“In a blinding snowstorm and being blind yourself. Now there’s a wise decision.”

Snow’s anger flared. “What was I to do? My one chance of getting home was to find the horses and hope they would take me there.”

“And deliver you frozen to your brother. You should have sought shelter,” he argued.

“What does it matter?” she said, throwing her hands up in the air. “You came along and rescued me.”

“You could have died,” he snapped.

“And I still might,” she snapped back.

“You don’t think I can see you safely home?”

“I fear that I irritate you so much that you might kill me before you have a chance to do so.” She sighed, exhausted. “All I want is to go home. I promise I will hold my tongue while here with you, if you would please just get me home safely.”

She startled when he suddenly stood in front of her again.

“I will not harm you. You have my word on that and you have my word that I will see you get home safely.”

“I appreciate that, my lord,” she said, addressing him properly.

“You think to address me properly when you have failed to do so endless times?”

She bit her tongue again, thinking she might very well lose it by the end of their time together.

“No response?” he asked.

“I promised I would hold my tongue,” she said.

“Good,” he said and turned away.

“More like biting it,” she murmured for her ears alone.

“What was that you said?” he asked, turning back around.

“Just warning Thaw not to bite you,” she said and Thaw gave a growl as if protesting her command. “Do you know where we are? Close to my home? My sister’s?”

“We’re closer to my home. As soon as the snow allows we’ll head there and when the weather permits I’ll see you get home safely.”

The thought of having to stay in unfamiliar surroundings with not a familiar person to help her terrified her. This small space she could quickly become familiar with and easily maneuver on her own, but a village and keep she had little memory of, not having been there since she was young, was another matter. And how in heaven’s name had they wound up closer to his home than hers? Had Finn misjudged direction? He knew the area far too well along with the land markers. Had a snowstorm driven him that far off course?

She felt for the chair where she had draped her cloak and sat lost in her worrisome thoughts.