the sleeves completely covering her hands, the hem dragging upon the floor. She pulled up the hood, covering her head and leaving her face in shadow.
She stooped and lifted the fur throw from its place of concealment, folding it over her arm. No matter what weather she encountered on her escape, this would afford more than enough protection.
She closed the armoire and crossed to the door of the library. At the sound of voices she froze in her tracks. God in heaven. The voices were coming this way. With a cry of dismay she raced across the room and pulled open the armoire. Just as the door to the room opened, she leaped into the cupboard and pulled the door shut. With the door to the armoire closed, she was in total blackness.
“I cannot believe you are here.” At the sound of Brice’s voice, Meredith gritted her teeth.
“Nor can I.” The young woman’s voice was low, with a trace of an accent.
Meredith heard the dogs sniffing at the door to the armoire.
“Why did you not send riders ahead to announce your arrival? I would have prepared a more fitting welcome.”
“I wanted to surprise you. Besides, just being here at Kinloch House is welcome enough.”
“How did you manage to slip away from your brother?”
“James has other things on his mind these days.” The sound of feminine laughter drifted across the room. “He is enamored of Agnes Keith. I hope it will soften him somewhat.”
In the armoire Meredith crouched in a most uncomfortable position. She could neither sit nor stand, but was forced to stoop. To add to her discomfort the woolen cloak was so heavy it weighted her down. The warmth from the cloak and the fur draped over her arm, combined with the heat of the fireplace, left her soaked with perspiration. And still the dogs sniffed. When would they settle down before the fire? Why had they taken this occasion to pay her any interest?
“Ah, yes. Agnes, his new bride. How do they fare?”
“At least he has someone other than me to bully.”
“Has it been terrible?” Brice’s tone was tinged with concern as he crossed the room and cuffed the hounds’ heads. “Off with you now.”
With a whimper the dogs moved away a few paces before renewing their sniffing at the armoire.
“Oh, Brice. The tales I could tell. The last days in France were worse than the torments of hell.”
“Poor Mary.” Meredith could hear the sound of footsteps and sensed that Brice had crossed the room to the woman’s side.
Peering through a crack in the door, Meredith watched as Brice drew the young woman into his arms.
“I know how much you miss Francis.”
“My darling Francois. Aye, I miss him terribly. But it is more than that. It is this place. It is so forbidding. All the gaiety, the laughter, seem to have died since I returned.” Her voice lowered. “And all because of that horrid little man who preaches fire and brimstone.”
“Ah. Knox. He has caught the ear of the people.”
“He watches and waits, Brice.”
“For what, madame?”
“For me to slip so that he can publicly humiliate me.”
There was silence in the room and Meredith watched as Brice and the young woman strolled to a window overlooking a vast expanse of forest.
The dogs did not follow their master. Instead, they continued sniffing at the armoire.
The heat in the tiny space was becoming unbearable. Soon, Meredith thought, she would suffocate.
“Be very careful not to offend him, Mary. He could cause you great harm.”
“I am only now learning that.” The young woman gave a deep sigh. “I long for the dancing, the singing, of France. I long to give elegant parties, to laugh, to—flirt. Oh, Brice. I am eighteen years old and no longer have a husband, nor any sort of life. It is terrible. Terrible.”
Meredith detected a note of unspoken laughter in Brice’s tone. “You are too beautiful, Mary, too full of life and laughter, to be condemned to a life alone. What man in his right mind would not lose his heart to
She stooped and lifted the fur throw from its place of concealment, folding it over her arm. No matter what weather she encountered on her escape, this would afford more than enough protection.
She closed the armoire and crossed to the door of the library. At the sound of voices she froze in her tracks. God in heaven. The voices were coming this way. With a cry of dismay she raced across the room and pulled open the armoire. Just as the door to the room opened, she leaped into the cupboard and pulled the door shut. With the door to the armoire closed, she was in total blackness.
“I cannot believe you are here.” At the sound of Brice’s voice, Meredith gritted her teeth.
“Nor can I.” The young woman’s voice was low, with a trace of an accent.
Meredith heard the dogs sniffing at the door to the armoire.
“Why did you not send riders ahead to announce your arrival? I would have prepared a more fitting welcome.”
“I wanted to surprise you. Besides, just being here at Kinloch House is welcome enough.”
“How did you manage to slip away from your brother?”
“James has other things on his mind these days.” The sound of feminine laughter drifted across the room. “He is enamored of Agnes Keith. I hope it will soften him somewhat.”
In the armoire Meredith crouched in a most uncomfortable position. She could neither sit nor stand, but was forced to stoop. To add to her discomfort the woolen cloak was so heavy it weighted her down. The warmth from the cloak and the fur draped over her arm, combined with the heat of the fireplace, left her soaked with perspiration. And still the dogs sniffed. When would they settle down before the fire? Why had they taken this occasion to pay her any interest?
“Ah, yes. Agnes, his new bride. How do they fare?”
“At least he has someone other than me to bully.”
“Has it been terrible?” Brice’s tone was tinged with concern as he crossed the room and cuffed the hounds’ heads. “Off with you now.”
With a whimper the dogs moved away a few paces before renewing their sniffing at the armoire.
“Oh, Brice. The tales I could tell. The last days in France were worse than the torments of hell.”
“Poor Mary.” Meredith could hear the sound of footsteps and sensed that Brice had crossed the room to the woman’s side.
Peering through a crack in the door, Meredith watched as Brice drew the young woman into his arms.
“I know how much you miss Francis.”
“My darling Francois. Aye, I miss him terribly. But it is more than that. It is this place. It is so forbidding. All the gaiety, the laughter, seem to have died since I returned.” Her voice lowered. “And all because of that horrid little man who preaches fire and brimstone.”
“Ah. Knox. He has caught the ear of the people.”
“He watches and waits, Brice.”
“For what, madame?”
“For me to slip so that he can publicly humiliate me.”
There was silence in the room and Meredith watched as Brice and the young woman strolled to a window overlooking a vast expanse of forest.
The dogs did not follow their master. Instead, they continued sniffing at the armoire.
The heat in the tiny space was becoming unbearable. Soon, Meredith thought, she would suffocate.
“Be very careful not to offend him, Mary. He could cause you great harm.”
“I am only now learning that.” The young woman gave a deep sigh. “I long for the dancing, the singing, of France. I long to give elegant parties, to laugh, to—flirt. Oh, Brice. I am eighteen years old and no longer have a husband, nor any sort of life. It is terrible. Terrible.”
Meredith detected a note of unspoken laughter in Brice’s tone. “You are too beautiful, Mary, too full of life and laughter, to be condemned to a life alone. What man in his right mind would not lose his heart to
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