Shackles of Honor (22 page)

Mason gestured that she should take her seat, assisting her as she did. As he took his own seat next to her, Cassidy was struck ill in her bosom as she saw Gabrielle sitting on the other side of him.

“Dinner is now served,” Havroneck announced from the doorway. Cassidy scolded herself silently for wearing the red. Even his unemotional, unreadable eyes studied her carefully for a moment.

As Syndle and the other maids began serving, Cassidy glanced over and saw Gabrielle place her hand caressively on Mason’s thigh. Rage rose within her.

“Don’t you think Miss Shea should wear red to the betrothal ball, Mother? It so becomes her—red,” Gabrielle said with a taunting smile in Cassidy’s direction.

“It’s very becoming indeed,” Milady Ashmore agreed.

“Men adore red on a woman, you know, Miss Shea,” Lord Ashmore remarked. Cassidy felt the blush rising to her cheeks and thought that her face must now rival her dress in the brilliant hue. Whatever had possessed her to wear red? Then, as Lord Ashmore addressed Mason, she was further humiliated. “Do we not, young Mason?”

“I’m sorry. What was that
,
Ashmore?” Mason asked, seemingly having been thinking on other things.

“Adore red on a woman, Mason. We men prefer women in red.”

“
’
Tis a pleasing enough color, I imagine,” Mason mumbled.

“Oh, come now, Mason!” Gabrielle breathed flirtatiously, her hand still at his thigh. “Don’t you agree that Miss Shea should wear that very color to the ball? Think how striking she would appear there beside you as you announce your engagement to all in attendance.”

“Let her wear what she will. It’s of no consequence to me,” he answered, apparently unaware of Gabrielle’s hand on his leg. But Cassidy was fully aware of it and silently seethed with indignation.

“Wear the red, dearest,” Gabrielle said to Cassidy. “It’s quite becoming.”

“For pity’s sake, Gabrielle!” Corbel grumbled irritatedly. “Are you all mad? She may as well wear black to her wedding as red to her engagement ball.”

“Well, my gown shall be blue as the heavens,” Gabrielle offered. “I cannot hope to compare to Miss Shea in appearance.” Her tone was all too obviously that of mockery. “But it is a lovely gown all the same.”

“I’m certain that everyone will look wonderful.” Devonna stated, obviously irritated with the subject. “Now let us have at this meal. I am simply famished!”

Cassidy could hardly stomach to sit and pick at her food, let alone eat it. She heard nothing of the light, trivial conversation among the Ashmores and Mason and his mother. It was all she could do to keep from jumping up and running from them all in a flood of tears and humiliation. All the worse was the way Gabrielle would not keep herself from Mason! Ever she was patting his hand, brushing his cheek lightly with the backs of her fingers, resting her hand affectionately on his leg. And though Mason returned no such physical attentions upon Gabrielle, it appeared to Cassidy that he made no effort to discourage them in any manner. The conversation she overheard between them earlier in the day circled in her mind until she thought she might scream with frustration and an odd sort of aching pain.

When the meal ended, Gabrielle was prompt to take Mason’s arm to lead him toward the library.

“Miss Shea,” Corbel said, offering his arm to her, “may I be so blessed as to escort you?”

Wanting only to flee, Cassidy instead nodded her head in acceptance as her eye caught Devonna’s. Devonna smiled with encouragement and followed them into the library.

“I am so sorry to hear, Miss Shea, that your father has taken ill,” Vesta commented to Cassidy as they entered the dimly lit room. “You must be terribly concerned. And having to wait so long for word. Surely it may take another day before your mother can send word to you.”

“Yes. I can only pray that it was not as serious an accident as was initially portrayed,” Cassidy managed to sputter.

Everyone seated themselves except for Mason
,
who remained standing, leaning against the wall next to Gabrielle’s chair. Cassidy wanted to scream, to shout that he was now her betrothed
,
t
hat his dallianc
e and attention to Gabrielle were
improper and must stop instantly
,
t
hat Mason’s place was next to her chair and not Gabrielle Ashmore’s. But she held her tongue. She simply sat, perfectly postured and with an appearance of complete serenity.

“My heart is with Cylia,” Mason’s mother muttered, a deep frown of concern wrinkling her lovely brow.

“I’m certain that it is, Mother,” Mason mumbled. Cassidy caught something in his voice. He did not seem fully compassionate toward his mother in that moment
,
and an unsettling glance passed between them that did not elude Cassidy’s attention.

“Oh, dear, Miss Shea,” Gabrielle unexpectedly addressed Cassidy. “You…you have a little something just there, dear.” Gabrielle gestured to her own lip
,
and Cassidy was instantly horrified, believing that she had indeed neglected her napkin at dinner and was now brandishing some horrid piece of the meal blatant upon her face. Quickly she brushed at the left corner of her mouth. “No, no, darling. Other side,” Gabrielle corrected.

A moment before she raised her hand to brush the other side of her mouth, she realized Gabrielle was distinguishing the small mole at the corner of it. She further realized that Gabrielle had been in close enough proximity numerous enough times to full well know it was a mole and not something left from a meal.

“It’s nothing, simply a birthmark that is my lot in life,” Cassidy informed her firmly.

“How terribly silly of me!” Gabrielle exclaimed, feigning ignorance. “I suppose it’s merely the dim lighting in the room. I thought certain it was…”

Fairly leaping to her feet with the need of escape, Cassidy meant to leave the room in a flash of perfect vermilion from head to foot as her blush was nearly painful. But thankful her heart was when Devonna rose to her feet quickly, saying, “Exactly, darling! I too would like a turn about the veranda. Would you be so kind as to join me, Cassidy?”

“Indeed, of course, milady,” Cassidy managed to choke as Devonna took her arm and turned her toward the veranda.

“There now,” Mason said, reaching out as she neared him
,
t
aking her face unexpectedly in his hand. His thumb stroked the mark once slowly. “Indeed, it is permanent.”

The men chuckled lowly, quite amused at Cassidy’s discomfort. Mason’s touch was unendurable—for, even in his mockery, it sent a thrill throughout her body that she had never before experienced. Cassidy turned her face from him and shakily met Devonna’s small stride moving onward in the direction of escape. Once they were without the house and out of view of the others, Cassidy collapsed into a crumpled heap onto a nearby stone bench.

At once Devonna knelt before her, stroking her hair softly and hushing her with the great comforting sounds of a mother. “Darling, ignore her. I promise you it’s she and not Mason that
—
”

“I cannot do this, milady! I cannot! My pride, my self-esteem, cannot stand against the humiliation, the rejection. I cannot endure,” Cassidy cried out in a whisper as tears spilled from her eyes.

“Now, now
,
darling. Do not let her conquer you. It is merely Gabrielle. She holds nothing over you, and she certainly does not hold Mason from you. Now, quickly! Dry your eyes, for Mason will be upon us any moment.”

“For what reason?” Cassidy asked, shocked into rationality by Devonna’s assurance that Mason would soon appear.

“For necessity’s sake among others. Quickly now! Do not let Gabrielle see that she has undone you for one moment, and do not let her do so ever again. Mason is yours. Yours alone, Cassidy. No matter what ambitions Gabrielle may have toward him—no matter what ludicrous reasons he has of his own for keeping himself from you
—
he is yours and no other’s,” she said in a whisper, dabbing at Cassidy’s moistened cheek with the sleeve of her gown.

“You don’t understand. You cannot possibly. None of you! He…” Cassidy began. But her words were halted by Mason’s sudden appearance from within the house.

“Ah, there you are at last, Mason,” Devonna said, rising. “You were wise and have known better for me than I do myself once again. It’s too chilly out here for me
,
and Cassidy still requires some fresh air. We’ve put the dove through so much and so terribly quickly
,
after all. So then I’ll leave you two to wander on your own. You’ll excuse me if I return to the house.” Almost magically
,
she was gone in an instant.

Cassidy’s anxiety was not so easily squelched, and when Mason reached down, taking her hand in a gesture that she should rise, she wrenched her hand from his. She stood and glared angrily at him before turning her back and marching determinedly down the veranda stairs and into the garden.

“Now, hold!” he growled, close at her heals and finally taking hold of her arm and halting her. “What reason have you to be so vexed with me?”

“What reason have I? Don’t stand there acting the fool before me! I’ve suffered utter humiliation at the hand of nearly everyone who sets foot in this house
.
I am mocked, disrespected for my position…rather, my lack of position here. My very presence is hardly tolerated by anyone save your mother and father
,
who seem to bear an affection for me upon which I cannot possibly begin to place origins!”
s
he erupted.

“Red becomes your temperament as well as your features, Miss Shea,” he taunted. “You speak so convincingly. I, for one, have given you no reason to be so vexed. Yet each time we converse
,
you let go at me as if I had done you the most serious injustice possible.”

“Given me no reason to be vexed? How justify you that statement? Certainly not from your own conscience! You have done naught but despise, resent
,
and loathe me since the moment we first met! Deny it not
,
for then you would be a liar as well…and everyone knows how completely Mason Carlisle is shackled to obeying his duty! To serving honor at anyone’s expense!”

Even for her accusations, he seemed to stay unusually calm. In the face of her ravings
,
he simply said, “I believe your irritation with me stems from something other than the usual this evening. For although you are normally resentful and hateful toward me…it is indeed excessive for no apparent reason at this moment.”

Taking a deep breath, Cassidy decided to approach him in a manner more for his understanding. “At home…at Terrill…when you came upon my friend Gavin and me in the woods, you were angry. Do not deny it…for though I have known you for this very short time
,
I can recognize in you your anger. You were angry and threatened him not to touch me. Threatened him death should he defile your property with his touch. And yet you bring me here
—
a stranger to your home and family
,
with no ally of my own. And each time your…this family of friends therein meets with us, you and she paw at each other like
—
”

“She?” he asked, though she knew he feigned his stupidity about to whom she referred.

“
Gabrielle. Your…your friend
Gabrielle.”

“
Oh.
”
H
e seemed to understand. “You were accusing…rather saying that each time our families meet
—
mine and the Ashmores, I’m assuming you mean
—
that each time we meet, she and I…she being Gabrielle…
paw
at each other like what?”