Chapter 16

"Elisabeth, my dear, is there anything I can do to help?"

Lissie did not know whether to feel irritated or touched. Ever since she had announced she was leaving, Cousin Annice had been nice to her.

"Dinnae fash," said Lissie cheerfully. At least, as cheerfully as someone who had to leave town in haste could do.

Of course, her heart still ached. She could not bear to be around as Will announced his engagement. So the letter from home had come at just the right time.

""Tis all in hand. I dinnae have a muckle lot to take with me!" she announced, trying her hardest to roll a full-length chiffon houppelande into a haversack.

Watching her, Annice tutted. And behind her, Jane, as gray as ever in the shadows, took on the look of a fox spotting an injured rabbit.

"Here. Allow me," Annice took the garment and expertly folded it so it fit into the rather small knapsack that Lissie was trying to make it fit.

Lissie watched as Annice"s deft fingers magicked space in her travel bag. Behind them, Jane hovered. Lissie could tell she had been driven half-mad by not being able to get at the chiffon. Folding things was a mania with her. Wherever Lissie went, Jane was there folding.

"Thank ye," she said eventually as Annice repackaged most of the things in her bag.

They were sitting together in the bedchamber that Lissie had called her own for the last few weeks. The sun was high in the sky, and for the first time since her arrival, it felt as if summer might finally be on its way.

"Elisabeth, you don"t have to leave. Not right away. Why not wait a while until the summer is over. We will find you an Englishman to wed. Maybe even a baron!"

Annice rested her hand on Lissie"s shoulder in an attempt at conciliation. She smiled, hopeful.

"I know you don"t want to do it, but Will"s engagement feast is bound to be full of?—"

"Nay," said Lissie, cutting her short. A heat burst up in her throat. It felt hot and tight. "Nay. I must leave right away. Fiona..."

"Of course," said Annice, looking down. "I know how close you are, and I hope she has a speedy recovery from..." Her eyes glanced up at Lissie.

"Dropsy," said Lissie quickly, her eyes darting away. "She can barely hold a quill!"

"In one so young?" questioned Annice, looking at her strangely. "And yet, she wrote you such a beautiful missive."

Sweating profusely, Lissie thought fast. Suddenly, she regretted telling her cousin that Fiona was bedridden from the nose down. But she needed to make clear her escape. In theory, she could leave any time, but someone like Annice would not take it well without reason. Not wanting to hurt her cousin, she had amplified her sister"s maladies.

"Aye an" quinsy, ague, scarlatina, milk leg, an" canker," she added, with a sly glance to Annice.

Was she buying this? It was hard to tell. But Jane looked up.

"I thought she had broken her arm," Jane said, putting aside her pile of folding.

"That too," cut in Lissie quickly. She sent a dart of loathing at Jane"s way. Clearly, she had read the letter from the Highlands in its entirety.

"How could she write?" asked Annice, her eyebrows locking intently as if in a fight. "With a broken arm and such odorous handicaps?"

Lissie felt her stomach knot. "I believe she got her lady-in-waiting to help her," she said, as if it should be perfectly obvious.

Annice looked to Jane. Jane looked to Annice.

"A lady"s maid?" said Annice, as if she had never heard such a thing. "In the Highlands? Well, you come more highly placed in the world than I thought!"

Lissie sat with her eyes cast down as Annice ruminated over this. But inside, everything raged. Why was she even inventing an elaborate excuse such as this? She should tell Annice she had simply had enough of London. And its men. But of course, she did not.

Annice already thought she was ridiculous for pursuing Will, and her attitude to his engagement only hammered this home. Thinking miserably, Lissie pondered her failure of a mission.

Go to London to wed an earl.

It sounded simple. Yet, given her background, it proved so much more difficult.

Smarting, Lissie wondered if she might instead wed a noble in Edinburgh. Right then, she was so desperate to leave town she would have even considered married life with Donald, the odd-toothed laird"s son.

Just as Annice was poised to offer her another homily, there was a knock upon the door. Displeased, Annice dispatched Jane to deal with it. She shortly returned with a conspiratorial shift in her eye.

"Gentleman caller for Miss Elisabeth," said Jane, looking straight at Lissie.

Lissie felt her heart prick up. For the first time, she straightened up, arranging her hair. It was only in a simple bun, but she hoped it would do. Self-consciously, she rearranged her skirts. The kirtle was not her best one; she had been dressed to start her ride, but she hoped it would do.

"Send him in, please, Jane," said Lissie with a flash of a smile. Beside her, Annice watched suspiciously. Lissie could tell she did not want to leave them on their own, but eventually, she gave in.

"Very well," she said, finally rustling her skirts. Annice got up from her stool and headed toward the bedchamber door. "I will allow you a few moments but nothing more!"

Watching her go, Lissie smoothed down the bed and her hair before there came a knock at the door. Tummy prickling, she called out, "Come in!"

Lissie"s heart was a tremble as the heavy door to the chamber creaked open. Despite her misgivings, Lissie could not help the giant jolt that went through her spine.

"Lissie!"

He smiled at her fulsomely, his slender features greeting her unexpectedly. As he walked into the chamber, the smile froze on Lissie"s face.

"Trenton?"

Shock palpated Lissie. The hot red blood that had pumped into her veins suddenly stopped. Feeling faint, Lissie watched him helplessly.

"What are ye doing here?" she asked, suddenly suspicious. Then, a thought ripped through her.

"Is Will alright?" she asked point-blank.

Trenton just laughed. "Alright? Aye, I"ll say he"s alright. He"s just right, apart from his ailing heart."

Lissie"s eyes widened up at the mention of heart. Was Will alright? Why wouldn"t anyone just say?

"Well, what does he want?" she asked simply.

"I mean, dear lady, that he wants you, of course. Not that flighty creature, Lettie. Heavens, the girl has already cost him a fortune in furs, gems, and horses. But he just wilnae say it."

Lissie"s heart missed a beat. But the excitement she felt remained where it was.

"Why say it? Why nae just act on it?" she said, as plain as ever. Lissie shot him a look of pure pain. Then she shook her head. "If ye"re here on his bidding, then tell him I?—"

"I am not here for my brother, madam. I am here for myself," said Trenton simply. He knelt down on one knee.

Lissie, who had not been expecting this, gasped.

"Trenton..."

Lissie put her hand to her mouth. She could not believe her eyes. Trenton, on the floor beneath her, kneeling with her hand in his.

"Lissie, I know I am a poor second, but please consider my hand," said Trenton, his pale hairline pinkening as he remained on the ground.

Lissie was so shaken up, she barely knew how to respond.

"Please don"t go back to Scotland. We will all miss you. I will miss you. London is dull without you. There"s a way out of this. You want to marry a noble, well, how about me? I am simple, and kind, and will not ever expect anything from you. What say you?"

"I..." began Lissie, overwhelmed. She hardly knew what to say. She thought back to the previous evening. It had been fun being with Trenton. She enjoyed his company.

However...

"Pray, do not mock me. I have thought about this. It would be a marriage in name only, and I don"t want an heir. Just allow me the honor of marriage."

Feeling strangely touched, Lissie smiled. "Trenton, thank ye kindly for yer help," she said softly. "But I cannae. It is nae fair on him, me, ye, or the others. I must leave London today "

Trenton smiled ruefully.

He is not such a bad chap,thought Lissie playfully. He is trustworthy and could be fun. But deep down, Lissie knew they could never be any more than just friends.

"I"m sorry, Lissie," said Trenton, rising from the floor. He shook the dust from his bright doublet and hose. Lissie noted he was especially gay that morning, at odds with her crashing heart.

"I thought it worth a try to do anything to stop you from leaving and making a mistake you will both surely regret. Oh, and I thought I might amuse you."

He smiled bravely. Lissie felt a pang of regret.

"It did," she said with a soft grin. And it had. Trenton"s antics had cheered her, albeit very briefly.

"Nay, I am sorry," said Lissie with a smile. She came over to Trenton. "Sorry for being such a crabbit. Thank ye for trying, but "tis nay use."

Trenton cast his sandy eyebrow upward.

"Well, if it"s any comfort, Will is every bit as melancholy as you. To see his face, you"d think it"s not his wedding he was planning but his funeral!"

* * *

"Will!The banquet is waiting. The cook has dressed the peacock, the peacock has dressed Lettice, and Mother is flapping more than all of them put together. If you"re not there soon, it"ll be your head on a plate."

From the dark recesses of the Lattice, Will propped his head up and squinted at Trenton.

"Oh," was all he could say as the barmaid poured another dram out in front of him.

Fighting through the darkness, Trenton managed cagily to navigate the subtleties of the Lattice.

As he looked about, the irony of its name was not lost on him.

"May I join you?" asked Trenton in uncharacteristic courtesy.

Looking up from the melee, Will glanced around.

"Who"s that asking?" he said, making a show of looking around. Trenton watched him, uncertain. This was not the behavior he expected from staid, dependable Will.

Trenton glanced at him edgily. Then, Will laughed.

"Yes. I am the tiniest bit puggled," he said, his eyes opening momentarily. When Trenton looked confused, Will laughed some more.

""Tis a wee Scottish word for pigeon-eyed, rat-arsed, sluiced, three sheets to the wind, in my cups, sozzled."

Will glanced blearily to Trenton.

"Scottish?" said Trenton, sitting down beside Will on the bench. As he did, he gave Will a long, hard look. "Well, there"s an answer to that one."

Will turned to him, genuinely amused. "Is there?" Dragging at his cup, Will drown the remaining liquor and sat back. "Because I am damned if I can find one?"

Will drank some more as confusion drowned out his angst. He fixed Trenton with a look. He seemed oddly subdued for once.

Behind them, a pair of comely wenches watched, giggling as they drank. Normally, Trenton would be the first one over there to flirt and chat. But tonight, his eyes were only with his brother.

"Will," he said, looking at Will directly. For the first time, Trenton did not seem interested in the debauched laughter around him. Not even that the tavern was filling up with townsfolk, ready for the evening"s revelries. "What are you doing here? This place is not for you."

Will glanced around and nodded. Then he drained the remainder of the wooden cup and called strongly for another one.

"Ah, nothing. Just needed a little fortification before going back into the lion"s den," said Will, tapping the cup on the table with impatience. "Filling the hole left by Jack Clott. Now he"s in jail, haha!"

"Ah, mistress," he called, trying to attract the girl"s attention. But the flaxen-haired serving wench just walked on past. Aggrieved, Will looked at Trenton.

"So, are you having second thoughts, then?" asked Trenton timorously. It was clear he had never seen Will like this. His earnest face peered cautiously at him as if he thought he might bite.

Will raised his head. "Second, third, fourth, and fifth," he said somberly. But then brushed the hair from his head.

It was hot, suddenly. He wanted air.

"Are you well?" asked Trenton, watchful. He followed Will"s shaky movements closely. Will shook his head and then poured himself a double dram, which had appeared from somewhere in a bottle.

"Never better," he said, slightly slurred. "But I just need a quick dram of the auld aqua vitae!"

Straight to the point, Trenton looked at him. "Are you going to marry her or not?"

Will looked up, slightly confused by this. "Marry her? Aye, of course. I am betrothed to wed her."

"Who?" questioned Trenton, watching him fully. Will found himself like a moth in the flame of his stare and did not like it.

"Lissie," said Will, looking at Trenton as if he were mad. He was now comfortably numb. Enough wine would do that, he observed miserably. Enough more, and he might even be able to inure himself against marriage.

But no amount of liquor would ever get him through the horror that would be his wedding night.

Will shuddered and was about to take another dram when he saw Trenton"s frown.

"You mean Lettie?" he said cautiously. Trenton had that worried look that people wore when conversing with an escapee from the Lady of Bethlehem Hospital. "Lettie, not Lissie. You know the difference; the teeth, the hair, the horses…"

Will waved him down. "I know all too well, dear brother. Yes, Lettie. I am a man of my word, sir, and I said I would marry her, and so I damned well will. When I have finished this wee dram!"

"Well, you"d best go and hurry up because Mother is home right now preparing a feast for waiting, and so is she!"

For a moment, Will looked up, hopeful.

"Lissie?" he asked, his eyes shining. "She is coming?"

At this thought, Will"s tired heart skipped a beat. Yes, Lissie still had the power to make him do that. But even as her name slipped from his lips, Will could not help wondering what it would be like being married to Lissie.

The thought stuck in his mind, playing over and again in various scenarios. He pictured them in Scotland, visiting her clan. Will"s idea of what the Highlands were like was misted and vague, but it immediately became his favorite thought.

He and Lissie making love in some Highland heather...

But Trenton put paid to all that.

"She is not coming," Trenton confirmed. "She has already left town. She made her excuses and left already, Brother. If you want her, you are going to have to fight for her."

Trenton"s face challenged him to do something. In stony silence, Will turned around.

"That is not a problem. It probably is for the best, in fact," said Will, trying his hardest not to wake up.

But is it?wailed a voice from inside. Trenton could not be sure his brother was serious.

"Not a problem," repeated his brother. "Well, your head needs to tell it to your face."

Will scowled, proving Trenton"s point. Then Trenton sighed.

"You know, ten years is a long time...or even fifteen," he said. "And in the whole time you have been duke, have you ever once done something just for yourself?"

Will was just about to take a dram when an arm stopped him.

"Really," Trenton said conspiratorially. He looked at Will. "It does not feel like you have done anything except toil and sweat on behalf of others."

Will tried to murmur his disagreement; something pulled him up sharp. But then, he was stopped by a thought. The sunshine flooded into the room. In his mind, he was in another place. And Will slid back to the old days rather than when he was alone.

The hunting park, the footrace. She had done that, brought out the best in him. Slowly, he realized Lissie had made him laugh for the first time in his life.

Seeing his face, Trenton nodded grimly.

"So you see, dear brother, you are not the only one who cares. So for that reason, time is of the essence. Lissie rides today for Scotland. I don"t think she should be going, and you alone are placed to stop her!"

Will"s face contorted in disbelief. "I cannot," he said simply. Then, he cut away.

"You can," urged Trenton. "And what is more, you should!"

More silence.

Will battled with himself as the air in the tavern grew heated. The merriment of the crowds pressed in close, making it impossible to form a thought. Suddenly, Will needed some air.

He looked at the window in thought.

"I have already got the horse if you need it," Trenton offered. "Quicksilver rides like a speeding arrow!"

"I cannot," said Will feebly, but it was not enough. The fact was, he was here now, and there was not one solitary reason not to go.

"Brother, how long can you wait?" asked Trenton in disbelief. It took some time, but finally, Will wrestled with himself.

"Very well," he said eventually. "I shall let Lettie down, and then I shall find Lissie—even if it means riding to the Highlands."

Hiding a half-smile, Trenton came a little closer.

"And don"t worry. I will cover with Lettice and ensure all is well. You never know, perhaps she might be interested in a consolation prize."

Trenton winked cheerily, as Will could not fail to laugh. But he looked at Trenton with gratitude.

"Thank you," he said before moving away from the table. "It"ll make a change; you cleaning up after me."

Will gazed thoughtfully. Even though this was undoubtedly the right thing to do, something still haunted him.

"What is it, Brother?" asked Trenton anxiously. "You haven"t changed your mind?"

"No," said Will, certainly. "The truth was, I never wanted to wed Lettie. But, well, it is our engagement feast, and I am about to let her down in the worst way possible. Trenton, could you see to it she is looked after and..." Will cast about uncertainly. "That she gets deliverance of the best horses we have to offer—and a gift of furs. I owe her that, at least."

Trenton nodded.

"I will see to it," he said as Will leaned over to embrace him. "But now you must go. The shadows grow long, and you must find her."

Will slapped his brother on the back.

"Thank you, Trenton. And find her I shall!"

But as he left, Will could not help but wonder.

What if I do not find her? Or worse, if Lissie does not want to marry me?