thing.'
'But why?'
'Good God, Cassie, have you no brains between those pretty ears of yours? To extend this visit, of course. If you were injured, however slightly, Colonel Anstruther would have had to offer you hospitality until you were recovered. He would have had to stay here with you. And he would have been concerned about your injuries. It would have brought you closer to him.'
Cassie groaned. She could not help herself, for she was beginning to wonder whether James was totally sane. She had thought his previous cruelties were the result of his hatred of her, and of his desperate need for money to pay his mounting debts, but now she was no longer sure. He was obsessed with this mad idea of marrying her off to Colonel Anstruther. Did obsession lead to lunacy?
James was no longer paying any attention to Cassie. He seemed not to have noticed her distress. He continued to pace, muttering under his breath.
For the first time, Cassie was really frightened. Before, she had been afraid that he might force her to marry some terrible drunken crony of his, if he could find one who was wealthy enough. She had tried to flee, but she had always known that, even if she were dragged to the altar, there was still a chance that she might be able to persuade the minister that she was being married against her will.
But from this madness, there might be no escape. Not alive.
She must get away. Her only hope was to reach her godfather on the other side of the Solway. This time she must plan carefully. She must wait until James was away from Langrigg House. Preferably lying drunk in some whorehouse.
This time there must be no risk that she would be caught.
It was still very light when they sat down to dinner, for the colonel liked to keep country hours. 'It would make no difference in any case,' he said, in response to Cassie's comment. 'We could sit down at eight o'clock, or even nine, and it would still be light at this time of the year. I must admit it was something I missed, when we were in Spain. Darkness seemed to fall so early and so quickly. I missed the twilight. Did you find the same, Graham?'
'The contrast with my home in southern England is not so great, sir. So I have to admit that I barely noticed the difference.'
'Perhaps you were too busy looking for somewhere to drink tea, sir?' Cassie asked mischievously.
Ross was surprised into a burst of laughter. 'Forgive me, Colonel. Something of a private joke. When Miss Elliott called on your wife in Dumfries, she created a fantastic image in her mind of young officers, sitting around the camp fire, sedately drinking bowls of tea. I told her, of course,' he continued with a half-smile, 'that we suffered nothing but the cruellest hardships and that polite tea-drinking played no part in army manoeuvres . But she would have none of it.'
The colonel smiled indulgently. 'I see. You would be wise not to believe the half of what young officers tell you, Miss Elliott. Notoriously unreliable, particularly when their aim is to bring wonder to a pair of pretty blue eyes.'
Was the colonel flirting with her? Cassie looked across the table to where James sat, alongside Captain Graham. James was looking particularly pleased. He must think his plans were making real progress. Could he not see the difference between fatherly concern and a lover's admiration? Captain Graham, sitting on the colonel's immediate left, was showing neither. For the moment, he seemed to be giving all his attention to the dishes set before them and to the colonel's exceptionally fine wine.
Cassie wondered again, for perhaps the hundredth time, whether she could and should confide in Captain Graham about her plans. He had saved her once—twice, if she included this afternoon's accident—and he knew just how evil James could be. But, if he helped her again, in something so serious, he might truly fall foul of the law. It was so very difficult. The truth was that, if she was to have any chance of success, Cassie
'But why?'
'Good God, Cassie, have you no brains between those pretty ears of yours? To extend this visit, of course. If you were injured, however slightly, Colonel Anstruther would have had to offer you hospitality until you were recovered. He would have had to stay here with you. And he would have been concerned about your injuries. It would have brought you closer to him.'
Cassie groaned. She could not help herself, for she was beginning to wonder whether James was totally sane. She had thought his previous cruelties were the result of his hatred of her, and of his desperate need for money to pay his mounting debts, but now she was no longer sure. He was obsessed with this mad idea of marrying her off to Colonel Anstruther. Did obsession lead to lunacy?
James was no longer paying any attention to Cassie. He seemed not to have noticed her distress. He continued to pace, muttering under his breath.
For the first time, Cassie was really frightened. Before, she had been afraid that he might force her to marry some terrible drunken crony of his, if he could find one who was wealthy enough. She had tried to flee, but she had always known that, even if she were dragged to the altar, there was still a chance that she might be able to persuade the minister that she was being married against her will.
But from this madness, there might be no escape. Not alive.
She must get away. Her only hope was to reach her godfather on the other side of the Solway. This time she must plan carefully. She must wait until James was away from Langrigg House. Preferably lying drunk in some whorehouse.
This time there must be no risk that she would be caught.
It was still very light when they sat down to dinner, for the colonel liked to keep country hours. 'It would make no difference in any case,' he said, in response to Cassie's comment. 'We could sit down at eight o'clock, or even nine, and it would still be light at this time of the year. I must admit it was something I missed, when we were in Spain. Darkness seemed to fall so early and so quickly. I missed the twilight. Did you find the same, Graham?'
'The contrast with my home in southern England is not so great, sir. So I have to admit that I barely noticed the difference.'
'Perhaps you were too busy looking for somewhere to drink tea, sir?' Cassie asked mischievously.
Ross was surprised into a burst of laughter. 'Forgive me, Colonel. Something of a private joke. When Miss Elliott called on your wife in Dumfries, she created a fantastic image in her mind of young officers, sitting around the camp fire, sedately drinking bowls of tea. I told her, of course,' he continued with a half-smile, 'that we suffered nothing but the cruellest hardships and that polite tea-drinking played no part in army manoeuvres . But she would have none of it.'
The colonel smiled indulgently. 'I see. You would be wise not to believe the half of what young officers tell you, Miss Elliott. Notoriously unreliable, particularly when their aim is to bring wonder to a pair of pretty blue eyes.'
Was the colonel flirting with her? Cassie looked across the table to where James sat, alongside Captain Graham. James was looking particularly pleased. He must think his plans were making real progress. Could he not see the difference between fatherly concern and a lover's admiration? Captain Graham, sitting on the colonel's immediate left, was showing neither. For the moment, he seemed to be giving all his attention to the dishes set before them and to the colonel's exceptionally fine wine.
Cassie wondered again, for perhaps the hundredth time, whether she could and should confide in Captain Graham about her plans. He had saved her once—twice, if she included this afternoon's accident—and he knew just how evil James could be. But, if he helped her again, in something so serious, he might truly fall foul of the law. It was so very difficult. The truth was that, if she was to have any chance of success, Cassie
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