A Principle of Honour

Chapter 4

It had been nearly a week since the two unexpected guests had left Hadlands. And since then, much to Verity's relief, Cassie had not spoken to her about the subject of either love or marriage. In fact, life for both sisters had returned to exactly what it had been like before the storm. Each day, Cassie would leave Hadlands, just after breakfast, and would not return until late in the afternoon. Verity took advantage of her sister's absence and used the time to organise her late father's belongings in the hope of finding the missing papers. In the evenings, once Cassie had returned, they would sit together in the kitchen and enjoy a simple supper of bread and cheese. Once everything had been cleared away, they then sat together by the fire in the drawing room; reading novels, sewing and discussing their day.

It was a beautiful crisp Autumn morning. The fallen leaves that were haphazardly dispersed across the drive were various shades of red, brown and gold. Their vibrant autumnal colours were accentuated by the dazzling morning sunlight. The sky that was azure blue had a few fluffy white clouds scattered randomly across the horizon. They trotted quickly across the sky in response to the brisk wind that blew from the west.

On that morning, Cassie, as she usually did, left straight after breakfast to visit one of her friends, leaving Verity on her own. Since the night of the storm, the weather had been unseasonably warm for the time of year. Verity, tired of looking through her father's papers, had decided to take advantage of the warmth and have a morning to herself. She sat in the window seat of the drawing room, reading a book and enjoying the warmth of the sun. It was a rare moment of solitude in her busy life, and she knew that opportunities like this would be scarce when she finally returned to the hustle and bustle of life at school.

As she sat quietly reading, lost in the make-believe world of the author, she was brought back to reality when she heard the unmistakable sound of horse's hooves on the drive. Verity was not surprised when she looked up and saw a messenger approach the house on horseback, as she had been expecting a communication from her father's solicitor's, regarding an issue with his estate. But it unsettled her to discover that the message had not been from the solicitor, it had been sent by Lord Melrose himself. It was a request for Miss Verity Stanford, to present herself at Highfields at two o'clock that afternoon. He apparently had a matter of vital importance to discuss with her, regarding her brother's future.

As Verity reread the missive, she was taken aback by the curt language Lord Melrose had used. She had a good reason not to trust Lord Melrose. During the week, after her father's funeral, she had had an unnerving and frightening encounter with him. It had happened after the Sunday morning service when he had taken her against her will, to a deserted part of the churchyard. As she walked down the gravel path, towards the gate on her way home, he had roughly taken her arm and had dragged her behind an overgrown yew tree, that was in the furthest corner of the deserted churchyard. Verity struggled and tried to break free from his vice-like grip, but she could not release herself.

'Well, my dear,' he had said smoothly, 'you look radiant today.'

'My Lord,' she said nervously, 'I do not think that you should have brought me here.' Verity struggled again, in a vain attempt to release her arm, but his grip just tightened painfully.

'Don't worry, my dear,' he said, in a harsh whisper, 'no one will see us.'

As he moved closer, she could feel her heart starting to pound in her chest. She tried to step back, but the dense branches of the yew blocked her escape. 'Please take me back, my lord,' she said, as her voice quivered.

'All in good time, my dear,' he said, whispering in her ear, 'I must first discuss a little business proposition with you.'

Verity was frightened. She was pressed up against his chest, and she could feel the warmth of his body through her cloak. She knew that if she panicked, she would never be able to get herself free, so she decided to relax a little and bide her time. His grip began to loosen, and he brought his cheek to hers. 'Good girl,' he whispered in her ear, 'I knew you would see sense.'