Page 98 of An Unwitting Alliance
She set Tiger in the basket with his brothers and sisters. “There is a pump by the well just there.” She pointed to the garden.
He darted to the well and snatched the bucket hanging at the ready on the spigot. He pumped the handle several times before water streamed out. He glanced over his shoulder to see if the fire had grown, but what caught his attention was Cassie’s absence. Where was she?
Had she gone back into the shed? What could she possibly be thinking? With water sloshing over the rim of the bucket, he moved as quickly as he could back to the shed. He was mere feet from the door when there was a crash inside.
His stomach lurched. He tried the door, but it was wedged shut.
No! This couldn’t be happening. And there was so much unsaid and their whole lives ahead of them. He rammed the door with his shoulder, but the wood hardly budged. Something had fallen against it. Alarm filled every fiber of his being. If anything happened to Cassie, he would never forgive himself. He needed her.
“Charley! Charley, where are you? If ever I have needed an angel, it is now!” He rammed the door again, throwing all his weight into it. He hadn’t prayed since Charley’s death; although, he had always known heaven was close. Now was the time to set aside his resentment and humble himself. He squeezed his eyes shut, repenting in a single breath. “Dear God, please save her! I will devote my life to keeping her safe if You let her live. Please, Holy Father.”
Unbidden came his mother’s words about love and loss. Losing Cassie would break him. He would have no life at all. Why had he not realized this sooner?
Tears blinded him, and he threw himself again against the door, this time closer to the hinges, hoping the old door would give somewhere.
“Tom, be careful!”
Tom whirled toward the voice, nearly tripping over himself. The bucket he’d forgotten he still had in his hand was mostly empty, but what remained emptied itself onto Cassie.
She blinked away the moisture. “Did you really just throw water on me?”
“Cassie? How did you... ? You were in there and now you’re here.” He dropped his empty bucket and threw his arms around her. He clasped her wet gown in his fingers, reveling in the softness of skin beneath his cheek and inhaling the scent he might never have smelled again. “Thank the heavens you’re alive!”
He never wanted to let go of her again. He knew she was safe, but his limbs trembled and his heart still raced. Stroking her wet hair, he made a promise to himself. If it was the last thing he did, he would persuade her to fall in love with him.
Chapter 31
Cassandra’s body went rigid asTom embraced her. Why was he acting like this? And why was she soaking wet? And what exactly was she supposed to be doing with her arms—return his hug and torture herself further? Into his shoulder she grumbled, “You were supposed to throw the water on the shed.”
Tom pulled back and gave a weary laugh. “You scared the devil out of me. I thought you went back inside.”
She held up a second bucket. “I remembered another bucket was in the orchard.”
Another soft laugh sputtered out as he pushed a clump of wet hair from her forehead. “God is good.”
“Whatever do you mean?” She clasped a hand over her aching chest. His touch now tormented her.
“It means I still have time. I am sorry for a lot of things, but I shouldn’t have left you alone for so long tonight.”
She shrugged a shoulder. “It was either hide or stay and argue with you.”
“Please stay and argue next time.” He smoothed the last bits of moisture from her cheek with his thumb. “There is much to discuss when you have recovered from this night, and I promise you will have plenty of time to express your frustration with me.” He led her farther away from the groaning shed. “I am sorry for your shed, but even if we woke the servants or threw more buckets of water on it, it would be easier to rebuild at this point.”
The view before her was nearly as destructive as Tom’s words. It hurt to say goodbye to her place of retreat, but it was the least of her worries. Her lips trembled. If he wasn’t here to fix things, he had better leave before he made everything worse.
She could feel his eyes searching her profile. Could he see the hurt he’d inflicted on her? A ragged breath tore from her mouth, and she clung to the damp hem of her neckline. She felt raw and exposed, and it was all she could do not to give way to tears. But when she closed her eyes to hide the destruction from view, Tom was still there, reminding her of how impossible such a notion was.
“Cassie.” Tom’s voice was like a whisper catching the tail of the wind and curling around her heart. “Cassie.” She lifted her gaze to meet his. “Everything is going to be all right now.” His devastating grin spread wide, and his tone was sure, giving her much-needed hope.
“I had nearly convinced myself you had left to Brookeside. When I heard you’d returned, some foolish hope led me to believe you might search me out to say goodbye, so I dressed up as a spinster. I wanted you to remember the fun we had, and maybe I was angry enough that I wanted you to feel guilty about leaving me too.” She shook her head. “Maybe you shouldn’t have come. It’s only confused me more.”
“How could I leave?” He reached up and caught a lock of her hair in his hands, rubbing it between his fingers.
“You ended our betrothal. What reason do you still have to be here? And stop saying it’s so we can keep arguing.” She pulled her lower lip between her teeth.
“Only the greatest reason.” He dropped her hair and took her hand in his, cradling it like a delicate petal he feared to crush. “Walking away from the contract was a risk. I knew we might not be able to sufficiently avoid rumors about our broken engagement, and I feared they might follow you to London for your Season. But it was also a risk for me, for I can no longer imagine my life without you. But I have known for a long time that I could not marry you without your consent, though I was tempted many a time to keep you all to myself, especially after holding your baby sister and dreaming about a child of our own.
“Cassie, I did not give up on us. I gave you your freedom. A chance to choose your own future, whether it be a Season in London or as a companion to your aunt.”
