Chapter 30
Cormac couldn’t begin to describe his relief to be returning back to Scotland. There was nothing for him in London, and Rosalind had said she and Theo wanted to get away. Theo had been asking about Corrieden and if he could go back. When he’d been told they were going back, he’d been delighted.
Things were starting to come back to where they were supposed to be. They would be back where they felt welcomed and accepted. Scotland was his home.
And from the way Rosalind and Theo brightened at the knowledge they were returning, Scotland was their home as well. Cormac was glad about that.
“Ready?” Hamish asked, appearing in the doorway. He had his coat and hat on, a knapsack slung over one shoulder. “Everything else has been put onto the carriages.”
“I’m ready.” Cormac turned away from the window. “I’m just taking one last look at the busy streets of London.”
“You mean before you have no neighbors walking by trying to gawk into the window and see what you’re up to?” Hamish chuckled.
Cormac couldn’t agree more. He understood people being curious, but being nosy was more than he could handle. Thankfully, he wouldn’t have that at Ravensmuir. His home was just where he wanted to be.
“It’s strange,” Hamish said as they walked toward the front door. “I didn’t think we would be going back so soon. Or that we would both be returning with future brides.”
“You have a future bride,” Cormac reminded him. “I haven’t asked Rosalind to marry me yet.”
“But you’re going to, aren’t you? I know you want to marry her, Cormac.” Hamish tapped the side of his nose and smiled. “Call it instinct.”
Cormac rolled his eyes, but he smiled. His closest friend often knew things before he did, including his own emotions.
And Hamish was in an even better mood after he asked Bea to marry him the day before.
They hadn’t really entered into courtship, but neither seemed to care. It was natural for Bea to say yes.
Cormac hadn’t doubted them for a moment. Not when he saw the way the pair were together. They could be as unconventional as possible, and it would still be right for them. He would support that, especially if it made Hamish happy.
He hoped he would get the same reaction from Rosalind. It had only been three days since he said he loved her, but Cormac had a feeling it would be accepted. He didn’t want to be too confident, and yet he couldn’t help himself.
At least things were going to look up for them.
Ellingham had been caught only the day before.
He’d managed to get to Southampton docks, gotten false papers, and tried to board a ship bound for the Americas.
Someone who knew William had recognized him, and there had been an uproar when Ellingham had been confronted.
Even though nobody in Southampton knew about what Ellingham had been up to, a scuffle after that was enough to keep him off the ship. An hour after that, they found out what he’d really been up to.
Needless to say, nobody was impressed with the fact Ellingham had tried to murder a child, his own nephew, to get hold of a title and everything that went with it. Cormac was glad there was some faith left in people.
Everything was winding down. Rosalind and Cormac had given statements, and along with Hale and Sir Crispin’s own testimonies, not to mention Ellingham’s attempt to kill Theo in front of witnesses, there was enough to put him into jail. With the murder of his brother, he would be hanged.
And he deserved it after what he’d done.
Now Cormac was heading home, taking Rosalind and Theo with him. He couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate something that had been weighing on their shoulders for a long time.
It didn’t take long to get to Rosalind’s residence, and Cormac and Hamish left the carriages outside as they headed into the house. Theo and Bea were sitting among their trunks in the foyer, both looking flustered and out of breath. Cormac laughed.
“You look like you’ve been wrestling a bear,” he teased.
Theo made a face. “Bears don’t live in this country.”
“Are you sure about that?” Cormac looked around as Hamish went to Bea and hugged her as she jumped to her feet to greet him. “Where’s Rosalind?”
“She’s in the sitting room,” Bea replied. “She’s just finishing off the last bit of sorting out the household.”
“She’s still going to be governing it from Scotland?”
Bea shrugged. “Someone has to until Theo’s old enough. Besides, the housekeeper we’ve brought in is very efficient. She’ll be able to care for this place.”
Cormac was glad about that. The previous housekeeper had been brought in by Ellingham, and she was a severe woman who had been incredibly strict.
Theo had cried because of her, and Rosalind wasn’t having that.
As soon as she returned to the townhouse, she’d dismissed the housekeeper and most of the household who had shown more loyalty to him than to Rosalind and Theo.
Given there wouldn’t be anyone living there, they didn’t need many servants anyway. Arabella was being kept on, and Rosalind had said she knew she could trust Arabella after her help.
Cormac trusted her judgment.
“When are we going home?” Theo asked, trotting up to him and hugging him around the waist. “Now?”
“In a few minutes.” Cormac ruffled his hair and stepped back. “I’ll just see if your mother’s ready to go. Why don’t you help get the trunks onto your carriage?”
Pleased of having something to do, Theo nodded and began to tug one of the trunks toward the door, straining under the weight. Chuckling, Cormac entered the sitting room to find Rosalind sitting with the new housekeeper at a table by the window.
She had her hair pulled back, away from her beautiful face. Her smile lit up her eyes, and it made her practically glow. It was like she’d forgotten about the scars. Cormac was glad about that; she was beautiful no matter what. She was only just beginning to realize that.
“Thank you, Mabel.” Rosalind stood with the other woman, a short, thin woman with a youthful face and blonde hair. “I know you’re going to keep this place in order. And if you have any problems, just let my solicitor know.”
“Of course.” Mabel curtsied. “Have a safe journey to Scotland, my lady.”
“Thank you.”
Mabel turned, curtsying to Cormac with a smile, and then she left the room. Rosalind took a deep breath and let it out with a sigh.
“I was beginning to think I would never go back to Scotland. It still feels like a dream.”
“I know. But you are, and it’s real.” Cormac crossed to her and took her hands, kissing her scarred cheek. “We won’t have to worry about anything anymore.”
“Thank goodness for that.”
Just then, the door opened and Bea stuck her head into the room, her expression troubled.
“Forgive me for bothering you, Rosalind, but Lady Carlisle is here.”
Rosalind blinked. Cormac groaned. What did Ottoline want now?
“Has she said why she was here, Bea?” Rosalind asked.
“Apparently, she wants to speak to Cormac. She was on her way to his residence when she saw him leaving.”
“She’s been following me?” Cormac said, stunned.
“It looks that way. She’s refusing to leave, and Hamish can’t get her to budge.”
This was not going to go well. If Cormac refused to see her, Ottoline would just get into her carriage and follow them back to Scotland. She was determined to get him back, even though the plan had been ruined. Surely, she would back off now?
“Send her in, Bea,” Rosalind said, making Cormac stare at her. “Maybe she should say what she needs to, and then she can leave us alone.”
Cormac wasn’t sure about that, but he could see that Rosalind was determined. She wasn’t about to back down. It was like there was a strength in her that he hadn’t truly seen before.
He didn’t think he could love her more than he already did.
Bea retreated, and a moment later the door was flung open and Ottoline strode in. She barely gave Rosalind any attention as she went to Cormac, trying to reach for him. Cormac stepped out of the way.
“What do you want, Ottoline?”
“I heard about what happened to Mr. Ellingham.” Ottoline clasped her hands to her chest in horror. “I can’t believe he was like that. Who would do that to his own family? Particularly a child?”
“Who indeed?”
“I wanted to come and see how you were. It had to be shocking for you to go through that.”
Frowning, Cormac gestured at Rosalind.
“That happened to Lady Ellingham, not myself. If there’s anyone who should be getting this sympathy, it should be for her and her son, the viscount.”
Ottoline blinked, and took half a step back, a deep flush creeping across her cheeks.
“I… of course.” She cleared her throat. “Anyway, I also heard you were going back to Scotland. Are you sure that’s wise?”
“Why would you think it wasn’t?”
“Well, you’re in London now. And now Ellingham’s been dealt with, that should leave you free to…”
She didn’t finish the sentence, but Cormac didn’t need her to. The slight smile on her face was enough to tell him. He was shocked by her behavior. He had made it clear what his feelings were for Ottoline. He hadn’t loved her in years, and yet she seemed to think there was a chance between them.
“Have you gone mad, Ottoline?” he asked.
“I beg your pardon?”
“I’m genuinely asking, because you’re worrying me with the way you seem to think everything is all about you, and that this mess with Ellingham has directly affected me.
” He folded his arms. “I don’t understand you.
I made it clear the last time we interacted that I don’t feel anything for you anymore.
I’m not interested in rekindling what we have, especially after the way you turned me down and mocked me. ”
“But…”
“You had your chance years ago, and you should understand that it is lost. I don’t love you anymore, and I plan to go back to Scotland with Lady Ellingham.” Cormac looked at Rosalind. “After all, she is going to be my wife. I would want to be at her side.”
Rosalind’s eyes widened, staring at him in surprise. Ottoline’s mouth dropped open.
“You… you’re planning on marrying that?” She pointed at Rosalind, which made Rosalind bristle.
“What is that supposed to mean?” she demanded.
“Well, with those scars, you’ll be lucky to have anyone.” Ottoline sneered at her. “Now you’ve got Cormac pitying you. He’ll marry you, and then he’ll tire of you. Why not just let him go before you put him through that humiliation?”
Cormac hadn’t heard such vitriol coming from Ottoline in a long time, and it caught him off-balance. She had certainly dropped the pretense that she was a perfect lady who didn’t have a bad word for anyone. It was as if the gloves had come off, and she didn’t care how she was portrayed.
“I think that’s for Cormac to decide, don’t you think?” Rosalind responded. She’d momentarily tensed, but now she relaxed, regarding Ottoline with her head tilted to one side. She sighed. “It’s such a shame, isn’t it?”
“What is?”
“Being you, my lady.”
Ottoline frowned. “What do you mean by that?”
“Well, you’re a beautiful woman, but you’re not using it properly.
You have someone admire you, and you take it as a declaration of love.
The reality is, you can be admired for your beauty, but you can’t be loved for such a personality like yours.
” Rosalind shrugged. “It’s a pity that you are so experienced of Society, and yet you’re so naive that you can’t tell the difference between admiration and love. ”
Ottoline looked so stunned that Cormac thought she was going to collapse. She swayed on her feet, something fluttering past her face. Something about Rosalind’s words had hit a little harder than anticipated. Ottoline tried to recover, spluttering over her words.
“But… that… that’s nonsense!”
“Is it?”
“You’re just jealous because you’re never going to be beautiful again,” Ottoline shot back, her eyes narrowed. “And you’ll be alone once more. Cormac will not be around you for long when you show what you’re really like.”
That was when Rosalind burst out laughing, making Cormac jump. He hadn’t expected that, and the laugh rippled through him.
“Is that the best you can come up with, my lady?” Rosalind asked once the laughter died down a little.
“I don’t know how you can say that and think you’ve got the upper hand.
It just makes you look more pathetic. Now, before you embarrass yourself further, I suggest you turn and leave my house.
I don’t want to see you in any of my residences ever again.
I don’t want to be aware of your existence, especially when my son and I settle down in Scotland again.
Having you as my neighbor would make life incredibly boring, especially with your childish mindset. Do I make myself clear?”
There was a bit of ice in her voice toward the end, and Cormac found himself staring at her. He’d not heard Rosalind like this before, and he found himself fascinated by it.
Ottoline, on the other hand, looked as if she’d just been slapped. Then she stumbled back, looking at Cormac as if she expected him to come to her defense. Cormac simply shook his head.
That was enough for her to turn, tears in her eyes, and she left the room. Neither of them spoke until the sound of the front door could be heard closing.
Rosalind’s shoulders slumped.
“I was beginning to think I was going to have to throw her out.”
“I would’ve enjoyed seeing that.” Cormac chuckled. “The nerve of her to come in here and see if there was still a chance between us.”
“She’s not the only one who’s got nerve.”
“What?”
She raised her eyebrows at him.
“About saying we’re going to get married. When were you going to propose to me and get my decision on the matter?”
Cormac winced.
“I apologize. I just wanted to say something to shock her, and it did work, in a way. Not that I’m not going to do it,” he added hurriedly. “I was going to ask. I just… well…”
He could feel himself stumbling over his own words, and he felt silent. Rosalind rolled her eyes with a smile and shook her head.
“Honestly, you have a habit of jumping feet first into something without properly checking. That could’ve gone wrong if I’d said I didn’t want to marry you.”
“But don’t you?” Cormac knew he sounded a little unsure now, but he worried that he’d gotten it wrong.
She approached him, cupping his face and kissing him. She was still smiling as she broke away.
“Ask me again when we get to Scotland, and I’ll give you my answer then.”
“You’re going to let me wait until then?”
She giggled and stepped away.
“I think it will be worth it when you finally get my answer.”
Then she winked and walked away, leaving Cormac staring after her. She stopped at the door and turned back, her eyes twinkling.
“But you can be assured of this,” she said. “My answer would always be yes.”