Part 26 (1/2)
”Ellie.” Cain still knelt before her, Ellie's hands still clasped in his. ”Stop worrying about Agnes and start thinking about yourself. You can't go back to how things were. And you can't go back to Aggie. I'm taking her with me. And then I'm going home.”
”What are you suggesting I do?” she demanded, as suspicion began to creep back up her spine. ”Go with you?”
”Oh, good Lord, no.” Cain's surprised laugh was short, but genuine. ”When I said vampires were dangerous, I most certainly was not exempting myself. I've already taken a bite out of you uninvited. And here I am, making bad decisions worse by abducting you into a piano room and confessing clan secrets you have no business knowing. As I said, if I could have bade you forget, I would have. So to that end, I am no better than Aggie. Going forward, I want you to do whatever it is that you want to do. I want you to be safe.”
Ellie shook her head. ”But if I'm not with her, and I'm not with you, then I'm alone ... and how safe is that? I may be legally of age to fend for myself, but with no money and no property and no particular skills outside of reading books and solving riddles, where exactly do you propose that I go?”
Cain dropped onto his haunches and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, his eyes were haunted.
”I don't know,” he said simply. ”You'll have to decide. I have never been in this situation, and even if I had, I would never presume to make your decisions. I have some money. You're welcome to it. I just need enough coin to return home, which should leave you with more than enough to take up residence somewhere, to be an independently wealthy, thrice-removed cousin of some far-flung n.o.b. For long enough to make a new life, make human friends, and perhaps ... perhaps even fall in love.”
Love. Her hands still rested in his. Ellie nibbled her lower lip and gazed back into his eyes.
Within days of meeting her, Cain was doing the one thing her own mother hadn't done in over a century: voluntarily entrusting her with the truth and allowing her the right to weigh the evidence herself in order to make her own choices about her life.
Unfortunately, he was only in possession of half the evidence. As lovely a picture as his words had painted, Ellie was no longer a simple human girl, if she ever had been. And no matter how angry she was with her mother's decisions, Mama was still the person Ellie cherished above all others. Mama's life was inextricably tied to hers, and there was no way Ellie would allow either of them to face a vampire tribunal over a lovesick girl's rash decision two centuries ago. They would slip through the night, as they'd always done. They would hide from hunters-from Cain-forever, if that was what it took. And none of them would ever go home.
”Tell me about Scotland,” she said, surprising herself as much as Cain with the change in topic. Scotland wasn't home, she reminded herself sternly. She had never had one. She never would.
”Scotland is lovely,” he answered, his voice wistful. ”The countryside is more beautiful than any other place in this world. The men are braw and true. The women are bonny and clever. The food is hearty and the ale even richer. The people are strong and proud. Proud of themselves, of the land, of each other.” He dropped his forehead onto her lap. She couldn't help but brush her fingers over his hair. He didn't stop her. ”Everyone is happy there. I was happy there.” He lifted his head to favor her with a crooked smile. ”I wish you could see it.”
She smiled back. ”I wish I could see it the way you see it.”
”If I weren't a ... warrior,” he said, his smile fading, ”I could take you there.”
Ellie was shocked to discover she wished he could, too. But he was never going to see his beloved country, since he was never going to capture her and her mother. Ellie tried to ignore the guilty pang caused by the realization, but it was no use. She hated to cause him pain. Which meant she was just as bad as her mother-developing feelings for exactly the wrong man.
He was handsome, strong, charismatic. Loyal to a fault. He liked her body and loved her brain. He respected her. He wanted her to be happy... .
And he was a vampire warrior planning to lead her mother to an unknown punishment. And he would undoubtedly abduct Ellie as well if he knew she was a forbidden mixed-blood abomination.
But he didn't know. Not yet, anyway. And if she was addled enough to fall for someone honor-bound to hunt down her loved ones, well, that was her problem. She didn't mind his mischievous run as the most infamous rake in ton history. She didn't even mind that he was a vampire. If anything, now that her true nature had been revealed, she could scarcely fancy a human, anyway. But even more important than all those very logical truths was one very illogical fact: She was half in love and falling fast. And she was never going to see him again.
Ellie's shoulders slumped. She'd never enjoyed running away. Although now that she knew the truth and couldn't agree more with the rationale, her body and her heart still rejected the idea of leaving this man without a second thought. Without a second chance. If she was going to be on the run for the rest of her life, then she needed to make the most of this weekend.
She squeezed his hands. ”May I beg a favor?”
He smiled. ”Anything.”
”Wait until tomorrow.” Hope bloomed when he didn't immediately respond. ”Please,” she added for good measure.
His brows lifted, but his voice was good-humored as he said, ”Why do I feel like this is a terrible idea?”
”Because it is,” Ellie answered honestly. ”And so is the part where I come to your chamber after nightfall.”
He started. ”When you what?”
She took a deep breath. ”The house party is over tomorrow. Everyone will go his or her separate paths. If we are going to part ways forever, perhaps we can at least have tonight.”
Before he had a chance to respond, the music room door swung open, and Miss Breckenridge stepped inside.
”Get away from her!”
Cain dropped Ellie's hands and sprang to his feet, but not before Miss Breckenridge landed a few good whacks with her parasol.
”I'm leaving, I'm leaving.” Sidestepping Miss Breckenridge's attacks, he managed to trade places with her at the door and shoot Ellie a meaningful glance over Miss Breckenridge's head. ”I'll be in the conservatory if you need me.”
”She won't need you,” Miss Breckenridge shot back. She slammed the door in his face, then rushed to inspect Ellie's neckline. ”Are you all right? Did he bite you? What on earth possessed you to enter any room alone with him?”
”He didn't bite me,” Ellie a.s.sured her, before her predilection for honesty forced her to add, ”... on the neck.”
Miss Breckenridge stared at her in horror. ”What? When? Are you a vampire, too? Oh, this is a horrible mess, a horrible, horrible-”
”Forget I said anything,” Ellie interrupted wearily, rubbing at her temples. ”Forget anybody said anything about vampires in the first place.”
Blessed silence fell ... until the noiselessness became more eerie than relaxing.
Ellie lifted her fingertips from her temples and glanced up at Miss Breckenridge, only to find her erstwhile benefactress staring blankly at nothing.
”Miss Breckenridge?”
With a start, her hostess snapped out of her fit. ”Miss Ramsay! What are you doing in the music room? You should be abed. May I walk you to your chamber?”
Ellie stared at her for a moment before she realized she'd just Compelled her client to forget their entire agreement. Now she'd never earn those twenty pounds ... and now she could better understand her mother.
Mama loved her, and Ellie hadn't given her a chance to explain. Perhaps she'd never meant for Ellie to forget her father. Ellie sighed. Perhaps it happened in a moment too quick to have prevented. And once it was done, it was done, leaving her only with regret. And her daughter.
”I think you're right.” Ellie rose from the bench to accept Miss Breckenridge's arm. ”I should love to return to my mother.”
Chapter Ten.
A scant distance into the corridor, Ellie jarred to a halt. She held up a finger to a startled Miss Breckenridge. ”Wait.”
There was no way she could return to her guest quarters. Mama would be waiting in her chamber. She would wish to finish their discussion. She would wish to explain. Perhaps to apologize, and perhaps not. But without question, she'd insist on running. Immediately.
Ellie could scarce deny the wisdom behind putting as much distance as possible between her outlaw mother and the clan hunter who sought them, but she was not quite ready to pack her bags. She had told Cain she would meet him tonight, and she meant to. Yearned to. Needed to.
He truly cared for her, and she him, star-crossed though they might be. He had answers her mother had not shared. He also had expressive eyes, strong arms, and kisses that set her half-blood heart spinning.
That she would never see him again went without saying. After coming so close to capture, they could never again risk so much as a nodding acquaintance with their new neighbors, wherever they landed next ... much less house parties or dancing or a beau who stole kisses amongst the flowers.
But they hadn't left yet.
”What's wrong?” Miss Breckenridge c.o.c.ked her head quizzically. ”Have you the headache?”
Lifting her brows, Ellie nodded slowly. She had more than enough to make her head ache. The last thing she needed was another confrontation with her mother.