A woman’s voice, one he hadn’t heard in nearly two years. Once, he would have said he’d forever be able to identify Caroline’s voice. This time, however, she sounded too much like Veronica.
Damn it, Montgomery. You’ve been an idiot.
Either brother would have made that comment.
A good five minutes after Robbie asked the question, Montgomery answered him.
“I need to know why my wife left,” he said.
Thankfully, the smith remained silent.
What the hell could Robbie possibly say?
Chapter 28
The rain slowed their progress to Inverness, the storm growing so fierce that Veronica signaled the driver to pull off on the side of the road and wait it out. An hour later, they were on their way again, the stormy skies giving way to a lovely day. Fortunately, that section of road was paved, so they didn’t have to contend with muddy ruts.
According to the coachman, the Highland Railway ran regularly between Inverness and Perth, a journey of some four hours. She’d planned to stay at an inn tonight, but in Perth, not Inverness. With the delay, they might well be traveling through the night.
At the moment, however, she wanted to stand in front of a roaring fire and savor a cup of hot Darjeeling tea. She closed her eyes and could almost feel the heat warm the tip of her nose. Perhaps a little toast as well, or Cook’s scones. They’d turned out to be almost as good as her mother’s.
Thankfully, Elspeth was a good traveling companion. The other woman was not disturbed by the storm, lightning, or even hunger.
“Have you a large family, Elspeth?” she asked.
“I’ve four brothers and three sisters, my ma and dad, of course, and Old Mary, plus a score of nephews and nieces. Although there might be even more as it’s been a year since I’ve been home.”
“A year?” she asked, surprised.
“It’s a fair distance from Perth, Your Ladyship.” Elspeth glanced away, obviously embarrassed. “And the fare by train ...”
Unspoken was the comment that the cost was beyond what Elspeth could afford. Perhaps it was time Veronica investigated how much the servants at Doncaster Hall were paid. She added that to her mental list of things to discuss with Montgomery.
If Montgomery ever talked to her again.
She’d thought there might be hope for her marriage. Instead, she knew it was doubtful he would ever feel anything but lust for her. Once, that might have been enough. Now, she wasn’t so certain.
They arrived, finally, in Inverness, only to discover they’d missed the most convenient train. The next was not due to leave for another three hours.
“Will you go back to Doncaster Hall?” she asked the coachman.
He shook his head. “I can wait here for you, Your Ladyship. Otherwise, you’ll have to hire a carriage to take you home.”
She nodded, then handed him some of the money from her reticule. “Will you need more, do you think?”
He glanced down at his hand. “This is very generous, Your Ladyship. I’ve friends here, plus Mrs. Brody has given me a list of supplies she needs.”
“I doubt I’ll be longer than a day or two,” Veronica said.
They arranged for him to meet her at the station tomorrow, and the following day if she wasn’t on that train. At that, he touched the brim of his hat, nodding to her, and left.
After an hour of waiting on an uncomfortable wooden bench, they were escorted to the first-class car and told they could wait there until the train was due to leave. She couldn’t help but wonder if the deference afforded her was because of Elspeth’s reference to her as Your Ladyship within the station manager’s hearing.
“Tell me about Kilmarin,” she said. Thinking of Montgomery only made her sad and angry in turn.
“What would you like to know, Your Ladyship?”
“Anything,” she said.
