The Governor's Daughter (Winds of Change Book 1) (2 page)

“I
have
no
time
to
pack.
The
end
of
the
week?
How
am I supposed to make ready in that short of a time?” Cathryn said, filled with her own
anxieties.

“There
was
a
purpose
behind
it,
I
can
assure
you,
Cathryn. It gives you no time to plot your escape. Tacy will travel with you.”

Her
escape!
She
wished
only
she
had
more
time
to
plan!

She scurried across the lawn into the garden. She knew
the worn
path
well.
Her
steps
slowed
the
closer
she
came
to
her destination.
Within
her
sight,
a
light
flicked
and
then
it
was gone. She blinked. No, it was a light in the garden
house.

Oh! Mother of All! Had she not told William the old barn? She walked softly up to the closed entrance, but her movement stalled on the sound of a throaty feminine moan. Then another moan emerged in the stillness. This time it was a husky, deep chuckle.

Cathryn wiped back the dusty coating over the glass pane. It was not William. Even in the dim light, she
recognized her brother’s bare back glistening in sweat. His
arms wrapped around a woman caught in a fervent embrace, pinned
against
the
wall.
Cathryn’s
mouth
fell
open
when
her
brother’s lips traveled down the woman’s
throat.

Randa
Landor!
Cathryn
recognized
her
instantly.
Randa
tilted her head back, inviting Sumner to press his open mouth against her pale
skin.

Cathryn gaped. She had never seen such a sight and was certain it was not for her eyes to behold, but she was mesmerized. To Cathryn’s shock, Randa’s gown slipped well past her shoulders, but her vision was hampered as Sumner moved out of her view.

Cathryn released her hold, turning her head away in disgust. For a moment, she stood with her back against the garden house, but the mewling gasps and moans sent her down the path again. What game was Sumner playing?

Randa Landor’s father was a highly successful businessman in Charles Town. Granted, Sumner always had
a bevy of ladies vying for his attention, but Randa?

Randa was
considered
the
most
beautiful
girl
in
the
county
with
her thick
russet
hair
and
deep
brown
eyes,
but
her
father
would never
accept
a
bastard
for
a
son-in-law,
not
even
the
bastard son of a British
aristocrat.

She
ran,
turning
down
the
lane
to
the
old
barn
near
the Ashley River. The lights from the house
were
completely concealed from sight by the woods. Her eyes took
only
a moment
to
adjust
to the darkness and made out
two
horses
waiting
outside
the
barn.

“William,”
she
said
in
a
low
voice.
“William,
where are you? We don’t have much time!”

“Then keep your voice down.”

“Oh, William, you don’t know what I have been through.
Why
did
you
disappear
as
you
did?
Father
was
furious.”

“May I remind you, Cathryn, you gave me no notice and flung your request only hours ago,” he said, glancing over his shoulder nervously. “And it was not I who
pushed Old Miss Longridge into the reflecting
pool.”

“It was an accident, William. I was only trying to escape that wretched lieutenant’s reach and fell into her!”

She wanted to add if he had helped her at all she wouldn’t have found herself in such a predicament. The plan seemed so simple. Meet William on the veranda and quietly
exit
the
party.
If
only
she
had
known
her
father
had placed a guard on her!

The
moment
she
stepped
off
the
veranda
that
infuriating
Lieutenant
Pennington
halted
her
progress.
If
only
William had stepped forward when the lieutenant detained her, she wouldn’t have reacted
so.

For
a
moment,
she
paused,
studying
William.
Attractive
with
a
lean
body
of
no
more
than
twenty-two
years,
he
had only recently returned from his studies in England, but his words irritated her to no end at the
moment.

In truth, she had given him no warning and had only come
up
with
her
plan
while
lying
in
bed
this
morning.
Her determination to stay had called to mind
William.

Had
her
father
not
said
if
she
had
expressed
any
interest in a beau the matter would be different? And the Peyton family would be acceptable in his sight. They owned a beautiful plantation up from Elm Bluff along the river’s edge. William was the eldest son of six
brothers.

Although
from
her
father’s
reaction,
she
doubted
now
if he
wanted
her
married
at
all
here
in
Charles
Town.
Clearly, he wanted her gone. She wished she knew the
reason.

As for love, she knew little about the subject. She had never
experienced
the
throes
of
love
in
the
way
she
had
read about,
but
William
she
liked.
He
had
intelligence
about
him. He
had
hinted
to
Cathryn
many
times
up
on
his
return
that
he would
like
to
court
her.
Now
he
stood
like
a
buffoon,
unsure
whether to help her or not.

“Well, if you’re not willing, at least help me out to Tome
Plain.
I
can
hide
out
there
until
well
after
the
ship
departs.”

“I
could
well
take
offense.
Let
me
remind
you,
Cathryn, you proposed to
me.”

“William,
I
asked
only
that
you
ask
for
my
hand.
So
in theory I haven’t done so. It wouldn’t be
proper.”

He laughed. “You do have a way of twisting words to your advantage, Cathryn. But why the hurry? I mean,
your father quite insisted that I not give you aid in your harebrained scheme.”

“Then why are you here?”

“Because,” he said simply, “it may give me what I
desire
most.”

“I’m to take it that I’m what you desire most?”

“Would I be here otherwise? You do realize once we ride away there will be no going back.”

“Do
you
not
trust
me,
William?
Have
I
not
explained
to you
why
I
must
stay?
I
cannot
for
the
life
of
me
understand why father wants to send me away from him, especially when disaster looms on the horizon,” she said in the most dramatic
fashion.

“Most romantic concept in an elopement, my dear Cathryn,
to
worry
about
staying
with
one’s
family,
not
leaving
them,”
he
said
and
chuckled,
extending
his
hand
to
help her
mount.

Cathryn
ignored
his
comment
and
his
hand.
She
swung her
legs
across
her
horse,
giving
no
thought
to
modesty,
nor had
she
thought
of
the
consequences
of
her
actions,
only
of staying at Elm
Bluff.

Suddenly,
her
head
jerked
to
the
sound
of
rustling
in
the woods.
Out
from
the
darkness
a
figured
emerged.
And
here she thought her day couldn’t get any worse. It was him again, that insolent officer!

When
she
had
first
seen
him
earlier
in
the
evening
she thought
him
tall
and
handsome
in his red
dress coat,
but
that
was
before
he
revealed
his
assignment:
to see
her
safely
on
board
the
Victoria
. Through
the
faint light,
he
met her
with
a
smile,
a
slow arrogant smile…that
was
ac
centuated by the whiteness of his wig.