Chapter One #2
Once finished, she reached for the brass handle of the door that led back into her and Cora’s room, but before she did, she glanced over her shoulder.
The man hadn’t moved, except perhaps his hat had drifted farther down his face so that the brim nearly covered his eyes.
Then, he nodded slowly before the corner of his mouth pulled up.
A teasing warmth wrapped around Jane’s body as she opened the door and disappeared behind it.
What an odd encounter, she thought as her hand absently went to her throat.
Manners dictated that an acknowledgement of some sort should have transpired between them.
It was a polite thing to do. However, neither of them spoke.
“There. Feel better?” Cora asked.
“Erm? Er, yes, I suppose,” Jane said as she settled back into her seat, trying to forget the man she had seen in the corridor.
Twenty minutes later, the train pulled into its final destination. Glasgow Station.
Departing the train was organized chaos.
Hundreds of bodies moved through the steam and smoke as they exited their carriages onto the platforms where it appeared hundreds more were waiting to either greet their loved ones or waiting to board.
Jane and Cora each carried a carpet bag, as two train attendants gathered the rest of their luggage.
“Where are we supposed to go from here?” Cora asked Jane as the last of their trunks were dropped on the floor near the entrance of the station.
“We’re supposed to find a mail coach that will take us to Glencoe,” Jane said, peering around. “Then, from Glencoe, we’re to send word to Sir Logan Harris.”
“And that’s Mama’s cousin?”
“Supposedly. I never even heard of the Harrises until last week.”
“They do know we’re coming though, don’t they?”
“Jeremy said so. He showed me the letter.”
“What did it say?”
She frowned.
“Not very much, I’m afraid. It simply stated that a Miss Arabella Harris would be awaiting our arrival anxiously.” She shrugged her shoulders. “That’s all.”
Cora’s expression melted into relief.
“Well, at least that’s a comfort. Best find the mail carriage then,” Cora said, stretching her neck around to try and see past the crowds. “Goodness, it’s crowded in here. There must be someone who could help us.”
“We don’t need anyone’s help. All we have to do is, OUF!”
Jane was shoved forcefully into the wall as a disheveled young man pushed between her and Cora, who was sent flying into the gentleman behind her.
“Oh, my goodness!” An older woman shrieked, rushing between Jane and Cora. “I’ve been robbed! Stop him!”
Instantly, two train porters ran between the sisters to follow the older woman and the thief. Jane quickly found her footing before going to Cora, who was being helped to her feet by a gentleman with a dark mustache and a fine top hat…
Oh. It was the man from the train coach. Jane’s and the gentleman’s eyes met. He was closer now, and Jane could see the contrast of his dark lashes against what appeared to be amber-colored eyes.
That warm teasing feeling returned then, and she had to shake her head to hear what Cora was saying.
“W-what?” she asked breathlessly, tearing her gaze from the man’s.
“I asked if you were all right? Oh, I’m so sorry, sir, there was a thief and he pushed me—”
“It’s quite all right,” the man said, his voice deep and his accent oddly polished. He glanced back and forth between Cora and Jane. “Perhaps I could help set you two to right.”
“We’re fine, thank you very much,” Jane said.
“Er, well, actually, sir,” Cora interrupted, eyeing her sister. “If you could direct us to the post offices. We require a mail carriage to take us the rest of the way to Glencoe.”
The man turned his head a fraction, as if suddenly more interested.
“Glencoe? That’s a rather small village, is it not?”
“I, uh, suppose,” Cora said, turning to Jane. “We’ve never actually been there.”
“Cora…”
“Really?” he asked. “Well, I happen to know a good many people in Glencoe. If I may be so bold as to inquire, who are you planning to visit there?”
“Oh, well, we’re not visiting. We’re moving there, you see.”
“Cora, there’s no need to divulge all our travel plans to this stranger,” Jane said firmly, before facing the man.
He was taller than she had originally guessed, as he had been leaning in the train corridor.
Now he stood a full head above her and the smell of tobacco clung to him.
“Thank you, sir, but we can manage ourselves.” She nodded. “Goodbye.”
But the man didn’t move. Instead, he stared at her as the corner of his mouth slowly turned up again, just as it had before when she had finished her short promenade on the train.
“Manage yourselves? Does that mean you’re traveling alone?”
“No, we… Well, yes.”
The man cocked his head.
“So, two young, well-bred ladies from London are traveling through Scotland alone, without any sort of a chaperone. Not even a maid?” He peered around, as if looking for the invisible maid before turning back to face them. “I beg your pardon, but that does seem a bit daring.”
Jane lifted her chin.
“We’ve come this far, sir. I’m sure we’ll manage just as well during the last leg of our journey.”
He watched her for a moment, and all the confidence Jane had pretended to hold within her spine seemed to dissipate beneath his stare.
“I’ve no doubt on that account,” he murmured, before turning fully to Cora. “Samuel Milton, at your service.”
Cora immediately curtsied, but Jane remained where she was, rolling her eyes.
“A pleasure, Mr. Milton. This is my sister, Miss Jane Atherton, and I’m Miss Cora Atherton.”
“Cora…”
“You must excuse my sister, Mr. Milton. We’ve never been so far away from home, alone before, and she is, well, anxious.”
That was a truth too far to admit, and Jane couldn’t stop herself from staring daggers at Cora. But Mr. Milton only smirked.
“That’s understandable,” he said before focusing solely on Jane.
“I don’t mean to be presumptuous, Miss Atherton, but I’m well acquainted with a good many families that reside in Glencoe and it would ease the gentleman in me if you would allow me to escort you to the mail offices.
They are not far from here, and with the impending rain, I would feel better if I was allowed to escort you. I have a carriage—”
“And I’m sure it’s a lovely one, Mr. Milton, but really, we can manage on our own.”
It was obvious that the man did not like her response, but he only nodded. Cora, on the other hand, didn’t agree with Jane and took a step forward.
“Are you familiar with the Harris family?” The words flew from Cora’s mouth. “I mean, the Harris family that resides near Glencoe.”
“Cora, please—”
“You don’t mean Sir Logan Harris, do you?” Mr. Milton asked, causing both sisters to look up at him. “Because I am aware of him.”
“Well, er, yes, actually.” Jane stumbled over her words. “And his sister?”
“Miss Arabella? Yes, I had the pleasure of meeting Miss Arabella last year while she was under the care of Lady Belle Smyth here in Glasgow.”
“In Glasgow? I thought Miss Harris lived in Glencoe?”
“I believe she does.”
A crack of thunder bellowed from above, the boom echoing through the copper roof of the train station. It was downpouring outside and a chill went through Jane at the thought of it. But she wasn’t as na?ve as to accept a ride from a stranger, even if he was so well dressed. Even if it was raining.
“We’ll be sure to give your regards to Sir Harris when we reach Glencoe,” Jane said with a nod. “Cora? We should continue.”
Another crack of thunder sounded from above, grabbing nearly everyone’s attention.
Jane caught a glimpse of Mr. Milton’s profile.
He had a strong jawline, and an irritatingly attractiveness about him.
He was a bit of an enigma at first glance.
There was a sharp masculinity about him that Jane couldn’t ignore.
As if his broad shoulders and formidable stance had been molded by hard labor, yet he was dressed so finely that he undoubtedly lived in some sort of luxury.
It made her curious. But before Jane could figure out what about him annoyed her, he dropped his head and addressed them both.
“Right. Well, as you can hear, there’s a torrential downpour happening outside and I can’t, in good conscience, leave unescorted friends of the Harris family to battle the elements all by themselves.
Particularly when the ride to Glencoe is still a four-hour journey from here.
So, I’m afraid you’ll both just have to humor me. ”
“Excuse me?”
But he was already waving down a train porter.
“Yes sir?”
“Could you gather these ladies’ trunks and bags and load them onto the Milton carriage? My driver, Mr. Loren, should be waiting just outside the front steps. Tell him I said it was fine. It’s a large barouche, dark-red paneling on the side with matching wheels. You can’t miss it.”
Mr. Milton handed the man a folded note, which the porter immediately pocketed, before putting his finger to his mouth as he let out an ear-piercing whistle. Two other porters came hurrying over.
“Right away, sir.”
“Mr. Milton, we cannot accept this,” Jane tried, but he only chuckled.
“Miss Atherton, I’m aware that this is a somewhat unusual situation, but Sir Logan Harris is a friend of mine, and I would be remiss if I left a guest of his out in the cold.”
“We’re not out in the cold. We merely have to walk a few blocks—”
“Ten.”
“Excuse me?”
“You’re ten blocks away from the post offices.”
“Ten?” she repeated, before swallowing. “Then, yes, ten blocks away—”
“But what of our luggage, Jane?” Cora whispered. “Are we to try to drag our trunks behind us? Let us accept this gentleman’s help and be done with it.”
For years, Jane’s mother had tried to imprint in her mind that the world was full of unsavory and untrustworthy people and that as women especially, she and Cora needed to be suspicious of everyone, particularly men.
Even more so, gentlemen who seemed to do things out of the goodness of their hearts.
According to their mother, there was no such thing.
Men only ever did things to better their own situations.
It was those words that were floating around her mind as Mr. Milton watched her, who apparently knew exactly what to say to put Jane at ease.
“If I may make it easier for you, I will not be accompanying you to Glencoe. I have several pressing issues to address in town and will not be able to take you there myself. However, Mr. Loren is an accomplished driver and will see you to Sir Harris’s home before the sun sets.
Well, that is, if the sun were to come out.
” He nodded at Jane, who felt the strange urge to smile, though she stifled it.
“Please, Miss Atherton. Take my carriage.”
“That is very kind of you, Mr. Milton, but—”
“Thank you so much, Mr. Milton,” Cora interrupted. “It is certainly a relief to us that we won’t need to carry our things all over Glasgow to find a mail carriage.”
“Of course.”
“But, but…” Jane’s mind was swimming. There was no way they were going to take a strange man’s carriage for four hours to Glencoe.
It was too much, and she knew she would be indebted to him.
If there was anything Jane knew for certain, it was that every kindness paid to her had come with a cost. “It really is too much.”
That earned her a frown from Mr. Milton.
“I assure you, Miss Atherton, it is the bare minimum. Come.” He jerked his head to the left. “I’ll see you both safely into my carriage before I relieve you of my presence.”
Well, that made it sound like Jane was being ungrateful. It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate the selfless gesture, it’s just that she knew there was no such thing.
Everything came with a price eventually.
Cora and Jane followed him through the crowd, confused by the way that everyone seemed to jump out of his path. From the looks they were receiving from some of the other travelers, it dawned on Jane that Mr. Milton was being recognized. He was a somebody.
But who was he?
To her surprise, they were met at the front doors of the train station by two porters each holding a large, black umbrella. The rain was coming down in sheets, and with a nod from Mr. Milton, the porters were sure to keep their umbrellas over both Jane and Cora.
Reaching the dark-red and black covered carriage, a narrow-faced man with hay colored hair was dressed in dark clothes. He bowed before speaking.
“Mr. Milton, I’m afraid Mr. Sands requires your presence at the offices immediately.”
“I’m aware, Mr. Loren, but the Misses Athertons here are on their way to Sir Logan Harris’s home in Glencoe. I’d like you to see them there at once.”
Though the slim man’s eyes bugged slightly, he nodded.
“Of course, Mr. Milton,” he said as he turned to climb back up to his seat.
Mr. Milton turned to face Cora and Jane.
“Well, call it kismet, but I’ll call it a pleasure. Goodbye, Miss Atherton.”
“Thank you so very much, Mr. Milton,” Cora said with a curtsy before he helped her into the carriage. “A finer gentleman I’ve not met.”
“I assure you, that’s not true,” he chuckled before turning to face Jane. Oddly enough, his smile faltered slightly. “Miss Atherton.”
“Mr. Milton,” Jane said with a slight nod.
Without realizing it, she took his hand as he helped her into the carriage. Then, the door was shut, and the carriage took off, and all the while Jane stared out the window, watching as Mr. Milton turned and disappeared into a sea of great coats and heavy cloaks.