Margaret’s gaze narrowed as her voice lowered. “You know, of course, where she’s gone. It is that Richard Standish fellow. And there is only one destination where a couple their age and in their circumstance would go.”
The suggestion reverberated with aching poignancy within him.
Of course that was where she went.
Gretna Green. Scotland.The one place they could go and marry without permission. Without having the banns read.
He was left with little choice. He had to find her.
If he could reach her in time.
Chapter 7
The pistol was heavy in James’s hand as he paced his study.
He paused his steps, stared at the weapon, and tried to remember the last time he had held it with the intent of possibly using it.
But now his sister was missing. And even though he was not sure exactly where Rachel was, he was almost certain whom she was with.
Ignoring the hard knot in his stomach, he tucked the pistol away and reached for his wide-brimmed hat. With every second that passed, his anger intensified.
What a fool he’d been. He’d taken her quiet retreat as submission to his instructions.
Mrs. Towler appeared in the doorway. “What are you going to do?”
He wished he had an answer. He’d searched Rachel’s chamber for a clue as to where she might be. But there was nothing—no letter. And despite the mess in her wardrobe, it appeared that nothing of significance was missing. “I’m going to the inn. If they departed by coach, someone there will know something or at least will have seen something.”
“Assuming she didn’t go to another village.” Mrs. Towler sweptfarther into his study, the rustling of her black skirt disrupting the silence. “Oh, this is a mess! I warned you about this. Did I not? Something should have been done sooner.”
He ignored the hard edge of her tone. He had to. Otherwise his exasperation toward her might flare, and he had to remain controlled. “I’ll return as soon as I am able. Hopefully with Rachel.”
Mrs. Towler squinted. “I hope she realizes what she’s done. Not just to herself but to her family. To Maria and Rose.”
He refused to think about Rose and Maria being affected by this. “Have Mrs. Helock tell the groundsmen to patrol the surrounding area for anything suspicious. I’ll enlist more help once I reach the inn.”
He didn’t dare glance toward his mother-in-law as he quit the chamber. He couldn’t. Yes, he was angry with Rachel too. The girl was headstrong. Determined. Inconsiderate to a fault. But she was still his sister and a member of the family. He would not join in his mother-in-law’s denigration of her. It would do no good. Instead, he would put his every effort into retrieving her.
He made his way to the stables and quickly saddled his horse. Within minutes he was mounted and through the courtyard with his sights set on the Green Ox Inn.
He’d known she’d been infatuated with the lad, but to run off? To actually forsake them? Overwhelming guilt surged through him. He was the guardian. He should have been more forceful. More watchful.
Once he reached the main road, he allowed his horse freedom to gallop along the dirt road. There was no need for silence among the trees.
But above all, concern for her safety ruled his actions. Everything else could be sorted through once he knew she was safe.
***
Cassandra paced her narrow bedchamber, clutching a tarnished pocket watch in her hand. The watch, which had once belonged to Mrs. Denton, confirmed the lateness of the hour. She should be tired. She should try to get some rest. But everything within her resisted.
The day’s events had been fraught with uncertainty, and now her thoughts refused to settle.
She did her best to silence the noisy doubts winging in her heart and continued to pace. If only there was someone to talk with—someone to distract her.
At the school, solitude had been a rarity. Students always surrounded her, and even in the evenings, when her duties for the day had been completed, two other teachers shared her bedchamber. It had been so easy to find a diversion, but here she had no choice but to contend with her own thoughts.
Cassandra moved to the window once again. As she did a shiver traversed her spine, and she reached for the blanket Mrs. Martin had left for her and wrapped it around her shoulders. She was already fully dressed in her heaviest wool gown and flannel chemise and petticoats, but without a fire in a grate and proper panes of glass in her window, the night’s bitter chill made sleep nearly impossible.
She drew the window’s thin covering aside. Her window overlooked an alley, and from her position she could see most of the Green Ox Inn’s front courtyard. Fiery torches lit the space, illuminating the activity in an eerie glow. Shadowy figures darted to and fro. Even in the dark of night, a carriage arrived. She watched the movement for several seconds, allowing it to disrupt her anxious thoughts.
