Selena could hear every beat of her heart in the silence that followed. Kyle was inspecting her mare; she could tell. Then he was searching each of the stalls. She could almost see him looking around, wondering what had become of her.
“Selena?”
She held her breath, not daring to breathe.
“Selena, I know you’re here. You didn’t pass me on my way to the stables, and your mare is still in her stall. And the wisps of straw floating down from the loft give you away.”
Her shoulders slumped. She had been found out. “Please go away,” she replied, hoping she could convince him to leave.
As orders go, it lacked both power and conviction, and Kyle didn’t obey. In only a moment he had climbed the ladder to the loft. He paused, though, when he spied Selena. The heat in the loft was sweltering, yet she had huddled her arms about her, hugging her knees, as if she were terribly cold. Kyle’s gaze narrowed in concern. Sunlight was spilling through the chinks in the shutter, the final rays before sunset, yet he couldn’t make out her expression, for the brim of her bonnet shielded her face from view.
“Selena, is something the matter? Are you hurt?”
“No. I merely want to be alone.”
Her voice was soft and shaky, and it only increased his concern. “Very well,” he agreed, crossing the loft, bending low to avoid hitting the rafters. “You can be alone when you tell me what’s wrong.”
Sinking down beside Selena to his knees, he gently grasped her arms, making her lift her face. Then his mouth went slack as he stared at her. “Good God, what happened to your hair? It looks pink!”
There was no denying it was an odd color. What had been silver tresses was now a faint shade of orangey-pink that contrasted strangely with the plum-colored muslin of her gown.
Selena felt Kyle’s shocked gaze search her face, but she wouldn’t meet his eyes. She wanted to sink through the loft. Fortunately, though, pride momentarily came to her rescue, and her trembling chin came up. “I dyed it.”
“I can see that, but…in heavens name, why?”
“I was under the impression you liked red hair.”
Kyle chuckled softly as he loosened the ribbons of her bonnet and slid
it off her head. “I’m partial to red, yes, but I never much favored pink.”
“Don’t make sport of me!” Her eyes filling with tears, she buried her face in her hands.
Immediately Kyle swallowed his choked laughter. “Selena—” his fingers closed again around her arms, this time urgently “—please, will you tell me what this is all about?”
It was the final humiliation, having to confess. But it didn’t matter any longer how she humbled herself before him. After this she wouldn’t have to face Kyle again. She wouldn’t be seeing him again. She started to explain, but her throat was so tight she found it hard to speak. “I thought…if I had red hair… you might want me. But I must not have applied the henna correctly. I was supposed to steep the leaves—”
Kyle understood only the first half of what she had said. “Might want you?” he echoed. “Of course I want you.”
Sadly, Selena shook her head. “You don’t want me as your wife. You don’t love me—”
She suddenly found herself in a fierce embrace as Kyle wrapped his arms around her and drew her close. “You wonderful, brave, generous, incredibly beautiful female,” he breathed against her hair. “How could you think that? Certainly I love you. How could I not love you?”
Selena’s breath caught in her throat. “You…never said so.”
“That’s only because it took me a while to realize it,” Kyle said tenderly. “And then I was afraid to mention it until I was sure I stood a chance of winning your regard. I do love you, my darling Selena. Very much.”
She wanted desperately to believe him, and yet the image of him holding Danielle wouldn’t go away. “But Danielle…”
“What about Danielle?”
“The way you were holding her this afternoon—”
“I was comforting a hysterical woman, Selena. Danielle doesn’t have your courage, your inner strength. She couldn’t cope with losing Clay, not after all she’s suffered. She was frightened.”
Selena hesitated, remembering the child lying there so still and quiet. “I was frightened, too.”
“So was I,” Kyle declared fervently. “I thought… But it didn’t happen.” Sighing, he raised his hand to stroke her hair with a possessive gentleness. “Do you know how many times in the past few hours I’ve thanked God you were there? Doubtless you saved Clay’s life, Selena.”