Elise (18 page)

“I’d like to rest now, I think.”

Their words had gotten louder as the train had begun moving. Elise didn’t know that train travel came with such an abrasive sound. She hoped Rory wouldn’t be disturbed by it, especially as Colin had made certain she’d not be able to comfort or hold him.

She stopped the tears that welled up. It was just self-pity now, and she’d not bow to that. Colin may say she was his property, but he was wrong. With the right magistrate and enough gold, Elise could get an annulment easily enough. They hadn’t consummated anything.

Her prison had a long bench against the wall, but nothing else. It had cushions on it, though. She wondered if that was for her comfort, or if he’d forgotten to order their removal.

Elise lay on her bench, watched the ceiling of the car above her swaying, and tried not to think.

Chapter 18

The train halted at a town called Preston. Elise had two windows, both facing the side opposite from the town. She watched as the coal was loaded and heard the activity beyond the wall. They were allowing Daisy and Nanny out for a comfort stop, but not the new duchess? She narrowed her eyes and sat back down on her bench.

Her bolt lifted, the door slid open, and a hamper was shoved in.

“With His Grace’s compliments.”

It was Mick, Colin’s personal servant. Elise turned her head to the wall until she heard the bolt fall. Then she moved. Stubbornness wasn’t going to help her now. She limped over to the basket. She didn’t dare eat, but a few sips of water wouldn’t matter. There were freshly baked buns, a slice of warm ham, a napkin, and a flagon of liquid. She wrinkled her nose when she tasted the lemonade, but that made it easier to take just two swallows. She replaced the container, put the cloth back over the feast, and returned to the bench.

When the others had feasted and returned to the other half of the car, Mick came back for the basket. Elise kept her eyes on the wood wall.

“His Grace has made arrangements to stay at Castle Kinlochlan. ’Tis just across the border.”

“Why tell me?” she asked.

“Orders. Prepare yourself for when we arrive.”

With what? Into what? Using what privy closet to relieve myself?
She almost said the bitter questions aloud, but instead bit her tongue. She’d rather starve. She heard Colin’s man sigh, and then heard the sound of her prison door closing and locking again.

Nothing happens by chance. Elise had been told that by Sir Roald in one of his sonnets. It wasn’t true. It couldn’t be. She’d wanted Rory to be with the MacGowan clan. That was where he belonged. But had she truly created this ignoble situation in order to make that happen? It was too ludicrous to consider.

The train started back up, and she ran a tongue over her teeth, tasting the bitter residue of lemonade. Colin should have simply sent water. He was an inconsiderate jailer, too.

~ ~ ~

Lord Kinley’s carriages were waiting at the station. Elise had Daisy to thank for that information, and more. They’d arrived at Carlisle Station in good time. Rory was enjoying the swaying of the train and was turning into an excellent traveler. Nanny was complaining a bit about her gout; otherwise, all was fine.

Daisy kept Elise informed through the scrollwork. Elise hadn’t asked. She’d tried to sleep in the three hours since Preston. It hadn’t worked. Her foot had started throbbing, along with her headache, her stomach was rebelling at lack of sustenance, and the only thing keeping that sensation at bay was the need to relieve herself. She couldn’t recall ever being so miserable.

She didn’t bother to ready herself, as she’d been ordered. It hadn’t seemed necessary. She thought she’d have plenty of time, once they stopped. In the span of a few hours, she was getting used to being treated as an afterthought. The lock turning surprised her, and she had to struggle into a sitting position to face the door. She shoved the ungroomed mass of hair off her shoulders at the same time.

“I’m to see you to the laird’s carriage.”

Mick spoke from outside the car. He was waiting at the steps, so only the upper third of his body was in her doorway.

“Perhaps you’d best put me in some other conveyance,” she replied.

“Orders.”

Elise set her jaw. She was learning to dislike that word. “Oh, very well. Let’s not tarry, then.”

She stood, and the blood rushing to her scraped foot made it almost too tender to bear her weight. She limped over to the door and held to the frame of it while the strange dots in front of her vision cleared. Her innards pained so much, she couldn’t stand upright. She wondered how she was going to be able to withstand a carriage ride.

“What have you done to yourself?”

Elise lifted her chin to look at him down her nose. She lifted one side of her upper lip at the same time. “It’s none of your concern that I can tell.”

“Can you walk to the carriage, then, or will you be needing my assist?”

“I’d sooner touch a snake than a MacGowan clansman. Now, step aside, so that I can proceed. I’d not like His Grace thinking this delay is my fault.”

Mick backed up a step, folded his arms, and cocked his head. Elise bit her lower lip between her teeth and stepped down the steps. Perhaps she should have requested water instead of lemonade. She could have used it to bathe the muck from her injured foot.

She was hunched forward, and each step was accomplished in a gingerly fashion, but she reached Lord Kinley’s ceremonial carriage on her own power. Getting into it was a separate problem, though.

Elise stood beside the small ladder and debated whether her injured foot would bear her weight long enough to reach the lower rung, or if she’d be better served trying to pull herself up onto it. She might have to ask Mick for assistance, after all.

Colin forestalled her. “Put her in the carriage and stay this stupidity. I’ve better things to do than watch.”

Elise cried out as Mick lifted her. His grip about her waist was painful, as was the motion of setting her onto the carriage floor at Colin’s feet.

“Perhaps you would na’ be so weak if you ate what was given to you.”

His unconcerned voice stiffened her back.

“Only an idiot sends food and liquid to a prison with no comfort room, Your Grace. I’d have been stupid to eat or drink.” Elise forgot her own vow as she answered, and then felt like a fool. If it killed her, she was going to gain her own bench, and without any assistance, either.

Colin answered with some of his Gaelic words. He was probably deciding her punishment for calling him an idiot, she guessed.

Elise ignored him and slid her back to the opposite bench. If she pushed with her good foot against his bench, it wasn’t going to be too difficult.

“Come along, then. I’ve na’ got all day to await your needs.”

Colin stepped over her and leapt from the carriage. Elise closed her eyes in disgust at herself. The entire Honor Guard would be informed of her weakness, no doubt.

“Do you need assistance, again?”

It was Colin. He hadn’t any inflection to his voice. Elise masked her own. “I’d not accept it, even if you were the last—”

“What have you done to your foot?”

Elise hid it quickly beneath her hem, turned her head, and spoke to the bench at her nose. “When a man is ordered to escort a lady, and she trips on the way, he may want to stop and check why next time. It could be because she’s lost a shoe, and consequently doesn’t have any protection on her foot for the forced march on rough surfaces.”

Colin frowned, and Elise hated herself for turning and looking at him long enough to know of it.

“It was na’ my intent to harm you, Elise. You should ha’ said something earlier.”

Elise wasn’t fond of his way of responding, especially the part about silencing her. She didn’t answer that. She didn’t have to. She met his eyes levelly and half-lidded hers, to take him out of focus. Then she looked away with as insulting a gesture as she could manage.

“I’ll go for your woman.”

Elise knew the tears in her eyes were from anger at herself. She blinked them rapidly away before Daisy arrived. She was embarrassed. In the first test of her inner strength, she’d found out she hadn’t any.

Castle Kinlochlan wasn’t large. There were only two floors throughout, and she guessed at four in the great tower. Lord Kinley and his family occupied the first two floors. Colin’s party was being given the tower. Elise knew that much from the whispers she could hear. She also knew she was being stared at and openly gossiped over.

Anyone with her recent marital history would be.

That and Colin’s obvious treatment of her guaranteed it.

Elise didn’t move her cloak and check, though. As horrid as she looked, it would simply cause more comment than any could fight. At least she wasn’t limping as openly and could keep up with the men all about her, encircling her like a shield.

Daisy had helped Elise with her foot at Carlisle Station. It hadn’t taken long before she gained the carriage again. Colin had been waiting. She’d thought about thanking him but didn’t. He’d looked her over before turning his head. He hadn’t said a word. Elise returned the favor.

It was chilly in the bedchamber Elise was assigned to. The water in her hipbath was cold, too.

“I didn’t know you were his prisoner, Elise. You didn’t tell me.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Stoke the fire; it might warm this place a mite.”

“There are four of his men outside this chamber as we speak. They all snap to attention whenever I open the door. They’re quite well-trained, like puppets. Would you like to see it?”

“They’re members of his Honor Guard. We met this morning. His Grace is just keeping me safe.”

“I don’t believe that, and you know it. Furthermore, there’s little that will dent the chill in this tower. It’s a Scot’s castle, and they all feel this way.”

“How would you know?”

“I’ve heard tales.”

Elise was breaking one of her own rules. She never washed her hair right before a dinner engagement. Not only was it nearly impossible to dry, but it was unmanageable, too.

Of course, she had no idea if she was attending.

She had to take several breaths before she was brave enough to sink into the water. She was beginning to think she’d never warm. She wasn’t disguising how cold it was when she came back up.

“And then there’s the matter of your wardrobe. I’ve not been given access to any of it. All I’ve got is this silver gown. It’s seen better days. What do you wish me to do with it?”

“Leave it.”

“Leave it where?”

“Anywhere!”

“If I tidy a room, I need to know how and where. This room is bare of just about anything. It resembles a cell. Oh, I forgot. You’re not being held prisoner. It can’t possibly be a cell.”

Elise sighed loudly.

“Well, help me out. It’s no cell, you’re no prisoner, you’ve no creams for your skin, no potions or hair picks for your coiffure, and nothing to clothe you with, save these soiled undergarments and a very soiled gown. Tell me what this looks like to you.”

“Will you just leave it?”

“The words or the gown?”

“Both,” Elise replied.

“You can’t just leave a dress like this lying about.”

“Must you go on and on about it?” Elise asked bitterly.

“I think it’s salvageable. It just requires a bit of an airing, and maybe a paste of salt on the worst stains. Give me a couple of days; you won’t even be able to spot them.”

“Leave it. I’ll take care of it.”

The maid cocked her head. “You? Did I hear right? You?”

“I’ve got special plans for that dress, Daisy.”

“This should be good. What are they?”

“I’ll tell you later. Now, assist me. I’ve got to ready myself for the festivities. In case I’m attending.”

“In case—!” The maid bit off the exclamation. “Very well, I’ll assist you; but I’ll have you know it’s under protest.”

“Now what are you protesting?”

“I’ve nothing to coordinate you with. No attire. Exactly what are you planning on wearing? In the event you’re attending, that is.”

“They’ll send something up.”

“Oh, that’s right. I’ve been told whatever you require will be sent up. How would they know what you require? What you feel like wearing? What color scheme we want to accomplish? Of all the nerve!”

“Hand me some soap, Daisy. I neglected to bring some.”

“I’ve not got any, unless you consider the boiled lard and ash cake they gave me soap. It turned my hands red. I don’t think your skin will be able to survive it.”

“Only one way to find out. Quit complaining and help me,” Elise said.

“Not until you tell me what to do with this dress.”

“Tie it in a knot. Toss it out the window. Save me the trouble.”

“You wouldn’t! You couldn’t!”

“Not only would I, but I definitely will.”

“But it’s beautiful. Special. I’ve never seen—”

“It’s a reminder, and there are some things I don’t want to remember. Thank you very much for helping me make up my mind. Bother this. I’ll wash my own hair. Hand me the soap.”

“I’ll not be responsible for the damage.”

“To what now?”

“You. Why, they even took your entire trunk of creams and gels, out of my own caretaking. I haven’t seen it since. What am I supposed to rub into your skin? Use on your hair? Why can’t you have access to those, I ask?”

“That’s a good question. I’m not sure. I might be able to rig up an escape tool, I suppose.”

“I thought you weren’t a prisoner.”

“I’m not,” Elise said, without inflection.

“You only need escape if you’re being held against your will.”

“You don’t have to accompany me to Castle Gowan.”