Bride of the Solway Page 6

  She drew herself up slightly. Ross could not decide whether it was be­cause she wished to distance herself from her own outrageous behaviour, or whether she disapproved of his obviously close relationship with his valet. 'You will tell him what happened?' Her voice definitely held a hint of hauteur. So, she didn't think a gentleman should confide in his valet. How little she knew. Having shared the privations of the Peninsular War with Fraser, Ross trusted his man implicitly. With his life, if necessary.

  'It matters not a whit whether I tell him or not.' Ross grinned suddenly, remembering many instances when he had tried to keep information from Fraser. 'Fraser is the best gatherer of information I have ever known. He'd find out somehow. He'd have made a very successful spy.' Now that was not quite true. For, on occasion, Fraser had already made a very success­ful spy. And the British army, though unaware of the details of the man's dangerous service, had reason to be eternally grateful for Fraser's abilities. 'How very.. .interesting.'

  He had lost her. The sparkling look was now veiled as she took his empty cup and returned to speak to Mrs Anstruther. Her brother had risen from his place and was bowing to his hostess. The pair clearly meant to leave.

  'It was a great pleasure to meet you again, Miss Elliott,' Mrs Anstruther said. 'And you, too, Mr Elliott. I do hope you will come again soon, so that Miss Elliott and I can continue our discussions. I have rarely met any­one so young yet with such enthusiasm for plants and gardens. We share a common passion, I think.'

  Miss Elliott smiled warmly. 'I cannot hope to match your knowledge, ma'am, but I should very much like to learn more from you. What you tell me of your new garden is fascinating.'

  'I long to visit it again. But situated as I am—' she gestured impatiently at her useless legs '—it may be some time before I can do so. However, if you wish to visit the house and garden, please feel free to do so. My gar­deners would be delighted to learn that there are other ladies in the world just as passionate as I am.' She looked sideways at Ross. 'Perhaps Captain Graham would like to accompany you? And your brother, of course.'

  James Elliott cleared his throat and directed a swift warning look towards his sister. 'Cassandra is most grateful for the invitation, ma'am. Very generous of you, I am sure. However, we must not think of making any excursions until Cassandra is quite well again. It does not do to risk a lady's frail health.'

  Ross hoped his reactions did not show on his face. The man was a ly­ing cur. Had he not poured scorn on the assumed frailty of young ladies not half an hour ago? Why was he now declining Mrs Anstruther's in­vitation when he had gone to such lengths to ingratiate himself before? There was something very strange going on in the Elliott family. Very strange indeed.

  Mrs Anstruther stretched up her hand to Miss Elliott. 'Forgive me, my dear,' she said. 'I hope you will be fully recovered very soon. It will not be possible for me to return your call, alas, but perhaps you will overlook my discourtesy and come to me again? I did so enjoy our talk. The colonel does his best, and he has become very knowledgeable about plants of late, but he does not share my passion. Not as you do.'

  Miss Elliott blushed. 'You do me too much honour, ma'am. And I should be delighted to call on you again.' She glanced towards her brother, who was frowning. 'As soon as I am able.'

  'You will understand if we take our leave now, ma'am,' her brother said. 'We must get home while it is still light. It would not do for Cassandra to become chilled.'

  The normal courtesies were soon exchanged. Elliott could almost have been a real gentleman. Certainly, his assumed manners could not be faulted. Ross felt his gorge rising as he watched. The man was the very devil.

  Ross insisted on escorting Miss Elliott to her carriage, offering his hand to help her to mount. With one foot on the step, she turned to look into his face. Their eyes met, and held. He felt a slight pressure of her fingers in his. 'Thank you, Captain Graham,' she said softly. 'I am truly most grateful to you.'

  'Your servant, ma'am,' he said, returning the pressure for just a frac­tion of a second. A silent message was sent and received. Ross had no doubt that Miss Elliott—Cassandra—understood what he intended. He had risked his life to save her once. And he stood ready to do so again.

  Cassie shrank back into the corner of the carriage, where James could not see her if he chose to ride alongside rather than out in front. She had only the length of the journey home to order her thoughts and to decide how she would respond to his demands. For they would certainly come.

  Jamie would go to any lengths to get what he wanted. And what he wanted now was to marry Cassie off to a rich man as soon as he possibly could. His debts must be even more pressing than before, she decided, for until now, he had been planning to wait until Colonel Anstruther was free to remarry. No doubt James expected to borrow money from his fu­ture brother-in-law at every opportunity. But surely that meant finding a man who was both rich and weak? Colonel Anstruther was certainly not weak. He would never be an easy mark.

  And nor would Captain Graham. He, too, was every inch the soldier— strong, determined, resourceful, and a knight in shining armour to a damsel in distress. She was sorry now that she had snubbed him when he mentioned having been thrown into gaol. But she had been mortally embarrassed at the thought that he was about to tell his valet about her outrageous behaviour. Once one servant knew of her attempted flight, it was bound to become the talk of Dumfries. What little standing she had in the community would be gone. She would not even be able to call on Mrs Anstruther again.

  That meant she would not be able to meet Captain Graham again.

  She felt a sinking in her stomach at the thought. She was grateful to him. Of course, she was. But it was more than that. She had not met many single gentlemen since she had left her Edinburgh seminary, and almost all of them had been old, or lecherous, or both. Captain Graham was nei­ther. He was young and vigorous, and handsome enough if one overlooked his red hair. He had very pleasing blue eyes, too, that twinkled with good humour. And he was kind to hoydens on the banks of the Solway. Al­together the kind of gentleman that any young lady would wish to know.

  But was he rich? Oh, dear, she did not know. She had discovered— quite cleverly, she thought—that he was a single man, but she knew little of his circumstances. Perhaps if she had not snubbed him, he would have been more forthcoming? But no. He had not wished to speak of his fam­ily. He had inadvertently let slip that he knew little about them. And he had been embarrassed at having said even that. There was no way she could have successfully quizzed him.

  James would not accept such an excuse. What was she to tell him? Per­haps she could draw inferences from what the captain had said without actually telling a lie. Think, Cassie, think! She knew he had served in the Fifty-second Foot and she imagined he would have had to purchase his commission in such a good regiment. That meant he had some money, at least. Good, that was a start. His family came from Scotland, and fairly recently, too, judging by his accent, yet he knew nothing of them. So he must have been brought up in a home in England. Somewhere in England. And a gentleman's home in England, however small, would require money to maintain it. She would tell James that the captain was Scottish-born but English-bred, and that he appeared to be comfortably off.

  And she would say that, if James wanted her to find out more details about the captain's finances, he would have to allow her to meet him again, in easier circumstances. She had done the best she could in the space of a few minutes' polite conversation.

  Yes. She would suggest that they take up Mrs Anstruther's invitation to visit her new garden and that Captain Graham be invited to accom­pany them. On such a visit, there would be many opportunities to draw him out. Surely even James would see the sense in such a plan?

  * * *

  'Never seen yer linen in such a state, Captain. Not even when we was in the Peninsula.'

  Ross sighed and set about smoothing Fraser's ruffled feathers. 'The colonel's man has done his best, Fraser, but it's been precious l
ittle use after the mauling Elliott and his men gave to my belongings. Do your best to restore what you can. For the rest, we'll have to buy new.'

  Fraser was not mollified. 'And yer boots, too, sir. Surely the colonel's man knows how to black boots?'

  'Indeed he does, but not boots that have been squelching through Solway mud and then spent days in a sodden and stinking gaol. I'm surprised they haven't rotted through. I doubt even you would be able to rescue them, Fraser.' Ross quirked an eyebrow at his batman and long-time companion.

  'Aye, well, they may not be a total loss, sir. I'll see what I can do.'

  Ross smiled. The challenge had provoked exactly the response he had expected.

  'And in the meantime, you won't go barefoot. There's another pair in the bags I brought with me, and a supply of linen, too. I must have you respectable to dine with Mrs Anstruther. I can't imagine how you looked when you were wearing the colonel's coat. Disgraceful, no doubt.'

  'Perhaps, but it was a great deal better than how I looked when the colonel first found me, I can tell you, Fraser. I had neither hat nor gloves, my coat and breeches were damp and filthy, and everything about me reeked of the gaol. It was a wonder the poor colonel did not put a hand­kerchief to his nose.' He laughed softly at the memory. 'To his credit, he did not, though he did soon learn not to stand downwind of me.'

  Fraser tried in vain to hide his smile.

  'So be grateful that this is the worst you see of me. Or smell!'

  Fraser gathered up Ross's scattered clothing and made for the door. 'If you won't be needing anything else this evening, sir, I'd best get on with salvaging what I can.'

  'Thank you, Fraser. I know you'll do your best.' He waited until the valet was halfway through the door before adding softly, 'And when you have a moment free, I have a special task for you. One that you will enjoy, I fancy.'

  Fraser turned. One look at Ross's face was enough to tell him what was in store for him. He grinned widely. 'That's more like it, Captain. Sounds just like old times. What was it you was wanting me to find out for you?'

  Ross beckoned him back into the room. Once the door was safely closed, he said, 'I need you to discover some information for me, Fraser, about a young lady and her family. She—'

  'That would be the young lady you rescued down by the Solway, would it, sir?'

  Ross groaned and struck his forehead in mock despair. 'By Jove, Fraser, is there anything you don't find out? The colonel and I have gone to considerable lengths not to have that tale bandied about, and yet you know about it before you have been here five minutes. I suppose there's no point in asking how you know, is there?'

  'No, sir,' Fraser said flatly.

  Ross knew there was nothing to be gained by pressing the man any further. He sighed theatrically, shaking his head. 'Very well. I shall not ask. Now, just in case you do not already know, the lady in question is Miss Cassandra Elliott and she lives with her half-brother, James, at Langrigg House, between Dumfries and Annan. I want to know what James Elliott is about and what was so terrible that his sister was prepared to take the risk of fleeing across the Solway. I need to—'

  'You need to know everything there is to know about the Elliott family. Very good, sir. Leave it to me.'

  Ross wondered how Fraser, a stranger newly arrived in Dumfries, could possibly hope to get the information Ross needed. But he knew better than to ask. 'Thank you, Fraser. I know I can rely on you,' he said simply, and meant it. 'Oh, and forget about the ruined boots. Better use your time for the Elliotts.'

  Fraser drew himself up to his full height, which was considerably shorter than Ross. 'I shall do my duty, sir,' he said formally, 'and that, sir, includes your boots.'

  'Make sure you take your most becoming gowns. God knows I've paid enough for them, over the years, just to make sure you look the part of a fine lady. I want my investment to be repaid, Cassie. Mark that. You must ensure that the gentlemen are suitably impressed.'

  'You have changed your mind all of a sudden, have you not, James? When we visited the Anstruthers, you made quite sure that I would not accept the invitation.'

  'That was before Colonel Anstruther himself became involved. Now that he is to act as our host, it is a splendid opportunity for you to display your.. .er.. .womanly attributes.'

  Cassie felt herself blushing. Again! Why did her brother have to be so crass? And why was it that she always showed her embarrassment?

  'Be ready to leave first thing tomorrow morning. The carriage will be at the door by nine. Do not be late. Morag will accompany you in the carriage and I shall ride alongside. We should arrive well before noon.'

  'But I had intended to ride there myself. I hate being cooped up in the carriage. In summer weather like this, there is no reason why I should not ride.'

  'There is every reason. I do not wish you to ride.'

  Cassie bit back the angry 'Why not?' that rose to her lips. Instead, she said, 'Colonel Anstruther is a military man. He would expect his wife to ride. And ride well. Would this not be an opportunity to demonstrate my attributes in that area of a lady's accomplishments?' Good tactics, Cassie thought to herself. That had stopped James in his tracks. Captain Graham would be proud of her.

  James started to speak, but Cassie heard barely a word. Why on earth was she thinking it mattered what Captain Graham thought of her?

  'Cassie! Pay attention! This is no time for your eternal daydreaming. It is your marriage we are planning here.'

  Cassie swallowed hard, but said nothing.

  'Remember, the aim of your visit is to impress the gentlemen. Your first object must be Colonel Anstruther. He is by far the better catch. Captain Graham may not be a catch at all. So far we know nothing more of him than that he is an officer, and a gentleman, and brought up in England. For all we know, he may be simply subsisting on half-pay. That most certainly would not do.'

  'Have your spies uncovered no more information, then?' Cassie said sweetly.

  'No. The captain's man is remarkably close-mouthed. Even when he has been well plied with ale. At my expense.' 'Oh. Who did you send?'

  'Not Tam or Ned, if that's what you were thinking. The captain's man would be bound to have learned that they were the ones who threw his master into gaol. No, I sent Malcolm.'

  'Ah,' Cassie nodded. Malcolm was James's man through and through, part valet, part steward, and utterly devoted to James's interests. 'Well, if Malcolm could discover nothing, I imagine there is nothing to be learned by that route.'

  'No. That leaves only one avenue. The direct one. You, Cassie, must find out the truth about Captain Graham, either from the man himself or from Colonel Anstruther. You will have the whole of our visit to do that.'

  'But it is only two days and one night! Such questions require a de­gree of intimacy which could never be achieved in so short a time.'

  James smiled nastily. 'I'm sure you will find a way, Cassie. And to give you every opportunity, I shall have your horse tied on to the back of the carriage. Make sure you take your most becoming riding habit. Riding out with the gentlemen does give plenty of opportunity for inti­mate conversation. Make the most of it.'

  It was a beautiful, sunny summer's day as Cassie's carriage slowed for the approach to the great door to the Anstruther castle. Cassie had been gazing in awe as they drove up the long avenue. It was a huge—mon­strous—edifice. She wondered that the Anstruther family had invested so much money in restoring it, for it surely belonged to a bygone age. The walls were of massive stone. There were only the merest slits of windows at ground level. And one of the towers had still not been repaired. It looked as though it had suffered from cannon fire in some battle, centu­ries before.

  'I'm glad I packed they heavy petticoats,' Morag said. 'We are all like to freeze t' death in there.'

  'I'm sure the colonel will make us more than comfortable,' Cassie said, though she was not at all sure she spoke the truth.

  'Aye, well, I'll judge that after I see for myself. He'd have done much better t
o build a fine new house, where a body could be warm and dry. There's bound to be draughts everywhere. And the lums will reek.'

  'Oh, Morag, don't be such a misery. We are here to see Colonel Anstruther's new garden, not his house. We shall be spending most of our time out of doors, where there are no draughts and no smoking chimneys. Besides, the weather is delightful. Why should we be cold?'

  'Because this is Galloway, Miss Cassie, and ye ken well enough that the weather can change in two shakes of a lamb's tail. How else was it that you was caught in that awful storm?'

  Oh, dear. She had left herself open to that jibe. And she was probably blushing again. 'That's enough, Morag,' she snapped, more angry with herself than with her maid. 'You are not to mention that incident again. Never. Do you understand me?'

  'Aye.'

  'Now, as soon as we are in the house, I need you to bring me some hot water and to lay out a fresh gown. I cannot sit down to luncheon with the gentlemen if I am still dressed in my travelling clothes.'

  Ross had already spent a day and a night in Colonel Anstruther's com­pany while they rode down to Castle Douglas and settled in on the Anstruther country estate. He had been surprised to discover that such an ancient edifice could be made so very comfortable inside. His bed­chamber was large, with a splendid view out over the developing garden. It was also surprisingly warm, considering the enormous thickness of the castle walls. True, the house did not rely on Scottish sunshine. There was always a fire burning in the cavernous grate, with heat radiating out from the chimney breast.

  Fraser appeared content as well, and he was by far the more diffi­cult to please. He reported that the colonel believed in looking after his servants, feeding and housing them well. Moreover, he had in­stalled the most modern conveniences in the ancient kitchen in the basement, so that his cooks could produce the excellent fare he de­manded. Ross had found himself in agreement there. They had been only two at dinner on the previous day, but the selection of dishes had been as good as he could have expected in any nobleman's house in England.