away from her. As she stared at him, aghast, he held his hands up as if in mute apology.
Those scars, so pale and faded, seemed to stand out against his skin in a stark reminder of who he really was and all that
had ever happened between them.
“I told you that you should stay in your chamber,” he said hoarsely.
Caroline nodded. She couldn’t find her voice to answer him, and what was there to say? This place was making her truly mad.
“Come with me; I’ll take you back to the house,” he said. He turned away from her toward the cave’s entrance, drawing his
shirt back into place. But she knew the scars were still there, always.
“It’s still raining,” she said.
He glanced back at her over his shoulder. That old mask was back in place, the passion, anger, and confusion hidden behind
cold blankness.
Caroline had to learn to hide her turbulent emotions as well. Who knew how long she would have to stay on this island with
him?
“Do you really want to stay here in this cave?” he said.
For one crazy instant, she
did
want to stay there. She wanted to drag him back into her arms and make him kiss her again, so she could see if those emotions
were real. To see if she, the Dowager Lady Hartley, could actually feel that way. But then she wasn’t sure if she really wanted
to feel that way at all. It was too foreign, too frightening.
She had to retreat and do what she did best—study the problem and come to a rational solution.
“No,” she said. “I want to go back to the house.”
“Very sensible.” Grant held out his hand to her. “Stay close to me. The path can be rather treacherous.”
Just like everything else on this island, Caroline thought.
Chapter Seven
G rant held on to Caroline’s hand as they made their way down the path, but he did not glance back at her. He felt like Orpheus,
allowed to take his love Euridice out of the underworld and back to life as long as he didn’t look at her until they emerged
into the sun.
Yet Orpheus had been weak and given in to temptation, just as Grant had when he kissed Caroline. Orpheus watched as Euridice,
and all his hopes and dreams, faded back into oblivion. Grant didn’t even remember if he had hopes and dreams. None that didn’t
involve ambition or revenge anyway. Long ago, in those few moments he spent with Caroline, he could feel the soft, bright
warmth of her youthful enthusiasm and her joy in his books. For an instant then, he had glimpsed what it must be like to feel
free and to find true, pure pleasure in the world.
All that vanished in a flash, and he was left only with the tantalizing wisp of a memory. And with the knowledge that he had
hurt one more person—the last person he ever wanted to see wounded.
Like Orpheus, Grant couldn’t help but glance back atCaroline. She had drawn her wet shawl up over her head in a futile attempt to keep some of the rain away. Her dark hair clung
to her shoulders and across her forehead, and her face was so pale that a few golden freckles stood out across her nose. She
looked back at him steadily, her large brown eyes calm.
Her lips were ripe and red, as if crushed by his kisses. He could still taste the sweetness of her, feel how soft and yielding
her mouth was under his. She was so startled and eager when they touched, and she wrapped her legs around him to pull him
close, as if she had imagined such a moment just as he had.
He couldn’t lose control like that ever again. He had hurt her once, and that was enough.
“Not far now,” he shouted over the roar of the wind and rain. It battered against the rock cliffs and whipped at the ocean
far below. No boats could put in there for a few days yet, until the storm subsided and the waters calmed. Caroline was trapped
on Muirin Inish, and he was trapped with his lust for her.
Caroline nodded, and her fingers tightened on his. She glanced uncertainly down over the ledge of their narrow path. Surely
there was
Those scars, so pale and faded, seemed to stand out against his skin in a stark reminder of who he really was and all that
had ever happened between them.
“I told you that you should stay in your chamber,” he said hoarsely.
Caroline nodded. She couldn’t find her voice to answer him, and what was there to say? This place was making her truly mad.
“Come with me; I’ll take you back to the house,” he said. He turned away from her toward the cave’s entrance, drawing his
shirt back into place. But she knew the scars were still there, always.
“It’s still raining,” she said.
He glanced back at her over his shoulder. That old mask was back in place, the passion, anger, and confusion hidden behind
cold blankness.
Caroline had to learn to hide her turbulent emotions as well. Who knew how long she would have to stay on this island with
him?
“Do you really want to stay here in this cave?” he said.
For one crazy instant, she
did
want to stay there. She wanted to drag him back into her arms and make him kiss her again, so she could see if those emotions
were real. To see if she, the Dowager Lady Hartley, could actually feel that way. But then she wasn’t sure if she really wanted
to feel that way at all. It was too foreign, too frightening.
She had to retreat and do what she did best—study the problem and come to a rational solution.
“No,” she said. “I want to go back to the house.”
“Very sensible.” Grant held out his hand to her. “Stay close to me. The path can be rather treacherous.”
Just like everything else on this island, Caroline thought.
Chapter Seven
G rant held on to Caroline’s hand as they made their way down the path, but he did not glance back at her. He felt like Orpheus,
allowed to take his love Euridice out of the underworld and back to life as long as he didn’t look at her until they emerged
into the sun.
Yet Orpheus had been weak and given in to temptation, just as Grant had when he kissed Caroline. Orpheus watched as Euridice,
and all his hopes and dreams, faded back into oblivion. Grant didn’t even remember if he had hopes and dreams. None that didn’t
involve ambition or revenge anyway. Long ago, in those few moments he spent with Caroline, he could feel the soft, bright
warmth of her youthful enthusiasm and her joy in his books. For an instant then, he had glimpsed what it must be like to feel
free and to find true, pure pleasure in the world.
All that vanished in a flash, and he was left only with the tantalizing wisp of a memory. And with the knowledge that he had
hurt one more person—the last person he ever wanted to see wounded.
Like Orpheus, Grant couldn’t help but glance back atCaroline. She had drawn her wet shawl up over her head in a futile attempt to keep some of the rain away. Her dark hair clung
to her shoulders and across her forehead, and her face was so pale that a few golden freckles stood out across her nose. She
looked back at him steadily, her large brown eyes calm.
Her lips were ripe and red, as if crushed by his kisses. He could still taste the sweetness of her, feel how soft and yielding
her mouth was under his. She was so startled and eager when they touched, and she wrapped her legs around him to pull him
close, as if she had imagined such a moment just as he had.
He couldn’t lose control like that ever again. He had hurt her once, and that was enough.
“Not far now,” he shouted over the roar of the wind and rain. It battered against the rock cliffs and whipped at the ocean
far below. No boats could put in there for a few days yet, until the storm subsided and the waters calmed. Caroline was trapped
on Muirin Inish, and he was trapped with his lust for her.
Caroline nodded, and her fingers tightened on his. She glanced uncertainly down over the ledge of their narrow path. Surely
there was
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