Michael would be up soon and stirring about, along with her mother and Cousin Olivia.
Elyse knew she had to find out what Jacie was up to. She lit a small lantern and proceeded down the hall and down the stairs to the foyer. She did not hear anything but continued to look around. Then, seeing that the door to the study was open, she went inside.
Holding the lantern high to light the room, her eyes went to the desk... where she saw the letter. Quickly she sat down to read it, tingling with excitement to realize she was about to discover why Jacie had been sneaking around.
The corners of her mouth lifted in a smile, which spread into a grin across her whole face as she realized with a happy lurch of her heart that this was the chance she had been waiting for.
Jacie was going away. No doubt she and Michael had been having more problems than anyone realized. But if she did come back in the spring, as she had written, Elyse was going to make certain Michael would not be waiting with open arms. Because by spring, she planned to be his wife.
She hurried back upstairs to her room, anxious to think about all the details of what must be done to make her scheme work.
And she took Jacie's letter with her.
Chapter 9
Mehlonga was waiting with a horse for her, a beautiful brown mare. There was no saddle, only a woven blanket on the mare's back, but Jacie did not mind; she was a good rider.
"Are you sure of what you are doing?" he asked her. "You can still turn back."
"I can't go back until I find out what—if anything—is waiting for me... out there ," she answered, pointing west.
* * *
Michael had ordered breakfast to be ready, should anyone want it, even though he knew he would probably be the only one with an appetite at such an ungodly hour. He was surprised to find Elyse at the table. "What are you doing up? Didn't you say good-bye to your mother last night?"
"Yes, but I didn't say good-bye to you." She hoped he did not notice her nervousness, for she was barely able to contain her exhilaration at the knowledge that Jacie had left.
He gave her a light peck on her cheek and sat down. "That's nice of you. Nicer, too, that you're willing to forego a trip home to stay with Jacie. I'm very worried about her, you know. If you could get her mind on something besides her grief, it would be wonderful. Perhaps the two of you can go riding. She loves to ride."
"And jump," Elyse said with a soft laugh, wanting to remind him of the incident Cousin Olivia had told her about and how upset he had been.
"There won't be any jumping. Besides, I fired Newton last night. He's leaving this morning. Now I don't have to worry about Jacie wheedling him into going behind my back to set up hurdles. I've also ordered the equipment destroyed."
He talked on about how reckless Jacie could be, but Elyse was no longer listening, because another idea was forming in her head. So far, all she had done was destroy Jacie's letter so that when Michael discovered her missing he would have no idea as to why. Now she saw a way to make him go into a rage and never want her back.
Before she could ponder further, Michael's words caught her attention. "Maybe I should talk to her again before I leave. Would you mind waking her and asking her to come downstairs?"
Elyse was panic-stricken that she would have to report Jacie missing. If Michael found out, he would go after her and probably find her, because she could not have got very far. "I don't think that would be wise," she said finally.
His brows lifted. "And why not?"
Rapidly the lie tumbled out. "I heard her moving about till all hours. Obviously she couldn't sleep. She's probably exhausted, and we should let her rest."
Disappointed, he had no choice but to agree, knowing it would not be gentlemanly to request her presence after such a bad night. "I just wish I didn't have to leave her now.”
"Stop worrying, Michael. I promise you I'll take care of her." She patted his hand, thrilled,
Elyse knew she had to find out what Jacie was up to. She lit a small lantern and proceeded down the hall and down the stairs to the foyer. She did not hear anything but continued to look around. Then, seeing that the door to the study was open, she went inside.
Holding the lantern high to light the room, her eyes went to the desk... where she saw the letter. Quickly she sat down to read it, tingling with excitement to realize she was about to discover why Jacie had been sneaking around.
The corners of her mouth lifted in a smile, which spread into a grin across her whole face as she realized with a happy lurch of her heart that this was the chance she had been waiting for.
Jacie was going away. No doubt she and Michael had been having more problems than anyone realized. But if she did come back in the spring, as she had written, Elyse was going to make certain Michael would not be waiting with open arms. Because by spring, she planned to be his wife.
She hurried back upstairs to her room, anxious to think about all the details of what must be done to make her scheme work.
And she took Jacie's letter with her.
Chapter 9
Mehlonga was waiting with a horse for her, a beautiful brown mare. There was no saddle, only a woven blanket on the mare's back, but Jacie did not mind; she was a good rider.
"Are you sure of what you are doing?" he asked her. "You can still turn back."
"I can't go back until I find out what—if anything—is waiting for me... out there ," she answered, pointing west.
* * *
Michael had ordered breakfast to be ready, should anyone want it, even though he knew he would probably be the only one with an appetite at such an ungodly hour. He was surprised to find Elyse at the table. "What are you doing up? Didn't you say good-bye to your mother last night?"
"Yes, but I didn't say good-bye to you." She hoped he did not notice her nervousness, for she was barely able to contain her exhilaration at the knowledge that Jacie had left.
He gave her a light peck on her cheek and sat down. "That's nice of you. Nicer, too, that you're willing to forego a trip home to stay with Jacie. I'm very worried about her, you know. If you could get her mind on something besides her grief, it would be wonderful. Perhaps the two of you can go riding. She loves to ride."
"And jump," Elyse said with a soft laugh, wanting to remind him of the incident Cousin Olivia had told her about and how upset he had been.
"There won't be any jumping. Besides, I fired Newton last night. He's leaving this morning. Now I don't have to worry about Jacie wheedling him into going behind my back to set up hurdles. I've also ordered the equipment destroyed."
He talked on about how reckless Jacie could be, but Elyse was no longer listening, because another idea was forming in her head. So far, all she had done was destroy Jacie's letter so that when Michael discovered her missing he would have no idea as to why. Now she saw a way to make him go into a rage and never want her back.
Before she could ponder further, Michael's words caught her attention. "Maybe I should talk to her again before I leave. Would you mind waking her and asking her to come downstairs?"
Elyse was panic-stricken that she would have to report Jacie missing. If Michael found out, he would go after her and probably find her, because she could not have got very far. "I don't think that would be wise," she said finally.
His brows lifted. "And why not?"
Rapidly the lie tumbled out. "I heard her moving about till all hours. Obviously she couldn't sleep. She's probably exhausted, and we should let her rest."
Disappointed, he had no choice but to agree, knowing it would not be gentlemanly to request her presence after such a bad night. "I just wish I didn't have to leave her now.”
"Stop worrying, Michael. I promise you I'll take care of her." She patted his hand, thrilled,
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