Bride of the Solway (18 page)

'Has the colonel gone inside ahead of us?' Cassie asked airily.

'Ah, no, ma'am. I fear the colonel is not here. He was called away to an emergency on the farm, just as we were leaving. There was no time to send to tell you. The colonel sends his apologies and his hopes that you will enjoy the day, none the less.'

'Oh, I—'

'Miss Cassie.' Tarn started climbing laboriously down from his seat. His face had gone rather red. 'The laird will be wanting ye t' go back to
Langrigg
. It's no' the thing
fer
a single lassie to—'

Captain Graham laughed shortly. 'Come, come, my man,' he said loftily, 'it is not for you to dictate to your mistress. Having come this far, I'm sure Miss Elliott would like to walk around the ruins.'

'But the laird—'

'Miss Elliott has her maid in attendance. Even her brother would not suggest that there was anything improper in our visit.' He beckoned impatiently to Morag to join them. 'Now, Miss Elliott, will you take my arm? Perhaps you would like to start with this extraordinary gatehouse?'

Cassie took his arm, conscious
that^her
fingers were trembling. Would he notice?

He must have. Once his back was safely turned on Tarn, he smiled reassuringly at her and pressed her fingers fleetingly. But he said nothing more, except to tell Morag to hurry along and to follow close behind them. Tarn would have no reason for undue concern.

'Sir—'

'Is this not magnificent? And just wait until you see the
Nithsdale
apartments inside. I must admit to having had a quick look around before you arrived. It is everything the colonel promised.'

He walked her through the gatehouse and down the passage to the triangular courtyard beyond. 'It is magnificent,' he said in his normal voice. 'And we must spend a little time admiring it.'

'But should we not leave at once?' Cassie asked. She was still feeling nervous. The sooner they started for the border, the better their chance of escaping without pursuit.

'Not yet, ma'am. Not yet,' he said softly. 'We must give Fraser time to deal with your brother's henchman before we make any move.'

'Oh. Oh, yes, of course. He won't hurt Tam, will he?'

'Not unless he has to,' the captain replied grimly. 'Though I will admit to an unworthy desire to treat him as he treated me, back there on the banks of the Solway.'

A vivid memory flooded Cassie's mind. Tam had been there, at that first meeting, helping James to truss the captain up and gag him like a common felon. Then he had been dragged off to Dumfries in the driving rain and thrown into gaol. Tam would be lucky to escape Captain Graham's vengeance.

'Now let us appear to be exclaiming over the wonders of the building, Miss Elliott. I shall indicate the various areas worthy of comment and you, if you please, will nod and do everything proper to demonstrate your interest.' He waved a hand in the direction of the single tower at the far corner of the ruined castle.

Cassie nodded obediently.

'Have you brought all you need for the journey?' he asked, still pointing upwards.

'Yes. In the carriage. A hamper full.'
       
'A hamper?' He was trying not to laugh.

'It seemed the safest choice. I told my brother I was bringing food and wine so that we might enjoy a picnic by the castle. Morag replaced the contents with my things once everyone else had gone to bed.'

'I hope you concealed the food well, Morag,' he said over his shoulder.

'They'll find it by the smell. By and bye,' Morag said with quiet satisfaction. 'But Miss
Cassie'll
be safe in England by then.'

'Pray God you are right, Morag,' Cassie breathed.

'It may be cold and wet on our journey, ma'am. I hope you have brought warm clothing.'

Cassie lifted the skirt of her travelling dress just a fraction and displayed a heavy walking boot. 'Not only stout clothing, sir, but boots also.'

'Very wise.'

'One thing, sir. Oh, you will think me a sad creature, but I cannot help worrying about Lucifer.' 'Lucifer? Your horse?'

'He has had to be left behind. And James hates him. Lucifer threw him more than once and James cannot ride him. I fear.. .I fear that, when James discovers I have fled, he may shoot Lucifer. For revenge on me. I will never forgive myself if he does.'

Captain Graham turned towards the more modern part of the castle and began gesturing towards the fine apartments that had been built within the ancient walls. 'Have no fear on that score, ma'am. Your brother will not do that.'

'How can you be sure?'

'Because he is not a fool. Even a blackguard like James Elliott knows the value of a horse like Lucifer. He may sell him, Miss Elliott, but he will not shoot him.'

'Oh. Oh, thank you, sir.' Cassie was so relieved she could have hugged him. Why had she not thought of that? James would not destroy something he could turn into hard cash. Of course he would not.

'Sir?' A man's voice came from the gatehouse. It echoed eerily from the gloomy passage there.

Captain Graham turned and took a couple of steps towards the voice. 'Fraser?'

Fraser stepped out into the sunlight. He was grinning. 'It's done, sir. Got him trussed up like a
gobblecock
. In the carriage where he can't be seen.'

'Miss Elliott is concerned that you might have hurt him.'

Fraser turned to Cassie. He was still grinning. There was nothing at all deferential about the captain's man. 'Well now, ma'am, let's just say that I
ain't
done no more than absolutely necessary. He'll be right as rain in no time.. .once someone finds him and takes the ropes off He looked up at the sky as if assessing the weather. 'Course he might get a wee thing wet while he's waiting.'

Cassie giggled nervously. She couldn't help it, though she told herself sternly that a lady should never laugh at another's misfortunes. Even if that other was Tam.

'We'd best bring him inside the castle, Fraser.' The captain's voice was curt. 'I can understand your desire to leave him out in the rain—he deserves to be drenched, just as I was—but I think we'll put him in one of the towers, if you can get him up there. If we leave him in plain view, he might be discovered much too soon.'

'Aye, sir.' Fraser produced a large pistol from behind his back. 'I'll bring him, shall I?'

'Yes. Take him up there—' he pointed to the stairwell by one of I he gatehouse towers '—and prop him up against one of the walls. Make sure you tie his feet once you've got him up there. I wouldn't want him walking out by himself.'

Fraser said nothing. He just grinned again and disappeared through the massive gatehouse.

'Now, ma'am, we must leave as we planned. But first, tell me—what of your brother? Is he at
Langrigg
today?'

'No. After I'd sent off that note to
Mrs
Anstruther yesterday—luckily, it did not occur to James to ask to see what I had written—he gave me a long lecture on my duty to make myself agreeable to Colonel Anstruther today, and then he left. I assumed he was going to the brothel. That's usually the way of it when he says nothing about where he is going.'

'Miss Cassie!'

'
Wheesht
, Morag. I'm telling nothing but the truth. And Captain Graham has to know the risks we are running.'

'You are.. .er.. .admirably direct, ma'am. If your brother has gone.. .er... there, when is he likely to return to
Langrigg
?'

'Not early. Probably late afternoon. He often does that. Or he might even go to visit some of his cronies in Dumfries. Sometimes he does not return for two days.'

'We dare not hope for so much. But it seems that we may have a few hours' start. That should be enough.'

'Which route do you plan to take, sir?'

'As we discussed. It is safest to go round by the road, to Annan, and Gretna, and Carlisle.'

'You will not try the
wath
? It is shorter.'

'Only if the tide is in our
favour
. I do not relish the thought of being caught again with my back to the rising water.'

'No, but... Sir, if my brother should return early, he would follow us.

We would be much quicker to take the
wath
. Forgive my stupid fears, but I cannot begin to feel safe until I am on English soil.' Cassie was conscious of the tremor in her voice but she could do nothing to control it. 'Please, Captain Graham, I—' She stopped, willing herself to be calm. 'There is no need to decide now. But let us take the coast road where we can, instead of the high road. Then we will be closer to the
wath
, if...if we should need to take it.'

'I...very well, Miss Elliott. We shall do as you wish. But you need have no fears about pursuers. I have already given Fraser instructions to act as our rearguard. He will ride a quarter of a mile behind the carriage. If anyone is following us, we will have ample warning.'

'Oh.' Cassie was a little reassured, but only a little. Her brother could muster a small army of ruffians if he needed to. What was Fraser—one man—against so many? But there was no point in betraying her fears. Morag was already nervous enough. Cassie needed to be able to depend on her maid. Reassurance was what she needed now. Adopting a deliberately mischievous tone, she said, 'My goodness. If Fraser is to ride behind, we will have no coachman to drive the carriage.'

The captain's grin reminded Cassie of a schoolboy out on a spree. 'Behold your coachman,' he said with a tiny bow. 'And now we must make haste. Come.'

He led them back through the gatehouse and across the bridge to where the carriage stood. Fraser was marching Tam across the grass at the point of his pistol. Tarn's hands were tied and his mouth was gagged, but he glowered murderously at Cassie as he passed her. She shuddered. Heaven help her if Tam—or Jamie—ever caught her now.

Morag grabbed for the leather strap to stop herself from being thrown on to the floor of the carriage. 'Oh, Lord preserve us,' she gasped. 'He'll have us in the ditch in a wee minute.'

Cassie smiled as confidently as she could. 'I doubt it, Morag. The captain is clearly an excellent whip. I admit he is driving very fast—
argh
!' She was unable to stifle a groan as the carriage went over another huge bump in the road, throwing her up in the air. She landed very heavily on the edge of the seat. She swallowed hard and clutched her strap even more tightly. 'Yes, it is fast. But if it's a choice between a dangerous carriage ride and being caught by my brother, I know which I'd prefer. Are you telling me you'd be happy to go back to
Langrigg
now?'

Morag was devoting so much energy to hanging on that she barely had the strength to speak. '
Canna
go back,' she gasped eventually. Her expression betrayed her continuing terror. She had become ashen in the space of a few miles.

'We'll be on a better road soon,' Cassie said reassuringly. 'Look—' she nodded towards the window on the left of the carriage '—we're well past the
Comlongon
Castle
wood now. We're almost at
Ruthwell
. It will be much easier from there to Annan.'

Morag groaned. 'If the next bit road
isna
so bad, he'll just go even faster. Oh, Lord, I think I'm gonna be ill.' She was beginning to turn green.

'Oh, no, Morag. You must not.' With her free hand, Cassie rummaged in her pocket for her vinaigrette. Where on earth had she put it? She couldn't have forgotten it, could she?

The carriage slowed a little, but only in order to make the sharp turn on to the Annan road. It soon speeded up again, but at least it was now rocking less than before.

Cassie's searching fingers finally found the vinaigrette and passed it to the maid. 'Use this, Morag. You'll soon feel better.'

Morag threw a baleful look at her mistress but did as she was bid. After a deep sniff, she was soon spluttering and her eyes were watering, but she no longer looked so queasy. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes for a moment. 'Oh,' she groaned, opening them again quickly. 'That's awful bad.'

Cassie stretched out a hand to touch Morag's shoulder comfortingly. 'I could not have done this without you, Morag. You know that. I am so sorry it is making you ill, but truly, I do need you now. Desperately. And I shall never be able to repay your loyalty.'