be able to make her apologies then, would she not?'
You sent a letter to the provost,' James thundered, shaking his fist at Cassie, 'and I know only too well how it was arranged. You have gone too far this time, sister. That woman, Morag, shall leave my lands this very day. No woman defies me in my own house.'
Cassandra had known he would be furious, but also that it had been right to take the risk. She owed it to the man to save him. And now she must try to pay what she owed to poor Morag, too.
'Morag had nothing to do with it,' she said quietly, knowing that she must not provoke him further. She willed herself to be calm, to swallow her boiling anger against his continuing injustice and cruelty. If she appeared submissive enough, he might listen to what she had to say.
James said nothing. But it was clear from his expression that he was far from convinced. She must try harder.
'Come, brother, you know she could not have taken a letter to Dumfries. For how would she have travelled? And secretly, too? Since I have been.. .er.. .keeping to my room, Morag has taken charge of the household in my place. If she had gone to Dumfries, her absence would have been noticed. You would have noticed. You are always fly to the time of day.'
Her heavy-handed flattery seemed to be working. His fists had unclenched a fraction. And he did not seem to be wanting to shout at her again. Yet.
Cassandra hurried on. 'No one in this household was involved.' His head came up sharply. 'So there is no one to be dismissed on that account.'
'Tell me who it was.' He was trying to control his anger, for once. In some ways, that made him more frightening.
She ignored his question. But she would try not to antagonise him further. 'In the end, it was as well that I did send the letter. For both of us,' she added. 'We both know we cannot afford to make an enemy of Colonel Anstruther, for he has too many powerful friends in Dumfries and Edinburgh.' She could see that her arguments were finally making an impression on James. And she spoke only the truth. James might have thought he was taking vengeance on a friendless traveller with no standing in the world. But it had transpired that the traveller was a gentleman, and one who might have the power to ruin the Elliotts . She waited for her brother to respond. She had said enough for the moment.
'It is true that Graham is a gentleman,' he conceded at last, with an angry shake of his head. 'One look at his fine linen told me that. But even a gentleman can be hanged, Cassie, if the crime is heinous enough.' The venom in his words was unmistakable.
You might be speaking your own epitaph. The thought flashed through Cassie's mind, unbidden. She was instantly ashamed. She might hate her half-brother, and with just cause, but she did not will his death. Never that. She only wished...she only wished to be free of him, and to find some degree of happiness in her life. A very little would suffice.
'There was no crime,' she said simply. 'I had never met him before.' 'Aye, so you say.' 'Jamie—'
'Enough of your wheedling, girl. You will tell me who carried the letter.'
Cassie set her mouth in a firm line and said nothing.
'So that is to be the way of it? Very well. Since I cannot punish the real culprit, I shall have to find someone else to take the blame.' His voice sank to a soft hiss. 'Yes. I think Morag will suffice. She leaves this day.'
'No. You cannot. Morag has done nothing. Please, Jamie, I promise you, she was not the one.'
'I do not doubt it. But I should make an example of someone.' He brought his face down to hers. 'You do see that, don't you, sister?'
'Make an example of me, then. For it was I who wrote the letter.'
'Oh, I intend to do that also. I have plans for you, Miss Cassandra Elliott.'
Cassie tried to suppress a shudder. She did not quite succeed.
'It frightens you, does it? Good. And so it should. Your first task is simple. You are to find out about Captain Graham. We know he has
You sent a letter to the provost,' James thundered, shaking his fist at Cassie, 'and I know only too well how it was arranged. You have gone too far this time, sister. That woman, Morag, shall leave my lands this very day. No woman defies me in my own house.'
Cassandra had known he would be furious, but also that it had been right to take the risk. She owed it to the man to save him. And now she must try to pay what she owed to poor Morag, too.
'Morag had nothing to do with it,' she said quietly, knowing that she must not provoke him further. She willed herself to be calm, to swallow her boiling anger against his continuing injustice and cruelty. If she appeared submissive enough, he might listen to what she had to say.
James said nothing. But it was clear from his expression that he was far from convinced. She must try harder.
'Come, brother, you know she could not have taken a letter to Dumfries. For how would she have travelled? And secretly, too? Since I have been.. .er.. .keeping to my room, Morag has taken charge of the household in my place. If she had gone to Dumfries, her absence would have been noticed. You would have noticed. You are always fly to the time of day.'
Her heavy-handed flattery seemed to be working. His fists had unclenched a fraction. And he did not seem to be wanting to shout at her again. Yet.
Cassandra hurried on. 'No one in this household was involved.' His head came up sharply. 'So there is no one to be dismissed on that account.'
'Tell me who it was.' He was trying to control his anger, for once. In some ways, that made him more frightening.
She ignored his question. But she would try not to antagonise him further. 'In the end, it was as well that I did send the letter. For both of us,' she added. 'We both know we cannot afford to make an enemy of Colonel Anstruther, for he has too many powerful friends in Dumfries and Edinburgh.' She could see that her arguments were finally making an impression on James. And she spoke only the truth. James might have thought he was taking vengeance on a friendless traveller with no standing in the world. But it had transpired that the traveller was a gentleman, and one who might have the power to ruin the Elliotts . She waited for her brother to respond. She had said enough for the moment.
'It is true that Graham is a gentleman,' he conceded at last, with an angry shake of his head. 'One look at his fine linen told me that. But even a gentleman can be hanged, Cassie, if the crime is heinous enough.' The venom in his words was unmistakable.
You might be speaking your own epitaph. The thought flashed through Cassie's mind, unbidden. She was instantly ashamed. She might hate her half-brother, and with just cause, but she did not will his death. Never that. She only wished...she only wished to be free of him, and to find some degree of happiness in her life. A very little would suffice.
'There was no crime,' she said simply. 'I had never met him before.' 'Aye, so you say.' 'Jamie—'
'Enough of your wheedling, girl. You will tell me who carried the letter.'
Cassie set her mouth in a firm line and said nothing.
'So that is to be the way of it? Very well. Since I cannot punish the real culprit, I shall have to find someone else to take the blame.' His voice sank to a soft hiss. 'Yes. I think Morag will suffice. She leaves this day.'
'No. You cannot. Morag has done nothing. Please, Jamie, I promise you, she was not the one.'
'I do not doubt it. But I should make an example of someone.' He brought his face down to hers. 'You do see that, don't you, sister?'
'Make an example of me, then. For it was I who wrote the letter.'
'Oh, I intend to do that also. I have plans for you, Miss Cassandra Elliott.'
Cassie tried to suppress a shudder. She did not quite succeed.
'It frightens you, does it? Good. And so it should. Your first task is simple. You are to find out about Captain Graham. We know he has
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