Bride of the Solway (25 page)

'Cassie. Cassie, my dear. We have arrived.'

She opened her eyes and blinked against the light. Then she looked round inquiringly. 'But where is the house?'

He smiled reassuringly and pointed. 'At the end of this drive. A few hundred yards more, and you will be able to rest, and have your hurts tended.' He jumped down and lifted her on to her feet. 'Wait by the bushes, my dear, while I settle our debts.' He began reaching into his pocket.

Cassie's feet had stiffened while she slept. It hurt to put one foot in front of the other. But if Ross saw that, he would insist on carrying her all the way along the drive. She could not allow that. She walked slowly across the road to the bushes by the entrance to Sir Angus's estate, forcing herself to ignore the pain as she moved. She must not allow it to show on her face. She must smile at him. After all, they had almost gained her freedom. And Ross had told her he needed her.

Yet there had been precious little sign of it since. She might have been a servant, considering the way he had been ordering her about.

The cart was moving off again. The driver was singing even louder than before. No doubt he was delighted with his unexpected windfall.

Ross came to stand beside her, watching the disappearing cart. 'Come now, Cassie,' he said with a smile. 'Just a little further and you will be safe.' He made to pick her up.

'No! It is too far. And besides, you will need your hands free. What if James should be lying in wait for us?'

He nodded, looking serious once more. 'You are right. And the sooner we are knocking on your godfather's door, the happier I shall be. Let us make a start.'

Cassie refused to let herself limp. What were a few blisters, after all? She could do this. She could.

It took longer than she expected—Ross had not told her the truth about how far it was—but at last they could see the house, a low, ivy-covered building with gleaming windows and a wide front door at the top of a flight of white steps. From where they stood, the avenue approaching the house cut through sweeping lawns bordered by magnificent lime trees.

Ross heaved a sigh of relief. "We are safe now.'

'What do you mean?'

'There is no more cover between here and the house. Your brother cannot be here.'

It was only then that Cassie understood the fears that had been driving him. Was that why he had been so sharp, so uncaring? She smiled tentatively up at him.

'And now, my dear Miss Elliott, we had better try what we can do to make you a little more presentable. If Sir Angus sees this
dishevelled
little hedge-bird on his doorstep, he may send for the constable.' He helped her to straighten her clothes a little. There was nothing to be done about the clumsy cloth boots. She could only hope that her skirts would hide them.

'Let me tie back your hair.' He combed it back with his fingers and plaited it roughly. Then he secured the end with yet another piece of string.

'Where did you learn to plait hair?'

'Ah, my dear, a soldier learns many skills in the course of his travels. But a lady would not wish to know how I acquired that one.' He grinned wickedly at her.

She smiled back. She could not help it. Ross—her Ross?—was now being light-hearted and teasing once more. And caring? Perhaps.

'And finally, your dirty face,
m'dear
. You daren't meet your godfather like that.' He took a damp handkerchief from his pocket, explaining that he had dipped it in the river for just this purpose, and proceeded to wipe the grime from her face. 'There,' he said. 'Much better. No, wait. There's a little smudge on the end of your nose.' He bent to drop a kiss on the tip of it and then stepped back, eyes dancing. 'Now you'll do.'

He offered her his arm, for all the world as if they were in a ballroom. 'Madam, will you walk?'

She dropped him a tiny curtsy and took his arm. She could not stop smiling. Not just at his teasing—though that was wonderful, and heartwarming—but at his gentle consideration for her. He must love her. Why else would he behave so?

He would say the words soon. He must do, surely?

Just as they reached the end of the drive and the grand entrance to
Whitemoss
House, a tiny shaft of sunlight broke through the heavy clouds. It caught the front of the house close by the door, making the white steps gleam and the window panes sparkle like gems. Ross put a hand under Cassie's elbow and ushered her up to the door. 'Look! The house is smiling a welcome to us. You will be safe now.'

Cassie felt more than a little nervous, none the less. Even with Ross's reassuring bulk at her back. She straightened her spine and glanced over her shoulder at him. He did not look totally confident either. But they had no choice now. They must go forward. She reached up for the huge brass knocker, lifted it and let it fall. The noise echoed as if the whole house behind the door were one vast hollow. And the echo went on and on.

'Chin up, Cassie,' Ross whispered.

At that very moment, the great door was opened by a very superior butler. He looked at Cassie, down a very long nose, as if she were something dropped on the doorstep by a marauding cat. 'We feed beggars at the kitchen door,' he sneered. 'The scullery maid will see to you.' He made to close the door in Cassie's face.

Cassie's nerves were drowned by a flood of indignation. She would not permit any servant to treat her so. 'We are here to see Sir Angus Fergusson,' she snapped. 'Pray tell him that Miss Cassandra Elliott, his goddaughter, has arrived, with Captain Ross Graham.'

The butler goggled. Her educated speech did not match her appearance. Not at all.

Cassie swept past him into the cool hallway. The butler was still rooted to the spot by the open door. 'Perhaps you would show us into a saloon where we may wait? I am not in the habit of being left in the hall, like a tradesman.'

That last sally did the trick. The butler bowed Ross into the house and quickly closed the door. Then he showed both of them into a book-lined library that opened off the hall. 'I will inform Sir Angus of your arrival, miss.' With a tiny bow, he scuttled out.

'Remind me never to try to get the better of you when you are acting the great lady, Cassie. Very impressive.'

Now that the initial skirmish was over, Cassie's nerves were returning, and worse than before. 'I.. .I...' she stammered. 'I suppose I have spent too long as mistress of a household. Servants have to know their place.'

'Quite. And that butler now knows his—under Miss Cassie's foot. Do you think that I, too, shall soon be under the cat's foot?'

He was trying to tease her out of her nervousness. Cassie felt a warm glow starting somewhere around her heart. He was such a thoughtful, considerate man. As a husband, would he be—?

The door was thrown open to admit a man of middle height and remarkable girth. 'Cassie? Is it really you?' He stopped in his tracks, frowning at the sight of the extraordinary pair who had invaded his library. 'Cassie?' he said again, in a voice filled with uncertainty.

Cassie ran to him and seized both his hands. 'Oh, Godfather. I am so glad to be here at last. I did not know where to turn. You were—you are my last hope.'

Sir Angus's frown cleared. 'Cassie. My dear child. What on earth has happened to you? You look like— Well, never mind that. Where is your maid? And who is this gentleman with you?'

'Godfather, may I present Captain Ross Graham, late of his Majesty's Fifty-second Regiment?' Ross bowed politely. 'Captain Graham was kind enough to escort me to you when I...' She pulled Sir Angus towards the sofa and almost pushed him into it, settling herself close by his side and tucking her hand into his. 'Oh, Godfather, I fear you will think that J have been very foolish.'

Sir Angus began to look concerned. He threw a very stern look towards Ross, as if trying to assess his part in whatever folly Cassie was guilty of.

'Please let me explain,' she gushed, allowing neither man a moment to intervene before she launched into the tale that she and Ross had prepared. 'I had to come to you, sir. James is determined to sell me to the first man who will offer enough to pay his debts. He says it is my duty to agree. And he will lock me in the asylum if I do not.'

'Good God!' Sir Angus was outraged. He had turned almost purple. 'Sell you? Impossible! You are gently born. A lady leaves her home only when she marries.'

'Oh, it is marriage he has in mind, sir. Not...er...not anything else. But he does not care who the man may be, provided he is willing to pay.'

Sir Angus's outrage was visibly lessening, if your brother is proposing an
honourable
alliance, with a gentleman, I do not see that you need concern yourself with the details of the marriage contract, Cassie.'

Oh, dear. Cassie quickly changed tack—and allowed herself an untruth. What choice did she have? 'My brother does not intend me to marry a gentleman. And I am sure that no gentleman would agree to James's demands. A gentleman would expect a dowry, surely, not an account for merchandise delivered? James has mentioned several possibilities, all of them in trade. One of them is
rumoured
to have smothered his father in order to gain control of the family shop. Oh, Godfather, I should rather go to the asylum than marry such a man!'

'You shall do neither, my dear. Marry a shopkeeper? Certainly not. The very idea! Outrageous! I would not have thought even James Elliott capable of anything so base.'

Cassie reached up to kiss his cheek. 'Thank you, dear Godfather. I was sure you would understand. But now I am here, I don't know what to do next. I am much in need of your advice. I know it will be sound, for you have always had my best interests at heart.'

Sir Angus nodded and patted her hand. 'Quite so. Quite so.'

'I'm sure you will agree that I cannot return to my brother now, not after what he has threatened to do. But, you see, I have no money of my own. And nowhere to go. What should I do, Godfather? He will he here soon, demanding that I return to
Langrigg
immediately.'

'No need for any hasty decisions on that score,
m'dear
,' Sir Angus said gruffly. 'All in good time. All in good time. You are safe here
lor
I he present. More to the point, though, how is it that you are travelling, unchaperoned, with a gentleman who is not related to you? It is no! at all the thing, you know, for a young lady such as yourself to—'

'Oh, that!' said Cassie dismissively. 'That was such a chapter of accidents, Godfather. I swear you will never believe what happened. It was just like a romance.'

Sir Angus cleared his throat, probably to scold her for her taste in reading.

Cassie did not allow him time to say a word. 'It was like this. I crept out of
Langrigg
with Morag, my maid, very early this morning, and we drove to Annan so that I could cross the Solway to see you. I knew we would have to take the short route so that James would not catch up with us. You know how adamant he is that I should not be allowed to see you. Or even write to you.'

'Aye. Your brother nurses the old feud.'

'We happened to come across Captain Graham in Annan. He is an old friend of Colonel
Anstruther's
, by the bye, and very respectable. We have met often of late at the colonel's house.' Cassie put her mouth to her godfather's ear and added, in a whisper, 'The Captain can be a bit stuffy, but I don't hold it against him.' Reverting to her normal voice, she continued, 'Captain Graham said that a lady and her maid could not cross alone. He insisted on escorting us. He went on and on at me until I agreed. In fact—' she threw an arch look at Ross'—it was because of that delay that everything went wrong.'

'Miss Elliott, that is unjust. I—'

'No, sir. It was certainly your fault that we were delayed. If we had started earlier, as I wished, we could have driven across. It was because of you that I had to go on foot. And without Morag.'

'That is not so,' Ross said brusquely. 'When the guide said it was too late to drive across, you could have given up the idea. Tried another day.

Your woman was very wise to refuse to go. Just look at what happened when you did try.'

Cassie shook her head vehemently and turned back to Sir Angus. 'I could not go back to James, Godfather,' she said, with a distinct catch in her voice. 'He would have locked me up at
Langrigg
. Or sent me to the asylum. I should never have been able to reach you. And you are my only hope of avoiding a.. .a
mesalliance
.'