Page 76 of Sighs of the Highland Wind
“A few days, I think,” Ava replied. “I think James will let me send a message, an’ I will ask ye to move in wi’ me.”
“Let ye?” Janet scoffed. “It sounds as if ye are goin’ tae prison, hen. Look after yourself.”
Ava embraced Rona and Janet through the carriage windows, then waved goodbye to her sisters. She was now very much alone, heading off into an uncertain future.
She had never been in a carriage before and when she sat down, she was worried that her old clothes would soil the expensive seats. She felt guilty and afraid, as if she was doing something illicit, and tried to cower as far back as she could in the seat so that she could not be seen.
Ava had her best dress on, the one she wore for Sundays and special occasions, but she still felt as if she would look like a rag doll compared to Davina Henderson. Even the maids would likely be better dressed than she was. A headache had begun to form behind her eyes, and she leaned forward to rest herforehead on her knees. Today she had to formally give James his answer, and she knew that it had to be ‘yes’.
She was terrified. What if James Henderson had changed his mind? What if he had not? If he rejected her she would be poor, and if he did not she would be poor in a different way. She could not make up her mind which was worse.
The carriage rattled along, and eventually Ava plucked up enough courage to look out of the window. It was teeming with rain, and the road was turning to mud, but fortunately she was safe and snug inside. She hugged one of the cushions to herself and immediately realised that it was the source of the exotic, spicy perfume that permeated the small space. She thought wryly that she could become used to this, and eventually, a smile crept onto her lips as her usual optimistic nature asserted itself. This would all turn out well somehow, she was sure. It had to, but she was still trying to convince herself when they pulled up at the Henderson house.
James Henderson watched from an upper-floor window as the carriage came rolling through the gates of his house and stopped in front of the entrance. He hurried downstairs and reached the vehicle just in time to open the door to his future bride. He greeted her with a wide smile and held her hand as she stepped out of the carriage.
Even though she was wearing a tattered dress, her shapely figure was still visible, and his body responded appropriately as thoughts of what he would do to her on their wedding night ran through his mind. He could hardly wait!
“Welcome, Ava!” he said happily as he hurried her through the large front door. “What dreadful weather we are having today!” He bent to place a swift kiss on her knuckles, then stood back to run his gaze over her from her head to her toes. “Lovely as always.”
Ava felt distinctly uncomfortable with the compliment, since it was so obviously insincere. She looked like a rag doll, and the possessive gleam in James’s dark eyes made her shiver inside. “Thank you,” she murmured with a faint smile, looking around herself.
She had seen that the house was a big red sandstone building, plainly built with few decorative touches except for the intricate architecture of the chimneys. Inside, it was much the same. The style was sturdy and functional, but it was relieved by the furniture and paintings on the wall, all of which were of good quality and showed excellent taste.
Ava knew little about such things, but she could tell good workmanship from bad, and what pleased the eye most. She looked down at the polished oak floorboards then saw the contrast between it and the tattered leather of her shoes, and at once she felt ashamed. She was poor, and she looked it.
However, she had no time to worry about it, since James, with a hand on the small of her back, ushered her into a parlor and sat her down on a small leather couch then sat beside her.
“Do you have an answer for me?” he asked expectantly.
“Aye, I will marry ye, James,” she said quietly, avoiding his eyes.
“Thank you, Ava.” His voice was relieved, as he gently turned her face around to look at him, and before she could stop him, he kissed her. It was not a passionate kiss, but a gentle one,though Ava could not help comparing it to Cameron’s, which always sent a thrill of desire through her. This one left her quite unmoved.
It set James on fire, however, and he was reluctant to let her go, but he could never tell her the feelings her touch aroused in him. She would be utterly shocked by his dark fantasies.
When he drew away from her, he sighed, his brown eyes shining. “We are going to be so happy together. I know it, Ava.” His voice was low and husky. “Now, let us celebrate with a little toast. Do you like wine?”
“I have never tasted it,” she admitted, feeling small and stupid. She had no worldly experience at all, she realised, and wondered how she was going to fit in with these high-class people and their expensive, sophisticated tastes. She had so much to learn
“We will have to put that right,” James said firmly. He went over to a mahogany dresser and poured out some dark red wine from a decanter into two crystal glasses, then handed one to her. “Slàinte Mhath! To our future happiness!”
Ava held her glass up and managed a faint smile before sipping it. She had often heard people singing the praises of wine, but she found the taste sour and unpleasant. However, she pasted on a smile and said, “Very nice.” She supposed she would become accustomed to it in time, she thought.
“My house is a reasonable size, Ava,” James informed her. “Although nowhere near the size of the castle, of course. It has ten bedchambers and a few other formal rooms and parlors. This is my favourite room, and I hope we will spend plenty of time here, especially in the winter, when it is very cosy.”
At that moment, a pretty, red-haired young woman dressed in a maid’s uniform came into the room. She smiled at Ava and said to James: “good afternoon, Sir, Mistress. I believe ye need my services?”
“Yes, Mary,” James answered. He pointed at Ava. “This is Ava Struthers, and you are the first to know that she has consented to make me the luckiest man in the world by becoming my wife.”
The young woman’s face broke into a tight smile. “Oh, I am so happy for both o’ ye!” she said excitedly.
“Ava needs a lady’s maid, so I thought of you at once,” James said, his eyes gleaming with appreciation as he looked at the shapely figure of the maid. “But she has high standards, mind.”
Ava thought she saw Mary's eyes flicking over her well-worn outfit with a touch of distaste, but it was quickly hidden, and she thought that her own sense of inadequacy might be to blame for her feelings of discomfort. She also noticed the way James looked at the maid, and felt a flicker of unease.
“Ava, would you like to go with Mary?” James suggested. “She will help you with your personal needs, and I will be here when you come down again.”
Ava, bemused, followed the other woman upstairs and into a large bedroom. She had never seen anything quite like it. The chamber was the size of her whole cottage, with a high ceiling and a huge four poster bed in the middle of it. Her heart missed a beat thinking that she might be spending her wedding night here.
