by Ella Edon
"I'm not going anywhere until you realize that you love me, just as much as I do you," Mary stated, folding her arms. She was turning and leaving. Arthur stood there, as though struck dumb.
He shook his head and groaned. Why was she here!? Why would his mother tell her where to find him? It didn't matter however. Because he had turned her down. He knew where his heart belonged.
* * *
Katherine and the Dowager Marchioness were in the foyer when he arrived. The Dowager Marchioness seemed relieved to see him walk in. She nodded towards Katherine and said. "She has been sitting this way since her parents left. She fainted."
Upon hearing that, he rushed over to her. She was seated on one of the chairs, her hands folded in her lap. Arthur touched her hand, gently.
She flinched, but she turned to look at him. She closed her eyes and shook her head. "You're home?"
He pulled her into him, hugging her. It took a while, but her hands slowly came to his back. He held her close. "I'm home indeed."
Arthur looked around. The Dowager Marchioness had gone. He thanked her internally for giving them space.
Arthur rocked Katherine in his arms as she sobbed. Whatever fight had happened with her family had left her wounded. He wished he could erase it all, all her sadness and all her sorrows. He wished he had been there. He wished the blame had been put on him, as well.
"They are so disappointed in me. My mother won't look me in the eyes."
He stroked her hair with his hands. All he wanted was to hold her in his arms, make her forget about everything bad that had happened. He didn't care what anyone said anymore. He would make her fall in love with him, and when she was in love with him, he would ask her to wed him. But all in due time. He intended to wed her. And he would do it right.
He asked her to take her bath and wait in his bed chamber. That he was coming right behind her. But he wanted to stop by to tell the Dowager Marchioness thank you, for giving them space. The Dowager nodded at him as he stepped out of the foyer. He closed his eyes and said earnestly. "Thank you."
"What are your intentions with her? Do you plan to ruin her life with all of this? She's bearing the brunt of something you both did together. Do you intend for her to simply be your mistress? Katherine deserves better than that. For what it's worth, she deserves everything good. Not these rumors. This is not the life my son would wish for his widow."
“I plan to, My Lady. I promise.”
The Dowager Marchioness rose from where she was seated and walked over to where he stood. She tilted her head to the side and said. "Good."
With that, she walked out of the foyer. He smiled at the wall when he was alone. He was sure the Dowager Marchioness would deny ever defending Katherine like she had. He was pleased to know that someone strong was on Katherine's side. He heaved a sigh and headed up to his bed chamber. He wanted to check on Katherine first, but he also wanted to be clean and ready for bed when he finally saw her again.
So, he headed to his room instead. To his surprise, Katherine was already there, in his bed. He walked over to her quietly. She was already dressed for bed, and she was fast asleep. He did away with his clothes, dressed for the night and joined her. He lay quietly beside her for a moment, and gently wrapped his arms around her, bringing her close to him. She moaned and wrapped her arms around his waist. Snuggling up until she was comfortable, he sighed contentedly and drifted off to sleep. The stressful day and Mary were both long forgotten.
The days that followed were quieter. Katherine wanted to stay in the house alone. Arthur was having none of that. Sometimes, he went to work, but on most days, he stayed behind to keep her company. To cheer her up. To keep her mind from being reminded of everything that had happened in the past few days.
On one of the days he stayed home, he suggested that they play draught. She was not thrilled by the suggestion at first, but when he let her best him, she began to laugh.
He placed his piece where he wanted it, and waited for her to make a move. She shook her head and blushed. "You are well aware that your move has you trapped, and there's no escaping now."
By the time they had played thrice and she won every game, it made her happy. He liked to see her happy. They were seated in the courtyard, opposite each other. They both had cups of tea, and the draught board sat between them. It didn't stop her from blushing when he looked at her. Even though she was opposite him, he could feel the heat when their hands brushed.
"Did you ever think that one day, you’d find yourself here, in Somerset with a widow?"
He narrowed his eyes at her. She went on. "I didn't ever think that my husband would die, and I would be left alone. I didn't ever think that someone could care for me as much as you do. Thank you."
Her words sliced through his chest and he felt pain. He didn't want her to thank him like he was a stranger, as though he were doing her a favor, which she would repay.
"I do all of this because I truly care for you, Katherine. There's no need to thank me."
Victoria ran across the lawn, Amelia was behind her, walking gradually as the lady danced her way over the grass to meet them.
She curtsied upon her arrival. Then she kissed her mother's cheek and said, "He must have let you win, mother. There's no way you could have won this."
Katherine laughed so loudly that her laughter became infectious. Arthur found himself laughing, as well. Victoria took a seat in between them, opting to watch them play. Half the time, she exclaimed in French, which left both Arthur and Katherine shocked. Her grandmother was so keen on teaching her French, and the young lady was learning very quickly. Arthur looked at the both of them.
Within the span of a few months, they had become the most important people in his life. The lady he loved, and her daughter, whom he also loved dearly. It reminded him of growing up. It had been just him, his father, his mother, and his sister. But he had been happy until his father passed. He understood that death took everything away, eventually. He understood what they had gone through when they lost Victor. He understood perfectly well.
He looked at Katherine. He hoped that she was ready to open up her heart to him. Because he wanted it as much as he wanted her to have his.
"I've won!" Katherine exclaimed, calling him out of his reverie. He blinked. She grinned mischievously. "I've won this round, fair and square."
There were happier days for her, like the days her friends came to visit. She had been afraid to face them, afraid of their judgement, but they had been welcoming. They had understood that nothing had been easy for her. However, he saw the ladies blushing as they stole glances at him. He was most uncomfortable. He knew then, that Katherine may have shared some information with them. He found it appealing, that she talked to her closest friends about him. That was indeed a good sign.
While Katherine spoke to her friends, Arthur walked towards the study. But he was stopped by Mr. Stewart.
"There's a letter for you, My Lord." Mr. Stewart held out the letter to him. Arthur took it from him and walked into the study. When he set his glass of whiskey down, he flipped the letter to see who had sent it. The name on the paper made his blood run cold.
He made use of the letter opener. He straightened the paper and read its contents. In the letter, Mary threatened to visit the Manor if he didn't show up at his workplace in the next few days. She said she knew about his scandal, and his affair. It didn't surprise him that she would figure it out, because the entire town knew. But he hadn't told Katherine about Mary, and knowing Mary well, he knew that she would cause a scene, one which would upset Katherine. The last thing he wanted was for Mary to ruin everything for him. He crumpled the paper and threw it angrily across the room. He needed to set everything straight before it was too late.
Chapter Thirty-One
Katherine giggled as Arthur kissed her all the way down her neck. His lips teased her sensitive spots and his hands traced the curves of her body. With Arthur, Katherine felt so beautiful. She felt magnificent. She felt n
ew and alive. He managed to make her feel that way, every time.
Given the situation with the ton gossiping about them and judging her, Arthur worked so hard to make her feel happy and secure. She pushed at his chest when he came up to kiss her mouth, but her hands weakened when his lips caught hers. She moaned and proceeded to explore his body. The kiss made her feel energetic. She felt herself giggling when he pulled away again and trailed kisses all over her face. He stopped, with his lips above her ear and whispered, "You're beautiful, My Lady."
She leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Show me."
So, it began. She had forgotten that day was breaking, and she had planned on leaving his bed chamber early, but seeing as he wanted to pleasure her, she saw no harm in giving in.
When he was done, after they both had their release, Arthur fell on the bed and brought her close to him. His hands traced her bosom subconsciously as they watched the sun rise. Katherine didn't want to leave his bed.
Arthur rose before her. She pulled the duvet over to cover herself, but he rose in all his glory. She blushed as she watched him walk away. He looked back briefly, making her cheeks redder. He laughed and headed to take his bath. She shook her head and closed her eyes again.
Arthur was soon ready to go to work. She was happy that he was finally willing to go to work. He had stayed home in the days past, to look after her. She was happier now. When she was ready, she would go and see her family in Somerset castle. She never truly apologized for soiling their reputable name. Perhaps it was time to do that.
While Arthur was gone, Katherine busied herself by rearranging the house, setting out vases of freshly-cut flowers, returning books to their shelves. She was quite busy when Mr. Stewart came to announce that her friends awaited her in the foyer. They visited quite often these days. They seemed eager to make sure she was alright. Since Katherine couldn't exactly go out, as she was hiding from the public eye, they made it their duty to visit her instead.
Anne made a dreamy sigh as she approached.
Katherine glared at her. "And pray tell, what is that look for?"
Esther raised a brow and laughed. "Your cheeks seem to have so much color. But it's faint."
"What are you lot blabbering on about now? "
Anne laughed. "You, my dear friend, are glowing. You look beautiful, and bright."
Katherine felt her cheeks heat up, but it did not stop her inquisition. "Bright?"
Esther laughed. "Calm down, it's a good thing, when a lady is told she looks bright. I wonder why it makes you uncomfortable."
Katherine knew Esther was baiting her. They knew she spent her time with Lord Bowmount quite often. And they were teasing her. But did she really look bright? Happy? It was how she felt. If they were saying she looked that way, she was happy to hear it. She took a seat beside Anne and sighed. "Thank you, I suppose. So how are both of you?"
"We can't wait for you to finally be done with your mourning, Katherine. So, we can all storm Lady Morningway's ball with the finest dresses in London." Anne smiled.
Katherine couldn't wait, either. More than ever, she felt like she was finally ready to go out among the ton — she felt she would be, when it was time for her to go to a social gathering. Somehow, she had faith that everything was going to fine, with Arthur on her side.
Katherine raised her hands to her friends and grinned. "I'm planning to wear my blue silk."
"To complement your eyes, I suppose. I'm wearing my yellow silk, with the French lace. And —"
The door to the foyer swung open. Katherine sighed as she stared at the door. It seemed trouble always found her. This thought came to mind as she stared her brother in the eye. He stood beside Mr. Stewart, and his cruel smile told her he came bearing bad news.
She rose, her smile fading. Mr. Stewart opened his mouth and closed it rapidly, in a bid to talk. When he finally spoke, Katherine had her eyes solely on her brother.
"I tried to tell him to wait, but he was having none of that," Mr. Stewart explained with a sigh.
“It’s alright, Mr. Stewart.” Katherine waved him off. He nodded curtly and closed the door behind him.
"James, what are you doing here? "
He glared at her. "You've already brought the name of our family down. And now, your name is on the mouth of everyone, even, anyone."
Katherine looked from her friends to her brother. What was he on about? What had happened this time?
Katherine stepped forward. "James, what's wrong? What are you talking about? "
James snorted. "Besides having to hear that you've had an affair with Lord Bowmount, your name is on the mouth of every local. They say there's a lady in town, highborn, but not from here. She's been spreading a rumor about being Lord Bowmount's intended. Her name is Mary."
Katherine laughed. "That's impossible. I have never heard of her before."
James shook his head. "She has been frequenting his office for the past week."
Katherine shrugged. "Lord Bowmount barely went to work."
James raised a brow. "All the times he's been there, he has seen her. Open your eyes, Katherine. This man has ruined your name and your image. If, in the wake of the scandal, he doesn't ask for your hand, then he'll never do so. You should leave him now, while you can. There's nothing left to salvage of your reputation, but at least you can walk out with self-respect."
Katherine refused to waver in front of her brother. She stared at him sternly. There was no Lady named Mary in Arthur's life. If there was, he would have told her. They never hid anything from each other. They both promised not to keep secrets. And Arthur adored her, didn't he? He would never do such a thing to her.
"I'm certain,” Anne said, breaking the silence, looking Katherine's brother in the eye. "That this is simply a misunderstanding. It would be best if you left, My Lord. When Lord Bowmount returns, he and Katherine will discuss this."
But Katherine didn't want that. She wanted to prove James wrong about Arthur. She stormed past James and out the door. She ordered her horse to be saddled.
She was heading to his office. There, she would prove James wrong. There was no other lady in Arthur’s heart, except her.
"Remember, Katherine!" James called from behind her. "It’s better to walk out with your self-respect intact. We may not be able to save your reputation and dignity, but respect is something that belongs only to you. "
She refused to look back at her brother as she mounted the horse, then urged him to a gallop as she left Bowmount Hall. The horse neighed and took off. She vaguely saw her friends, standing, mouths agape, watching her. And her brother, his cruel look still on his face. She was done hiding from what she was feeling and letting other people think what she and Arthur were. She would tell him that she loved him and then, perhaps they would talk about marriage.
She had never been to his office, but he made sure she knew where it was located. He's described it to her. Her horse loped down Old Street. She stopped it just as she saw the jeweler’s store. Arthur told her his office was beside this store. It was where he bought her the necklace that she never took off.
She tied her horse to a nearby rail and walked towards the store. A bell rang above her as she entered. The man by the counter inclined his head. "Welcome, My Lady,"
"Thank you. I'm looking for the barrister's office. It’s quite new— he's only began a few weeks ago."
The man widened his eyes as though in realization. Then he smiled and said. "Next door is the barrister's office, My Lady."
Katherine thanked him and walked out. She walked to the next place. When she looked up, she saw his name there. She hadn't seen it before. The sign was small, barely noticeable. She shook her head and opened the door. Her eyes scanned the room. Besides a boy of about fifteen who sat behind a desk, sorting papers, there was no one else in the room.
Katherine closed the door behind her and smiled at him. Then in a cheerful whisper, she said. "Good Afternoon."
The boy looked up. He didn't return her smi
le. He inclined his head and rose from where he was seated. "You'll have to wait but a minute. The barrister is busy with a client now, My Lady."
Katherine nodded. "I can wait."
Then she heard a giggle, from the other side of the closed door. She creased her brows. That sounded inappropriate. A little too loud, too familiar. She stood frozen, her thoughts going wild. Who could be in there?
"Oh, Arthur. Of course, you should remember Flitwick. Every time we went up to the river behind my father's estate, we would put our feet in the water and hold hands." It was a female voice.
Then Arthur's voice came. He laughed. "Mary, I had thought those days would never end, but —"