Page 98 of Impetuous

“There!” Excitement filled Sarah’s voice, and Cassandra glanced around for whatever object had occasioned it.

She saw nothing except a stand of trees and, off to one side, a well. Sarah motioned her toward the well.

“Over there. Go stand over there.”

Cassandra did as she said. She understood now how Sarah intended her death to look like an accident. She would somehow force her down the old well, and people would assume that she had fallen in by accident. Although… She looked at the well as she came to a halt beside it.

“Sarah, this is not going to work,” she began reasonably. “This well is covered, and it stands almost waist high. It would be very difficult to fall into it accidentally.”

“It will work,” Sarah insisted obstinately. “You take off the cover.”

“No.” Cassandra faced her calmly, crossing her arms across her chest.

“What? You have to. I’ll shoot you!” Sarah waved the gun for emphasis.

“Go ahead. However, you can rest assured that if I am shot, no one will think it was an accident. Everyone will know that I was murdered. I can also guarantee that Philip will find out who did it. He won’t rest until he knows who murdered the woman he was about to marry. The woman he loves.” She spoke each word separately and loudly, pushing them into Sarah’s face. She wanted to make the other woman mad, wanted to put her in such a rage that she would do something foolish.

“Stop it!” Sarah came forward a few steps, her entire body rigid with rage. “Don’t say that. It’s not true!”

“Why else would he be marrying me?” Cassandra asked. “Everyone knows that the Verreres have no money. Only love would bring him to marry me. And when Philip loves, he is unshakable. You know that. He loves me, and he will always love me. Only me. No matter what you do, you can never make him love you.”

Sarah came closer, her eyes wide and furious, her hands shaking so badly that Cassandra was afraid she would set the gun off accidentally. Cassandra swallowed, hoping that she would not push the woman so far that Sarah simply dropped her with a shot. Taking her courage in her hands, she added, “When he finds out that you are the one who killed me—as he will surely do—he will hate you forever. Go ahead, Sarah, shoot me. See how long it will be before Philip knows all about you—and despises you forever.”

Sarah snapped. With a wild shriek, she rushed at Cassandra, raising her hand to bring down the pistol on Cassandra’s head. Cassandra ducked and lunged forward, hitting Sarah in the chest and knocking her backward. They staggered back, then forward, swinging and kicking and fighting for purchase. Cassandra dug her fingers into the other woman’s arm and hung on, struggling desperately to keep her from bringing the pistol down and firing it. The gun went off, the noise reverberating in the air, but the bullet went harmlessly upward.

Cassandra was bigger than Sarah, but the other woman was more muscular from years of having to physically deal with rambunctious young boys, as well as cooking pots and desks and chairs—and she seemed possessed of an almost superhuman strength. Cassandra could understand now how Sarah had been able to haul Cassandra’s unconscious body onto a horse and then into the windmill.

Cassandra stumbled back, catching her heel on her skirt and falling heavily against the wall of the well. Pain slammed through her back, stunning her, and for an instant she felt herself weakening, as though she might pass out. Sarah raised the pistol high and slammed it down. Cassandra was able to turn her head only a fraction of an inch, evading it, and the handle slammed into the well. Sarah let out a cry of frustration and dropped the pistol. She grabbed Cassandra tightly around the neck and began to squeeze. Cassandra struggled against her, already weakened by the blow to her back. She could not get any air. She clawed in vain at the other woman’s hands.

Suddenly there were noises, a voice shouting, and in the next instant Philip ran up behind Sarah, his face contorted with fear and anger. Clasping his hands together, he swung them down hard on the back of Sarah’s head. Her hands loosened around Cassandra’s neck, and she swayed on her feet.

Philip slammed his clenched fists down again, and Sarah crumpled to the ground.

He shoved her aside impatiently, grabbing Cassandra and pulling her into his arms. “Cassandra! Oh, God, don’t tell me I’m too late. Cassandra, please, say something, look at me.”

He wrapped his arms around her, rocking, babbling frantically. “My love, my love, please don’t die. You can’t leave me. Damn it, Cassandra, say something.” Cassandra could hear the tears in his voice.

She made a croaking noise. He peered down into her face. “What? Are you all right?”

Cassandra nodded. “I think so.” Her voice came out in a whisper.

“Thank God!” He clutched her to him again. “I was so worried. I saw you talking to Sarah, and there was something odd about it, so I stopped and watched, but I still couldn’t understand what troubled me. Then, as you were walking out of the garden, I saw her wave the gun. I’ve never been so scared in my life. I thought I couldn’t get out of the house and across to you in time.”

He rained kisses all over her face and head, telling her again and again how glad he was. “Why did she do it, Cassandra? Why did Sarah attack you?”

“Because she was in love with you.” Cassandra smiled up at him, feeling better by leaps and bounds.

“In love with me!” he repeated in astonishment. “But how—I never—”

“I know. It hurts to love and not be loved in return.”

He nodded, cuddling her to him. “But how could she think— I could never love her. You are the only woman I love. The only woman I could ever love.”

A thrill ran through Cassandra, so hard and sizzling that she thought she would have collapsed had Philip not been holding her up. “Do you?” she asked, gazing up at him. “Do you love me?”

He looked astounded. “Of course I do. Why do you think I asked you to marry me?”

“Because Aunt Ardis found us in a compromising position.”