Adam had never been ignorant of politics, but after John’s death he’d been thrust into the forefront of a battle that was fought in the shadows. With whispers, coded messages, and stiletto knives flashing in the dark, everything had become so tangible, so very real and threatening that Adam had trouble sleeping most nights.
“Adam, are you happy about this? Truly?” Caroline’s question broke through the darkening spiral of his thoughts.
He reached across the drawing roomtable and touched her hand.
“I believe I will be. There is just so much that weighs upon me. I worry for your safety and Letty’s. I cannot help but wonder which path is safer for her: to be my wife or to send her away somewhere the French cannot find her.”
“There is likely no place to send her where French spies could not find her, Adam.”
“I’m not so sure about that. There are some rather wild and unexplored places in the far north of Scotland where she would be safe.”
Caroline shook her head. “Oh, you cannot mean to take her to see Uncle Tyburn?”
Their uncle, a robust old man, was a Highlander through and through. Although he had been born long after the dreadful events at Culloden, he still held true to the old ways, as dangerous and illegal as that could be.
“Tyburn would be safe. He has an old castle surrounded by flat land that has been cleared of forests. He can see a person coming for miles, as long as it’s daylight or the moonlight is bright enough.”
“Why don’t we put Tyburn as a very last option. Letty is very English, and I’m not sure if dragging her through the pitted roads of Scotland to spend time in the fierce, frosty Highlands would be ideal for your honeymoon.”
“You have a point,” Adam conceded, then rose from the table. “I must be off for Chilgrave. Do you wish to come early with me or travel with Letty?”
Caroline seemed to debate this a moment. “I believe I shall come with you. There’s much to do to make it a welcoming place for a bride and for a wedding reception to be achieved tomorrow. As much as I adore you, Adam, you are still a man and quite incapable of planning a proper wedding.”
Adam laughed. “Very well, I concede on that as well.” He went to seek out his valet, and then it was time to leave. He could not shake the feeling that danger would still come, even to the sanctity of Chilgrave Castle, but he hoped that whatever evil followed he would have the strength to stop.
4
Letty and Gillian arrived on Bond Street just as the shops opened. They needed to get what Gillian deemed the necessities for her meager trousseau, and after a spot of lunch that wasn’t nearly long enough, they were whisked back home to finalize their packing.
Before Letty could catch her breath, Mina was helping her into her carriage dress, and she was boarding the coach for a two-hour ride to Chilgrave Castle—a place she’d never been before but, by the next night, would be the mistress of.
Was it all real? Was she to see her future home tonight, or was this some fantastical dream? There had been no amorous glances across a roomful of chaperones or flowers delivered to her door; all the things she knew and had come to expect of such moments were absent. She’d longed for a proper courtship. Romantic interludes of the sort her mother had told Letty about when she was just a young child. Most young ladies began their courtship dance at balls or card parties in the assembly rooms. She had begun hers at knifepoint.
Letty’s parents’ marriage had been a love match, which was not as rare a thing as some made it out, but for her parents it had been unexpected. Because theirs had been a love match, they’d spent their entire marriage sharing a suite of rooms and the same bed. They shared their lives with each other, and rarely had they ever spent time apart. Letty had learned later on as she grew up how rare that was, even for couples who married for love.
As the buildings of London gave way to green fields and trees and idyllic villages, Letty found herself ever more silent as Gillian and James spoke with her. She answered in monosyllables as her mind churned with thoughts of her uncertain future as the Countess of Morrey.
As they reached Chilgrave Castle, she saw it at first from a distance, a square fortress with circular towers at each of the four corners. The design was simple, but the strategy behind it was clever. A wide moat separated the castle from the land surrounding it. A long stone bridge stretched across the water to the castle, which loomed eerily in the fading sunlight. It reminded her of the sort of castle a child might try to build in the sand on Brighton Beach, but this castle could not be washed away by any wave. If any part of the structure were to crumble in some distant future, it would only be because of the long march of time.
“What do you think, Letty?” Gillian asked. “I’ve been here a few times. It seems quite austere outside, but inside, it is a proper home.”
Letty kept her gaze upon the structure. “It is certainly daunting.” The coach drove over the narrow bridge to pass into the courtyard. Castles like this had been built during the time of Edward III,the royal age of castles. But that era of time, like many others, had faded.
“You’ll find it’s quite nice,” Gillian said again. “Most medieval castles were built strictly for military fortification. When the ancient Morreys had this castle built, however, they sought to reconcile the military purpose with the prospect of a lord and lady living comfortably within. The courtyard is not made of stone, but rather full of lush gardens and a fountain. I hope you’ll find it as beautiful as I do.”
Letty was used to a sprawling estate that ambled over rolling hills, a place where she felt able to run free. Despite Gillian’s assurances, Chilgrave felt closed off, a stone cage. She shivered at the thought.
The coach rolled to a stop, and a fleet of footmen met them as the three of them exited the coach. Their valises and trunks were removed and carried inside after them. Letty watched as her two dark-blue painted trunks were hoisted up between a pair of servants and hauled out of sight.
My entire life, packed away into two trunks. My silk gowns carefully folded, my jewels blanketed in velvet pouches. My favorite books wrapped in cloth and stacked neatly to one side. Will my small life have a place here in this vast gray structure?
“Welcome!” Caroline Beaumont came down a narrow stairwell to greet them. “I trust the ride wasn’t too unpleasant?” Caroline rushed to her halfsister first. “Gillian!” And the two embraced each other.
Gillian smiled. “Caro, it’s so lovely to see you!”
“How’s my little nephew?”
“Fine, fine. Gabriel is with his nurse while we stay for the wedding. You must come back to London and see him soon.”
“I shall. He’s such a little dear. So beautiful.” Caroline sighed dreamily. Then she turned to Letty, her joy still evident. “Oh, Letty, I’m so happy to see you again!” She hugged Letty with the same enthusiasm.
“You look quite worn out. I imagine today was hectic. Why don’t you come in and freshen up for dinner. Then you can go straight to bed and rest.”
“Thank you, Caroline, we would like that. Letty and Gillian have barely had time to eat all day.” James chuckled. “All that shopping and making preparations.”