Chapter 14
The room everyone gathered in after dinner was the most opulent room Catie had ever seen and she sat contentedly for a few minutes taking it all in.
The pale yellow walls were as beautiful as the paintings, with their intricate, snowy white decorations of vines and swans and twining flowers, leading her gaze to the ceiling, which was even more elaborate.
It took her breath away, and she wished she could lie down on the thick rug and decipher all the scenes, but didn’t want to look like a rube from the country, so she only snuck glances here and there.
Though she still had on her day dress, so did all the other ladies who’d been stranded there by the storm, which had stopped raging but still drizzled steadily against the window panes, making the drops catch the light of the four chandeliers and sparkle against the dark night.
Miss Burnet had come through on her promise and borrowed a lovely pair of emerald drop earrings, then did her hair in a fantastically outrageous pile of curls and ribbons on her head.
She would have felt silly wearing such a plain gown with such a hairstyle and fancy jewelry, but Miss Burnet had assured her the whole of the evening would be everyone making the best of what they had, or could borrow.
She’d been so attentive helping her get ready, taking such pains to make her look as pretty as possible, so that she barely had time to twist her own hair into a simple knot at the nape of her neck when they were called down for dinner.
Catie almost felt inclined to trust her again, until after the meal when the gentlemen joined them and they all made their way to listen to the music.
Her depraved brother took Miss Burnet’s arm and sat right down next to her.
To borrow Miss Burnet’s own words, it was unseemly.
Miss Burnet blushed and looked at Catie apologetically, but hadn’t moved to a more proper seat.
In fact, if Catie wasn’t mistaken, Miss Burnet had shifted her knees in Quinn’s direction, so their legs were almost touching.
“Sit over here, lass,” Quinn said in his despotic tone, the same tone he’d taken with her earlier when they’d got in a massive argument about Edwin. Now he had the gall to pretend he was a benevolent older brother, patting the chair beside him.
“Miss Ferguson, you must sit closer to the performers,” Edwin said, unwittingly interrupting their sibling staredown.
The look on Quinn’s face when she took Edwin’s arm and flounced off was worth any repercussions she’d face later.
The nerve of him to question Edwin’s intentions, and to hint that he might not give his blessing to the match, when Edwin hadn’t even asked her yet.
Quinn effectively ruined everything, because now she had to worry about Edwin asking, and then about Quinn refusing.
She imagined her brother’s eyes burning into the back of her head and she leaned close to Edwin and whispered in his ear how excited she was for the music, shifting in her chair so she remained closer to him than was comfortable, but was worth it to make Quinn fume.
Oh, she hoped both he and Miss Burnet were having apoplexy as they watched her.
She couldn’t help but steal a look behind her, quite disappointed and furious that they weren’t even looking at her, but had their heads together as usual, in their own little world of deceit.
The music was supplied by three of the guests and as such wasn’t the best, but it still served to calm her down some. With a sideways peek at Edwin, who embarrassingly enough looked raptly back at her, she wondered why she felt so angry at all.
If only she could let go of her suspicions.
If only she could be assured that Lachlan was either safe or at peace.
He and Quinn hadn’t had the closest relationship, certainly Lachlan had been dictatorial and sometimes unkind, but to consign him to …
she didn’t know what he’d been consigned to and it made her twist her skirts in her hands, using all her self control to keep from screaming.
It was too cruel, what Quinn had either allowed to happen or been part of, and the not knowing tormented her.
She had to know, change it if she could.
Until then, she couldn’t enjoy the fond gaze of her suitor.
“I’ve spoken to your brother,” Edwin said in a low voice.
She blinked several times, trying to get back to the moment and unclench her jaw. She felt her cheeks flush, which suited her fine. Let him think it had to do with what he’d said. She had no idea how to reply and merely smiled.
“I wanted you to know,” he continued, “of my utmost admiration for you. I await only on his approval.”
Dear God. She turned her lips up further and nodded. “Thank you,” she murmured, casting her eyes down so he wouldn’t see there was something in them other than pure happiness at his avowal.
A plan started to form in her mind, just the barest bones. She’d need to add flesh to it, but for the first time in days, she felt a bit of hope. Taking a deep breath, she turned her face to Edwin. He leaned down eagerly to hear what she had to say.
“Ye needn’t wait on his when ye have mine,” she said, sure she was violently purple, she felt so mortified at her brazen words. “I hope I can count on ye?”
His eyes widened and he swallowed hard. “Assuredly, Miss Ferguson. Always. Only tell me what it is I can do.”
“We must speak more in private,” she said, turning away as soon as she saw his tense nod.
Catie pretended to concentrate on the music after that, her pulse racing as she tried to work out all the facets of her fledgling plan.
As soon as the concert ended, she fled to a circle of young ladies, and animatedly pretended to be a part of their chatter, always making sure someone was close by so Edwin couldn’t press her further until she knew exactly what she needed from him.
After a while, the older guests retired to their rooms, leaving the remaining young people to get loud and drunk, laughing and dancing.
She saw that her brother and some of the other men had set up a card game in the corner and a few of the girls gathered around to watch.
Normally she worried when Quinn gambled, but all she felt now was relief that he wasn’t with Miss Burnet.
The room felt overly warm and close, and Catie made her way to the large doors leading to a lush, enclosed garden.
She stood outside the doorway, letting the cool, damp air refresh her, breathing in the scent of the recent rain and the exotic potted plants that surrounded her.
A lantern glowed on the low wall that surrounded the lovely patio, but other than that, it was only a few stars shining between the remaining clouds that lit the night.
If she hadn’t been concentrating all her thoughts on her plan, she might have found it romantic.
Edwin must have seen her slip outside, and seemed to think she’d gone out there expressly so he could meet her for their private chat. Except she wasn’t ready. She ground her teeth.
“Catie,” he said, taking her hand. “My goodness, you’re warm.”
Any other time she might have been embarrassed by her hot, clammy hands, and perhaps his using her first name might have raised a blush to her cheeks, but right now she focused only on her goal of finding the truth.
“I confess I dinna feel well,” she said. “It’s why I came out here. To get some air.”
He dropped her hand. “I beg your pardon. Is there anything I can do for you?”
She knew she was spoiling everything with her curt words and she struggled to smile at him.
“Please get Miss Burnet for me?” she asked.
After he turned away, she grabbed his hand back.
“Edwin, I hold your kind words close to my heart. I pray ye’ll call on me when we’re back in town, and I am feeling more myself.
” She blinked several times, not completely faking the weak, helpless flower act.
He bowed, pressing her hand between both of his. “Certainly,” he said, gazing at her another endless moment before finally rushing to find her chaperone.