* * *
Cassie threwa wool shawl about her shoulders and left the castle following their meal. She had no destination in mind, just the compulsion to leave the castle and walk. As Gwinnie had said, it was a nice day. She walked past the stable and Carlyle’s hen house down a faint path through the wild grasses and plants. She was surprised the path still existed after little use in the past years. The path led to the cliffs, a crack in the earth. If she followed the path far enough, the cliff’s two sides merged. Up ahead, she saw sheep grazing near a dry-stack stone wall that cut across the landscape. She wondered who the sheep belonged to. Baydon didn’t have any sheep she knew of, though she granted the estate should. Or cows. Or both. That was Baydon land. Had Edmund leased the land out? Or had the Gallaghers, and then kept the funds for themselves. She would ask Edmund if he had done so. She had not seen anything in the papers she’d examined to indicate he had. Another mystery for later.
The cheddar-pinks still bloomed among the rocks and among Somerset grass’s long, needle-like clumps. She mused the unfortunate rains and cooler weather of the year had been a fortunate event for wildflowers typically spent by late June.
The even gray of the sky matched the limestone outcroppings in the earth. The sameness of color made time non-existent until darkness descended again. The temperature was more akin to early spring than summer.
She drew her wool shawl higher up on her shoulders, clutching it at her chest.
Her mind tumbled in turmoil. The marquessate was an enormous responsibility. People depended on it. Could it really be suffering financially? What had Richard actually left his son? It was obvious Edmund was not the person to oversee the holdings. Cassie knew she would have to ensure it gained proper management before there was nothing left for Alex. She did not have the knowledge for such an undertaking, nor she admitted to herself, the interest as it would be a time-consuming task. Thoughts of all the columns of numbers in ledgers made her head hurt. Perhaps Lord Lakehurst or her brother could recommend a gentleman to review the estates’ finances, though she truly feared what they might find. However, despite her fears, she would rather know than not know. If they needed to live simply, they could do so. She didn’t grow up with an abundance of wealth.
Thinking of Lord Lakehurst made her smile. A gentle giant, and—she thought—a bit shy. If any man deserved happiness, he did. She could not believe the silly gossip passed among the debutants. She considered him a moment and smiled. Those silly girls had no idea of the pleasures that could be found with a man of his size. She could imagine being enfolded in his arms at night, protected from life’s storms.
A shiver ran through her.
Gracious! What was she thinking? She wasn’t alone. She had Alex, and he must be her priority.
She was not interested in a second marriage. She’d told Gwinnie that. She was certain that was true. Her first marriage, despite her hopes, had quickly become a cool marriage. Two pleasant enough people sharing a living space and a child without any emotional connection between them. Sterile, dry, empty. In these hills, she’d often felt inordinately alone. Is that what she wanted to go on feeling for the rest of her life?
The wind picked up, rustling the long grasses and tugging wisps of hair out of the neat bun Agnes had put her hair in that morning. She turned her face into the wind. She hadn’t put on a bonnet before she came out. She'd reasoned that the uniform gray sky hid any sun that might darken her complexion, though in truth, she wanted the freedom. If it had been warmer, she would have also abandoned the shawl, spreading her arms wide to welcome the wind.
“Cassie!” she heard faintly.
She turned. Lakehurst came up the path she’d walked.
“Cassie,” he called again, his pace quickening.
She waited for him to catch up to her, her feelings mixed on the interruption to her solitude.
“Henry has returned with Mr. Stillworth’s horse. He says your brother and the others should be here in less than two hours.”
“Thank you,” she said. She inhaled deeply and turned to look back over the undulating hills and valleys. “And so it begins,” she said.
“Are you afraid for this meeting with your uncle by marriage?” Lakehurst asked.
“Afraid? No, that is not the right word. Apprehensive, perhaps. I do not like discord, and there will be much discord in the conversations we need to have.”
“Yes; however, you know you will have the support of Gwinnie and me, and perhaps Mr. Stillworth as well.”
“Yes, Raymond as well. I’m afraid he had all his hopes for his future tied up in the Baydon Imports Company.”
“I fear you are correct.”
They turned to walk back toward the castle.
“Edmund will become defensive and not listen if I display anger immediately. We will need to see he is relaxed.”
Lakehurst nodded. “Wise. Ask him what he knew of the Gallaghers, then bring up your concerns after listening to him.”
“I agree.”
* * *
Ellinbourne,his fiancée Ann Hallowell, and her stepmother, Ursula Hallowell, arrived shortly after Lakehurst and Cassie returned to the castle. They said they thought the Tidemarks were a good half hour behind them.
“Mrs. Tidemark demanded the coachman slow down as the ruts and rocks of the roads leading to the castle made her uncomfortable,” Ellinbourne told them.
Cassie nodded. “I believe that. She has never been a good traveler.”
