Corrected by the Colonel (12 page)

         
"True, that is a problem," her husband responded, "particularly when I prefer you with no clothes at all."

          
"Please be serious," she ran her hand over the silk of a particularly elaborate yellow gown, "you must have spent a small fortune and I am perfectly capable of sewing my own clothes."

         
"I appreciate your practical skills, but it is my pleasure to provide for you and I intend to do so to the best of my ability, including indulging you with beautiful clothes."

          
Cassandra tried another approach. "I cannot accept such a gift when I know my sisters are wearing threadbare gowns. Can we not return at least one of them and purchase fabric which could be sent to them for practical every day dresses?"

         
It was rude to reject such a sweet and thoughtful gift. She took particular delight in imagining her husband patronizing a dress shop, though she had to acknowledge that he had impeccable taste and had gotten her size perfectly. Yet, it was selfish of her to have so much knowing how the rest of her family suffered.

         
Blaise thought for a moment. "I cannot bear the idea of you parting with any of these dresses as I am sure you shall be beautiful in all of them. I shall offer a compromise: you shall keep all of these items and we shall also send fabric to your sisters for some new dresses."

         
Cassandra felt like a princess in a fairy tale. She flung herself into Blaise's arms and covered his face with kisses. "Thank you. You are the most generous, thoughtful man I have ever met."

          
He pressed her close to his heart. "That was my intent," he said with a chuckle.

         
"Can we go now?" Suddenly she felt light-hearted as a girl at the county fair.

         
"I have some business to attend to, so I shall see to the procurement of the fabric while you rest here for my return."

         
"But—" her protestations were interrupted by Blaise who said "Trust me, Cassandra."

        
She closed her mouth and nodded. Allowing someone else to make decisions and care for her was gradually becoming easier, at least as far as Blaise was concerned.

         
"Thank you," she said, her heart filled with love and gratitude.

         
Blaise kissed the tip of her nose and squeezed her bottom. "I shall not be long, my dear."

         
Assuming Blaise would bring the parcel back to the inn before sending it on to her sisters, she sat down to write a letter to enclose with it.

         
Dear sisters,

         
I am sure you were quite surprised to receive my last letter announcing my pending marriage to Colonel Blaise Sinclair. I was also surprised by this change in plans, but I cannot now say I am disappointed. Truly, his wealth cannot possibly equal that of Lord Owen Tyndall, and for that I am sorry for it shall mean a continuation of our family's diminished fortunes and all the stresses and sadness that involves. However, I am certain that with the assistance of my new husband
(Cassandra felt a small thrill at the phrase 'my new husband')
who is a kind and thoughtful man, there may still be hope of keeping the bill collectors at bay.

         
Please write to me of our father's health and of yours as well.

        
Yours affectionately,

         
Cassandra Sinclair

         
She sealed up the letter and waited for Blaise to return, though he took longer than she expected. She did her best to pass the time, even wishing she'd brought along some fancy work to stitch, but boredom set in quickly.

         
Donning a new hat she set out to post the letter. She could write another to go along with the dress material, but she was eager to reassure her family of her happiness in marriage.

        
Stepping out into the sunshine for the first time in nearly two days, Cassandra blinked and took in her surroundings. She rubbed her eyes and looked around again.

         
Shrewsbury! Her family home was only five miles away.

          
Her heart pounded and she broke out into a run along the street, though she stopped after a few steps, realizing she could not possibly run the entire five miles. Pausing to gather her thoughts, she recalled the location of the livery and hastened there.

          
She had no money, but fortunately the stable boy knew her and she was able to convince him to allow her the use of a horse upon the promise of payment the next day. Surely Blaise would not begrudge her a visit to her family.

         
Heedless of her new gown, she mounted up and tore through the town as quickly as decorum would allow. Once outside the village limits she urged the horse faster and faster until finally the boundaries of her father's estate came into view.

         
Her heart soared with the sight of it and she jumped from her mount before the animal came to a complete stop. Running for the front door she called out for her sisters, eager to hold them in her arms.

         
She pushed the door open and stopped in her tracks.

         
Empty.

         
The breakfast room stood completely vacant and her heart froze. Perhaps—she attempted to console herself— perhaps they had sold the furniture to pay the bills. She reassured herself and ascended the stairs in search of her family.

          
She moved from room to room, finding each one empty. Her heart breaking with each vacant room.

          
Too late. She was too late. Her father had obviously passed away and her sisters had been forced out by the distant cousin who inherited in their stead.

          
On shaking legs she made her way back down the stairs. When she reached the bottom she sat upon the last step, buried her face in her hands and wept.

          
How would she ever find her sisters? And what of her father's last hours? She had said her good-byes before leaving for London weeks earlier in search of a husband, but now he was gone and the grief was overwhelming.

          
When she had cried every tear she had, she stood and walked slowly through the house, reliving happy memories that filled each room.

           
A noise at the front door caught her attention and she turned that way, expecting to be confronted by the new owner of the house.

           
Rather than an angry owner protesting her presence, her husband stood in the doorway, relief and displeasure mixing in his expression.

          
He rushed to her and pulled her to him. "Thank heavens, you are not injured." His firm grip squeezed the air from her lungs. When he set her away from himself, he studied her from top to toe. "Imagine my surprise when I saw a horse tearing through town and recognized the very hat and gown I had purchased for my wife this morning."

         
Cassandra glanced down at herself, her new gown soiled by dirt. "I am sorry. I have ruined your gift."

         
"What do I care about a dress? 'Tis you I worried about."

         
"My family is gone."

         
"So I see."

         
"I must find them," she pushed past him and raced to the door.

         
He grabbed her arm as she passed. "You shall come with me and I will send my men to find them."

         
"Your men? Did you bring a regiment with you?"

          
"I am not without resources, whether you see them or not. I have sent for the carriage and our belongings. I think it best that we leave for my home immediately."

          
"No, we cannot leave. Not until I find my family." She tore away from him and charged through the door, running for her horse.

         
Blaise quickly overtook her and swung her around to face him. "Cassandra, you are acting irrationally. You have no resources, a borrowed horse and no proper clothing for searching for a group of missing persons. You shall accompany me to our home and entrust the search for your family to me."

         
"I most certainly shall not!" She yanked her arm from Blaise's grasp with such force her sleeve tore. She covered her mouth with her hands. "Oh dear. I am so sorry."

          
Blaise tossed her over his shoulder, swatted her upturned bottom and deposited her into the carriage which arrived at that moment. Once inside the conveyance, he held her over his lap and continued to chastise her bottom.

         
"Do you have any idea the terror it struck in my heart to see you galloping through town like a madwoman?"

          
Cassandra had not considered herself in any danger and said as much.

          
"Really? Are you such an accomplished horsewoman you can ride at full speed for five miles without injuring yourself or your horse? Let alone the fact that you were not properly dressed for riding. What if you'd been thrown from the horse? Would this gown have afforded you much protection?"

           
He continued to swat her buttocks, alternating cheeks while he lectured. "Why did you not come to me for assistance? Will you never learn to trust me instead of rushing off headlong thinking you can solve all of your problems yourself?"

          
Shame washed over Cassandra. She had never even thought of consulting Blaise. She had acted solely out of impulse and fear. She had been a fool. Fresh tears flooded her eyes. Everything had gone completely wrong and she had no one to blame but herself.

         
Blaise persisted in spanking her bottom and she took comfort in the pain of his flat palm landing repeatedly on her upturned backside. She continued to weep for her foolishness and for her missing family.

          
When the punishment ended Blaise snuggled her in his arms. "We shall find your family. I promise."

         
She sighed against his shoulder and fell asleep.

         
When she woke the carriage had stopped. "We are home, Little Cassie," he said, assisting her from the carriage.

          
She stepped to the ground of her new home and looked up in awe. "This is your home?" She looked at Blaise curiously.

          
"Our home," he said.

          
"But, I…um…you are a second son, are you not?" The home standing before her was much too grand to be that of a second son.

         
"Yes, Cassandra, I am a second son. But I am a second son of a family with a vast fortune."

         
"How? Why did you not tell me?"

         
"You never asked." He smiled down at her. "Welcome home."

         
Cassandra gazed into his love filled eyes and reached up to kiss him, but before their lips could meet, the front door opened and a commotion erupted from within.

         
"Cassie!" She was drug away from her husband's embrace and crushed in the arms of her two sisters.

         
Shocked, she returned their hugs and peppered them with questions. Amidst the laughter, her older sister explained. "Colonel Sinclair sent a carriage for us yesterday. We are all here, including Papa. And Colonel Sinclair says we can stay here as long as we like. Oh, Cassie, isn't it wonderful?"

         
Stunned, she turned to Blaise, smiling up at him with all the love in her heart. Her husband, not the one she intended but the one she was meant to have. "Yes," she said. "It is exactly as I planned it."

The End.