Visions of her chocolate brown eyes, golden hair, and wisp of a body fluttered behind his eyelids when he tried to sleep at night, and during the day all he could think about was her gentle shyness and how desperately he wanted to see the woman she was beyond it. He wanted to see her respond to him as she had when he had glanced to see her laughing with her friends, carefree and entertained.
Such a glorious smile lit up her face in the light of the hall at Dunmore Castle. He had been a fool to return to Fort Amswold so soon when he could have stayed a bit longer and remained close to her. However, in the days he had chosen to stay, he scarcely saw her except from a distance.
How would she have responded if he had approached her? He was quite busy being entertained by the laird and his brothers, but wanted so badly to be near her. It was too late for that now.
“Forgive me for saying so, Lieutenant, but you seem quite distracted. Has anything happened? Is our former general unwell or has he done anything to offend you?” Mr. Hudson asked gently.
“No, no. It is no such thing as that. I am merely tired from my travels,” Richard replied.
“I can imagine. You were gone for what, two weeks? And two weeks of celebration seems lengthy when you’re in the midst of it. Plus a half day of travel. You must be exhausted. Shall I have a bath drawn for you?” Mr. Hudson offered, gesturing to the metal tub that Richard was fortunate to have in his room.
He was suddenly desperate to get away from the camp again. He had returned only a few hours before, but that few hours seemed far too long already. He wanted to get away. On the other hand, a hot bath sounded rather inviting and he could not deny that he craved it.
“Certainly. After, I think I shall go for a ride, but a bath would be nice,” Richard conceded.
Mr. Hudson nodded and got to work. Richard lay on his bed while the water boiled and was poured into the bath. He closed his eyes, but all he could see was Adeline. Her beauty haunted him and he could not escape it. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to though.
At some point he drifted into sleep before Mr. Hudson announced the bath was ready.
“I will just be outside and whenever you are finished, let me know. Would you like me to bring you dinner in the meantime?” he offered.
“No, thank you, Mr. Hudson. I will bathe and then I intend to leave for a bit. I will inform you when I am finished,” he promised.
With that, Mr. Hudson left the tent, and Richard undressed and immersed his tired body in the steaming water.
A gentle sigh of relief escaped and he indulged in the relaxation that was generally not to be found in camp. Perhaps if he could learn to rest more, he would not get to a state like this.
Richard knew that he did not want to become as Douglas had in his obsession with Grace, and his fight for his past and the dreams of his mother. Being a total Englishman, Richard knew that it would be different for him, but to be haunted by and indulgent with a Scottish woman was simply not an option for him.
Or if it did happen to come to that, he would not let it overtake him as it had his friend.
Anyway, he would choose to enjoy the attraction without being overwhelmed by it. It was over now. He was no longer at Dunmore and with Douglas having moved to his ancestral lands, there would be no reason for him to ever return to the castle. He would likely never see Adeline again.
“Lieutenant,” came a quiet call from the other side of the tent. It sounded like Mr. Hudson again.
“Yes?” he asked.
“Shall I have your horse made ready?” Mr. Hudson asked.
“Indeed,” Richard said. He assumed he had been soaking nearly an hour by now. It was time he got himself out of the tub and on his ride. A quick escape just to indulge in the outside and then he would return. It would be nothing.
He dried quickly and dressed in clean clothes that smelled fresh and completely unlike anything he had worn the previous few days.
Richard stepped outside only to the frustrating realization that dark had fallen. How had he not considered the hour? It was too late for a ride. “Hudson?” he called.
“Yes, Lieutenant?” came the reply as Mr. Hudson was walking back toward Richard’s tent.
“Forget about the horse…”
“Oh…yes, Lieutenant. I will just go back and tell them,” he said before walking away with mild irritation.
“Tell them to have him ready by eight in the morning. I should like to go out tomorrow,” he decided.
“Yes, Lieutenant,” Mr. Hudson mumbled, rubbing at his hip as he walked back toward the hill to the stables.
Richard went back inside and waited for Mr. Hudson to return, after which he requested dinner. Hudson, the reliable manservant, did everything as asked before he was given permission to settle in for the evening. Meanwhile, Richard lay on his bed with a lantern to light the room and flipped through the pages of an old book his mother had given him when he was a child.
He had read it frequently in his time as a soldier. It brought comfort into his days, when he otherwise would have felt at a loss. Proud as he was to fight for his country, Richard missed his family. He missed when his mother made him soup when he was tired, and he missed her roast beef.
Of course, these days, his mother didn’t cook anymore. They had moved up in the world and now had hired help. It didn’t matter too much, though. He would still give just about anything to be with her.
Richard allowed these thoughts to overtake those of Adeline as he drifted into a deep sleep. The sleep was dreamless save for one memory of a swish of blonde hair and deep brown eyes.
Richard woke to a start in the morning. One of the men was outside playing a trumpet to wake the troops. Richard crawled off of his cot and dressed before heading out to breakfast. He ate quickly and as the others began their routine for the day, he made his way to the stables.
He would ride north. Not for any particular reason other than that he had no desire to cross back into England just to the south until he was returning home to his family, and they were quite far for a mere day’s journey. It would not be possible to reach them before nightfall.
Yes, north would have to do for now. Perhaps he could get some of the fresh air that always stirred him. Or he could get some new stationary and write home to his mother on a paper with floral print or something she would find beautiful. It would be a nice gesture.
With all of this in mind, Richard mounted his horse and said farewell to Mr. Hudson.
“Enjoy your day, Lieutenant. We shall await your return this afternoon. Please, if you should think of it, get some of those sweets you brought last time. I can pay you in return, but I should like to send some home to my girls,” Mr. Hudson requested.
“As you wish, Mr. Hudson. It would be my pleasure,” Richard said, making a mental note to buy some of the sweets he had previously purchased an hour’s ride away. It would be no trouble at all to stop in and get them for the family of Mr. Hudson.
They bid one another goodbye and Richard kicked his horse forward, moving at an easy pace. It wasn’t too fast, but Richard was in no rush. He would enjoy his day out. Two weeks gone had not been enough and it had been such a short time since the wedding had occurred. He needed more freedom.
Being a soldier was terribly regimented and he was relieved that, with Major Dashfield absent and Douglas having left his position as general, there were fewer eyes keeping watch on the presence of the men and they were currently somewhat leaderless. Richard expected this would not last too much longer.
He had to take advantage of it while he could.
With that thought, he moved on and quickened his pace just enough to ensure that he was able to spend more time in the villages. Nearby he stopped and grabbed some dried lavender, hoping that it would aid in his often sleepless nights. At the next, he found the sweets he had promised for Mr. Hudson. In no time at all, Richard found himself ravenous.
In a slightly larger town, he recognized that the locals were staring at him with general disdain. A H
anoverian through and through, Richard was unable to hide his English heritage. His accent was tainted and his eyes instantly gave him away.
Richard nodded to the silent passersby, who merely stared. None greeted him as in the previous villages, where he was already known to be friendlier than most Hanoverians.
Stopping at a small inn, he ate and drank quietly, paid his bill, and made himself ready to leave. Things remained still and hostile around him, as though he were more hated than he’d ever imagined.
Who was he, anyway? He was an intruder. He knew it. Guilt and shame shrouded around him and he was in agony over how undesirable he felt. He should never have been so foolish as to travel here, a place he did not know. He should have anticipated being hated and unwanted. It was every bit of what a Hanoverian soldier had grown accustomed to.
No one other than the barkeep had spoken to him. He was a foreigner and unwanted. Still he chose to press on.
The End Of The Wedding
“Ye’re a stunner in that,” Adeline exclaimed to Arabella as she twirled in her deep blue gown for the wedding. It was a color that matched her eyes perfectly and it was not uncommon for her to choose it for celeidhs and weddings. Adeline always encouraged her to wear things like this.
“Really?” I mean, it isnae like I want to take from me cousin, but I wouldnae mind looking me best tonight,” laughed Arabella. She twirled again and both girls giggled at the effect of the gown under the lights.
“I dinnae think Emily will mind all that much that ye look amazing. And I’m sure the baron will have plenty of brothers and cousins for ye to enthrall,” Adeline responded.
They were on their way to Lowkirk for the wedding of Arabella’s distant cousin, and friend of the clan, Emily Lester. The journey would be well worth it. Adeline was excited to see Arabella so looking forward to the event.
“Did ye pack for the whole three days?” Adeline asked.
“Of course I did! Cannae be seen in the same dress two days in a row, now can I?” Arabella laughed in reply. She was always considered quite fashionable and clearly wanted this time away to be no different. Adeline couldn’t blame her for wanting to maintain her reputation.
“True. I’m hoping to catch a cousin of the baron. So, of course, I packed the rose-colored dress,” Adeline said with a smile.
She was known for the pale pink gown that she had worn only once before in Dunmore, and now and then during travels. Every time she wore it, she was chosen for dances with all the eligible men in the room. It lit against her fair skin exquisitely.
“Ye will have the pick of them. But are ye certain ye should wear it? Have all those men flock to ye? I mean, what if someone tries to sweep ye off yer feet before the Hanoverian comes back for ye?” Arabella teased.
Adeline tutted lightly at that. She had been trying to push thoughts of the Hanoverian from her mind in the days since the wedding, but seemed incapable of doing so. It had hurt that he had been willing to leave so quickly, as if he could not escape Dunmore quickly enough. Alas, she would push through and be fine.
She didn’t need his attentions when she would be dancing with the baron and all his friends that evening at Emily’s wedding. It would be a joyous time and she would do her best to stun them all, even if that wasn’t generally what she enjoyed. Somehow, that night she needed it. That night she needed to feel beautiful.
“So is the laird attending?” Arabella asked, snapping Adeline from her thoughts.
“No, not this evening. Ye ken what he’s like. He hates parties and never goes unless he must. Just ye, me, and every other girl at Dunmore,” Adeline answered. “Except Joanna, sadly. She said she needs to be with her aunt.”
“Aye, well, that’s fair enough. But me mum will be there, so ye have to spend some time with her,” Arabella said with a smile.
It was a nicety extended from Arabella. Ever since Adeline had been left an orphan as a child, her friends did their best to bring her into their families. She was a MacGowan, and her father had been well-off in his position, but she could scarcely remember him now. Her mother she had forgotten entirely, since the woman had died when Adeline was barely two years old.
“I should like that very much,” Adeline said, appeasing her friend.
They continued to ready themselves and finally, it was time to load up the carriage and be on their way.
Adeline and Arabella spoke of their love of adventure and travels like this. It was only a four-hour journey to Lowkirk, but any time away from Dunmore was considered a thrill.
It seemed only a short time before they reached the baron’s home. It was a grand hall, magnificently built with exquisite detail in the construction. The enormity nearly put Dunmore Castle to shame and Adeline looked upon it with awe.
“Yes, I think I must marry a baron…” Arabella whispered in Adeline’s ear with a girlish laugh. Adeline tried to hold back her desire to laugh as well, but both women quickly composed themselves before entering the doors of the manor and being presented as guests.
“Alright, find the food table first. We subtly stuff ourselves before anyone notices we are here first,” laughed Arabella. It was always their strategy to eat before others noticed. Women were to remain delicate, to not be gluttons, but food was a passion for them both.
Like little girls they made their way through the house and found everything they sought. Food and drinks came first, then they spent some time watching all the guests, and laughing at all the wealthy people who showed their status through extravagant, and often ridiculous, clothing.
“I think the wedding is going to begin soon,” said a voice behind Adeline. Immediately she froze, realizing that Camry had caught her with her cheeks full of cookies.
She tried to swallow quickly before turning around, but Arabella watched in amusement as her friend struggled. Finally, washing the crumbs down with her drink, she turned. “Forgive me, I am afraid ye caught me with me mouth full,” she apologized with embarrassment.
Camry could not keep the smile from his face as he tried to stifle his laughter. “I shouldnae have startled ye,” he replied.
“H-how are ye?” she asked.
“Very well. I trust ye had a pleasant journey to get here?” Camry asked.
“Aye, very pleasant. And ye?” she asked in reply.
“It was very well. Anyway, I expect I’ll see the two of ye later. In the meantime, enjoy the festivities and,” he leaned close to Adeline’s ear, “dinnae eat too much. It’s best to leave a scrap for the rest of us.”
With that, he walked away, leaving Adeline both horrified and perhaps a little besotted. Her stomach was doing its flips again from the sensation of Camry’s lips so close to her ear and his soft breath on her neck.
Arabella inhaled deeply. “Well, looks like ye’ve got one man who doesnae want ye marrying a baron,” she said.
Adeline looked at her without expression. She was overwhelmed by her feelings and had very little desire to be teased about them in that moment. Still, she did not want Arabella to think she was unwilling to have a good time. It seemed that by being overwhelmed, she was hurting her friend.
They made their way to the nearby chapel on the grounds with the other guests. It was elegant and painted with great detail. Adeline had heard rumors that it had been painted by Italian monks, much like the chapel she had once seen in the Orkney Islands.
The guests seated themselves and the wedding took place. All eyes gazed on Emily with admiration. She was a beautiful bride. The baron was a handsome man. He was older, to be sure, but the streaks of grey in his dark hair made him distinguished rather than aged.
They were a stunning match.
Their vows to one another echoed of love and truth behind each sentiment. Adeline found herself longing for someone to feel that way for her, but at the same time, she recognized that she had never experienced love and that it was not guaranteed.
A small part of her preferred her independence and ability to remain in the background. As beauti
ful as Emily looked, Adeline thought it must be terribly uncomfortable to have so many eyes gazing upon her.
Once the ceremony came to a close, the guests retreated back into the manor and feasted upon the newly laid out food. Adeline tried to temper herself so that she was not caught again by Camry or any other with her mouth too full.
“Dinnae take such bird portions. Ye’re a grown woman,” Arabella chided, noticing Adeline’s change in behavior.
Adeline turned her eyes on her friend in shame. She was embarrassed to be seen with too much food, but embarrassed to be putting on a false version of herself. She knew she had to calm down and stop obsessing over such trifling things.
“Honestly, take a real helping of the tatties. They’re yer favorite, dinnae try and fool anyone into thinking otherwise,” Arabella scolded.
Adeline scooped another spoonful. She looked up and saw Camry eyeing her from the corner with a smile tugging on his lips. Embarrassed, yet flattered, Adeline looked away and continued to dish up her meal in portions somewhere between her usual and a bird’s.
The evening wore on and the dancing began. Weddings at Dunmore were always stunning, but something about being away and at this magnificent home was extra wonderful. Arabella and Adeline each danced with a separate cousin of the baron and came back together to laugh and tell about the experience.
“He was an exquisite dancer, but his breath was foul!” Arabella laughed.
“He may have been an exquisite dancer, but he was the shape of a haggis, Arabella! And just as bald!” Adeline cried in a hushed tone. This sent both of them into hysterical laughter until they recovered themselves and remembered they were to be upstanding women of the clan.
“Ye certainly danced with the fairer of the two,” Arabella said once their fits had died down.
“Aye, but he was right boring. No imagination and nothing to discuss other than wishing his service staff were capable of pulling off something this grand. And he even told me how he had been engaged once before, but she was unsatisfied with his staff,” Adeline shared scandalously.
Kidnapped Highland Bride (Ladies of Dunmore Series) (A Medieval Scottish Romance Story) Page 2
