The cold, biting country wind blew fiercely against the small, open carriage, tearing at Delaney's pale cheeks and pulling at the loose strands of her dark hair.
The carriage ride from the Kingsley estate to town was incredibly fast. Hamish
drove the single-horse carriage with deep concentration. His hands guided the sturdy brown horse over the rough, uneven dirt roads, expertly steering the wooden wheels away from the deep, muddy puddles left behind by the recent evening rains.
Delaney sat quietly on the leather seat just behind him. She held her thick, dark woolen shawl tightly around her narrow shoulders, pulling the fabric close to her neck to keep the biting morning cold away. Yet, despite the heavy wool, a deep, persistent chill still managed to seep directly into her bones.
It was not just the weather making her shiver. It was the absolute, heavy reality of what she was about to do.
