13
As Rachel dressed in the walking gown she had originally worn to Galbury Castle — the gown she had been shot in, that Adam had carried her here in — she was filled with an odd sense of melancholy. She had not spoken to Adam again after their dance, when he had so gently held her in his arms and allowed her to glide around the yard as if she were nearly flying through the air. It had been the most magical moment of her life, and she so appreciated him for providing it to her.
She was going to miss him. She would miss all of them, she realized. She had spent a great deal of time now with the entire McDougall family, and she loved how much they cared for one another, and she appreciated the kindness they had shown her. They were what she would want in a family. They could read one another’s emotions so well, and she was envious of the bond they shared.
They had also been very welcoming to her, including her in their conversations as if she was one of them, not holding the fact she was English against her. Apparently, they had come to know her well enough to realize she was not entirely like those she traveled with, thank goodness.
Now that she was well enough to walk around on her own, albeit still with the help of a cane Peggy had brought her, there was no reason for her to stay any longer and she knew her father was insisting she return. She was to be escorted to Darfield Keep, though by whom she wasn’t yet sure.
“I can take you,” said Roderick as they sat around the breakfast table in the dining room, bestowing on her one of the grins she had come to know well over the past couple of days. He was a charmer, this one, and she could see why the village women loved him as much as Peggy told her they did.
“No,” Adam cut in abruptly, startling her when a look of confusion passed over his own face, as is if he himself had been surprised by the words coming out of his mouth. “I will.”
“That’s not necessary,” said Roderick. “You’ve been leading the hunters all week, and ye need a break. I’ll ride over with her.”
“I said I would take her,” Adam repeated, and the rest of them stared at him over the curt tone he had taken.
“Very well then,” said Roderick, taking a sip of his tea. “You take her then, if it’s that important to you.”
“It’s not important,” said Adam gruffly, and Rachel felt the hurt seep into her chest. But why did she care what he thought? She had known well before this that he had no interest at all in even speaking with her, and resented the fact that she was currently under their roof. And yet … she wanted him to care, to feel something for her. She kept her eyes down on her hands, which were intertwined in her lap.
“I do not wish to be a burden,” she said softly. “I’m sure if you would lend me a horse, I could find my way back just fine.”
Adam scoffed at that. “You could also get lost in the woods on your return and then the rest of us could spend days looking for you. No, I’ll take ye back after Mother’s taken another look at that leg.”
So here she was, feeling somewhat at a loss with no bag in hand nor anything to take with her. One of the women of the village had told her multiple times how much she loved the pink gown, and so Rachel had left her two dresses with Peggy to give to the village women. She could buy more. As she waited near the entrance of the great hall, Peggy rushed into the room and, taking Rachel by surprise, engulfed her in an embrace.
“It was so wonderful having you here!” she said. “Not that it isn’t lovely having Kyla around now but, well, she’s busy, and always so awfully concerned with matters of much greater importance than I ever worry about. Anyway, I do hope our paths cross again one day. Dinna forget us.”
Her true, genuine smile pulled at Rachel’s heart, and she drew her close once again. “I could never forget you — any of you,” she said, as Jane joined them in the hall. “Thank you so much to all of you, for your kindness and generosity. And to you, Jane, for taking such good care of me. I will treasure these memories for the rest of my life.”
She turned as Adam appeared through the door, asking her if she was ready. “I am,” she said, and with one final look behind her, she walked through the doorway to where two horses were waiting. He held his hands out to provide her a step up onto the beautiful gray, before mounting his own horse beside her.
“We’d best get a move on,” he said. “’Tis a cloudy day, and I shouldn’t like to be caught in any rain.”
“But do you think perhaps…”
“Aye?”
“Could you take me down to the lake, for just a moment before we leave? I have seen it through my — your — bedroom window for days now, and I have so badly wanted to view it up close. Would you mind?”
She looked up at him, hope fluttering in her chest, though why she felt so strongly about this particular visit, she had no idea. Did it really matter if she saw this lake? But it seemed as if something was calling her there, and she so wanted to have the opportunity to see it.
“I suppose for just a moment,” he said after considering it, and she felt the smile break out on her face.
“Wonderful,” she said, and followed in behind him
