“Thank you, my lord,”I said, smiling while adding honey to my bowl.
After breakfast, James and I gathered our belongings and bundled ourselves up for the cold. We expressed our gratitude to Malcolm and Addie, and James gave Alice a warm hug, lifting her up into the air, and she showered him with delighted giggles. She beamed until he gently set her down and kissed the top of her head.
“Take these,”Malcolm said, handing us two thick wool blankets and a pair of riding gloves for me.“Just in case the weather holds.”
James nodded his thanks, and we stepped out into the frigid air, snow swirling around us in thick flurries. James headed to the barn and returned a few minutes later with two tall black stallions, saddled up and ready to ride.
“Do you really know how to ride?”James questioned me.
“Yes, I’m well-versed,”I replied, sticking my foot into the stirrup and swinging myself onto the horse’s back. A look of surprise crossed his face as he mounted his own horse. Sitting upright, I waited for him to ride up next to me, the snow falling even heavier now. My anxiety built as I looked at the road ahead, thick with snow. If the storm didn’t let up soon,we might not make it back in time for the potion to work, and Gran’s fate would be sealed.
James drove his heels into the sides of the horse, sending it forward into the dense snowy haze, and I followed. Together we rode off, our tracks quickly disappearing into the storm’s embrace as we ventured toward Letterfearn, on a journey that would change us both forever.
Chapter Thirty-Four
The Unfortunate Traveler
The ride was slow and arduous as we battled against the biting wind and swirling snow on our journey toward Letterfearn. I feared the extreme weather would prevent us from returning within three days’time. Even with the riding gloves Malcolm provided, the bitter cold numbed my fingers within the first hour. I was tempted to stop and don Gran’s mittens, but time was of the essence. I did my best to warm my frozen fingers one at a time as we rode, tucking them under my arms during brief pauses in our steady progress, though these moments were few and far between amidst the thick blanket of snow covering the trail.
Although the tension between us had eased somewhat in the presence of little Alice, James’s cold demeanor returned as we rode away from the Turners’home. I couldn’t bear the thought of enduring the long journeyahead in silence. The wind died down as I rode up beside him and said,“My lord, I want to thank you,”hoping that showing my gratitude might help soften him.
“You should be thanking my father, not me,”he bit back.
I was determined not to let his harsh words get under my skin. If we were going to save Gran, we would have to work together, which we couldn’t do if he was determined to fight me the entire way. Bickering would only slow the journey. I needed to be the bigger person and help ease the tension.
“Yes, but you are out here braving this storm with me, not your father.”
This caught his attention, and he looked at me for the first time, his eyes full of curiosity.
“Despite the cold, it’s quite beautiful,”I continued, hoping I had cracked his armor.
He said nothing, but I saw a change in his face as if the hard mask he had been wearing was dropping, and the gentle face I had seen in him with Alice was peeking out.
“Are you attending university, my lord?”I inquired, hoping to find a conversation he might engage in. He hesitated, seemingly unsure if he wanted to converse with me.
Eventually, he spoke, his tone still carrying a hint of smugness with it.“Yes, I attend the University of Edinburgh.”
“I am from Edinburgh myself. My father was a professor of literature at the university,”I revealed, prompting a glint of interest in his eyes.
“Oh really, what was his name?”he asked skeptically, his voice rising against the wind.
“William Douglas. Did you know him?”I questioned, suddenly aware that this might be just the thing to lighten him up. A flicker of hope sparked, and as if the weather had decided to help me, the wind slowed, and the snow fell more softly.
“I did. He taught me in my first year. I’m sorry to hear of his passing,”he replied, his tone softening slightly. He paused, as if unsure to continue.“He was one of my favoriteprofessors. Unfortunately, I was compelled to switch to more diplomatic studies the next year and didn’t have the privilege of taking his classes again before he passed. He was a wonderful teacher.”
“Thank you. That he was. He taught me many things, one being a great appreciation for books and the craft of writing. I’m actually an avid reader, but my mother made me promise not to indulge in any reading during this trip,”I shared, remembering what his mother had said about him always having his nose in a book. Maybe this would be where we found common ground.
“And why is that?”he inquired, genuinely curious.
Just then, the thick layer of clouds began to break apart, and small patches of blue sky peeked through. The snow had slowed to nothing more than light flurries, and the horses picked up their pace as we moved closer toward Letterfearn.
“Well, I am here on official family business. All my attention was to be put toward finding a proper suitor at the ball,”I explained.
“Of course,”he spat, his tone sharp and full of anger once again. His face hardened into a deep scowl. Confused, I looked at him.
“Of course, what?”I asked.
“Just as I suspected, this is another of my father’s ploys to get me to find a wife and settle down,”he said, his face turning into a deep scowl.
