Chapter 29
Cassandra threw her body back on the bed not caring if dirt now covered it. She had only slept in her chamber once, why did it matter if she got the bedding dirty? Her body relaxed. One small move would cause her to groan in pain. She had forgotten that manual labor could make you feel this way. Her arms ached from rolling the logs while her legs throbbed from running around.
What she wanted was a nap; the only problem was that she couldn't sleep on her back. For some reason, she had never been able to. Now, all she had to do was roll over. It may seem like an easy feat, but, to her, this was worse than when she got shot. Taking a deep breath, she rolled to her side.
She closed her eyes before snapping them back open. What was that? The folded piece of paper sat there unmoving. Thoughts ran through her mind. Who was it from? It couldn't be from Colin seeing as the man had been with her all day. Could it be as simple as something that Cooper drew? Or was it something she would rather forget?
Curiosity was always one of her downfalls. Reaching out, she grabbed the paper with reluctance. Her unsteady fingers slipped under the flap to open it. She read it once, twice, before she crumbled the damned thing into a ball. She wouldn't let threats scare her. She wouldn't let her past frighten her.
Anger coursed through her veins giving her a sense of adrenaline as she hopped off the bed. Stomping towards the waste bin, she tossed the letter in. Jerking off her gown, she forgot the ache in her body. She had more important things to do, starting with wiping the grime off.
Her footsteps were heavy as she made her way towards the washbasin. The water may have been cold and the rag a tad dirty, but now that she had the energy, she didn't want to feel the dirt clinging to her body. The particles rubbing against her skin just irritated her more.
Soon, she stood there completely free of any filth. As she walked back towards her wardrobe, she thought about the letter. Who would send her such a thing? Who was it that knew of her past? There was Colin, but she ruled him out. Their trust may have been fragile, but she could not believe he would try to frighten her away.
The gown slipped over her head and down her body. The thing hung in the front causing her to let out a soft grunt of frustration. She would either find a maid or buy dresses that did not tie.
A knock sounded on the door causing her to pause. Taking a deep calming breath, she called out, "Who is it?"
"It's Ramsey. Are you decent?"
She stepped towards the door and flung it open. "Tie the damned thing before I set it on fire."
His eyebrows rose and he pushed his way into the room. "Turn around, cousin, and I'll tie it. I needed to speak with you in private any way."
Slamming the door, she kept her back to him as he yanked and pulled on the stings of her gown. "What is it t-that you wanted to talk about?"
"How much does Colin know?" Ramsey whispered.
She took a deep breath as he pulled the stings tighter. "He knows everything he needs to know."
"The witch, and why you left the Duke?" he asked and waited for her nod before continuing, "Does he know exactly which Duke it is that your family angered?"
"No," she snapped, "and I want to keep it that way. Knowing Colin, he will just get himself in the middle of something he could not handle."
"I don't think you give him enough credit," Ramsey said. "He may not realize it yet, but the man loves you, Cassie."
She bit her lip as the anger fled her body only to be replaced by sadness. "I didn't want to care for him. Everything would have been so much easier if I didn't."
"Your heart always gets you into trouble, cousin. Your father's plan will never work now. You couldn't leave this place if you wanted to."
"They are my family," she told him. "I cannot leave them."
"Done," he told her tapping her shoulder, "and I know, love. You got attached."
She pushed away from the door and faced her cousin with a nod. "I fell in love."
"With him?" Ramsey asked with a sympathetic expression.
She shook her head. "No, with everything, I fell in love with the village, with the people, with the land. I feel like I'm home. I can't give this up. I won't give this up."
"What about Uncle? When he comes to visit what will you do?"
"Tell him part of the truth. I'll tell him that I love it here and that we have been steadily fixing up the village, but no matter what happens, I will not tell him about the man who shot at me. No one will tell him."
"How do you plan on keeping it a secret?" Ramsey asked.
Cassandra's eyes darted towards the letter before she answered, "I will tell Colin everything."
Ramsey's eyes followed hers to the trash littering the basket. He took a step towards it and pulled out the crumbled ball. Flattening it on the table, he began to read it.
"Cassandra," Ramsey said with a quiver in his voice, "I'm guessing you plan to keep this from Uncle too?"
"Yes," she said as she pulled the door open. She needed to talk to Colin. She needed to tell him everything.
Colin leaned back in his chair and smiled. Today had been wonderful. Not only had he enjoyed working alongside his wife, he had also realized something. She only had eyes for him. Never once did her gaze wonder to other men as the lugged the supplies back and forth. Instead, she had shared laughter with him, no one else. The thought made an odd possessive feeling rise in his chest. Cassie was his, whether she realized it or not.
Reaching down, he grabbed the heel of his boot and yanked until his foot was free. Letting it fall to the ground with a thud, he began working on the other. Colin wondered if Cassie would ever want to do this for him. He had heard tales of wives pulling their husbands boots off for them, but Colin couldn't picture Cassie kneeling at anyone's feet. She was too prideful.
"Colin!" he heard a voice call out before a soft knock sounded.
Looking down at his foot, he shrugged. He could pull the thing off once he found out why Cassie's voice sounded so urgent. A couple of unsteady steps, and he was at the door. Opening it slightly, he looked at her. Her gown had been changed and the dirt wiped from her face.
"What is it?" he asked with a smile.
She fidgeted with the waist of her gown. "I need to speak with you."
The smile that once occupied his face slipped off as he widened the door for her to enter. She didn't hesitate to walk in and set herself down on the bed. Looking up at him, she said, "Please close the door."
It slid shut without a sound. Colin glanced at the empty spot beside her before deciding to sit there. As soon as he sat, she bolted up and began to pace.
"Will you promise not to be angry?" she asked in a meek voice.
Colin's concern grew. His wife never sounded meek. She never sounded anything but confident. Here she was, though, worrying her lip as she took five steps and pivoted only to repeat the process.
Standing, he reached out and stopped her. "I do not think I can promise that because I do not know what you did, but I am willing to listen."
"My father had a plan before I came here, Colin. He was going to make me stay here until the danger passed."
Colin took a deep breath as she paused. "Then what was he going to do, Cassandra?"
"Take me home," she whispered.
His hands dropped from her shoulders, and he took a step back. "You were going to leave me?"
"Yes, but now I can't," she answered sounding torn.
"Why is that?" he asked with a cruel chuckle. The woman had changed his life, and now she was telling him that she planned to leave him from the beginning.
"I do not want to leave, Colin. I love it here. Don't you understand! This is the happiest I've ever been, and it is your fault!" she screamed taking him by surprise.
"What do you mean my fault?" he asked with a small smile that she did not take notice of.
She looked at his body in disgust. "You were meant to be obese, and an idiot, and horribly greedy."
"But I am not any of those things?"
"No," she said in defeat, "you are everything any woman would want."
"Let me make everything clear. You are saying that it is my fault you fell in love with me?"
"Yes!" she screamed before catching his words. Her mouth snapped shut, and she stared at him with wide eyes. "I did not mean that."
He shook his head at her. "You cannot take it back."
"I can, and I shall," she told him as she pulled the door open and fled the room.
Colin ran after her only to be stopped by Ramsey. The man looked at him with narrowed eyes before saying, "She went in there to tell you her problems and you turned the situation into something that benefited you. Read this."
Ramsey slapped his hand against Colin's chest and walked off. Colin grabbed the paper before it could float to the ground. The thing looked as if it had been crumbled and discarded, but the words were still legible.
Taking a deep breath, Colin read aloud, "You cannot run. Where you go, I shall be in the shadows. Where you seek shelter, I shall never be far behind. Where ever you are, I shall always find you. Remember, you can never run."