Page 35 of To Dance with a Devil

Anderson waved this off. “I’m nae greedy. What’s yours will remain yours, ye’ll spend it as ye see fit, though I wish ye luck trying at Wildsyde.”

“W-Wildsyde?” Ruth stammered.

“Wildsyde Castle,” Bonnie said, the anxiety shining in her eyes. “That’s where he’ll take you. Oh, Ruth. It’s such a long way away. Are you sure you haven’t made a horrible mistake? You can make him wait, you know. For fifty thousand pounds he ought to spend a month on his knees thanking you from the bottom of his black heart,” she added, glaring at the towering Scot.

Anderson shrugged, unconcerned, though something dark and wicked glinted in his expression for just a moment as he caught Ruth’s eye. “Ach, I’ve nae objection to getting on my knees for my wife,” he said, suddenly the picture of innocence.

Why then, the words turned Ruth a searing shade of scarlet, she wasn’t quite sure.

“Tomorrow morning will be acceptable, Mr Anderson,” she said, seeking sanctuary in her best businesslike tone. “I think we have taken up enough of my friends’ time, however. If you would care to come with me, I shall take you to my father. The sooner the details are tied up the better.”

Having said her piece, she embraced Bonnie and made her swear to write to her, kissed Matilda and said the same, and swept out of the room before she entirely lost her composure.

***

Bonnie watched Ruth go with Gordon Anderson following behind and promptly burst into tears.

“Oh, love,” Jerome said, and tugged her back into his arms. She buried her face in his cravat and sobbed.

“I-I’m s-sorry,” she stammered. “I can’t seem to stop crying. I’m n-never usually such a watering pot.”

“It’s the baby,” he said, his voice reassuring as he stroked her back in soothing circles. “I hear it makes women very emotional.”

Suddenly you could have heard a pin drop and Bonnie looked up at him at the precise moment he too remembered Matilda was in the room. She was staring at them both, wide-eyed.

“I’m sorry, M-Matilda,” Bonnie said, mortified and ashamed that she’d brought this scandal into her friend’s house.

“Oh, Bonnie. You little fool,” Matilda said with a sigh, before opening her arms to her. “Whyever didn’t you tell me?”

Jerome took himself off and pretended to be terribly interested in something outside the window whilst Bonnie and Matilda hugged and sobbed. Once they seemed to have gotten a grip of themselves, he came back and Bonnie felt her throat tighten again as he took her hand.

“Well, love. Ruth’s not the only one who must pack. I’d like to be married in the chapel at Holbrooke, if you’ve no objection?”

Bonnie shook her head, too miserable to say a word. She was ruining her best friend’s life. He wasn’t ready to marry and become a father, she knew that, but he’d do it because it was the right thing to do. Misery welled up inside her and she’d never hated herself more.

“Will your m-mother be there?” she asked, knowing she was a coward but wanting to put it off as long as possible.

“No,” he said gently, understanding in his eyes. “She’s come up to town, and Jasper and Harriet won’t be back from honeymoon for a while. We’ll have the place to ourselves, for a few days at least. Then we must come back and face her.”

Bonnie nodded. He wouldn’t risk speaking to her first, not knowing just how hard Lady St Clair was likely to take the news. Once it was done, she’d have to accept there was no undoing it. Then she’d hate Bonnie forever. Oh well. It wasn’t as if she was unused to being unwanted. She’d survived this far, hadn’t she? So long as no one ever made their child feel less than wanted, never made them feel they didn’t belong, or weren’t good enough, well, then Bonnie could stand the rest.

“I should come with you,” Matilda said. “It’s not right for Bonnie to be alone on her wedding day. She should have a friend with her. I’ll not stay,” she added. “But I don’t want her to feel alone, because she isn’t.” She turned and faced Bonnie. “They’d all come, if you asked them to.”

Bonnie smiled, knowing it was true. “I know,” she said. “And that helps a great deal, but I don’t want anyone there, Matilda. Perhaps, when we come back to town, we could have a little celebration, like we did for Aashini. That would be nice.”

Matilda frowned, her blue eyes troubled. “But, Bonnie…”

“Please, Matilda,” she said, her voice cracking. She didn’t know how to explain that she wanted no one there to witness what she’d done, to see firsthand the trouble she’d caused the only man she’d ever loved, would ever love.

“Very well,” Matilda said, though Bonnie could tell she was a little hurt.

Bonnie hugged her tightly. “Thank you,” she said, meaning it with all her heart. “You’ve been so kind to me, all of you. Please tell the others how… how very foolish I’ve been. I’d rather not have to explain it myself.”

“Oh, love.” Matilda hugged in return, just as tightly, and then let go. “Well, then,” she said briskly. “We’d best see about packing your things.”

Matilda hurried out of the room, leaving Bonnie alone with Jerome once more.

“Bonnie?”