Katie smiled, but only because she realized if she didn’t give him some reaction he was going to name everything in the kitchen. “That sounds nice.”
Harold continued to speculate, then went from birthday gifts to all the things he would buy her once they were married. The man was going to have to build a new house just to hold all the kitchen utensils.
She nodded and smiled and tried to act pleased when he proceeded to tell her all his favorite foods and how he liked them fixed. Thank goodness. She probably wouldn’t have slept that night if he hadn’t.
“I best be getting home now,” he finally said, standing, with an assortment of creaks, to his feet. And here all this time, she’d thought it was just her porch creaking.
“Nice of you to stop by,” she said, waiting patiently for him to creak down the street before going into the house to check on Julia.
She heard it as soon as she entered the door. Music, and not a fiddle or juice harp or anyone singing. It was different from anything she’d heard before. Following the sound, she stepped quietly down the hallway, stopping just outside the parlor. She’d never looked in the large cabinet that sat against the wall. Didn’t think it was her place to snoop in someone else’s home, but now she kind of wished she had. The doors were propped open and inside was the biggest music box she’d ever seen.
And John and Caroline were dancing. She held his hand out to the side and had her other hand on his shoulder. His was at her waist as they stepped in circles around the room. Her skirt swayed and swooshed out with each turn as she glided around the room in his arms. Katie watched until the music stopped, then darted past the doorway before they could see her.
She forced herself to stay busy with dinner and Julia, not dwelling on the music box or the beautiful dance she’d seen. But as soon as everything was cleaned up and everyone had gone to bed, she headed to the parlor. Quickly lighting a lamp, she closed the door behind her and hurried across the room to open the cabinet.
Gramophone
was written across the front, and after a moment of studying the instructions written inside, she started the music box. Beautiful sounds lilted into the room, sending Katie on a journey to lands she’d only imagined from reading her books. She closed her eyes and allowed the music to lift her to another place and another time. A handsome knight dismounted from his white horse, his armor shining, and his eyes on fire. He took her in his arms and swayed with her to the music, turning in circles, her satin skirts twirling about her like a princess.
“Would you like to learn the waltz?”
Gasping, Katie spun toward the door where John stood leaning against the frame. His tie and jacket were missing, his shirtsleeves rolled up to his forearms. The crisp white of his shirt exaggerated the darkness of his hair as he stood silently in the dim light of the room.
“I’m sorry,” she muttered, rushing to shut down the
gramophone. “I shouldn’t have done this without asking you.”
“Katie. Stop.”
She did, but she didn’t turn to face him. It was too embarrassing.
“You can listen to it any time you want.” He crossed the room and knelt beside her in front of the cabinet. “There are other records in here, though some of my best were broken on the trip from New York.”
He dug through the cabinet and handed her a flat disc with grooves cut into the glass. “This one is by a man named Caruso.”
She stared at the record, trying to see how something this flat could hold the sounds she’d heard.
“Someday, we’ll listen to it.” He placed the record back in the cabinet before taking her hand and pulling her to her feet. “But for right now, I think you need to learn the waltz.”
“I don’t, I mean, you don’t need to teach me—”
“I believe I owe you a lesson. After all, you taught me how to square-dance.”
“Not very well.” She could have bitten her tongue. That wasn’t exactly what she’d meant to say, but John chuckled and she decided not to amend her statement. He had a nice chuckle.
With a quick adjustment, he restarted the record to the beginning of the waltz music, then faced her, arms out. She stepped to him and placed her hands where she’d seen Caroline’s earlier.
The corner of his mouth lifted, obviously pleased that she’d known what to do.
“It’s really a simple dance,” he said, folding his hand
over hers. “Just take three steps at a time and allow me to lead you around the room.”
She nodded, because having him this close to her made speaking difficult, and then followed his lead.
“One, two, three,” he counted, guiding her slowly around the room.
He only counted for a few moments before she fell into the rhythm and the music took over. She smiled as they floated, her eyes drifting shut and her steps taking her back to her magic kingdom. Only this time, she didn’t have to imagine the knight. He was strong and warm, and with each turn, pulling her closer until finally he stopped moving.
She opened her eyes to gaze into the green ones searing into her in the faint light of the room. Neither spoke as he laid his hand against her cheek and the warmth rushed through her body. Were it not for the music, she knew her heartbeat would echo through the room, matched only by her breathing.
His eyes questioned her, asking for permission as though she had any power to refuse. He leaned toward her, taking forever to close the distance between their lips, and when he finally claimed hers, she thought she’d die.
Lord, how she wanted his touch.
Like nothing existed in the world except his kiss and embrace, everything else paling until it faded away. She slid her hands up his shoulders to the back of his neck, where she threaded them through his hair.
He nibbled and tugged at her mouth, slipping his tongue through parted teeth and stroking hers with passion as his hands rubbed her back. First, in small
circles, then dropping lower and lower until he cupped her bottom and pulled her against him. A moan jumped from her mouth and into his, and the sound seemed to ignite him.
“Katie,” he whispered, pulling back enough to press his lips against her throat, and the warmth in her body began pooling out of her control.
Lord, how she wanted his touch, only now she realized, with embarrassment, where she wanted it.
“John?”
Caroline called from the hallway.
They froze for a second before jumping back from each other and quickly adjusting their clothing.
“John?” she said again, then walked into the room. “Oh.” She glanced at each of them, looking at Katie as if she were a harlot. “I hope I’m not interrupting.” Her implication was clear, and Katie had never been more embarrassed in her life.
“I was teaching Katie how to waltz.” John pointed to the gramophone as though Caroline would have no idea where the music was coming from.
She smiled, far too sweetly, and walked to his side. “That’s kind of you, but I doubt Katie’s fiancés would approve of her spending time alone with you this late at night.”
Her tone clearly indicated her disapproval, and Katie was still too rattled to defend herself—especially to Caroline. So she excused herself and hurried to her room, but as she lay in her bed, she realized with a jolt that she no longer wanted her future husband to touch her like John.
She wanted her future husband to
be
John.
Katie had taken more time than usual preparing herself for church. To the point of even snipping a few strands of hair around her face, then dampening the tendrils so they curled. She loosened her bun a little, pleased with the effect, but when she stepped into the foyer and Caroline glided through, Katie felt as plain as a barn wren.
Caroline’s soft yellow gown with matching gloves and bonnet made Katie’s blue Sunday dress look like what it was—old, blue, and as plain as Katie herself. Suddenly she felt silly for cutting her hair.
“Katie?” John joined them in the foyer. “You’ve down something different with your hair.”
“A little.” Nervously, she reached up to adjust a curl.
“It looks nice.” A soft twinkle in his eye and a subtle lift of his lip made her feel better.
“Thank you,” she said, but Caroline made sure that was the last thing she said for the rest of the walk to church.
She managed to wedge herself between John and Katie and proceeded to chat the entire way about New York “this”s and New York “that”s. Only including Katie in the conversation to ask her questions like,
“What’s your favorite wine, Katie?” Or “Don’t you just love Monet?”
Katie wanted to trip her, but doing such a thing on the way to the Lord’s house was probably a sin…at least on Sunday. So she controlled her urge as they walked to church, wondering whether a Monday tripping was as sinful.
“Oh,” Caroline said, just when Katie thought she’d finally run out of words, “Ambassador Bashear sent his greetings. You remember the ambassador, don’t you?”
John uttered a response, but Katie didn’t hear what he said because Randy stepped beside her at the church steps. “Mornin’, Katie,” he said, smiling that smile of his and adding his ever-charming wink.
Katie’s return greeting was cut short when Caroline tripped on the porch steps and fell into Randy’s arms. Maybe the Lord had no trouble with a Sunday tripping after all.
“Oh my,” Caroline uttered, pulling herself from Randy’s arms. She blushed brightly, adjusting her hat.
“Are you all right, ma’am?” he asked.
“Yes, thank you.”
“Caroline,” John said, “this is Randy Kopp. One of Katie’s fiancés.”
“Pleased to meet you, Miss…?”
“Humboldt,” John supplied for Randy.
“Miss Humboldt,” Randy said with a wink, and Caroline actually gasped in response. Not that Katie could blame her. Randy’s first winks were always stunners.
Caroline lifted her chin and looked at Randy as though he were something she’d scrape off her shoe
and then with a quick nod, she stepped past him into the tiny sanctuary of the church. Randy had definitely rattled her, though. In her flustered state, she’d left John and Katie together as she hurried down the aisle. Within a few feet, she stopped abruptly and spun back to face them.
“Where you would like to sit?” she asked, smiling at John, ignoring Katie.
He gestured toward one of the pews in the front, then guided Katie into the seat and sat beside her, leaving a place for Caroline next to him.
Julia wiggled around to sit on the other side of Katie, making sure to put as much distance as possible between her and her aunt. Caroline sat with her nose in the air and a look of sheer boredom on her perfectly schooled face. An air of total superiority hovered about her.
A quick hymn and a few announcements later, Reverend Stoker took the pulpit.
“Brothers and sisters,” he said with jowls shaking, “we need to begin this service with a prayer.”
After a prayer that lasted far too long and a hymn that was unrecognizable, the minister began his sermon. He went on and on about who shall sit on the throne of heaven, and then he slammed his fist on the pulpit to bring home his point. The consequence of which was beyond shocking.
John chewed on his lip in an effort to maintain his composure. Reverend Stoker should know better than to attempt to put the words “shall” and “sit” together in the same sentence. The first two times he’d gotten
away with it, but the entanglement of the words in his third endeavor stunned the congregation into silence. Even Stoker turned red.
Caroline gasped, her pallor indicating she might actually swoon. John covered his grin with his hand, daring a glance at Katie only to see her sitting stoically and unaffected. The woman had an innate class that seemed to carry her through any situation with ease. Caroline could take lessons from Katie, though it wasn’t her fault. She’d been raised in a sheltered cocoon and hadn’t been given the opportunities to develop the strength Katie had.
Luckily for him, Katie had shared her strength. He owed her for that. Suddenly an idea popped into his head. It might not make up for the egregious liberties he’d taken with her, but it could be a start. He waited as patiently as possible for the service to end, and for their walk back home.
“Your birthday is in eleven days,” he said to Katie once Caroline took a pause in her chatting long enough for him to change the subject.
“Yes,” Katie said, clearly wondering what he was going to say.
“I’d like to throw you a party.”
“A
party
?” Katie stopped walking and looked up at him as though he’d lost his mind. And maybe he had, but the more he thought about it, the more the idea appealed to him.
“As a thank-you for all you’ve done for me and Julia.”
Slowly, she began walking again. “You don’t owe me anything. You pay me well, remember?”
Why did that remark sound painful? “I could never pay you enough for what you’ve done for us. Wouldn’t you enjoy a party?”
“I suppose,” she muttered, avoiding eye contact.
“Of course you would, Katie dear,” Caroline said. “It’s a delightful idea, and would be a perfect opportunity to announce your engagement to all your friends.”
John’s gut knotted. “I don’t think she’s quite ready for that step. Are you, Katie?”
Katie wasn’t even sure she was ready for the next step down the road. Why did John suddenly sound panicked at the thought of her announcing her engagement? Was he just afraid of losing his housekeeper, or was something else on his mind?
She’d love to ask him, but Caroline dear made it difficult to ask him anything. She was already rambling on about how the parlor could be emptied for dancing, and all the food they could serve, half of which Katie had never heard of, and then she focused on the engagement.
“It would be such a wonderful end to the evening. Just imagine, all your friends would be in attendance to share in your good news and excitement.”
Chatter, chatter, chatter. Ramble, ramble, ramble. By the time they finally reached the house, Katie thought her head might burst. She hurried into the kitchen to fix Sunday dinner and managed to keep herself busy and away from Caroline for the rest of the day, thinking that in so doing, she could avoid the topic of her engagement. She was wrong.
“Katie?” Caroline knocked lightly on Katie’s door, just as she was getting ready for bed. She wrapped a quilt around her nightgown and opened the door.
“May I come in and speak with you?”
Katie would rather have a beating, but Caroline didn’t give her the option. “Of course.”
Caroline sashayed into the room wearing an ivory satin dressing gown, her hair loose and flowing down her back in glossy waves. “I thought we could have a chat.”
Katie pulled her quilt closer around her faded cotton nightgown and motioned to the bed, where Caroline continued her sashay across the room to sit on the edge. “I was wondering which fiancé you’ve selected. I promise I won’t tell.”
Katie chose to sit on her lone wooden chair to face Caroline dear. Her ivory satin didn’t leave much room on the cot for another to sit. “I haven’t really decided yet,” Katie said.
“Haven’t decided? You don’t have much time to waste.”
“I don’t have to announce at the party.”
“Yes, you do.” Caroline’s tone developed a slightly caustic edge before she plastered on a smile and giggled. “Oh, listen to me! I just don’t want you to miss this perfect opportunity for an engagement party.”
“I thought it was a birthday party.”
Caroline chose to ignore that reminder. “Now, I’ve only met two of your fiancés, Mr. Crowley and the young man at church today. What was his name?”
“Randy Kopp.”
“Oh yes,” Caroline said, but the pink tint to her cheeks led Katie to believe she remembered Randy’s name just fine.
“Is your other fiancé as handsome as Mr. Kopp?”
“No.”
“Well then, that’s the answer to your problem.” For some reason Caroline seemed pleased as punch with her solution. She stood and headed to the door as though all Katie’s issues were resolved.
“But there are other things a woman must consider when choosing a husband,” Katie said, wondering why she bothered to tell Caroline anything.
Caroline turned back to face her and smiled. “Wealth is important, but I doubt any of them have much of that to speak of, and what woman wouldn’t want a man as handsome as your Mr. Kopp?”
Caroline left Katie wondering if Grandma had acquired a new partner, but decided against it. Randy didn’t need help turning a woman’s head, regardless of her station in life, it seemed.
“John?” Caroline said from the other side of his door.
“One moment.” Grabbing his dressing gown, he headed across the room and opened the door. “Is something wrong?”
Stepping into the light from his room, she turned to allow him full view of her dressing gown, complete with an astonishingly low-cut neckline, and then smiled. “Nothing’s wrong. I just have some wonderful news. May I come in?”
His gaze raked across her breasts before he jerked his attention back to her face. He couldn’t remember
ever seeing her in something this revealing. “I don’t think that would be proper.”
Laughing lightly, she laid her hand against his arm. “It probably isn’t, but I just can’t wait until tomorrow to tell you. Besides, Katie is just down the hall.”
Without giving him a chance to protest, she slipped past him into his room. Gliding to his bed, she sat on the edge, and if he didn’t know better, he’d swear she posed.
He pulled his dressing gown closed and opened the door to its widest before taking a chair across the room. Caroline had something up her sleeve, and he shuddered to think what.
“What is this news?” he asked.
“Katie has finally selected her husband.”
She beamed as though she actually cared about Katie, then folded her hands in front of her in a manner that caused her arms to shove her breasts up even more.
“Who?” he asked, with a sinking stomach.
“Randy Kopp.”
That hothead? “What makes you think so?”
“She told me, but don’t tell her I said so. I promised to keep her secret, but I knew you were dying to know.” She flipped her hair back over her shoulder and leaned slightly toward him. “She decided to marry the most handsome one. Shocking, I know, but I suppose she felt that was the most important thing.”
How could Katie decide such a thing? Randy? He was handsome, but John doubted he could outthink a pig. He shook his head in disbelief.
“I can’t believe you’re surprised,” Caroline said, and
for a moment he’d forgotten she was in the room. “She said she wanted to marry him because he was the most handsome man she’d ever seen, and with all those muscles…” The way her voice trailed off, John wondered if Caroline wasn’t considering the option herself.
She sighed as she walked across the room to kneel by his side. “I’m sorry, John. I know you thought highly of her, but a handsome man can turn even the most levelheaded woman to mush, sometimes. Someone with her breeding can’t be expected to behave otherwise.”
Looking down at her as she sat by his side, he felt his mind whirling. He’d known all along Katie was going to select a husband from her list, but hearing the decision had been made rattled him to his core. Standing, he offered his hand to help Caroline to her feet.
“Thank you for telling me,” he said as he walked her to the door, closing it softly behind her. As much as he hated to admit it, Katie had the right to make this decision, unsettling as it was.
And he had the right to convince her otherwise.