“Well, I suppose this is goodbye… for now,” the headmistress replied as I stood in my cape, suitcase in my hand.
“For now?” I questioned.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if you are not returned within a month’s time,” she commented, a skeptical expression clouding her features as she considered my journey.
I heaved a sigh and stepped past her, making my way to the doorway. There I turned, giving one last glance at my home for just over a decade. I held no melancholy in my heart despite the extended time I had spent here. Without a word, I continued through the doorway, descending the stairs to the waiting man below. Headmistress Williamson followed on my heels. “I do apologize for the wait, Mr. Langford. And please, if Miss Hastings does not work out for any reason, do not hesitate to contact me. I am certain we can suggest a more appropriate placement for you and Duke Blackmoore.”
The vote of confidence in my ability was staggering, and I fought to restrain my tongue. “I am certain there will be no need for that,” Mr. Langford replied with a curt smile. He shifted his gaze to me. “Come, Miss Hastings. We’ve a long journey ahead of us. Good day, Headmistress Williamson.” He placed his hat on his head, tipping it to her and extending his arm to usher me from the building. I nodded to him, eager to leave the place behind.
Outside, a carriage awaited, drawn by four large horses. As we exited into the street, Mr. Langford lifted the suitcase from my hands. I opened my mouth to protest, but he insisted, passing my case off to the coachman. The man held it as he opened the carriage door, offering his hand to assist me into the contraption. I climbed inside followed by Mr. Langford and the door was closed behind us. The coachman set about securing my case to the rear of the carriage with what I assumed to be Mr. Langford’s luggage.
I glanced to Mr. Langford, who fiddled with the latch on an attaché case. After clearing my throat, I inquired, “May I ask where we are going?”
“Blackmoore Castle. Highlands of Scotland. Settle in, Miss Hastings, we’ve a long journey ahead of us,” he replied, removing a stack of papers and fixing a pair of spectacles to his nose.
Though I had more questions, I quieted my tongue. Mr. Langford’s focus on the papers in front of him made it clear my queries were unwelcome at present.
The buggy shimmied as the coachmen climbed into his seat, taking hold of the reins. The carriage lurched forward and the characteristic sound of horseshoes on cobblestones filled my ears. I leaned forward, peering from the window at the orphanage as it slid away from my view.
I folded by hands, placing them in my lap as I continued to watch the city fade away. After several hours, rolling green hills dotted with autumn foliage filled the view in all directions. The scene, though charming, became monotonous after a time and I nodded off, soothed by the swaying motion of the carriage ride.
When I woke, the moon, already high in the darkened sky, glowed brightly. Mountainous terrain now surrounded us, and I assumed we had entered the Scottish Highlands, though having never traveled there, I could not be sure.
I straightened in my seat, drawing my threadbare cape closer around me. The air, markedly cooler and damper here, penetrated my bones. Heavy mists clung to the moors, obscuring some of them completely. The large white moon glowed over the land, casting an eerie image across the landscape.
The carriage slowed, and I was pitched backward as we began to climb. “We’re nearly there, Lenora,” Mr. Langford said with a smile. It was the first time he’d used my first name. I noted he was devoid of his paperwork, likely unable to view it as the light waned to darkness. “All that remains is the climb to the castle.”
I gazed out the window as the carriage lurched around a bend, noticing the large structure perched on the top of the moor. Lit by moonlight, I distinguished multiple features of the castle looming above us. Turrets and towers jutted from various areas of the sprawling framework. The moonlit castle struck an imposing silhouette against the night sky.
I returned my gaze to Mr. Langford. “Am I to be a governess?” I inquired.
An amused smile crossed the man’s face. “No, you are not to be a governess.”
“A companion, then? A ladies’ maid?” I continued, not understanding what my new role was to be when we arrived.
“No, Lenora,” he answered, “Duke Blackmoore has far better uses for your special skills in mind. He has far bigger plans for you.” I furrowed my brow in confusion at his answer as he continued. “You, my dear Lenora, are to be a duchess!”
My mind snapped back to the present as the carriage slowed to a halt outside the castle. I waited inside as the coachman dismounted from his driving perch and opened the door, unfurling the steps and offering his hand for me to disembark. How quickly one becomes used to the genteel things, my mind contemplated during my short wait. Accepting his hand, I stepped out onto the gravel drive below, pulling my fur-trimmed velvet cape closer around me to keep out the winter chill.
For a moment, I glanced up at the castle’s exterior, recalling my thoughts just three months prior when I arrived. The odd blackening on some parts of the stones, always a source of local gossip, cast a sinister countenance on
