Page 1 of To Wed a Laird
PROLOGUE
Rosemary Tewsbury dabbedher eyes with her handkerchief, which was already damp with tears, as her carriage rattled over the unbearably rough road as she made her way towards Inverrigg Castle, home of Laird MacTavish and his family.
Ever since they had crossed the border into Scotland, it had not stopped raining, adding to her feeling of leaden depression. Moreover, the carriage in which she was travelling was old and in poor repair, with a leaky roof which allowed drops of freezing water to soak her clothes and make her shiver with cold.
Rose did not relish her meeting with the Laird, since he had a fearsome reputation for being stern and ferocious, but she had been given no say in the matter. She had been dispatched to work for him by her father, and his word was law, at least in her family and in her life.
Rose had never been able to make any choices of her own. Her entire life, and those of her two sisters, had been dictated by her father’s wishes for as long as she could remember.
She thought back to the moment she had been told about her new position as a governess in the country of Scotland. She had never heard a good word about the place or its people; according to the opinion of most English people she knew, Scots were allsavages. They hated her country and everyone in it, so why was she being sent there?
As she thought back to the day her father had informed her of his decision, a spear of anger, which was sharp and painful, pierced Rose, and she almost screamed aloud. It was only the presence of the driver, sitting in his seat outside, that stopped her. The poor man was drenched to the bone, but her father would not care about that. The man was just another lackey, there for his convenience to be used like any other tool, just as his daughters were.
Rose had been summoned to her father’s study just after breakfast on a clear but freezing cold morning a few days before. She had a feeling of impending doom, which was made worse by the appearance of his steward, who was not his usual calm and businesslike self.
The driver had been grim and frowning, but as he had looked up and seen her he had put on what was obviously a false and over-bright smile.
“Good morning, Mistress,” he said, before hurrying away.
Rose had returned the greeting, not merely apprehensive, but terrified. The man her father had employed for years to handle his financial affairs was faithful and dependable, even though James Tewsbury was not easy to work for.
Rose’s heart began to beat so fast and hard, she was afraid it would be heard by anyone walking past, but she made herself carry on walking towards the door to the study. It loomed in front of her like the mouth of a cave in which a monster lurked, and there were tears of fear in her eyes as she stopped outside it.
Then she became annoyed at her own weakness. He was only a human being, not a dragon, for heaven’s sake!
Pull yourself together, Rose,she told herself firmly. She tilted her chin up, squared her shoulders, then entered and closed the door behind her.
James Tewsbury had been sitting behind his desk examining some ledgers when Rose entered, but he stood up and smiled at her as soon as he saw her. This immediately made her suspicious, since her father rarely regarded her with anything other than a frown.
“Ah, Rose,” he said pleasantly. “Come in and sit down. How are you this fine morning?”
Now, Rose was certain that bad news was coming. The person who was talking to her so politely was nothing like the usual stern, unsmiling figure to which she was accustomed, but somehow it was not a good sign.
“Well, Father,” she replied. She hated this kind of pointless small talk. If he had something to say, she wished he would come right out, say it and get it over with.
“I am glad to hear it,” he said, still smiling. To her surprise, her father was drinking a glass of wine. Rose was shocked. “It’s a little early, is it not?”
Her father’s smile this time had a hint of calculation in it. “He held it up as he said, “To your good health, daughter.”
Rose was utterly baffled. “Are you celebrating something, Father?”
“I am celebrating your coming of age,” he replied, and his smile had changed to something else, something dark with a sinister purpose.
At that moment, Rose was glad that neither she nor her sisters resembled her father in any way, since they would have inherited the sinister expression that hid the truth under a mask of geniality.
None of them had his dull grey eyes or greying light-brown hair, and none of them was plump and short in stature. In fact, he had always reminded her of a Shetland pony, but now was not the time to think of such frivolous things.
“C-coming of age?” Rose’s voice was trembling. “What do you mean, Father?”
“I mean that now you are a grown woman it is time you began to pay your way,” he replied, and this time there was no mistaking the threat in his tone.
“Pay my way?” Rose’s voice was a squeak.
James Tewsbury studied his daughter for a moment, seemingly spinning out the suspense for his own amusement as he said, “You are going to work in Scotland,” he replied. “As a governess to a Laird’s daughter. A laird is a rich landowner, and I am told this man is very well-off and will pay you a generous salary, which you will send back to your family.”
“But I have no training as a governess,” Rose protested, her eyes wide with fright and indignation. “And the Scots hate us!”
“You have lived with your sisters all these years,” he replied. “You know how girls behave and think. Anyway, the contract with Laird MacTavish is signed and sealed, so you may as well begin to pack your bags and ready yourself for the trip. You will leave tomorrow.”
