A Hope Remembered (23 page)

“Miss Lewis, of course. I simply walked over and made her my offer.”

The words sliced through Colin like knives, each one leaving him more bloodied and battered than the last. He gripped the cushioned back of the other armchair. “That is not what we agreed to. You told me I had until the end of the month to talk to her.”

“Yes, and we both know that wouldn’t have happened.” Sir Edward drew one foot onto his knee. “I’m not blind, boy. I saw the way you looked at her last night. You’ve gone soft over a pretty face.” He tugged at the top of his shoe. “Just like I did with her mother, all those years ago.”

“What did you say to her?” Colin challenged, his fury giving bite to each syllable.

“I told her I wanted to buy her land, for the hotel. She didn’t refuse outright, which I’d fully expected. Instead she told me she’d let me know in a week.”

Something inside Colin snapped at his father’s casual tone. Nora wouldn’t give up the cottage so easily. Which meant Sir Edward had clearly said more than he was letting on. He stalked to his father’s chair and stood over him, his hands clenched into fists. “What
else
did you say to her? Did you mention me?”

Sir Edward frowned up at him. “Well, of course I did.”

Colin ran his hands through his hair and paced back toward the mirror. The happiness and dreams he’d enjoyed last night had vanished like morning fog against the heat of the sun. What must Nora think of him now? He’d managed to win her heart, but now she must think it was only because he wanted to gain her land for the hotel.

He hurried to do up the last of his shirt buttons and jerked his jacket off the bed where Gibson had placed it. Forget his vest and tie. Shoving his arms into the jacket, he marched to the door.

“Where are you going?” his father demanded as he rose to his feet.

“To explain the truth…to Nora.”

“Nora?”

“Miss Lewis.” Colin threw open the door.

“I forbid you to leave. I’ve already settled things there and you’ll only make matters worse.”

Colin spun around. “You still don’t understand, do you, Father? I love her.” His finger shook with anger as he pointed it at his father. “And I will not sit back while you run her off. Just like you allowed your father to do with Nora’s mother.”

Sir Edward’s face twisted into a hard glare. “You don’t know the first thing about the past. I had to choose, as you must. I could not afford to throw my life away on the daughter of a penniless farmer, and neither can you. You must choose this estate over young love, as I did. I chose Elmthwaite. And so must you. Without more capital, we cannot build the sort of hotel I intend to or continue to run the estate until this business venture begins to pay for itself.”

Colin fought the urge to take his father by the collar and shake him. He would not be ordered into a loveless marriage. “You are mistaken if you think I’ll marry for money alone as you did.”

“How dare you.” Sir Edward’s voice held no warmth, only stony reserve. “Your mother and I have been happy all these years. Even if love took time to grow, I have cared for and respected her from the very first. Unlike my own father, my eyes have never wandered to another woman. It has been your mother, and her alone, whom I have honored.”

Shame doused some of the flames of Colin’s anger. Whatever his faults, his father had always been faithful to his mother. “I’m sorry, Father. But do not force me to choose between the estate and my heart.” He inhaled a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Because I will choose differently than you did.”

Sir Edward turned his back to Colin. “Christian wouldn’t,” he threw over his shoulder.

The accusation punctured Colin’s heart, leaving him breathless with the pain. “You’re right. Christian wouldn’t. But I am not Christian, and I never will be.” He straightened to his full height, reining in the hurt, as he spoke the words he’d longed to since coming home. “I’m Colin, your other son. Remember? The one who’s still living.”

His father didn’t turn around, but his body no longer stood erect and proud. He seemed to slump forward as if unable to bear the weight of the painful memories.

“You raised Christian to successfully take over for you, but none of us imagined he wouldn’t be here to follow in your footsteps.” Colin took a step back into the room, wanting to make him understand. “But I’m still here. To help, in my own way.”

“You go after that woman,” his father countered, “and you’re throwing away all we’ve worked for. What the Ashbys for three centuries have fought for.”

“What they worked for is the desire of their hearts, Father. That’s something Christian understood, perhaps better than all of us. Elmthwaite was the object of his heart.”

“But not yours?” Sir Edward asked, his tone low and despondent.

Colin shook his head. “It is important to me, yes. But it isn’t first in my heart.”

He waited for his father to speak, to reassure Colin that he did understand, but Sir Edward remained silent. After several moments, Colin strode out the door and down the hallway. He stopped when he saw his mother standing in the doorway of her sitting room. Her pale face told him she’d caught a good portion of the shouted conversation between him and his father. Was this the first she’d heard about Sir Edward and Eleanor? From the look on her face, Colin guessed not.

“I have to go to her, Mother.”

She nodded, tears shining in her eyes. “I know.” She gripped his hand as she walked past him. “And I must go to your father.” Her unyielding devotion softened Colin’s heart in ways Sir Edward’s angry words and accusations never could.

Colin bounded down the stairs and out the front door. He would have to face his father again—and the consequences of his choice—when he returned from Nora’s. But he put those thoughts from his mind. A sense of urgency propelled him down the lane toward the cottage at a fast walk. First things first, he had to set things right with Nora.

C
olin found the yard in front and behind the cottage devoid of life, including Phoebe. Nora didn’t answer his loud knocking on the front or back door either. Colin jammed his hands into his pockets, as much for warmth as from habit. The morning had turned cool and the heavy clouds overhead promised rain before the afternoon.

Was Nora so angry she refused to open the door? He shook his head. If she were inside, he would have heard Phoebe barking in response to his knocks. So where had they gone? He set off down the lane to the main road, where he paused. From what he could see of this side of the lake, Nora wasn’t close by. Perhaps he’d try the village, though the thought of facing her in public after what his father had told her nearly made him turn around.

With his jaw clenched in determination, Colin headed for Larksbeck. Nora was likely getting groceries, and the sooner he found her, the sooner he could explain everything. A few droplets of rain dripped onto his jacket as he crossed the bridge. He went to Mr. Bagley’s shop first, but the man informed him Nora hadn’t been by that morning. It was the same at the apothecary—neither Mrs. Smith nor her husband had seen Nora.

Undeterred, Colin left their shop and walked at a quick pace back up the road toward Elmthwaite. The rain still remained light enough he didn’t need an umbrella. Perhaps Nora had gone to Bess’s cottage. If she had, would she have told her cousin about Sir Edward’s plans? Colin cringed at the thought of having Bess Tuttle angry with him, but he had to find Nora.

He knocked on the Tuttles’ door. A small, redheaded girl answered and stood there mute, staring at him. “Has Nora been by here?” he asked.

The girl shook her head.

Relief mixed with disappointment. His involvement in his father’s plans was still a secret to Nora’s relatives, at least for now. “Thank you.”

Not waiting for her response to his abrupt visit and departure, he retraced his steps in the direction of the cottage. Instead of returning up the lane, though, he decided to circumvent the lake. Nora might have sought solace on the opposite side.

Colin trudged along, through the misty rain, around the lake. Choppy waves faded against the rocky shore. What would he say to her when he found her? Would she listen long enough for him to share his true feelings?

He’d come to know her with the full intent of doing his father’s bidding, but somewhere along the way he’d changed his mind. Had it been that first night when he’d walked her to her cottage? Or when he’d attended choir rehearsal with her for the first time? Perhaps it had been the day he’d given her Phoebe. Or maybe something greater than himself had been at work the entire time, helping him see the error in his father’s plans and the absolute joy of having Nora in his life.

Each stretch of beach and jumble of rocks stood empty. Colin appeared to be the only one outside at the moment. When he reached the bridge to Larksbeck once again, he could no longer deny the uneasiness tensing the muscles in his shoulders and jaw. The valley wasn’t large, which meant there weren’t any other places for Nora to go.

Hopeful he’d missed her during his walk around the lake, he went back to the Lewis cottage. He pounded on the front door until his fist hurt. When he still received no answer, he circled to the rear of the house and tried the handle of the back door. It wasn’t locked. Colin pushed through. “Nora? Are you here? It’s Colin.” The room echoed with silence.

He walked through the kitchen and down the hallway. “Nora? If you’re here, please say something.” The parlor and the dining room stood empty as well. He hated to intrude farther, but he needed to confirm she wasn’t in the house. A quick inspection of the upstairs settled the matter—Nora was gone. Had she left Larksbeck altogether? Colin dismissed the thought. All of her belongings were still in place, minus the sweater she typically hung on one of the pegs in the kitchen.

Swallowing his dry throat, Colin let himself out the back. He walked to the field gate and leaned against it. Where else could she be? Something scratched his hand and drew his attention to the gate post. It was Phoebe’s rope or what was left of it. The fibers appeared to have been snapped or cut less than a foot from where it had been tied. Had something happened to the puppy? Had she escaped? If so, Nora would no doubt search everywhere, just as he was now searching for her.

Colin lifted his gaze to the mountains that circled the valley. Gray clouds hung like a scarf around them, obliterating the view of their tops. It was the one place he hadn’t looked. The one place he hoped Phoebe, and therefore Nora, hadn’t run off to.

On a good day, a person had to know the terrain in order not to get lost up there. Colin was sure Nora had only hiked the mountains a few times, and always with someone. Would she be able to return home on her own, especially on a wet day such as this one? He didn’t know, but he wouldn’t sit around waiting to find out.

The task of finding Nora had suddenly become larger than what he alone could do. It was time he recruited help. At a run, Colin tore down the lane back toward Bess’s cottage. He pounded on the door again until it opened. The same little girl stood there.

“Cousin Nora isn’t—”

“I need to talk to your mum.”

Before the girl could move, Jack appeared in the doorway. His usual hate-filled gaze dropped into place when he saw Colin. “What do you want?”

Colin straightened. “Nora’s missing. I think she went up on the fell. I need you to go to the village and round up others to help look for her.”

Jack’s face went white and his eyes widened.

“Did you hear me?” Colin snapped. Every minute he stood there was a minute he could be looking for Nora. “Please go get some of the other farmers to help. Now!”

With a nod, Jack dashed past him. The little girl had begun to weep, probably from fear. Colin didn’t wish to leave her upset. “It’ll be all right…” He put a hand on her thin shoulder, knowing the words sounded as hollow to him as they likely did to her.

“What’s all the fuss out here?” Bess bustled to the door.

“It’s Nora,” Colin said, lowering his arm to his side. “I believe she’s up on the fell. I sent your son to get others to help search, but I’m starting up there now.”

“Dear Lord, keep her safe.” Bess pressed her hand to her ample bosom. “We’re right behind you, Mr. Ashby. Come on, Ellie, help me get my coat.”

Satisfied additional help was on its way, Colin spun around and headed back up the road. His legs and feet were beginning to feel the effects of all his brisk walking, but he wouldn’t slow down. Not when Nora needed him.

“Phoebe?” Nora’s hoarse cry wasn’t likely to reach farther than a few feet. Her throat hurt from yelling for the puppy. “Here, Phoebe.” How far had the dog come? How far had she herself been walking?

She stopped along the narrow trail carved into the side of the mountain and looked back over her shoulder. Gray fog obscured her view. She shivered and folded her arms, though she doubted it would bring her much warmth. Her sweater and socks were already damp from the light rain that continued to fall.

Brushing a wet strand of hair off her forehead, she shuffled forward, careful to keep her balance tipped toward the hill. No telling where she’d end up, or how hurt she’d be, if she slid down the soggy grass.

“Phoebe? Come on, girl. Where are you?”

The bleating of a sheep was her only answer, though Nora couldn’t see the creature through the clouds. Hidden away up here, she felt her earlier loneliness return with a vengeance. She pressed her lips together tightly to keep from crying all over again. She’d shed enough tears over Colin and her broken heart.

“I never should have believed him,” she muttered as the pain of his betrayal knifed through her again. She shook her head in disgust.

Ahead the clouds bunched higher up on the fell, revealing more of the rocky mountainside to her view. Nora picked up her pace. Perhaps the stormy weather was receding.

No sooner had the thought passed through her mind than the rain began to pour in great, angry drops. It blurred her vision again and ran cold down her collar. Her shivering grew more forceful, and she clenched her jaw to stop her chattering teeth. She’d be able to wring an entire bathtub worth of water from her clothes by the time she returned to the cottage.

A large rock came into focus. Nora paused when she reached it and leaned against its sturdy surface to rest. Her stomach rumbled with hunger, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten breakfast before Sir Edward’s awful visit. Should she turn back? She scanned the thin path ahead and behind her. If she was cold and miserable, Phoebe was surely the same. She couldn’t give up yet, but she needn’t search alone either.

“Please let me find her, God,” Nora whispered.

She pushed off the rock and drudged through the growing mud at her feet. Surely she’d stumble onto Phoebe soon. The poor dog was probably huddled down somewhere, waiting out the storm. Nora stopped again to wipe her eyes and peer through the downpour. Several yards ahead she spied the edge of the fell, where it sloped downward before becoming another mountain on the opposite side. It would require careful traversing in this weather.

Squaring her shoulders, Nora offered another silent plea for help as she continued forward. She reached the edge of the trail and paused to ascertain the descent. From what she could see through the rain, a series of steps had been cut into the side of the mountain.

“Just like walking down stairs,” she reassured herself, “albeit muddy ones.”

She leaned back against the hill so she was nearly seated and stepped down the first step. So far, so good. Confident, Nora stood up straighter to traverse the second and third steps, though her knees were beginning to feel the effects of the steep, downward walk. She unfolded her arms to help keep her balance and climbed down again.

As her foot hit the next stair in the mountain, she heard a sound behind her. Like someone shouting her name. She spun toward the noise, but her shoe didn’t stay put in the mud. Instead it flew out from under her, dropping her hard onto the slick ground beside the carved staircase.

Nora scrambled to grab on to something to stop herself from sliding. But her clawing fingers wouldn’t hold fast to the wet grass. She screamed in terror as her body slid faster down the mountain. “Oh, please…” she started to pray. Then stabbing pain exploded inside her head and total darkness jerked her downward.

Colin paused to catch his breath. Though tempted to remove his jacket, he decided against it. The garment was the only thing keeping his upper body from being completely soaked by the rain. The storm had increased in fury since he’d started up the fell.

The oppressive clouds made visibility difficult, but he recognized the spot where he’d stopped. He was almost straight south of Nora’s cottage and Elmthwaite Hall. He wasn’t even sure Nora had come in this direction. If she hadn’t, then hopefully the other searchers would find her elsewhere on the mountains.

Straightening, Colin set off again. “Nora?” he called, his hands cupped around his mouth to increase the sound. “Nora?”

The narrow path became muddier the farther he hiked. Colin wished he’d thought to change into boots, but that couldn’t be helped now. Urgency and concern drove him onward.

Time seemed to expand up on the mountain. Colin felt as though he’d been walking for months, though he guessed he’d been at his search for only an hour or so.

“Nora? Can you hear me?”

His cries went unanswered as the mist pressed in closer. Soon Colin struggled to see more than six feet in front of him. With a loud groan, he stopped once more. He’d never find her in these conditions. What he needed was his plane. It was time to abandon one form of searching for a more effective one. Of course that meant waiting for the clouds to disperse, but he felt confident he could spot her from the air more easily than walking the face of the fell.

Colin set his jaw and turned around, retracing his steps back down the trail. Despite the scant visibility from the rain and clouds, he didn’t slow his pace. He knew these walks as well as his own house.

Closer to the bottom of the mountain, the clouds receded, revealing to his view two dozen or more people. He spotted Jack and Bess, Mr. Bagley, and even old Ebenezer Snow among them. All of the villagers were calling Nora’s name as they moved along the fell.

The sight brought a lump of emotion to Colin’s throat. The people of Larksbeck cared about Nora, and not just because she was Eleanor’s daughter. They cared because she was one of them. She’d come here with no prior experience with the land or the sheep, and yet, she’d been successful. Nora belonged here, among these relatives and villagers who would do anything to help her.

Colin hurried toward Bess. She was likely the one, other than himself, who would be most worried about Nora.

Bess caught sight of him and waved her arm. “Any sign of her?”

He shook his head. “The weather’s turned nasty higher up. I’m going to get my plane and see if I can’t spot her from the air.”

“Good idea.” She wrung her hands, her eyes red-rimmed. “We’ve got to find her. I can’t lose her…” Her voice broke. “Now that she’s come home to us.”

“We’ll find her, Bess. I won’t stop until we do.”

“Should we keep searching?”

“Yes,” he said over his shoulder. “When I see where she is, I’ll tip the wings of my plane to let you know.”

She nodded. “God go with you, Mr. Ashby.”

He hit level ground at a run and didn’t slow his steps until he reached the gravel drive to the house. After throwing open the door, he plowed up the stairs, only to bump into Lyle at the top.

“Sorry, chap.” Colin made certain Lyle was still standing before he hurried down the hall.

“Where are you off to in such a hurry? Going to confess to Nora?”

Colin turned around. The smile on Lyle’s face faded at seeing Colin’s frown. “Nora’s missing on the fell. I’m going to take the biplane up to see if I can spot her.”

“What can I do?”

“Help me start the plane.” He opened his bedroom door. “And pray,” he added in a low voice.