Shackles of Honor (28 page)

“Then perhaps you can love her
,
Ellis. Perhaps she is still available and
—
”

“No, Cassidy.” Turning to her and lowering his voice, he continued, “Don’t you sense it? Don’t you see? There can be only one explanation. The portraits end here, after Mason and this young woman. There is space in the hall yet…for future portraits, and the way they all are hung thus far, it’s obvious it’s in order of generation and marriage and then children. Here, before Mason
,
are his parents together
. B
efore that they are individually displayed…before that, Mason’s father as a boy. It stands to reason that this is Mason’s sister. The name would indicate it as well. Yet neither you nor I have seen her nor even heard her name spoken.”

“Disinherited? Never! Lord Carlisle and certainly Lady Carlisle are not so cold as to
—
”

“Not disinherited, Cass. Lost. Lost somehow.” Ellis turned to look at the portrait once more. “Remember what Milady Carlisle said only this morning when I arrived. ‘
There are far worse ways to give up a sister
,’ she said to me. Remember, Cass?”

“Her eyes were moist
,
and I felt certain it was because of your resemblance to Father. But now…why have we not heard mention of her, Ellis? If Mason has a sister, why have we not been told?”

“You forget, dear sister. There are many things that we have not been told.”



The vision of the lovely face from the painting seemed to haunt Cassidy’s dreams that night, disturbing her slumber, causing her to awaken feeling more fatigued than when she retired. Therefore, when Katie entered that morning for her usual visit
,
Cassidy aske
d her forthrightly the question
both she and Ellis had asked each other the day before.

“Was Jillian indeed Mason’s sister, Katie?”

Katie seemed so stunned that she appeared to be unable to move for a moment. Her face paled
,
and her usually permanent smile disappeared from her lovely face.

“Is it so horrible as that to ask?” Cassidy inquired, for the girl did indeed seem stricken ill.

“You know, miss, that I try to keep nothing from you. That I try to serve you with all that I am and offer my sincerest friendship to you. You believe this of me, don’t you?” Katie asked in a hushed voice.

“Well…of course, Katie. I will press you no further for explanation, for I can see that it’s very upsetting to you.” Cassidy suddenly felt guilty for inquiring of Katie about the girl in the portrait. If one of the employees of Carlisle Manor w
ere
so thoroughly disturbed by her inquiry, then no doubt the
Carlisle
family would be also.

Katie cast her eyes to the floor for a moment. When she again looked to Cassidy, Cassidy was further unsettled and guilt-ridden, for the tears in her eyes were all too evident. “I count myself your friend, Miss Cassidy. I want you to know of my true affection, faith
,
and loyalty to you.” Then, lowering her voice to a barely audible whisper, Katie said, “Yes, there was a sister to your Mason, and her name was Jillian. It’s all I can reveal, miss. Please, don’t ask me of it again. I beg you.”

In that moment Cassidy realized the depth of Katie’s sincerity. The depth of her loyalty. Heretofore Katie had answered every question Cassidy had asked of her. She had ever offered only friendship and comfort. She had proven beyond any doubt that she would make the best of friends that Cassidy could ever hope for in life. She had done nothing but encourage and uplift Cassidy since she had arrived. And Cassidy, lost in her own grief and anxiety, had not appreciated Katie’s gift of friendship to her fully before that moment.

Taking Katie’s hands in her own for a moment, Cassidy whispered, “I’ll ask you no more of this, Katie, and I beg you to remain my friend. You’ve shown me only kindness, patience
,
and understanding
,
and I pledge my gratitude to you now. If I can ever return upon you half of what you’ve given me, it will not atone.”

“I wish, oh, I wish I could tell you more, miss
—
” Katie began.

But Cassidy raised her fingers to the girl’s mouth to hush her. “No, no. Speak no more of it
,
and please forgive me for asking. And you must call me Cassidy. I’ve no kinship to this Miss Shea that everyone here knows. I need someone to know me.”

Katie smiled and brushed a tear from her cheek. Then suddenly Cassidy was in the girl’s fond embrace and returned the hug intensely. She had a friend, a truer friend than she had ever had outside of Ellis. Her soul knew it.

“I’m ever your friend, Cassidy,” Katie told her. “But remember, I’m your personal maid as well
,
and you must let me perform my duties. Promise?”

“When necessary I will find a way,” Cassidy giggled.



Since Ellis arrived, Cassidy felt much more comfortable. They rode together each morning, always toward the east as Devonna suggested. Riding with Ellis was invigorating, for he never slowed the pace for Cassidy’s sake. They talked and talked
,
and she felt more secure and confident than she had since the day Mason first appeared at Terrill. It was astonishing how quickly the remaining days before the betrothal ball slipped away nearly unnoticed. Soon her parents would arrive
,
and the betrothal would be official to the world.

When Cassidy awoke the bright Friday morning the day before the ball was to take place, it was to the sound of bustling petticoats in the corridor outside her room. Quickly she arose from bed though the sun had not yet risen. She flung her robe about her shoulders and went to the door leading from her chamber. She stepped into the corridor
,
and it seemed every person in Lord Carlisle’s employ was rushing back and forth with feather dusters, piles of clean, bright linens, polishing cloths
,
and all manner of things.

“Katie!” Cassidy called as she saw her friend scurrying down the hall. Katie turned and hurried back to Cassidy. “Whatever is going on? It’s madness out here!”

“Tomorrow is the ball, Cass…Miss Cassidy,” Katie corrected herself as Havroneck raised a disapproving eyebrow in her direction as he passed. “There are last
-
minute preparations to attend to
,
and furthermore, Mr. Mason will, no doubt, appear at any given moment.”

“Are you so certain he will appear? We’ve had not a word from him since he escaped,” Cassidy said. Syndle paused in her rushing by to glance oddly at Cassidy.

Katie smiled
.
“He didn’t leave for the reasons your modest mind imagines, miss. I assure you of that
and
that he will be here! Now, I must be about my business.” Reaching out, she squeezed Cassidy’s hand reassuringly and hurried on.

Cassidy was left fee
ling as though her stomach were
in tightly cinched knots. It was upon her. The day of reckoning! Would Mason accept her in front of society and all the world? Would he reject her finally, having found himself unable to follow through with his father’s demands?

Instantly she whirled around, dashing to her wardrobe to find a warm dress to wear. Dressing quickly, she left the house without a word to anyone, for she was sure neither Ellis nor Mason’s mother were about as yet.

“Mathias!” she called quietly
,
lest some
one hear and keep her from much-
needed ramblings. “Mathias! Are you out as yet?” There was nothing but silence on the soft morning breezes. Cassidy could only assume that the happy Lab had not yet been let out for the morning.

Closing her eyes for a moment, she inhaled deeply of the morning mists. The scent
s
of heather and tall grasses w
ere
heavy in the dew-laced air. The only sounds were that of the cool early breezes in the trees and the busy chirping of the larks therein. Opening her eyes again, she saw the bright light of the rising sun in the east. It was beautiful, as always, but Cassidy felt unwilling to face this day. This day would no doubt prove to her Mason’s intention. For she knew that
,
in spite of all her fears and disapproval of the arrangement
,
if he chose not to pledge his troth, her heart would break into many splintered fragments…never recovering from the blow.

And so she chose, for she had never been told otherwise, to walk west from Carlisle Manor—west, away from the rising sun and the new day. Indeed, the view west of the manor was more brilliant in its beauty than the east. It caused her mind to wonder why she had always been encouraged to go east. She left the gardens far behind and was meandering through a beautiful meadow full of wildlife and flowers when she was somewhat startled as Mathias came bounding up beside her. Panting happily, the dog fell into easy stride with her for a time.

“You’re a warm and comforting friend,” Cassidy told him as they walked. He looked up at her
,
barking once as if responding. “I feared you wouldn’t accept me either, old man, being you’re the image of your master.”

Again Mathias barked
,
and Cassidy smiled as they continued on together, for there was something else in the air then, a scent not as familiar to her senses as the grass and the dew and the flowers. Yes, it was that of the sea. She had assumed the manor was somewhere near the sea. Once in a while, when the night was quiet and the air crisp, she fancied she could hear the soft lapping of waves. And sometimes she had fancied even the scent of the sea in the air. But
she naturally assumed it was fa
rther away
.
O
therwise
,
wouldn’t she have been encouraged to walk west instead of always east?
Could it be
, she wondered,
that
Carlisle
Manor
i
s this close to the sea?

The answe
r was given her as she walked farther west still, f
or she could see in the distance the shimmer of the rising sun on the waters and hear the far
-
off sound of water meeting shore. Suddenly Mathias halted at her side.

“Come now, Mathias. Let us investigate. Why hasn’t anyone encouraged me to the sea? Most people who dwell near the sea are mesmerized by its beauty.”

The dog continued to stand strong and still, his happy panting ceasing. She was somewhat unnerved by his sudden change in demeanor, but undaunted,
she
began to walk on. Mathias barked sharply several times
,
and when she turned to look at him, he bounded off in the direction from which they had come. When she did not follow, he stopped and looked at her and barked several times again.

“Mathias, come with me,” she commanded. But he simply sat down and stared at her. She fancied his expression appeared to be one of disapproval. Yet the sea beckoned. “Come now, Mathias. Come along with me,” she coaxed. Strangely, he lay down in the moist meadow grasses, paws outstretched
,
and whimpered as he looked at her. “Very well, you wait there,” she ordered, laughing inwardly at her own stupidity, for she knew that is what he intended to do.

The sound of the sea grew louder, and as Cassidy approached, she could see that the meadow and Carlisle Manor and everything about it were up from the sea. She discerned that she stood on a cliff meadow, the sea beach far below. She did not, however, realize until she reached the edge of the cliff how high up she was. Looking over she saw the rocky beaches far, far below and imagined the sunset must be a truly magnificent sight.