She didn’t blame him. His entire life was in London. Family and friends were the least of it. His ambitions were here. What did she have to lure him away from that?
Nothing.
Still, it cut deep. She felt utterly alone.
She felt Sadie touch her arm. “You’ll be all right,” she said. “We’ll find an answer.”
She smiled. Sadie meant well, but eternal optimism blinded the woman. Sadie was confident because she’d been raised with enough protection to stretch her wings in safety. But that hadn’t been Iseabail’s experience. And she knew better than anyone that things rarely worked out for the best. Still, Sadie had bolstered her for a moment. Enough that she could turn to address Mr. Bates. “When can I speak with Jonathan?”
He frowned. “I’ll arrange for him to see you tomorrow first thing. Do you know what you want to say to the watch?”
She lifted her hands in a shrug. “That I’m not married. That I won’t go back to Scotland. That they attacked me.” Unfortunately, that wasn’t going to work. Everyone knew a guardian had the right to drag his charge back home and force her to marry anyone he willed.
She was a fine one to accuse Mr. Bates of self-delusion. She had yet to face the reality of her own situation. If she went back to the countess’s home, she’d be taken by the watch and given over to Hamish no matter what she claimed.
“I can’t go back there, can I?” she said, fear chilling her bones. “I need to run.”
She’d spoken more to herself than anyone else, but Mr. Bates reacted as if she’d shouted. He jumped forward and barely stopped himself from grabbing her arm. His hand touched her, though, then froze as if knowing he was going too far.
“No need to run away,” he said. “There’s nowhere to go that is safer for you. Without protection or help, you’d be like a lamb to slaughter in London.”
“I know,” she said miserably. “That’s why I asked for your help.” She pressed a hand to her forehead. What was she going to do? Hamish wasn’t going to stop. Neither was her uncle. “I have to get married to someone who will stop him.”
“Don’t be rash,” he snapped. Then he modulated his voice. “Let’s get you back to the countess’s home. She has a great deal of influence.”
“But won’t the watch be there?”
He shrugged. “She can handle the watch. They won’t take you in tonight.”
One night’s reprieve? That wasn’t long enough, but what else could she do?
She let him guide her back down the stairs and into a hackney. She dropped onto the squabs and stared at her hands while Sadie climbed in across from her. He sat beside her, and she had to keep herself from sinking into his body. Despair was winning as she found fewer and fewer places to turn. She’d thought her most desperate time was when she ran across half of Scotland to find Sadie. Now it seemed everything was for naught.
Her uncle had won.
“You’re not done yet,” he said. His voice was low as he squeezed her arm, but the comfort she found in his voice was short-lived.
“Will your friend fight for me?”
He sighed. “For the right price.”
She didn’t have any money except for the dubious promise of her dowry. “I’ll marry anyone who will kill my uncle.”
“Don’t be rash—”
She turned to him, anger strengthening her body. “I’m not rash. I’m never rash. I will never be free as long as he is my guardian.”
“You won’t be free with a murderer as your husband either.”
Sadie held up her hand. “Let’s talk about other options.”
Sweet Sadie. She had no idea how many times Iseabail had gone through them. “What do you have in mind?”
For the rest of the ride, Sadie discussed people or clans who might come to her rescue. None of them would work. Her uncle and the marketplace he controlled were too powerful. The Spalding market was the only place for many clans to sell their goods. Without it, they’d quickly starve. As for the other clans, each one had troubles. After Culloden, none wanted to go to war with anyone, much less a fellow clan. Worse, every whisper of witchcraft worked against her. It took a brave Scot indeed to marry the granddaughter of the most infamous witch in Scotland.
Which meant they arrived at the countess’s home without finding a solution. She would have hidden in her bed then, if she could slink into her bedroom. But she didn’t because of what theydidfind upon arrival.
Half thetonwas walking their street. Apparently, everyone wanted to see the murderous Scotswomen, and she was very grateful Mr. Bates had had the foresight to take them somewhere to change. But it also emphasized just how much trouble she was in. She had no doubt the watch was inside waiting for her, and whatever happened could not be hidden.
