Chapter Twelve
Cassandra knew now why she never chose to travel long distances.
Even with a reasonably comfortable second-class compartment, the train to Inverness proved tedious and tiresome.
But it became even more so when Reuben refused to relent on his decision to remain a respectable distance during the remainder of the trip.
By the time they’d reached the station, Cassandra thought she would lose her mind completely.
Had she brought a book—something to occupy her mind during the trip—she would have been able to view Reuben with some semblance of comradery by this point.
Instead, she longed to both strangle him and seduce him in equal measures.
The climate in Scotland left her longing for the warm comfort of her son’s home in London.
An icy chill blew in off the coast, drifting through the highlands and leaving her frozen to the bone.
When they’d reached the small estate nestled in the mountains, the driver helped Reuben unload the trunks and returned to the village.
Cassandra whispered a small prayer of thanks. But those thanks vanished the moment they knocked on the door and no one answered.
“Did you not post the letter I wrote telling them of our arrival?” she asked Reuben, eyeing the setting sun dipping below the mountains.
“I did.” His frown revealed the state of his frustration to match her own. “Perhaps we arrived before the missive.”
“Is it unlocked?” Cassandra rubbed her hands together inside the warm mitt and sidled closer to his broad frame to block the relentless wind.
Reuben tried the handle. “Of course,” he replied. Her sigh of relief echoed his own when the door swung open. “After you, madam.”
Cassandra slipped into the darkened building, allowing her eyes a moment to adjust to the dim light. The manor looked much like a rustic rural estate on the outside, but the inside boasted all the amenities of a London townhome. This had been her husband’s hunting lodge?
She turned, slowly taking in all the details, from the plush carpets beneath her feet to the array of mounted animal heads lining the entryway. It looked more like a gentlemen’s club than a hunting haven.
Behind her, Reuben sprang into action. He handed her a lit lantern and set to work illuminating a path to the parlor, where he built a fire within moments.
It was not as though no one had maintained the home since her husband’s death two years ago.
Not a speck of dust littered the wood furnishings or the heavy stone mantel over the hearth.
Someone used this place regularly—but she could not imagine who that could possibly be.
Hartland Manor belonged to the Duke of Tolland’s estate. Had her husband an arrangement with other lords to use the manor house? There was something off about it. Something she could not understand.
“I shall ready the house,” Reuben said before he turned to leave.
“Wait.” Cassandra rushed forward, guilt gnawing at her consciousness. “Let me help.”
“How would you like to help?” Reuben regarded her with a curious look. “Can you fetch firewood? Start fires in the bedchambers? Prepare a meal in the kitchen?”
Indignation rose up hot in her cheeks at his barrage of questions. “I—You act as though I were helpless and incapable of performing any tasks for myself.”
“Forgive me. I did not mean to imply you were incapable of performing any of these tasks.” He paused. “When was the last time you built a fire?”
“Never,” Cassandra admitted, her confidence deflating.
“Have you made a bed?”
She pondered the question for a moment and shook her head. “No.”
“Prepared a meal?”
“Fine. I see your point.” Cassandra crossed her arms over her chest. “But just because I have never done any of those things does not mean I am incapable of learning. It seems those would be valuable skills to possess in such situations.”
“They would,” Reuben agreed.
Biting back her pride, Cassandra stepped closer. “Then teach me.”
Reuben stared at her, amusement and surprise dancing in his eyes. “You wish for me to teach you how to care for yourself?”
“I wish to know how to do so should the occasion arise.” She glanced around the room before facing him again. “And I believe there is no time like the present.”
“Very well.” Reuben took the lantern and held it aloft. “We shall start in the kitchen.”
Together, they ventured down the servants’ stairs and into the kitchens. Reuben took time instructing her on the proper protocol to build an adequate fire, starting small and adding bit by bit until the flame crackled in the hearth.
“We shall let this area warm while we prepare the bedchambers.” Reuben led the way toward the narrow staircase at the back of the kitchen.
“Are we not sharing a room?” Cassandra asked as she followed closely behind him.
He paused at the top of the stairs and turned, his eyes dark, his face illuminated by the flickering lantern light. “You wish to share a room?”
Cassandra sighed. “We are lovers, are we not?”
“Yes, but I would never presume I would be welcome in your bed on a more… permanent basis.”
“Well, then consider this a formal invitation.” Cassandra nudged him to continue up the stairs. She caught a glimpse of his smile before he turned away.
Cassandra chose the first bedroom at the top of the stairs. Dark-blue damask fabrics covered the bed and hung in heavy drapes over the windows. The aged wooden floor creaked beneath their feet as they bustled through the room.
The linens were freshly changed, indicating a recent tenant. Cassandra made a note to speak with the couple who managed the estate. There were far too many questions unanswered for her liking.
Reuben allowed her to build the fire, gently instructing her on the process again. A sense of achievement flared to life as the fire burned brighter in the grate. She sat back, admiring her handiwork as the heat unfurled into the room.
“Very good, madam.” Reuben offered his hand. “Shall we make something to eat?”
Cassandra took his hand and rose to her feet. He placed his hand on her waist to steady her on the uneven floorboards. A torrent of need consumed her at the innocent touch. She leaned into him, allowing his warmth to sink into her.
Losing herself in his gaze, Cassandra licked her lips. She recognized the flare of hunger in his eyes.
“I—I’m not hungry.” Her confession lingered in the air between them, the implication clear.
A lopsided smile appeared on his lips. “If I kiss you, there will be nothing else. No supper. No bath. Nothing.” His eyes darkened as he cupped her cheek in his palm. “I will ravage you until you scream with pleasure. The mountains will shudder beneath the force of it.”
“And after that?” Cassandra preened under his possessive gaze. She loved it… craved it. Reuben’s touch—his words—made her come alive.
“After that, I will bathe you in affection. Explore you with my mouth. Devour your pleas and cries. Then I will claim you again and again until you know that you belong to me.”
Her heart beat like a thousand horses galloping through an open field. She clung to him tighter.
“Is that what you desire?”
“Yes,” Cassandra murmured, threading her fingers through his hair and pulling him down for a ravenous kiss. “God, yes.”
His lips covered hers and all thoughts flew from her mind.
The heat and scent of him surrounded her in a comforting embrace.
She tasted him, delving between his lips and running her tongue over his.
He had tormented her on that train. Teased her to the point of combustion.
Her grip on him tightened as he lifted her off her feet and carried her to the bed.
There were still too many clothes between them, and she scrabbled to pull her skirts up as he fumbled with his trousers.
“I need you, Reuben.” She palmed him through the fabric. “Now.”
“Fuck,” was all he could manage. The word rasped against her throat as he raked his teeth over her pulse point.
A loud slam echoed in the distance, vibrating through the house and drifting in the open door.
Cassandra stilled beneath Reuben. Their panting breaths froze in unison at the intrusion.
“Hello?” A man’s greeting rippled through the halls.
Reuben quickly disentangled himself from her embrace, fixing his trousers and suspenders before turning toward the door. Cassandra scrambled to right herself, tugging her skirts back into place and pressing her hands to her face to cool the heated flush.
“Where are you hiding?” another accented voice joined the first. A woman.
Cassandra glanced at Reuben. “Perhaps your letter arrived after all.”
“Come, let us join them before they seek us out.” Reuben gestured for her to lead the way.
With a final breath to calm her racing heart, Cassandra stepped into the hall, determined to convey an air of confidence and poise, even though everything inside her rattled around like a basket of apples in a donkey cart. She rested her hand over her chest. Breathe.
At the base of the steps, she found the older couple placing several bags on the table near the door.
“Your Grace.” The woman curtsied. “We had not expected you so quickly. Forgive us for not being here upon your arrival.”
Her husband bowed. “We were visiting our children in the village when your missive arrived this afternoon.” His bushy mustache twitched when he smiled. “The letter must have come on the same train as you.”
“All is well. I apologize for arriving so unexpectedly, Mr. and Mrs. Mackenzie.” Cassandra fell into a comfortable rhythm quickly.
“Allow me to prepare the bedrooms,” Mrs. Mackenzie said with a warm grin.
“No need. I have already taken care of it,” Reuben said, finally stepping forward.
“Oh, how wonderful. Thank you.” Mrs. Mackenzie bowed her head in respect. “And you are?”
“Reuben Evans, ma’am.” He nodded with a smile. “The duke has employed me to serve his mother and I escorted her from London.”