Chapter Ten
Li-Na’s breath wasshort, and it had nothing to do with the climb.
She’d almost kissed him! He was so handsome there beside her as the setting sun stroked his face in colors. But mostly, it was his gentleness that drew her. He never pushed, never rushed, and never bragged about himself the way the men at the Lyon’s Den did.
That intrigued her, this quiet tiger man. That attracted her as well because one’s heart could only be heard in stillness. And right now, her heart was saying,Him, him, him!
But she hadn’t kissed him. She’d thought about it. And for the entire climb up the cliff, she’d imagined it. But she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She’d kissed only one man—the eldest Zhong boy—and the very next day, she’d been sold to a slaver and brought to England.
She knew the dangers of kissing, and so she’d held herself back, but in her mind’s eye they had stayed down below and kissed until the stars came out overhead. Her gaze drifted to where Lord Daniel now stood on the top of the cliff, his hand outstretched to help her climb the last few steps until she stood level with the castle. She smiled at him, as a way of thanking him. Maybe as a way to entice him to kiss her because she could not stop thinking of it, but his attention was turned away.
Stepping around him, she followed his gaze to a woman leaning against a Brougham carriage. Even from this distance, Li-Na noted her delicate features, her stylish gown and hat, and that she was thoroughly distressed as she read a letter, then folded it up only to open it again.
Lord Daniel turned back to Li-Na. “How are you feeling? Are you strained from the day’s work? You must not be used to climbing up and down a cliff.”
“I am well,” she said. She kept her voice even, but already her mood had deflated. Disappointment apparently followed imagined kisses as much as real ones.
“Shall I escort you to the castle? Or would you mind waiting a moment while I speak with Nessie? I don’t want you walking back there alone. Not in the dark.”
It wasn’t dark yet, though the light was fading fast. “I will wait,” she answered, her gaze going back to the woman.
He nodded and extended his arm to her. She touched her fingers to his forearm at the furthest distance possible. They had been nearly chest to chest on some parts of the narrow climb, but now the addition of another woman had her stretching the distance between them. And when they were within a few feet of her, he dropped his arm completely.
“Nessie, you’re here late.” He stepped forward and kissed her on the cheek.
“Stefan wanted the outing,” the woman answered as she gestured back toward the castle. There, at the base of one of the walls, a boy was climbing on a broken section of wall.
“Good God,” Lord Daniel gasped. “Stefan! Keep back from the top. That’s not stable!”
“He knows,” the woman said. “He said he wanted to examine the mortar.”
“He can look at it from the bottom. And in daylight.” He took a breath, likely to call the boy back, but the woman stopped him with a quick gesture.
“Wait a moment. I…” She glanced awkwardly at Li-Na. “I wanted to show you this.” She handed Lord Daniel the letter.
He took it while Li-Na tried to shrink away. In London there were always shadows or side paths, but here she could do nothing but stand still with her head bowed. Meanwhile, Lord Daniel frowned.
“I need light,” he said as he gestured to the carriage lantern. “Or to go inside.”
“I thought you would join me for dinner,” the woman said. She spoke to Lord Daniel, but her gaze drifted back to Li-Na.
“Of course,” Lord Daniel said, his words muttered as his attention returned to the letter.
A crash startled them all. It was a distant kind of sound—a loud thud felt as much as heard, followed by the higher notes of shattering parts tumbling around. Everyone looked up as a low whistle carried to them over the wind.
Everyone saw the boy standing half high on the wall as he looked down the opposite side. The lady jolted.
“Stefan! Stefan, answer me!”
“I’m fine, Mama.”
“No, you’re bloody well not,” muttered Lord Daniel as he started forward. “Come down now!” he bellowed.
But in this, Li-Na was the fastest of them all. She had been watching the boy, memorizing his place on the castle wall, and wondering if she could climb up there as well. She knew he was inspecting something. She’d been watching when he straightened up before the thud, his hands pulled to his chest as he peered over the edge. He had pushed something off the wall and watched it shatter.
“I will get him,” Li-Na said. “Boys like to drop things. I will see that he comes down safely.”
“No,” Lord Daniel said as his longer legs quickly caught up to her. “You haven’t any more idea what’s safe than he does.”