Her Assassin's Heart - Book 2

Chapter 25

The wind had pulled and teased Cassandra's hair from its loose updo. She had wanted a long ride in the warm sunshine, but Scotland, as she was coming to find out, was rarely so accommodating. It wasn't raining, but thick clouds shielded the sun and sky from view.

The cool weather had proved a cure for deep, troubling thoughts, and she had almost forgotten the incident with the stable hand. Almost. She would make sure to mention the event to Charlie. If there was a thief in the Fergus household, it would be her duty to make sure it was known, and she had never been so thrilled to do her duty.

Smiling into the wind, she stopped her mount from munching on the lush moor grass. She wasn't far from Fergus Manor, and already, she'd discovered something new. No one had told her that there was a little village so close by.

From the smell wafting on the wind, it was a fishing village. She felt she should have been trepidatious looking at another Scottish village, but there was no fear in her. A thrill of excitement pulsed through her, and she smiled. Was it always to be this way with new things?

Biting her lip to repress the laugh building within her, she urged her horse into action, closing the distance between herself and the village in no time. She was as free as a bird in the sky. The feeling made her as giddy as a debutante at their first season.

She slowed to a walk as she approached the outcropping of houses. It wouldn't do to race through here without stopping to see the sights first. Besides, the longer she stayed here, the longer it was before she had to go back to the manor. The longer it was before she would be cooped up in a tiny room with only a window to let her see the outside world.

Although she wasn't allowing herself to think about it, she knew that this would likely be her last ride. Unless, that is, she wanted to go riding with Graham. After this, he would discover her little trick, and he'd never let her get away with it again. Still, she was rather proud of herself for fooling him so simply.

The village streets were surprisingly tidy. From their reputation, she would have assumed that fishermen kept slovenly, uncomfortable homes and places of business. The buildings here, however, looked as thought they'd been freshly scrubbed, and although they were in need of a good layer of new paint, they weren't shabby looking.

A woman in servants clothes and riding a fine horse drew a certain amount of attention from the locals. Men in patched and torn pants and thick, woolen sweaters let their pipes sit unattended in their mouths to gape at her as she passed. Not a few women straightened from hefty baskets of dirty clothes, placing rough hands on hips to stare, but Cassandra paid them no mind.

She was used to drawing looks wherever she went. True, it was usually for different reasons, but the end result was the same. She knew she must make quite the picture with her wind-tousled hair and slightly ill-fitting uniform, not to speak of the horse. For not the first time, however, she didn't care what she looked like.

A group of slightly dirty children scrambled across the road in front of her, dogs running about their heels. Cassandra smiled. How different was the life these children led compared to her own! She found herself wondering if they weren't happier than she'd been.

Dismounting, she tied her horse to a sturdy-looking tree. Overhead, a gull called, and Cassandra found herself smiling. There was something rather alluring in this carefree day, and she was hard pressed not to wish for more. She had to remind herself repeatedly that she was a lady of standing, and such freedoms were not permitted her.

She kept a hand on her horse's flank, surveying the village with increasing interest. There was a desire in her to be as useful as these people. They made a difference in their world while she was simply a pretty face.