Page 8 of Harrowing Hall
“We must tell everyone right away.” Blake kissed her and pulled her after him back the way they had come. “Then we will post the banns first thing in the morning.” He nodded once. “As soon as they come down, we should begin planning our wedding. Then the rest of our lives.”
She looked forward to it. More than he could possibly know.
Yet, she could not help but notice that she never finished her tour of Harrowing Hall. Nor that it was locked behind them and brought up little over the next few weeks as they waited for anyone to dispute their upcoming nuptials.
As the month waned and they grew closer to All Saints’ Eve.
They were but a day away from the last day of October now.
The past few weeks had been impossible to describe other than to say she was exactly where she belonged. More in love than she could imagine. Blake had not kissed her again but treated her like a queen, proud to announce to all that she would soon be his wife. He had looked like he wanted to kiss her again countless times, but she got the sense he was trying to go about things correctly. To wait until they were married.
Either way, their time together had been spent most enjoyably. From entertaining luncheons and dinners to games of whist and cribbage. They had taken long walks and enjoyed equally long conversations in front of the fire at night. They toured the castle and grounds, his love for the estate and his clan’s history clear in every story he told.
In some ways, their time together seemed surreal. In others, precisely right. As though, in some strange way, she was always supposed to be here. Well, mostly, anyway. Despite asking him numerous times, Blake would not take her back to Harrowing Hall as All Saints’ Eve approached, claiming his people would not like it.
Something Jane backed him up on at one point. “It should remain closed off.” She had shaken her head. “That is tradition.”
The door wouldnotbe unlocked until after All Saints.
Simple as that.
Had Maude tried a hairpin or two? Anything she could think of? Of course not. That would have been disrespectful. Yet, chastising herself the whole time, she reallyhadgiven it her best go in the wee hours of the morn when all were asleep.
She wanted to see that picture. Needed to, for that matter.
Yet, in the end, the hall might sing to her, but that blasted door would not budge.
Nevertheless, setting aside stubborn doors, she had on more than one occasion felt unseen eyes on her and experienced a cool touch on the back of her neck. She did her best to explain things away, though. A touch of paranoia. A door left ajar somewhere, letting in a cool breeze. What she could not explain, however, was the sound of music each and every night. The lilt of bagpipes drifting into her room like a lullaby.
Pipes that time and time again led her to Harrowing Hall’s locked door.
While tempted to broach the subject again with Blake while they stood in front of the fire awaiting dinner, Maude decided the time best spent addressing another matter. One she had been paying a great deal of attention to as she had gotten to know Jane. Mysterious motives aside, she had come to like her a great deal and wanted to see her happy. And one thing was apparent, at least to her anyway.
Jane would not be happy with Blake.
“So, have you figured out Jane’s behavior yet?” She had a theory but wanted to hear his take on it first. “Why she still seems smitten with you despite our engagement?”
“I have been tempted to ask her, but the situation has felt most awkward.” He shook his head. “Unapproachable.”
“Then let us chat about it.” She gave him one of their co-conspirator looks. One he should know all too well by now. “And let us see if together we might solve a mystery.”
Chapter Six
The past fewweeks had been pure torture waiting for the banns. In Blake’s opinion, an utter waste of time. Time that would have been better spent planning his and Maude’s wedding. After all, who was going to contest them getting married?
As expected, no one.
Now they could finally set things in motion, planning a day they would never forget. Which meant waiting even longer before Maude was officially his. More time before he could kiss her the way he wanted to kiss her. Touch her the way he craved to touch her.
Yet, he could admit she kept things entertaining in the meantime. As always, they enjoyed each other’s company immensely. He adored their many conversations. Especially when she was trying to figure out one thing or another. Point, in fact, her desire to discover what Lady Jane was all about. Why she continued to make eyes at him despite his and Maude’s betrothal. It made little sense considering she seemed to like Maude.
“So, why do you think Jane continues to act as she does,” he led out, grinning. What had his weeleannanfigured out? Because he could tell by the gleam in her eyes, she knew something. “Do tell.”
“Well, considering her attempt to break us apart since we announced our engagement has been weak at best, I suspect she is torn.”
He arched his brows. “I dare say, over what?”
“Over feeling she needs to marry you for some reason.” She shook her head. “And not wanting to marry you in the least.”
