Chapter Five

Vincent was up with the dawn and he attempted to roll over and steal a good morning kiss from his wife only to be met with a grunt and her back. It was going to be one of those mornings. Clearly she was still angry at him for going to the gentleman's clubs with the women that worked there.

Vincent stood and rubbed his face roughly. He had never been unfaithful to his wife and he never would be... Damn Cassandra for putting such ideas into her mother's head.

Speaking of Cassandra.......

Vincent stood from the bed, slid on his slippers and walked silently from his bedroom. He went down the winding staircase to the second floor and walked across the marble tiles to his daughter's doorway. She had had that ridiculous wardrobe of hers propped against the door yesterday but hopefully her temper would have eased enough to allow him in so they could speak.

He had not planned on Thomas Shelton joining them at breakfast but he had taken advantage of a good situation when he had seen one. Why did that damned girl have to be so stubborn?

He rapped his knuckles once against the door and let out a sigh, "Cassandra, let me in please. I would like to speak with you about yesterday."

Seconds ticked by with no answer from his daughter and no sound of movement from behind the door. Having had enough of this ridiculous childish display coming from his twenty year old daughter, Vincent grabbed the door handle, twisted and threw all of his weight against the door. He had expected the resistance from the wardrobe but was met with no resistance at all. Vincent went stumbling into the room as the door swung easily and he tumbled, his arms wind-milling until he fell upon the bed.

The empty bed.

The bed was made up and had not been slept in.

Vincent's gaze flew around the room for any sign of what had become of his daughter. Had she been kidnapped? Was she being held ransom by some bandits wishing for a quick payday? Vincent would bring down the very fires of hell upon their heads if that was the case!

Cassandra was gone.

"Isobel!!!!" Vincent bellowed

He saw the note lying on the bedside table and ran to it just as Isobel came barreling into the room with her night dress and silk robe swirling around her body, "What is going on?" she demanded.

Vincent opened his mouth to declare their daughter kidnapped but his jaw slammed back closed when he read the first line of his daughter's delicate handwriting,

Dear Mother and Father,

You are both assuredly very angry and you have every right to be. I have run away which of course is a grievous act of childishness that I simply cannot see myself regretting.

"Vincent where is our daughter?" Isobel questioned, laying her hand on Vincent's shoulder. Instead of responding he simply held the note out to allow them both to read it at once.

I cannot live this life that I was born into. I have no desire to be a proper lady, though mother and Aunt Alexandria have tried their very best and it is no fault of theirs that I did not turn out. I crave adventure, Father, I crave wide open spaces and wildness.

I want to fall in love with a man who is passionate for me—mother please get the smelling salts and revive father. I want to have romance, adventure, passion and fun in my life and I will not experience those things in Virginia as a senator's daughter or Thomas Shelton's wife.

Please do not worry for me. I am in good hands and will be just fine. I will contact you just as soon as I can so that you know I have not perished along the way.

Please know that I do love you both very deeply.

Your Wayward Daughter

Cassandra

Vincent felt himself beginning to shake violently with rage. How dare that little brat do this to them!! They had given her everything! She had been born with a silver spoon upon her lips and she simply spat it back at them!

"Vincent what's on the back?" Isobel questioned curiously. "I thought I saw something written on the back of the paper."

Vincent frowned and turned the paper over. If he was in a rage before than he was frothing at the mouth when he finished reading what he found there,

Hello to you both, Vincent and Miss Isobel. This is Finnegan, the fella you ran off five years ago for kissin' your daughter in the barn loft. I know you're probably worried about your wee daughter but I will keep her quite safe, I can assure you. I will give Little Cass the adventure and the passion she craves and return her to your home safe and sound in no time.

She grew up to be a beautiful girl, you should both be proud. Why I've never laid eyes on anything quite so lovely. Except perchance that time I was drunk off me arse and climbed the wrong window. Miss Isobel you are a vision in candlelight. I have to ask, do you still have that wee mole upon your arse cheek? A lovely little mole it was.

Well I must be going now, Little Cass is a waitin' on me down below. Don't be too cross with her. She has too much fire to be extinguished by the likes of society.

The Irish rogue currently alone with your innocent daughter

Finnegan Callahan

"Kill him! I will kill him if he so much as touches my daughter!" Vincent bellowed. He'd run that good for nothing Irish bastard off five years ago when he realized the rogue had wicked intentions toward his daughter. He was not about to have that man fulfill those intentions now! "I have to go. I will have every lawman in this country looking for that bastard and our daughter."

"Yes dear," Isobel replied distractedly.

Vincent frowned at his wife and saw her chewing on her lip as she covered her backside with her hand. "What are you doing?" he demanded.

"Do I truly have a mole on my backside?"

***

Cassandra was tired--beyond tired--she was exhausted, though she did not dare utter a word of complaint. While she didn't truly believe that Finnegan would take her home if she complained, she was not willing to risk it. Not until they were far enough from her mother and father's home to make turning back impossible.

She and Finnegan had ridden all through the night and it was now approaching mid-morning. She was clinging to him in order to remain upright, her stomach was rumbling terribly and her thighs were aching from gripping Theo for so many hours. Thankfully she was accustomed to riding astride at home or else she'd be in a lot of pain just now.

"Finnegan, do we have anything to eat?" There that was safe. She hadn't been whining or complaining, simply asking a question.

"Nope. I haven't had a bite to eat in two days."

"Two days?!" Cassandra demanded with horror. "I surely hope you do not intend for me to go two days without food!"

"And lose that womanly figure?" Finnegan glanced over his shoulder, offered her his boyish grin and winked, "I wouldn't dream of that, Little Cass. Don't ya worry that pretty head none. I'll see that ya eat something proper soon."

Cassandra saw the village in the distance. It was an unfamiliar place but then again she hadn't traveled much in her life other than to the big cities. Her father did not waste time conspiring with what he considered common folk. It had always driven Cassandra insane. "Is that where we're going?"

"Yes. But ya will not be goin'. Ya will be staying in the woods with Theo."

"Finnegan! I must attend to personal business and I need to go into town," she urged through gritted teeth.

"'Fraid that cannot happen. A bush will serve your needs just fine," Finnegan replied, sounding just a bit too amused for Cassandra's liking.

"Really?!" she demanded. "A bush? And when a caterpillar crawls up my backside, what then?"

Finnegan laughed, though Cassandra didn't see this as a laughing matter. "Then he'll be the luckiest damn caterpillar this side o'the Mississippi."

"Finnegan Callahan, I do not find this funny!"

"Are ya complainin' then, Cassandra? Because it isn't too late for me to take ya right back to your father and your Thomas."

Cassandra glared at the man which caused him to laugh harder. He was her ticket out and he damned well knew it, "Fine. I will relieve myself in a bush and keep myself company while you ride into town. Can I ask why I have to stay out of town?"

"Because by now your father has surely alerted the whole of Virginia that ya are missing and running wild with an Irish rogue."

"Don't be ridiculous. I left him a note telling him that I was leaving on an adventure but that I was fine and I would write him at my soonest opportunity," Cassandra countered. "Even if he does have someone looking for me it wouldn't matter. I am twenty years old and well old enough to be out without his permission."

"Yes, I saw your wee little note," Finnegan said sheepishly as he dismounted Theo and took Cassandra by the waist to help her down as well. "Twas quite charming."

"You saw it?" Cassandra questioned. Warning bells began ringing in her head so loudly they nearly deafened her. "Finn, what did you do?"

"Nothin'," Finnegan replied quickly as he began to walk away toward the village. "I'll just leave Theo here with ya 'til I return—"

Cassandra grabbed his arm and yanked him back—when had his arms grown so large and firm? "Finnegan, you better tell me what you did right now!"

Finnegan offered her his best charming grin and leaned in close allowing his breath to tease her neck, "How about a wee kiss before I leave?"

Cassandra snorted and shoved him away, "You couldn't charm me five years ago and you can't do it now," she warned him, ignoring the fact that her neck was tingling and her stomach felt as if living creatures were flipping around inside. "Now what did you write because I know you wrote something."

Finnegan sighed with defeat and kicked the ground, "Ya always have been a kill joy. No fun at'all."

Cassandra reached out and grabbed him by his thick curly hair, wrapping her fingers in it tightly and jerking him forward and down so their faces were even just as she had numerous times when they'd been younger, "Tell. Me. Now."

Finnegan grinned, plopped a quick kiss upon her jaw and then pulled away from her grasp when her hand loosened in her shock, "I always have liked your rough ways, Little Cass. And I merely assured your father that his beautiful daughter would be well taken care of as she roamed the wilds with her Irish rogue." Cassandra covered her face with her hands. Her father would kill him—and her! There was a reason she had left Finnegan's name and the mention of Irish rogues out of her letter! "And I also inquired about that rather lovely mole on your dear mother's backside."

"You what?!" Cassandra clenched her fists at her sides and stomped her foot. "When in the name of all that is Holy did you see my mother's backside?!"

"'Bout seven years ago when I was drunk of me arse and thought I was climbin' in your window," Finnegan appeared lost in thought, "She didn't see me but I saw her." A smile played on his lips and Cassandra smacked his arm, "I highly doubt your family would approve of your brutish ways," he warned, "But I do."

Cassandra had no idea what to say to him so she remained silent and simply shook her head. The man was his own worst enemy and would end up dead one day. He was always doing things that were outrageous and risky. And she had chosen to run away with him.... What did that say about her?

"Just hurry in town, Finn," she mumbled as she sat down on a nearby rock and buried her face in her hands. She wasn't aware that Finnegan was still there until she felt something touch her knee and opened her eyes to see him laying his chin against it and looking up at her with sadness in his brown eyes.

"Are ya okay, Little Cass? Jokin' aside now, I'm worried for ya."

She laid a gentle hand on his cheek, "I'm going to be fine. I had to run, Finn. They were trying to turn me into....."

"Into what?"

"Into my mother."

"Well you'd have a pretty mole then," he offered teasingly. "You're perfect just the way you are, Cass, and don't ya ever let anyone tell ya differently."

"Thanks, Finn." Cassandra smiled. Then she shoved his head off her knee and he nearly fell, "Now get to town and get me food. You know how grumpy I get when I'm hungry."

Finnegan stood tall, then bowed deeply before walking off toward town whistling a quick tune. Cassandra shook her head and then laughed lightly when Theo loafed over and bumped her shoulder with his nose. "What have we gotten ourselves into, boy?"

Theo's only response was a long snort and a shake of his flowing mane.