“Never mind, then. Please forget that I asked.” She told him curtly and walked ahead.
Adrian caught up with her easily, her short stature clearly no match for his long strides.
“I am only teasing. The physician arrived to see him. It seems he might have hurt his shoulder again while he beat Arnold, and he wanted to get it looked at. It should only take a moment if you wish to wait.” Adrian informed her easily.
Although she gave it a fair consideration, her mind had already been made up. She did not want to wait for him, as it would only cause her more pain.
“Thank you, Your Grace. However, I think it is best if I take my leave.” She replied kindly as a footman took her suitcase and placed it in the carriage.
Adrian nodded, folding his hands together at his back.
“Will you be at the wedding? When do we set a new date?”
Isobel hesitated, knowing that while she had no problem seeing her siblings again, setting her eyes on Richard once more might ruin whatever semblance of normalcy she might have garnered at that time.
“I do not know,” she whispered.
Adrian nodded. “I will send you an invitation, anyway. Safe travels, Isobel.”
She curtsied and climbed into the carriage, only breathing properly once they had rolled off the estate grounds.
Finally… it was over. She should feel relieved, thankful to finally be away from that house.
So why did she feel as though she had left a piece of herself behind?
Isobel never liked to travel alone.
Most of the time she had embarked on a long carriage ride in her life, she had been accompanied by her parents or siblings. There was never a dull moment among the family, with the small confined space they sat in filled with excitement and anticipation of their arrival. She loved it when her mother and father told her stories about mythical creatures who kidnapped travelers. Graham would regale her with tales of adventures he hoped to have once they had arrived.
Margaret often fussed about everyone’s comfort, and Catherine spent most of the time asleep.
Now that she was older, she could embark on these journeys on her own. But she did not want to. She missed the gentle comfort of camaraderie, whether it was in exhaustion or excitement.
She missed her family, and as thrilled as she had been to gain some new siblings, she could not help but feel a little lonely leaving them behind.
Would it always be like this? Will she always be left by herself while her siblings pair up with people who seem to have been made as fortunes to their fate? Was she really meant for a life of solitude?
The further away she got, the heavier her heart grew.
In an effort to summon some calm into her being, she closed her eyes and tried to empty her mind of bothersome thoughts. Just as she had begun to acquire some semblance of peace, the carriage came to a stop.
Cautiously, Isobel sat up straight and peered out through the window, but she saw nothing amiss.
“Is something wrong?” she called out, worry creeping into her veins at the sudden stop.
The sound of footsteps drew closer and closer until the door was wrenched open. Isobel closed her eyes in fright and put her arms out in front of her, waiting for an attack that never came.
Instead, a familiar voice questioned angrily.
“Where do you think you are going?”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Isobel blinked. Once. Twice. Enough times for the hallucination before her eyes to fade away.
It did not.
He was real. And he was here.
