Chapter 11
The MacPhearson clan hailed from deep in the Highlands, an arduous trek from the port on the north shore of a narrow corner of the Moray Firth, where the ship sailed in before dawn.
Yet that second part of the journey was conducted entirely over land, and thus Cat would not make a single complaint about it.
Yes, the carriage was bumpy (they were always bumpy).
Yes, the road was horrible (was it even a road?).
And yes, Thane was an absolute cold-hearted bastard.
If Cat thought he was growing kinder on the ship, she corrected that mistake now.
Clearly his gentle behavior toward her was for the sole purpose of getting her off the ship in one piece, and not out of any regard for her as a person.
He barely spoke to her once he’d secured her in the carriage, and propelled the small entourage of the carriage and a few attendant riders and a supply cart forward relentlessly.
Lord, if she weren’t the sister of Brodie Ross, Thane probably would have left her for dead on the pier.
(Or more accurately, she amended, he never would have got involved in the first place.)
The ride lasted several hours, with at least one changeover of horses.
The ship had arrived in port so early that they began the ride in the dark, and Cat had lost all sense of time or indeed location by this point.
She slouched in the carriage—alone—and tried not to feel as though she was being driven to her doom.
Every time the wheels hit a bump, she told herself that it was really a blessing, since it meant she was no longer at sea.
Her stomach was still queasy and tender after the ship, and she eyed a hamper of food on the opposite bench seat with suspicion.
Eventually, she fell into a fitful sleep, her dreams filled with towering waves, mountain crags, and voices telling her what to do, only to tell her she was wrong as soon as she heeded them.
A sudden lurch of the carriage jarred her awake. She blinked, seeing Thane riding alongside the open window. He surveyed her, his eyes dark.
“Comfortable?” he asked dryly.
She was sprawled on the bench, a woolen throw pulled up over her; it was a tartan weave featuring mostly blue, black, and burgundy overlaid with thin lines of white.
He probably thought she was lounging in luxury while he rode in the weather.
He looked rather unkempt. His hair was windblown and he hadn’t shaved since leaving Edinburgh.
Annoyingly, this did not detract from his appearance, and she had too-clear memories of him pressed against her on the deck of the ship, and the way his wet clothing made his physique impossible to ignore.
Realizing that she was taking too long to respond, she hoped that he’d chalk it up to grogginess. She said, “I lost count of the bumps, so I took a nap.”
A smile tugged at the corner of his lips for a moment. “Very practical, Miss Ross.”
“How far have we got to go?”
“We’ll be there in a few more hours.” He glanced at the food hamper. “Did you eat all the oatcakes?”
“I didn’t eat anything,” she said, still slightly queasy at the thought of food. “I couldn’t look an oatcake in the face at the moment.”
He nodded, then said, “Give me a few?”
Cat almost retorted that she wasn’t a maid, but she guessed that he wanted to avoid stopping the carriage and adding time to the journey.
She rustled through the hamper and came up with the oatcakes, as well as some cheese. She placed the food in a napkin and folded it, handing it to Thane through the window.
“If anyone else needs to eat, tell them to ride up and I’ll give them food,” she said.
Thane nodded, and then rode further away. He did not thank her. Cat reconsidered her gift of the cheese. He didn’t deserve it.
Now awake again, she stared at mountain after mountain, rising up over scattered forest and golden gorse-covered hills (at least, those sides not still covered with snow) as the carriage wound through the twisting roads, climbing subtly higher with every hour.
Beautiful, yes. In a lonely, desolate way.
What had her mother said about mountains?
She had said something about them, and it struck Cat as very profound.
She hated to think that her mother’s words had faded from her memory already.
What had she told Cat about the mountains? It was in the way of a warning…
But Cat couldn’t summon the memory, and her failure put her into a sour mood, despite the loveliness of the view.
At long last, the carriage slowed. One of the outriders came close to the window and informed Cat that she’d be able to see their destination now.
She peeked out the window and got a glimpse of a gloomy structure perched atop a gloomy crag.
A very fitting home for the dour Thane MacPhearson.
It had the look of a place that had been there for a long time and had no intention of disappearing anytime soon, which was also very fitting for a residence belonging to Thane MacPhearson.
Cat fully expected the interior to be dark, lifeless, and colder than the heart of winter.
But when the carriage clattered to a halt in the courtyard, and she stepped onto ancient cobbles, she found herself in the middle of a bustling mass of people.
These were the ones who lived and worked on the grounds, and they’d all managed to turn up in the courtyard at the exact moment that Thane returned.
And they were attentive, eager, even happy to see the man.
Riding at the head of the group, Thane dismounted and walked among his people. Women of every age beamed at him as he passed, and men exchanged cheerful greetings and handclasps. Even the dogs prowled around his feet, gazing up at him as if he were the sun itself.
Lord, they all love him, she thought in astonishment, trailing along in his wake.
How? Why? He was such a despicable, heartless man…
well, not to them, evidently. Amid his people, Thane looked relaxed and easygoing.
He had a smile for everyone, and it was a dazzling smile.
Certainly, there were a few women who lived for it, throwing themselves into Thane’s path as much as possible.
Cat’s mouth tightened in annoyance. She just didn’t like it when women behaved as if they were desperate for attention. That was all. It definitely had nothing to do with Thane particularly.
Then, he turned his attention back to her.
“Miss Ross is a guest,” he announced to the group immediately surrounding him, who seemed to be those responsible for running the place in his absence.
“She’ll be staying here for a short while.
Mrs Ballard, I’m sorry I couldn’t get word to you ahead of time.
But you’ll see that she’s settled? Any chamber on the south side will do. ”
“Of course, sir,” a grey-haired matron replied with a curtsey. Her curious gaze rested on Cat, and the woman beckoned her to come closer. Thane had already moved off, talking to a tall, gaunt man about sheep.
Well, I’m truly an afterthought, Cat decided. Thane hadn’t even bothered to explain who she was. Or maybe he didn’t think it mattered.
“Long journey from Edinburgh. I expect you’re weary, lass?” Mrs Ballard asked her in tones that were kind but also plainly puzzled.
“Indeed,” Cat said, giving her a nod. “I am Catriona Ross. Mr MacPhearson wishes me to stay here for the next few weeks. I’ll shortly be joined by my aunt Tacita, and I think some of Mr MacPhearson’s old army comrades as well.
I’m sure he would have explained if he weren’t…
distracted. But I thought you’d like to know so that you may plan for who to put in what rooms. My aunt and I will share, naturally. When she arrives.”
“Your aunt? Well, then.” Mrs Ballard still looked puzzled, and Cat knew why.
A gentleman generally did not bring home a previously unknown woman, unless he intended to marry her or make her a live-in mistress.
Cat hoped that mention of her aunt arriving would squelch rumors of the second assumption, though she wasn’t sure how she’d counter the first, other than by making it very clear through her behavior that she wasn’t the slightest bit interested in Thane as a man.
Mrs Ballard led her through long stone passageways and up a twisting spiral staircase, until they ended up in a hallway where the housekeeper opened the last door to reveal a pleasant bedchamber with windows on the south and east sides.
A four poster bed dominated one side of the room, but there was space enough for two chairs by the little fireplace, not to mention a small desk for writing letters set below the south window.
“Oh, it’s very pretty,” Cat said, pleased. “And so bright!” The inner halls of the castle-like home were so gloomy that it seemed she might never see sunlight again, until stepping in here.
“It’s rather far from his rooms,” Mrs Ballard noted hesitantly.
“Wonderful,” Cat said, not bothering to hide her relief.
“Forgive my impertinence, miss, but is there then no…understanding…between you both?”
“Certainly not,” Cat said with a forced smile. “His offer of hospitality is more in the way of a favor to a friend. I expect Mr MacPhearson will explain it to you when he is able. I don’t mean to appear secretive, but it is his home, and his right to tell everyone what he wishes them to know.”
“Aye, miss.” Mrs Ballard appeared relieved at this intelligence, and Cat’s evident understanding of how things worked here. “And when do you expect your aunt?”
“I hope within the week, but I am not precisely sure.”
Just then, a pair of men brought in Cat’s trunk, still smelling of salt and brine from the rough voyage.
“Do you require help unpacking, miss?” the woman asked after the men left.
“I can handle that, but if you don’t mind showing me where to hang my gowns…”