Chapter 17

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

" R epeat what ye just said."

Kendrick's mouth hung open. He was certain he was in another sort of nightmare, or that the manservant had misheard something. He couldn't quite figure what, but he knew for certain there was no way Sophia would abandon him on their wedding day.

Not after the moment they had shared the previous night.

"Yer wedding, milaird…" the manservant breathed in, "has been cancelled."

" How do ye figure that?" Kendrick muttered. "Who cancelled it?

"Tis the mistress, milaird."

"Mistress?!"

Kendrick did not wait for an answer before bolting off to Sophia's chambers.

The room was not right. Her bed had been stripped, and the window had no drapes. The books that were usually piled on her table were gone. The scent of the lavender she had burned the night before lingered in the room.

His Sophia… the room was void of his Sophia.

"What happened?" He wasn't sure to whom his question was directed. Not that he cared; he just needed an answer. He caught sight of a written note on the table at the center of the room. He noticed the writing looked just like Sophia's as he picked up the paper.

"I hope we have no reason to meet again, milaird," he read aloud.

Kendrick collapsed onto the bed, holding onto the note as though it were a natural part of his hand. He heard himself laugh, his surprise gently seeping into his heart. Then he felt devastation snaking down his spine.

Sophia left me. Why would she do this? What did I do wrong this time?

"Where did the mistress go? Do ye ken?" he asked the manservant who had followed after him.

"To her home, milaird."

"But why? Why would she go back to her home the very morning of our wedding?"

The manservant did not look at Kendrick when he replied, "I've got nae idea, milaird."

"Go to the stables. Have them saddle my mount," Kendrick ordered. "Do so immediately!"

The servant nodded and ran off. Kendrick braced himself, got to his feet, and headed out of the room. As he rushed down the stairs on his way to the stables, he ran into his uncle who also seemed to have been rushing off somewhere.

"I've been looking for ye, Kendrick," his uncle said, straightening his kilt. "What is going on?"

"The wedding, Uncle…" Kendrick inhaled and felt his chest pinch as he muttered the words. "It has been called off."

"Aye, I heard so, and I am looking for answers. What happened, milaird?"

"Tis Sophia's doing." Kendrick handed him the note Sophia had left him with trembling fingers. "She left this behind."

Logan read the note in astonishment, then looked at Kendrick. "Did ye fight again?"

"Far from it," Kendrick explained. "We finally put our differences aside, last night."

"Then… why?"

"I dinnae ken!" Kendrick cried, frustrated by his uncle's interrogation.

Logan handed the note back to his nephew with a perplexed look. "What will ye do now, milaird?"

"I'll be leaving to see her. I'll find out why she left," Kendrick replied. "And I'll bring her back."

"How will ye do that?" Logan's voice was reduced to a whisper. "Forget not, milaird—the council are still watching. We will have to think of another plan if she refuses to return. We have to find another lass for ye to wed."

"If I cannae win back Sophia, then I care nae about my place as Laird."

Logan recoiled. "Since when do ye care so much about Sophia? Two weeks ago, ye were prepared to marry her sister! Is there something ye did nae tell me?"

Kendrick headed for the stairway. He halted and murmured, "I've cared about her since I was but a wee lad, Uncle. Ye ken this. And this time, I will not let her go."

When he reached the stables, his stallion had already been saddled. The stable boy hopped back as Kendrick mounted his steed.

Looking around, he spotted Sunshine in another stall. Kendrick had not expected to see the horse. While he had not officially given Sunshine to Sophia, she rode the horse as though it were her own, and the animal liked her so much that it refused to be ridden by anyone else.

Kendrick turned to the stable boy. "Yer mistress did nae take her horse when she left?"

"Nae, milaird," the boy answered. "She asked for the horse to be readied but changed her mind when she came down to fetch it."

"How did she leave, then?"

"She was taken home by carriage."

"Did she give a reason why she chose to leave it behind?"

"She said she would not want ye sending anyone to come get the horse."

"The lass is too stubborn for her own good," Kendrick grumbled.

Sunshine whinnied sadly, missing its mistress as well. Coming up beside it, he stroked the horse's thick poll and patted its muzzle before turning his stallion away.

I will bring ye back, Sophia. Ye will not slip through my fingers twice , he promised, as he tightened his hand on his reins. They galloped away from the keep, as if the castle had been empty since Sophia's departure.

He rode through the fields and down into the valley since it was the quickest way to herhouse. There was no sun to keep him warm as the sky darkened and threatened to shed its tears atop the grasslands. The gentle songs of the insects and the angry growls of the rumbling clouds were almost drowned out by the sound of the wind whipping past him. Nature provided no solace that day. The skies soon ripped open, and rain began to fall.

Kendrick did not mind; his quest was of greater importance than the sobbing heavens—more than he had ever known. He found relief as his cotton shirt and coat were soaked. His hair sticking to his face. The pellets beat against his skin. The harder the rain fell to the lands of the earth, the harder he commanded his horse.

Standing in front of her father's estate, Sophia realized how much she had missed her home. The gardens outside were a feast for the eyes, with pink, green and red-colored flowers in full bloom. She had planted them before she had left. Her mother and sisters must have cared for them in her absence.

She was reminded of the keep by the matching dark stone walls of the manor. Compared to the castle, the house seemed… unremarkable. She realized that she had grown used to it.

Her eyes watered at the thought, but the door to the manor opened wide, revealing her father and mother. They had dressed in their finest clothes— celebratory clothes— and stepped out before her. Her father was in a blue kilt and plaid, and he was wearing a cap. Her mother wore a matching gown of blue, and her ginger hair was plaited down her back. Following them out came her sisters—Lorena in an opulent grey gown, and Emilea in a dark blue one.

She could see their smiles vanish from their faces as soon as they saw her. Emilea looked at her inquisitively, then she moved closer and took Sophia by the shoulders—as if she needed to confirm that it was really her. Sophia had promised herself she would only show them her determination to not go through with the wedding. She had promised herself that she would not show them her pain or weakness, as she did not want them to pity her. She did not want them to hate Kendrick as well—only she could hate him, and no one else.

"Sophia?" Her father was the first to breach the nervous silence between them. "What are ye doing here? Yer wedding will start shortly!"

As with all the other promises, she would not even sniffle.

"Father! Mother!" She feigned a grin amidst the tears that were building. "The wedding will nae be held this day, nor any day."

"What do ye mean, Sophia?" Her mother edged closer. "Did something happen?"

"I am sorry, Mama. I simply could not go through with it."

Lorena and Emilea positioned themselves beside Sophia—one sister for either arm. Sophia looked at her father, who seemed to have turned dumb in confusion. "I am sorry, Father. I cannae do it," she explained.

Her father still did not respond. He walked back inside the manor. Sophia was certain he was disappointed—why wouldn't he be? He was a loyal clansman. Guilt lingered in her as she wondered if his rapport with the Laird would be ruined for her decision.

"My bairn…" Her mother cupped Sophia's face. "Pray tell—why did ye leave the keep? I ken ye wouldn't have left for nae reason."

As soon her she felt her mother's warm hands on her face, as soon as she heard her mother's little voice, she pressed her head to her chest, weeping hysterically… like she had wanted to do when she saw Catherine and Kendrick earlier that morning.

"I-I am so sorry, Ma! I have a reason, but I cannae tell ye why. I am sorry," she cried, hiccupping.

Her mother did not question her further. She held her daughter, letting her cry as much as she wanted while stroking her back lovingly.

Suddenly, it started to rain. The mother and daughters hurried inside while a footman came out to carry in Sophia's belongings.

"I will get some food for ye," her mother said. "Wait here, and we shall talk."

Sophia sighed hard as she glanced at the wooden ceiling of the dining room.

I will have broken my parents' hearts.

"Father will nae be cross with ye," Lorena said as if she had been reading Sophia's mind. The fire crackled in the hearth, and her father's crest was hanging above the fireplace.

Just as she remembered, a chandelier hung above the fine wooden dining table. She couldn't help but compare the dining room to Kendrick's castle's lavish feasting hall.

She and her sisters quickly gathered around the table. None of them talked. Perhaps they didn't want to inflame Sophia's emotions. Sheimagined how pitiful she must have appeared to her sisters. She reasoned that it was better to keep her sadness to herself—for their sakes.

As if the day could not get more terrible, Sophia heard her mother cry at the top of her voice, "She's yer daughter, Angus! Do ye nae care if the Laird hurt her?"

Her mother's shouting made her recoil. Clearly, her father was upset. However, she could not make sense of what he was saying. He was nearly inaudible, only quiet echoes of his voice could be heard.

Sophia did not bother straining her ears to listen. It hurt too much to eavesdrop, to know she was the reason for their fighting.

"Sister…" Lorena pushed her chair nearer to Sophia's. "Do nae mind Papa—ye ken how he gets at time. It will blow over soon."

Sophia nodded, not really listening, like a scared child. Her mother returned to the dining room shortly after with a bowl of hot, savory porridge. Sophia breathed in the delicious aroma of the dish before stirring it absently with her spoon. Taking a bite, she quickly threw the spoon down. She had been so distracted, she had not thought to let the bowl cool. Her tongue was on fire.

Her sisters laughed as her mother rushed a tumbler of water to her and soon, Sophia found herself laughing too.

A faint sense of relief rushed over her.

It felt… good. She was in her own safe place, sitting with her sisters and eating her mother's porridge. She would forget about Kendrick, the keep, Catherine. Aye, she would forget them all soon enough.

She took another bite of her meal. It had cooled since her blunder, and the taste of it soothed her. She was reminded of her childhood, for when Kendrick had stopped speaking to her, her mother's porridge had always been like magic, easing the pain of his rejection.

After she was done with the dish, she went to her room.

It was not as spacious nor as fancy as the one in Kendrick's keep, with her small, plain bed. Pots of various plants and a dusty pile of notebooks decorated the top of her desk. The footman had placed her chest beside it, and small candles had been lit for her.

It was not nightfall, but the gloomy, weeping skies cast darkness over the manor. She brushed her hands on the pink tapestried walls that had a green leafy pattern.

Suddenly, the wind forced open the small window on the wall closest to her bed, rusting the linen curtains. She hurried to close it, and her gaze fell on a familiar figure, making his way through the storm and down the path leading to her father's house.

The Laird!