"I walked."
"And how far is it?"
"Not far."
"Two miles?"
"Eight," Josette admitted. "What difference does it make? I wanted to do it."
The answer made perfect sense to Cassie. "Who told you that Jared had come home?"
"I have friends here," Josette evaded.
And the child would not betray the servant who had sent her word. Cassie was beginning to respect as well as admire the girl.
"But Jared would have come for me anyway. We're like brother and sister."
"I'm sure he would have," she said gently. "Go back to the coach and go to sleep. Do you need a blanket?"
Josette looked at her uncertainly. "You won't go running to tell him I'm here?"
Cassie shook her head.
A radiant smile lit the girl's face. "Good-Jared's temper is always better after a good night's sleep." A bit of bravado returned. "Not that it would have mattered."
"Good night." Cassie started down the aisle again. "I'll wake you before I go to the castle in the morning."
"Thank you." She fell into step with Cassie again. "I'll just go along with you. I'm not really tired."
"After walking eight miles?"
"If you don't want me, just say so," Josette flared. "I've no desire for your company. I only wanted to see your horse."
In spite of the challenging words Cassie realized she had hurt her. "Then stop quarreling and come see him. He's in the stall just ahead."
Josette strode toward the stall Cassie had indicated. "If Jared likes him, he must be fairly decent. Though you may have-Great God in heaven."
Cassie smiled with satisfaction.
Josette stood gazing at Kapu with an admiration near reverence. "Magnificent…"
"Yes." Then, as Josette stepped closer to Kapu, "No, don't do-"
Kapu was standing still, allowing Josette to stroke him.
"Don't worry, horses like me. Not as much as they do Jared, but they know I won't hurt them." She glanced over her shoulder. "What's his name?"
"Kapu."
"What a silly name. I'll think of one of my own."
"His name is not silly. It means 'taboo,' 'forbidden.' " Though it seemed the idiot horse was embracing the whole world these days, she thought crossly.
"Oh, I understand." She stroked Kapu's nose. "You wanted to keep him yours."
"I named him that because he's dangerous to ride, and it seemed a fair-" She met Josette's knowing gaze. "How did you know?"
"If I had a horse like Kapu, I'd want him to be mine alone." Her expression was wistful as she added, "It's important to have something of your own."
Cassie glanced around the stable. "You surely have a horse here. There are so many."
"But none that I've won, none that-" She broke off. "You don't understand. Nobody does."
She had an idea she knew exactly what Josette meant. "None that you've had to coax and tend and fight the world to keep."
Josette nodded. "It's not that Jared's not generous. He even lets me ride Morgana. It's just that-" She turned back to Kapu and her tone became gruff. "You're right, Jared won't discard you as long as he thinks he has a chance of getting this beauty." She grimaced. "I shouldn't have said that, should I? Lady Carradine would say it's the height of rudeness."
Cassie laughed. "So would Lani, but not for the same reason. She claims if truth causes pain, then silence is better."
Josette didn't look at her. "Did I cause you pain?"
"No, I told you, neither Lani nor I occupy his bed. Your Jared cannot discard what he doesn't possess."
Josette heaved a sigh of relief. "Good, I really didn't mean to hurt you that time. It just slipped out." She changed the subject. "How fast is Kapu?"
"I have no idea. Bradford is going to clock him tomorrow morning."
"Can I be there?" Josette's face was alight with eagerness.
She smiled indulgently. "If you like. I don't see why it's so important. I don't intend to race him."
"Of course you will. Everyone races here. It's very exciting. What hour?"
"Eleven."
"I'll be here." Her expression clouded. "Maybe. If Jared isn't too displeased with me and sends me packing."
"Would that be so bad?"
"Yes." She added haltingly, "They hate me there."
She could not imagine anyone hating this urchin. In spite of her prickly nature and swaggering bravado there was something very appealing about Josette. "I'm sure you're wrong."
"What do you know? They hate me." She shrugged with a pretense of carelessness. "Not that I care."
"Why would they dislike you?"
"Because they're stupid and jealous." She added, "They say I'm a foreigner and the enemy."
Cassie looked at her in bewilderment. "Foreigner?"
"I'm Josette Brasnier, the Comptesse de Talaisar." She rolled the title off her tongue with flamboyant grandeur. "And a French comptesse is far better than any of their puny English titles."
Foreigner. Brasnier. French. The words whirled wildly in Cassie's mind. She had heard that name only once before, but it was one she would never forget.
"What's wrong?" Josette asked, stiffening.
The words were difficult to form, "Who was… the Compte de Talaisar to you?"
Josette frowned. "My father, of course."
The child. Cassie had been so stunned at the murderous implication against her father, she had forgotten completely about the child Jared's father had rescued from the soldiers. This must be the only survivor of the family Jared claimed her father had betrayed. "Danjuet."
"You've heard of my home?"
"Yes." The story Jared had told her was suddenly coming alive in the form of this young girl. She didn't want that past to come alive; she wanted to push it away from her.
"Did Jared tell-"
"I think it's time you went back to the carriage room," she interrupted harshly as she opened the door of the stall. "You may not want to sleep, but I do."
"What did I do?" Josette asked, bewildered. "What did I say to-" She broke off and then lifted her head proudly. "It's because I'm French, isn't it? You hate me because of that beast Napoleon. You're like all the others."
"No."
"You lie. It's because I'm not English. Why else would you change so quickly? I can feel you going away from me."
It would be easier to let Josette think that it was her French birth that offended Cassie-but she couldn't do it. She herself had been balanced too long between two worlds. "It's not because you're French. My father was French, and if anyone's a foreigner in this land, it's I." She didn't look at her. "Ask Jared."
"I'm asking you."
"And I'm not answering you. Ask Jared." She lay down on the straw, drew her blanket over her, and turned her back. "And after you do, I doubt you'll care what I think."
She could feel Josette's gaze on her back. She felt as if she had struck a puppy. Ridiculous. Josette was much more like a young tigress. When Jared told her that Cassie was the daughter of the man responsible for her parents' death, she would probably launch a lethal attack.
She heard Josette's soft exclamation and then retreating footsteps.
Go to sleep. Nothing had changed just because she had met one of the people who had shared that terrible experience at Danjuet. It wasn't as if Josette would ever have been a friend to her, anyway. She must make no friends here at Morland. She must keep everyone at a distance.
Yet Josette had not allowed her to distance herself; she had plummeted into Cassie's life and forced a place for herself. Almost from the first moment Cassie had felt as comfortable with Josette as if she had known her all her life.