder, we’ll do as ye ask. I wouldnae ever want ye to have to worry about me or to make yer life difficult in any way.”
“I’ll always worry about ye,” he answered, squeezing her hand in return. “Always. And ye’ve been making me life difficult from the moment I met ye. But I will keep ye safe, Meredith. I promise ye that.”
She nodded, her eyes filled with tears. “I ken ye will,” she said simply. “I trust ye.”
It was true. But as she carried her candle up to bed that night, Ryder following close behind, as if scared that someone was about to jump from the shadows and snatch her away from him, Meredith realized that while she felt safe with him, he was perhaps not so safe with her. A thought that made her huddle into his naked back when she woke in the night, looping her arms around his body and pulling him tightly towards her.
She had thought he was already asleep, but as she pressed her face into the soft space between his neck and shoulder, inhaling the husky, masculine scent of him, she felt him respond to her touch, rolling over onto his back and pulling her firmly on top of him until she was sitting astride his body, her hands on his chest.