Reclaiming Ryda by Rachel Rossano

Author:Rachel Rossano
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Rachel Rossano
Published: 2021-04-20T00:00:00+00:00

Ryda

LOCATING THE GENEALOGY section of the Duke of Brackenhurst’s library proved more straightforward than I feared. Perhaps because the section was the joint venture between Crispin and him, or it was just because Lady Grace had begun there, but the shelves were spotless and neat. Pulling down the Compendium of the Seven Duchies and Their Rulers proved harder, though. The book weighed almost a quarter of my weight. However, I eventually managed to wrestle it free of the shelf and ease it to the floor. Spreading it wide, I quickly located the section for Corewill, only to come to an abrupt stop when I looked down into the direct gaze of my great-great-grandfather.

It was strange to realize that I was related to the somber man painted before me. His piercing stare pinned me with a familiar shade of green.

“You have his eyes.”

I jumped, scrambling backward, instinct forcing me to put as much distance between me and the sudden appearance of someone at my side. “Ryda.” Large hands caught mine. “Be careful!”

But it was too late. In my mad scramble, I upset a tall pile of books. It tumbled down on me in a slow avalanche of paper and leather. Before I could do more than process that I was about to be buried alive by falling books, Crispin had plucked me from the floor and carried me to safety. Only the muted sound of falling tomes followed by a crash reached me as his large hand cradled my head to his chest. Surrounded in his scent, the warmth of his skin, and the overwhelming sense of safety, my ears filled with the thuds of his heartbeat and the frantic flutter of my own.

He set me down on the edge of his worktable. Withdrawing, he abandoned me to a sudden chill. I tried to subdue it. His hands very gently checked my head, fingertips molding to the shape of my scalp with a firm pressure that beckoned me to relax. They moved down to my shoulders, arms, and hands. He paused and hunkered down so he was able to study my face. “Any injuries?”

Struggling to breathe, I shook my head. My lack of air had nothing to do with an injury and everything to do with his closeness.

“Bruises, sprains?”

“It was a pile of books, and you pulled me away well before they could even touch me.”

“Good.” He sighed, lowering his face. His thick, golden-brown hair fell forward, emphasizing his need of a trim. After a few slow breaths, he pinned me with a searching stare. “I am so sorry for startling you. I thought you had heard my approach.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” I rushed to point out. “I was too distracted by the idea of having a family. Did Brackenhurst really mean it when he said he already sent word to my parents?”

Crispin nodded as he straightened. He then pulled over a chair and sat next to where I perched. “Silas is a man of action. I fully expect he sent a letter off the moment we discovered the truth last night.

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