Chapter 13
Cormac sat in a chair in the morning room, looking across at Corrieden on the other side of the valley. He could see the lights in the distance, almost too tiny to see. He wondered what Rosalind was doing. She’d likely put her son to bed, and now she had time to herself.
Cormac wished he was there, just sitting there and talking to her. He wanted to learn more about her, and not leave until he’d learned everything about her. And then he would still want to linger.
That wasn’t right. He wasn’t supposed to think like that about anyone, certainly not another woman. Cormac had made himself a promise when it came to that, and yet he was forgetting that promise very quickly. Something about Rosalind made him want to throw that to one side.
He knew there was an attraction, and the more Cormac listened to it, the more it scared him. He didn’t know what to think anymore. It was disconcerting that he was feeling this way after what happened before.
This was all about him giving his word to a dead friend to keep his wife and child safe. Nothing more.
“Cormac?” Hamish was in the doorway, tapping his knuckles gently on the wood. “I’m going to retire. Do you need anything else?”
“No, I’m fine.” Cormac managed a smile and held up the glass in his hand. “I’m perfectly capable of filling my own glass.”
His factor arched an eyebrow, looking amused. He entered the room and walked over to Cormac.
“You’re worried about Rosalind Ellingham, aren’t you?”
That caught Cormac off guard. “What are you talking about?”
“You’ve been in a strange mood since she and young Theo left. Is it her current situation that you’re concerned about?” He tilted his head to one side. “Or is it something else?”
Cormac scowled. “You don’t need to worry about it, Hamish.”
“I just want to be sure…”
“What you need to be sure about is trusting me with what I’m doing,” Cormac snapped. “We’ve known each other for years, and I consider you a close friend, but there are times when we need to remember the boundaries between us.”
Hamish arched an eyebrow. “So, basically, you’re in a bad mood and you’re taking it out on me.”
“Hamish…”
“All right, I’m going, but just remember the last time you looked at a woman the way you’ve been looking at Lady Ellingham since she arrived. That woman destroyed you.”
He didn’t say a name, but he didn’t need to. Cormac knew he was talking about Ottoline. He shot to his feet in outrage.
“I don’t want to hear about that woman,” he hissed. “Do you understand?”
“I do.” Hamish paused as he turned away. “Lady Ellingham is not Ottoline, Cormac. She’s a far better woman than what Ottoline portrayed herself to be.”
Then he left, closing the door behind him. Cormac sagged into his chair, finishing his drink in one gulp. Why did Hamish have to mention Ottoline now? Cormac had been able to forget about her lately. Now the memories were coming back thick and fast, and it was leaving him feeling morose.
That woman had hurt him more than he thought, and it was painful to recall everything. Cormac didn’t want to think about any of that. He wanted to put that woman from his mind and put her behind him. She didn’t deserve his time and energy thinking about her.
But he couldn’t stop himself from being consumed by thoughts of Ottoline as he eventually retired, lying in bed staring at the ceiling and having thoughts of Ottoline and Rosalind mixing up in his head.
He felt relief and anger at the sight of the two of them, and that didn’t help him as he fell into a fitful sleep.
Cormac didn’t know what time he fell asleep, but he was sure he could see the first rays of light coming through the curtains.
When he finally awoke, his head hurt and his mouth felt like he’d been swallowing cotton. He fumbled for the water jug at his bedside and drank from the jug itself, almost spilling it over himself. Then he slumped back and tried to get his bearings back.
He couldn’t stay in bed all day, even if he was fed up and frustrated, and needed his sleep. Ellingham wasn’t going to stay away for long. He would return soon, and Cormac needed to be sure that Rosalind and Theo were looked after.
If only he could get the letter almost immediately, but it was going to take a while to get to him.
Waiting for that made Cormac nervous. Why couldn’t William have left it with a solicitor in Edinburgh, or even Glasgow?
Or one of the big towns just south of the Scottish border so they didn’t need to go far?
Whatever William’s motivations, he wanted to be sure that his brother didn’t reach it.
Cormac hoped that his gut instinct, and William’s concerns, were going to be fruitful. He didn’t want to carry out his promise and then have it all go wrong.
After washing and dressing, Cormac quickly ate something and then rode out toward Corrieden.
He didn’t see Hamish around, but as he was taking the shortcut down to the loch that would lead to the other side of the water, Cormac caught sight of Hamish coming back.
Where had he been at this time of day? There was a possibility that he’d been to look at something on the estate, but something told Cormac that wasn’t the case.
Maybe he’d been to see Bea Lowe himself.
Cormac smiled as he recalled how the pair had been together.
They were both quick and sharp with their comebacks.
Bea certainly laughed louder and seemed to sparkle more compared to when she wasn’t near him.
Hamish also appeared to be quite affected by her, something Cormac found interesting.
His friend and factor tended to keep to himself, and yet he was showing obvious signs of attraction.
Bea was a pretty girl, so he could see why Hamish would be so taken by her. Maybe there would be something good coming out of this.
Not with him. He was just carrying out a duty, nothing more.
He arrived at Corrieden, and Rivers answered the door. The butler gave him a smile and bowed.
“Good afternoon, my lord. Are you well?”
“Very well, thank you.” Cormac stepped into the cool hallway. “Is Lady Ellingham about?”
“She’s in the drawing room. I believe Lord Ellingham is having his lessons right now. Shall I ask Mrs. Rivers to bring you some tea?”
“If you wouldn’t mind?”
Cormac was glad that Rivers and his wife were the ones in charge of the household for Rosalind.
He’d chosen them because he knew they were professional and efficient.
William had trusted him to pick the servants who would be right for Corrieden, and the Rivers couple had proven it had been a good choice. Rosalind would be fine with them.
He looked around and then lowered his voice.
“Is there any news about when Mr. Ellingham would return here?” he asked quietly.
Rivers shook his head. “Not that I know of, my lord. I’d be the first to know.”
“Make me aware of it when he is. And make sure Lady Ellingham is never alone, if you can help it.”
“Of course.” The butler frowned. “Do you think something nefarious might happen?”
“I don’t know. But I want to be sure that Lady Ellingham and her son are safe.”
Patting the butler on the shoulder, Cormac headed toward the drawing room. When he’d hired Rivers and his wife, he’d made both of them aware that it was imperative to keep Rosalind and her son protected, and they’d promised to keep a close eye.
While they had concerns about Ellingham being somewhat disconcerting and trying to take over without any prompting, they hadn’t seen anything untoward. Apart from being given a lot of maps by his valet on his first night. Cormac wondered what that was about.
He reached the drawing room door and was about to enter when he heard the sound of a piano being played. It was beautiful and lyrical, the notes seeming to dance in the air around him. He listened to it a moment, surprised at the joyful tone. He hadn’t heard music like this being played in years.
Who would be playing?
Gently, he pushed open the door, and then he saw Rosalind at the piano.
Her back was to him, her hair unbraided and loose down her back, and she seemed to be swaying as she played.
He could see her fingers dancing across the keys, barely touching them as they moved around.
Cormac stood and watched her, awe swelling in his chest, and noticed how wrapped up she was in her music.
He couldn’t look away. This was clearly a private moment, one where Rosalind was relaxing and becoming more like herself, pouring her heart out in the music, but he couldn’t go anywhere. She’d fixed him to the spot.
When she finished, it was like he’d gone deaf. The music suddenly stopped, and silence filled the air. Rosalind lowered her hands into her lap, her head bowed. Cormac could hear her breathing deeply, as if she was exhausted from the playing.
Slowly, she stood up, and turned. Only to freeze when she realized that Cormac was there. She gasped and jumped back, her hand automatically going to her cheek.
“My lord!” she cried. “I… I didn’t…”
“Forgive me for surprising you. I didn’t want to interrupt.” Cormac kept the door open as he crossed the room. “You play beautifully. I wasn’t aware you could play.”
Rosalind’s face was bright red, making her scars more stark, and she looked flustered. Cormac wished he could ease her nerves. She didn’t seem to want anyone to know about her talents.
“I’ve played all my life,” she said finally, moving over to the open window and slumping onto the window seat. She kept the scarred side away from him. “It was a passion of mine. After William’s death, though, I just… I couldn’t bring myself to play. It just didn’t feel right.”
“You couldn’t bring yourself to feel any joy when you’d lost someone you loved,” Cormac said.
She nodded, chewing at her lower lip. Cormac hovered in place for an awkward moment before joining her at the window.
He leaned against the wall, keeping a respectable distance, and watched as she absently smoothed her hands down her skirts.
She wasn’t wearing gloves, and he could see telltale lines on the back of her hand.
It was more than her face that had been hurt.
His heart ached for her. She had suffered so much, and the pain had to be incredible. But she was still present, still standing tall. She did try to hide herself, but she was showing that she could hold her head high if needed.
“You shouldn’t stop something you clearly have a talent for,” he said. “Your playing is simply beautiful.”
“Thank you,” she whispered. “I appreciate you saying that.”
“Maybe you should try doing it more often.”
“I don’t think I should.”
“Why not?”
She opened her mouth, only for the words not to come out. She closed her mouth and shrugged. She didn’t know. Cormac could see her discomfort, and how she felt guilty for something enjoyable in her current situation.
“You shouldn’t have to hide yourself away, Rosalind.”
“That was why I came up here, though,” she pointed out. “I wanted to hide, to be left alone. Present company excepted, of course,” she added hurriedly.
He smiled. “I understand that, but you still shouldn’t pull away from everything. Doing something different occasionally would help.”
She looked shocked at the idea. “Are you suggesting that I go out into Scottish Society and parade myself around?”
“Not parade yourself. But it might be good for you and Theo to have some friends.” He managed a chuckle. “You’re going to get fed up with me, if you’re not already. You should be looking to have others to socialize with. Not a big crowd, just one or two. I’m sure you’re missing talking to friends.”
“I have Bea to talk to,” Rosalind said stoutly.
“She’s my friend, and I trust her.” Then her shoulders slumped.
“But I know what you mean. There is a part of me that wants to do that, but then I remember what happened to me, and how people in London looked at me afterward. And that… that makes me freeze.”
Cormac didn’t know why he was doing this. He knew he should leave this be, but he had a sudden urge to take Rosalind somewhere and show her to the rest of Society. She didn’t deserve to be hidden away from prying eyes. Not everyone was cruel.
It was a world he’d been avoiding himself for some years, so why on earth was he trying that now?
“There’s a ball at the McCulloch’s home tomorrow night,” he said, the words tumbling out of his mouth. “I received an invitation for it a while ago, but I didn’t respond to it. But I was thinking of attending… if you would come with me.”