The Engagement - Regency Brides 02 (11 page)

"Katherine, why should I not say it? If it is because you are not sure of your own feelings, then I am content to wait until you can say the words. But there is no reason not to express my own."

She was the picture of misery, staring back at him with a stark expression that tore at his heart. "I do have feelings for you, Thomas. I am just afraid, as you said."

"My sweet Katherine," he called out softly, closing the space between them again. "I would not have asked you to marry me if I believed otherwise."

They stood so close, not touching, but he could feel her breath and smell the sweet fragrance of the roses she had pinned in her golden hair; and he imagined he could hear the rapid beating of her heart--or was it his own?

"Thomas," she whispered, her voice sounding as if she were perplexed, unsure of how she was feeling with him so near . .

"Katherine," he answered her, and he finally did what he had most wanted to do since he gazed at her across that crowded ballroom. He took her face into his large palms and lowered his lips to hers. He could hear her quick intake of breath, then the soft sigh as she pressed in to kiss him back.

Tenderly, he kissed her mouth, delighting in the poignant connection so evident between them. It was a sense of belonging, a sense of knowing they were meant to be. Thomas felt her tremble, and sensing she must be frightened by the emotions of such an ardent and loving connection, he left her mouth to plant a kiss on her cheek, then her ear before folding her into his arms.

His heart ached that so many problems seemed to plague their relationship, and as they embraced, he sent a silent petition up to God to give Katherine peace and assurance.

After a moment, she stepped away from him, but he moved to take her hand, unwilling to sever their poignant encounter.

"We should not have-" she began in a shaky voice.

"Do not say it, Katherine. You are going to be my wife! It's perfectly acceptable for us to have moments alone together and even share a simple kiss." He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "I pray you will have no more doubts or fears about us, Katherine. I love you," he stated emphatically, and-this time she did not stop him, only stared at him with an indecipherable expression. "Let that be your comfort. Let that be your assurance."

She didn't say anything for a few moments as her gaze lowered to their clasped hands. "I don't think I've ever met a man like you, Thomas. You seem too good to be true--everything that is good and kind." She shook her head as if confused.

"Katherine, do not put me on a pedestal. I have faults like any other man. If Anne were here, I'm sure she'd give you a long list of complaints against me as a husband." He reached out and lifted her chin so she was looking at him. "Will you come to Rosehaven tomorrow? I have decided the manor needs a little sprucing up and want your input since you shall be mistress there," he told her, changing the subject.

She paused as if grappling with her answer. "I will come, though I am not very talented in the art of decoration," she answered finally.

He brought her hand up and caressed her bare knuckles with a soft kiss. "It does not matter. It will be your home, and you should have a say on how it should be styled."

He had a moment of foreboding as one of those fearful expressions crossed her pretty features. But when she nodded, he put it out of his head, intent on enjoying every second with his soon-to-be wife.

"What game are you playing, Katherine!" Theodora snapped as soon as she entered her bedroom.

"What are you doing in my room, Theodora?" she countered, not in the· mood to deal with her overbearing cousin.

"Don't be coy with me, Kate! Why have you been lying to me, and why did you give instructions to Ambrose to say you were unavailable?"

Katherine walked to her dressing table and began taking down her hair since it had become loose from the wind. "I don't want to go through with this anymore, Dora. I wonder why I agreed in the first place!" She all but threw the hairpins on her oak dressing table as she spoke.

She heard Theodora sigh and come walking up behind her where her cousin could see her in the large round mirror.

"Because you wanted to right a wrong, Kate. A wrong Nicholas Thornton wants to forget," Theodora added quietly.

Katherine's head snapped up, and she stared searchingly at her cousin through the mirror. "What have you heard?"

Theodora turned away with a shrug and with a show of nonchalance picked up a comb from the dressing table, pretending to study it. "It's only servants' talk, you understand.

But it's been told to me the earl was heard trying to talk Thomas out of marrying you, that he didn't trust you or something like that." Her eyes slowly rose to Kate's. "He even threatened Thomas. That is why Thomas ran over here in such a hurry to ask you to marry him, dear. He was merely defying his older brother." She put the comb down, bending 94

closer to Katherine's ear. "It makes you wonder if he wanted to propose or was doing it to spite Nicholas Thornton."

Katherine frowned as she looked down at her dressing table, breaking the intense stare. She tried to remember the kiss and the lovely words Thomas poured out to her just moments before, but her bitterness toward Nicholas rose up, making it hard to remember anything but the hurt he'd caused her.

She had been so sure of Thomas's feelings. But now, in light of this news, she had to wonder if he had other motives.

And Nicholas. How
dare
he try to dissuade his brother against seeing her! He was the one who ruined her good name and made her the subject of ridicule. Why would he not want her to have some sort of happiness in life even if it was with his brother?

The moment she thought that, she felt hypocritical. She wasn't being sincere with Thomas. Did Nicholas suspect she might be using his brother for revenge?

"Oh, what a horrible quandary we find ourselves in, Theodora. God will surely punish us for our deceit!" she cried, throwing her hands over her face.

"Stop the dramatics, Kate. You are beginning to sound like your mother," Theodora said ill her practical way. "We must continue to advance our plan." She pulled Kate's hands away from her face. "You must not ignore Thomas any longer. In fact, you must do all you can to reassure him of your feelings-or rather your supposed feelings," she amended.

Katherine thought about that. Not about deceiving Thomas but about how lovely it would be to allow herself to act like his true fiancée-to pretend they would truly be getting married and setting up a household. She could help him with the decorations to his house and get to spend time with him-even if it was only for four weeks.

Katherine felt like a different woman the next day when she met Thomas at his manor. Though Rosehaven was a smaller estate than his brother's Kenswick Hall or any of her family's many properties, the three-hundred-year-old manor had seven bedrooms, a large foyer with an appealing double curved stairway, and a lovely sitting room with a full wall of windows that looked out over the garden. Thomas mentioned this room could be exclusively her own since it adjoined his study and small library.

And for a moment, Katherine let herself dream of painting the room a muted shade of blue so it would appear to be an extension of the sky outside the windows. She could imagine herself sitting on a plush sofa with needlepoint or perhaps reading a book. Thomas would come in often, because he did not want to be without her too long, and when they would have children, there would be blocks and dolls strewn about and perhaps a rocking horse in the corner ....

"So what do you think?"

Katherine started as she realized he must have been talking to her and she'd not heard a thing he had said as she studied the room. "I beg your pardon?"

Thomas smiled as he walked over to her and behind her, putting his hands on her shoulders, and began to speak softly into her ear. "I know that look. It is the look all women get when they see a room they'd like to change."

Katherine boldly reached up and put one of her hands over his. "You are right. It is such a lovely room, but-"

"But you can improve it," he finished for her.

She laughed softly. "Perhaps."

He turned her around so she was facing him, and his striking blue eyes studied her. "There is something different about you today. You seem more at ease, happier."

It was so bittersweet to see the relief in his eyes, knowing that in four weeks he would despise her very existence. "I've just decided to enjoy our time together," she told him evasively, not wanting to lie anymore. "And I am quite anxious to help you decorate your lovely manor." .

He chuckled as he took her hand and walked her out of the room. "Good, because I have arranged a meeting with merchants for fabrics and furniture and also a seamstress with different patterns for draperies you can choose from!"

All morning long, they talked with the merchants and seamstress, choosing various styles of goods for the manor.

Katherine began to realize she actually enjoyed envisioning and suggesting how each room should appear and the major changes that should be made.

Because she'd not been in town, only taking the road between their two estates, she had not heard the reaction of their peers or neighbors. She had not even thought about them since the engagement was announced.

That was why when Sunday came around and Thomas escorted Katherine as well as her sister and cousin to church, she was so surprised by the response they received immediately after stepping out of his carriage.

Not only were the villagers there, wishing them congratulations, but members of the
ton
who were not even part of the church's parish were there, also. The most surprising thing was that the gentlemen, who had snubbed her just weeks before at the ball, were treating her as if nothing had happened.

"What hypocrites," Thomas muttered for her ears only when they had finally broken away and taken a seat in the abbey. "I know I will have to repent for contemplating this, but I would like -to take my fist to each one of the rakes who treated you so shamefully before and are now bowing to you like simpering idiots!"

Katherine had to cover her mouth with her gloved hand to keep from laughing aloud. "Please, don't do that. Then we'd have to deal with another scandal!" she whispered back.

"Who is an idiot?" Lucy asked her in a too-loud whisper that caused the people in the two rows in front of them to turn and look at them. She was sitting on the other side of Thomas and apparently straining to hear what was being said.

"Shh!" Katherine scolded. .

And before she could say anything else, Thomas put his arm around Lucy and whispered something in her ear. Mter that, she sat up in her seat, staring straight ahead.

Katherine shook her head in wonderment. "What did you say?" ,

"I bribed her," he admitted. "I told her if she was quiet the rest of the service, I'd let her pick a name for my other Arabian."

Knowing her sister's love of horses, she understood how she could be bribed, but what amazed her was that Thomas, who hardly knew her, had been sensitive enough to notice. He had shown the same awareness of her, too. When they were working on his home, he would make sure his cook always made her favorite scones or brewed her coffee instead of tea.

After the service, the ladies were invited back to dine at Rosehaven for a luncheon. Theodora, much to Katherine's surprise, stayed very much subdued, not giving her the usual meaningful glances or hurried whispers. But then she knew her cousin had no reason to say anything because Katherine was playing the part of Thomas's loving fiancée to the hilt.

That was because she so much wanted to be his fiancée in truth. She could admit that. She just didn't know how she could make it happen without Theodora causing trouble.

And Katherine knew her cousin would if she even mentioned she was thinking of changing her mind. How could she not have seen how obsessed Dora was to have revenge on the Thorntons? Her cousin's desire for revenge was not merely to avenge Katherine-she knew that now. But why was this important to Theodora? What would she gain?

She was thankful that, as soon as they arrived at Rosehaven, Mrs. Sanborne was there with Tyler to take her mind off her troubles. Eagerly, she reached for him, but the woman held her off.

"Wait, my lady! You must see his stupendous surprise!"

Mrs. Sanborne placed the toddler on the 'floor, and she watched with pride as he wobbled over to her, then grabbed her skirts before he fell.

"He's walking!" she exclaimed as she bent to pick him up.

She turned to Thomas, who did not look surprised at all.

"When did he start walking?"

"He has been trying to walk all week, but last night he finally was able to walk from Mrs. Sanborne over to me without falling. We wanted to surprise you," he informed her, his eyes glowing with pride. "I was beginning to worry since he is over a year and still only crawling, but I guess he wanted to take his time."

"Of course he did!" she exclaimed, kissing him on the cheek. "You just wanted to do things your way!"

He jabbered some unintelligible syllables in response, making them all laugh.

After lunch, she, Theodora, and Lucy walked down to the stables. Her sister had informed her she had to "talk" to the horse to be able to name her.

Katherine decided to take Ty with them in his pram. When they arrived, she was about to enter the stables with Lucy, but Theodora stopped her. "Lucy, why don't you go on in, and we'll follow in a moment?" The younger girl merely shrugged her shoulders and skipped away from them.

Katherine had hoped to avoid any conversation since she'd succeeded in doing so for the last couple of days. Being with Thomas all day certainly gave her an excuse to do that.

"What is it, Dora?" she asked, trying not to seem put out.

"I just wanted to say you are proceeding excellently!" Her eyes glowed. "He doesn't suspect a thing!"

"If you say so, Dora. I really don't think we should be discussing this here, however." She glanced about them to emphasize her point. "Servants do talk, you know."