she ought to feel right at home among the
gentry and be able to drop this unpleasant part of her masquerade. She had
barely arrived, yet already acting so unlike herself was beginning to chafe, no
thanks to the overbearing Adam Thornton, who seemed determined to go beyond the
bounds of social propriety with his unseemly possessiveness. She looked forward
to giving him a good dressing-down, but for now, she must exercise patience,
not one of her stronger traits. Heaven give her the strength to curb her tongue
and her temper!
"Splendid, Miss Cary!" Robert exclaimed, finding
his voice at last. "Absolutely splendid!" He waved his hand with a
wide flourish toward the gentlemen still gathered near the gangplank. "If
I may, I shall tell the others. What a wonderful day it will be!"
Susanna gave a slight nod, and the planter hurried
away.
"House party, my foot," Adam grumbled under
his breath. "You're going to have a blasted mob on your hands. Every
single male in the county will be there."
"Did you say something, Mr. Thornton?" she
asked innocently, though she had heard him well enough.
She didn't understand his obvious resentment. Why
should it matter to him if she met some eligible young gentlemen? Surely he
knew James Cary had summoned Camille home to find an appropriate husband.
"I said, if you would point out your trunks, Miss
Cary, I'll have them loaded onto the carriage and we'll be on our way,"
Adam replied, unsettled by how quickly his plans had gone awry.
He had wanted to have Camille all to himself for the
next few weeks, which would have given him plenty of time to court her without
any outside interruptions. Now that was not to be. Leave it to that fool Robert
Grymes to pressure the girl into something she didn't really want to do. He
would just have to inform her of his intention to marry her a little sooner
than he had planned, and before any other bastards had a chance to meet her.
Maybe he would tell her tonight and be done with it,
Adam thought. If he worked fast enough, he might even announce the betrothal at
this welcome ball. By God, he could imagine the look on Grymes's face at the
news. He could just as easily imagine the look on Dominick Spencer's face if
the planter had the audacity to show up at Briarwood. Adam would sell his soul
for such a moment.
"My trunks are over there, Mr. Thornton."
Adam signaled to Elias, who was still waiting patiently
by the carriage. The huge black man rushed forward and lifted one after the
other of her three trunks, carrying them back to the coach as if they contained
nothing but feathers. After the luggage was secured, he re-tethered Adam's
mount to the vehicle and called, "All's ready, Mr. Thornton!"
"Have you no maid?" Adam queried, it suddenly
dawning on him that of course Camille wouldn't have traveled such a distance
alone. "I recall Mr. Cary saying you had a devoted waiting-maid about your
age named Susanna Guthrie. Where is she?"
Susanna felt the color draining from her face. She had
never thought to hear her own name mentioned in Virginia. It was an eerie
sensation, especially since she knew no one would ever call her that again.
"She died a little over a week ago. The fever . .
." It was simply too painful to say more. Susanna fell silent, her gaze
fixed on the river.
"I'm very sorry, Camille. Come, I'll take you
home."
A few moments ago, Susanna might have taken offense
that he called her by her first name. Now, it didn't seem to matter.
Turning away from the Charming Nancy , she allowed him to lead her to the carriage, which
was drawn by two magnificent dappled grays. He lifted her inside, his strong,
tanned hands easily encircling her waist, and took a place beside her on the
plush wine-colored velvet seat. She didn't look back as the coach jolted into
motion and rumbled away from the bustling dock. She never wanted to see that
cursed ship again.
Chapter 4
Susanna said little during their journey to Briarwood,
which seemed to
gentry and be able to drop this unpleasant part of her masquerade. She had
barely arrived, yet already acting so unlike herself was beginning to chafe, no
thanks to the overbearing Adam Thornton, who seemed determined to go beyond the
bounds of social propriety with his unseemly possessiveness. She looked forward
to giving him a good dressing-down, but for now, she must exercise patience,
not one of her stronger traits. Heaven give her the strength to curb her tongue
and her temper!
"Splendid, Miss Cary!" Robert exclaimed, finding
his voice at last. "Absolutely splendid!" He waved his hand with a
wide flourish toward the gentlemen still gathered near the gangplank. "If
I may, I shall tell the others. What a wonderful day it will be!"
Susanna gave a slight nod, and the planter hurried
away.
"House party, my foot," Adam grumbled under
his breath. "You're going to have a blasted mob on your hands. Every
single male in the county will be there."
"Did you say something, Mr. Thornton?" she
asked innocently, though she had heard him well enough.
She didn't understand his obvious resentment. Why
should it matter to him if she met some eligible young gentlemen? Surely he
knew James Cary had summoned Camille home to find an appropriate husband.
"I said, if you would point out your trunks, Miss
Cary, I'll have them loaded onto the carriage and we'll be on our way,"
Adam replied, unsettled by how quickly his plans had gone awry.
He had wanted to have Camille all to himself for the
next few weeks, which would have given him plenty of time to court her without
any outside interruptions. Now that was not to be. Leave it to that fool Robert
Grymes to pressure the girl into something she didn't really want to do. He
would just have to inform her of his intention to marry her a little sooner
than he had planned, and before any other bastards had a chance to meet her.
Maybe he would tell her tonight and be done with it,
Adam thought. If he worked fast enough, he might even announce the betrothal at
this welcome ball. By God, he could imagine the look on Grymes's face at the
news. He could just as easily imagine the look on Dominick Spencer's face if
the planter had the audacity to show up at Briarwood. Adam would sell his soul
for such a moment.
"My trunks are over there, Mr. Thornton."
Adam signaled to Elias, who was still waiting patiently
by the carriage. The huge black man rushed forward and lifted one after the
other of her three trunks, carrying them back to the coach as if they contained
nothing but feathers. After the luggage was secured, he re-tethered Adam's
mount to the vehicle and called, "All's ready, Mr. Thornton!"
"Have you no maid?" Adam queried, it suddenly
dawning on him that of course Camille wouldn't have traveled such a distance
alone. "I recall Mr. Cary saying you had a devoted waiting-maid about your
age named Susanna Guthrie. Where is she?"
Susanna felt the color draining from her face. She had
never thought to hear her own name mentioned in Virginia. It was an eerie
sensation, especially since she knew no one would ever call her that again.
"She died a little over a week ago. The fever . .
." It was simply too painful to say more. Susanna fell silent, her gaze
fixed on the river.
"I'm very sorry, Camille. Come, I'll take you
home."
A few moments ago, Susanna might have taken offense
that he called her by her first name. Now, it didn't seem to matter.
Turning away from the Charming Nancy , she allowed him to lead her to the carriage, which
was drawn by two magnificent dappled grays. He lifted her inside, his strong,
tanned hands easily encircling her waist, and took a place beside her on the
plush wine-colored velvet seat. She didn't look back as the coach jolted into
motion and rumbled away from the bustling dock. She never wanted to see that
cursed ship again.
Chapter 4
Susanna said little during their journey to Briarwood,
which seemed to
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