Page 21 of The Guardian’s Favor

She spoke the words so quietly he had to ask her to repeat them. When she did, a white-hot fury consumed him as he thought of Clarissa being sent away, without preamble, back to the man who had resigned her to such a fate in the first place.

Aidan was almost afraid to ask.

“Sutworth?”

Silence.

“Clarissa,” he said as the very manor in question came into view ahead. “What do you plan to do at Sutworth Manor? And how did your father react—”

“He does not know.”

Of course . . . she’d not told him about the annulment. But he would find out soon enough.

“What are you planning?”

He watched as her shoulders rose and fell.

“Clarissa—”

“I plan to ask Sutworth’s priest to make contact with the nuns at Dunburg. I hope to join their order.”

Aidan’s heart skipped a beat and then threatened to lurch right out of his chest. Clarissa was going to become a nun?

The hell she was.

Chapter 7

“Wait! What are you doing?”

Distracted by their conversation, Clarissa had only just realized how close they’d come to the outer gatehouse of Sutworth Manor. If the guards saw Aidan . . .

“Escorting you to—”

“But you cannot be seen.” Clarissa whipped around, taken aback by how handsome he was up close. His hair curled in so many places, including on his forehead. As the sky began to lighten, so too did his eyes, which appeared more green than brown in the light of morning.

“I will not leave you here—”

“You will.”

On this, Clarissa refused to be dissuaded. She began to push against him to show the stubborn Scot just how serious she was.

“Do you mean to jump and break your neck?”

“Aye,” she said, her voice firm. “I will do just that if you do not let me—”

“Clarissa,” he warned, “stop or you will—”

“Break my neck, aye. I know.”

When he finally slowed their mount, Clarissa nodded in satisfaction. Unable to look away, knowing this would be the last time she would see him, she said, “Thank you for your escort—”

He rolled his eyes.

“Why do you mock me?” she asked.

Aidan ignored her and turned to his men. “Meet me at the river.”

When he pulled his arms away from her, Clarissa mourned the loss of his heat. And before she realized what he was about, Aidan had also dismounted and was reaching for her. Lifting her as if she were no heavier than a sack of grain, he placed her back on the ground.