“Oh Nicholas, have you ever seen anything so beautiful?” As Kate turned to face him, her face was glowing. Her voice had become soft and he was feeling the same way he had the night before. Only this time, he did not stop himself from acting upon his impulses. He took his free hand, gently cupped her chin, and then lowered his lips to hers. Dash it all, but she was sweet! Her lips were as smooth as silk. He was glad they had both forgone wearing gloves, and hats so he could feel her skin with no impediments and it was so soft to his touch.
At first, Kate was in a state of surprised shock, but it soon gave way to the emotions that were engulfing her. Her breathing quickened along with her heartbeat. When they paused for a brief moment, she looked into his eyes. She thought she might lose herself in their depths. She was barely aware that she had released his arm, that her hands were wrapping around his neck, and that her fingers were entwining his hair. She was, however, very aware of his one hand as it stroked her face, and of his other hand as it pressed into the small of her back.
Nicholas was internally chiding himself for taking such liberties with her; a woman entrusted to his care. But he was overcome and she was not protesting. Quite the contrary. He soon felt a heated stirring and pulled back from her. Hopefully she had not noticed – how terrible that would be! When he looked at her, he saw how flushed her face was, how dark her eyes had grown, and how full her lips had become. At that moment he could not remember ever seeing anything more beautiful. His breathing sounded labored as he spoke.
“Forgive me. I should never have done that. It was not my intention to compromise you when I suggested this walk.”
“I should hope not. I suppose I should ask your forgiveness as well, for I did nothing to stop you.”
“Be that as it may, this was totally inappropriate, and you have my assurance that it will never happen again.” As he began to walk away, he suddenly stopped, but did not fully turn back around. “I approve of your working with Rose. It will be good for you to have someone other than myself to spend your days with. I am, after all, a very busy man.” With that, he hurriedly walked off, leaving Kate stunned in his wake.
One moment she was flying higher than she had ever been, and the next moment she felt as though she had been slapped in the face. All this within the space of a few minutes and delivered by the same man. Kate remained in the garden, taking a seat on the old stone bench. She would not let anyone see her cry this time. In that moment, she felt so alone, abandoned and afraid. When Kate had finished crying, she ran her hands through the cool pond water and washed her face.
As she entered the manor, she made sure to keep her head down should she encounter anyone on her way to her room.
Kate had been so lost in her writings that she did not notice Mrs. Thompson had entered her room. She was barely able to suppress a squeal of surprise upon hearing Mrs. Thompson’s voice.
"Ms. Dornacher, I have been asked to inform you that Mr. Bennett will be away from the manor for a week, perhaps longer. Should you need any assistance, I am at your service."
“Oh? Did Mr. Bennett say where he would be?”
Mrs. Thompson narrowed her eyes in response to such a question. Her voice grew even colder.
“He has business to attend to.”
“Yes, of course. Thank you for informing me.”
Mrs. Thompson nodded her head in recognition, and then left the room as quickly as she came in.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Kate spent most of her days assisting Rose with a large wedding order she was trying to complete. At any other time, the work might have seemed tedious, but thankfully, Rose shared many stories about her life growing up. A little over a week after Nicholas had left, Rose’s house keeper came into the work room followed by Mr. Baxter.
“Begging your pardon, mum, Mr. Baxter is here to speak with Ms. Dornacher.”
Kate looked over at Rose who nodded her head, then carefully placed the piece she was working aside. “Yes, Mr. Baxter, how may I help you?”
“I have been instructed to escort you back to the manor.”
Kate’s eyebrows furrowed as she listened. “What do you mean instructed? By whom?”
“Mr. Bennett has returned home and has asked that I escort you there at once.”
Kate tried to not let the knot in her stomach show. He probably found out that I’m some sort of low life, and he’s going to throw me to the wolves.
Sensing the uneasiness in her friend, Rose laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Try not to worry. Perhaps he has some good news for you.”
“Let us hope so.”
The women briefly embraced before Kate left with Mr. Baxter. Once outside, Kate noticed two more gentlemen. She recognized Mr. Thompson, the groundskeeper and Mrs. Thompson’s husband, but the other one, she did not know. Mr. Baxter ushered her inside the carriage where they were joined by Mr. Thompson. A light tap to the carriage roof and they began to move along the way. When they arrived at the manor, she was quickly escorted inside.
Mrs. Thompson was waiting for them. “Ms. Dornacher, Mr. Bennett wishes to see you in the library.”
Kate nodded in response. At this point, she still had no idea what was going on and could not shake the feeling that something was wrong. When she entered the library she found Nicholas sitting at his desk reading a document. He didn’t even look up when he began to speak.
“Ms. Dornacher, I am sure you are wondering why I asked you here so I will get to the point.” He sat the document down and finally looked at her. She thought she could see a hint of something in his eyes but she wasn’t sure. “I went to Loganville under the guise of purchasing land. I was able to access the property information of the local homes. I also made inquiries regarding the Dornacher family.” He took a deep breath and sighed it out before continuing. “In short, I could not find any family by that name, or any information about a person with that name.”
Kate’s head was starting to ache as her mind tried to reason out what he was saying. “What if Dornacher is not my real name, or what if I’m not really from Loganville?”
“Those are both possibilities that have occurred to me.”
Kate eyed him suspiciously. “What is it you’re not telling me?”
“Whatever do you mean?”
“You’re keeping something from me. Please, just tell me.”
Nicholas took another deep breath before proceeding. “I stopped by the livery and spoke to a stable boy. I asked him if anything strange had happened in the last month. The boy got wide-eyed then leaned in close in order to whisper. He told me that a finely dressed man and woman had arrived late one night. They paid him a large sum of money for a new pair of horses which he quickly hitched to their carriage. He also provided them with some food and water while they waited. The man told the stable boy they were on their way to a wedding, but the weather had slowed their progress, and he worried they would not make it in time. However, a day later, the man had been found by a local hunter. He was lying near the carriage which had been damaged and turned on its side. When the hunter checked the man for life, he realized the man was dead.”
Kate’s complexion paled as she slowly sank into a chair. Her voice was barely audible. “What of the woman?”
“When I asked the stable boy to describe the woman, he said it had been dark, that the cloak she wore covered her features.” Nicholas knew what it was she wanted to know. He could tell that she also suspected she was the woman in the tale. “If the woman he spoke of was indeed you, it could explain why Loganville stuck out in your mind. Perhaps it is the last place you stopped before your accident.”
Kate could only nod her head in response. She felt lightheaded and a little sick to her stomach. She was aware of Nicholas moving, but not of his exact actions, until he lifted her chin and looked into her eyes. He could see fear and sadness as she began to tear up.
“We will figure this out. You have my word on it. But I must ask, do you remember any of this?
Does any part of this story ring true to you? Was the man your betrothed?”
Kate’s voice trembled as she answered. “No. I don’t remember, I...” She broke down, unable to stifle her cries any longer. Nicholas pulled her to him and held her close. He whispered soothing words as she cried on his shoulder.
Kate took the offered handkerchief that was in front of her. She dabbed at her eyes and nose, sniffling as she went. She sat back slightly putting a little distance between herself and Nicholas. She stared into his eyes and for a brief moment, he looked as though he would kiss her before quickly diverting his eyes and turning his head.
Nicholas cleared his throat before he spoke hoping that it would help remove the lump that had been there ever since Kate began to cry. “I would ask that you remain close to the manor at all times until we know for certain that you are not in danger. I am sure that given the circumstances, Mrs. Dickson will understand your vacancy.”
Kate nodded in response. “What of the gardens? Am I allowed to walk outside?”
Nicholas’ eyebrows rose at her use of the term allowed but understood her tone. “If you are accompanied by me or one of the men I have hired, then yes, you are free to visit the garden. Now then, if you would excuse me, I have some business I need to attend to.”
“Of course.” Kate replied dryly. Her mind was having enough trouble trying to process the story that Nicholas had told along with his behavior. One minute he’s soothing her, the next minute he seemed cold and detached. The sooner she could remember what happened, the sooner she could return to her real life and leave him to his indifference.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Nicholas took a deep breath and slowly let it out after Katherine had left the library. He almost forgot himself and kissed her – again. Despite her tear stained face, she had looked so lovely. If he wasn’t careful, the situation could quickly get out of hand. He hated to admit it, but he was starting to fall for her. After Emily died he closed his heart off; making a silent vow to never let it guide his actions lest he get hurt again. The pain of losing her had made it easy for him to brush off any attempts by the women who saw him as prime husband material.
But now there is Katherine. A woman he knows so little about, a woman who doesn’t expect him to support her, a woman who doesn’t see his wealth and believes he should share it with her. Perhaps he felt this way because she was so different from those women, or perhaps she reminded him a little bit of Emily. Whatever the case, until they knew what had happened, until he knew she was free to return his sentiments, he would keep his feelings to himself. A task that will surely prove hard to do, but he must try.
He ate his dinner in the library using work as his excuse to avoid dining with Katherine. It seemed the harder he tried to not think about her, the more thoughts of her invaded his mind. He groaned and dropped his fork onto the plate.
Mr. Baxter raised his eyebrow. “Is the food not to your liking, sir?”
“What’s that? Oh, uh, the food is fine as always Thomas, I just have a lot on my mind.” Like the way she bites her lip when she is nervous or unsure. The way…
“Sir, might I suggest a bit of brandy to help ease your mind?”
Nicholas took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Actually Thomas, I would prefer something stronger. I am in desperate need of sleep and would prefer to not be disturbed once I retire to my room.”
“Very well sir, I will have it all arranged and awaiting you.” With that, Mr. Baxter gave a slight nod and headed out of the room.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
“James, this plan is preposterous, we’ll never make it in time!”
“I have to try, don’t you understand she is everything to me! I can’t stand by and let her marry him knowing that he’s only using her. I should have made my feelings clear, I should’ve…”
Kate pulled him into an embrace and patted his back. “Hush now dear brother. I’ll help you in any way I can. What do you need me to do?”
“Be packed and ready to leave in one hour, we’ve no time to lose.” He stopped and turned to face her. “Thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
Kate shooed him out of the room and got right to work.
Tears were streaming down her face and onto her pillow. She gasped for air as the memories came flooding back. She gripped the sheets in sorrow as her heart broke for the loss of her brother. Her sobs rose in volume and Margaret was soon by her side trying to calm her.
“Ms. Katherine, is there anything I can do for you?”
Kate was barely aware of the maid’s presence as she curled herself up into a ball.
Margaret hated to do it, but she saw no other option but to wake Mrs. Thompson. Seeing how much pain Kate was in made the housekeeper pity her. She gave some instructions to Margaret then sat down on the bed next to Kate. She lightly rubbed Kate’s back and caressed her head as a mother might do.
Kate could feel arms slipping under her, lifting her up some, then a cup being pressed against her lips.
“Drink this. It will help you rest.”
Kate dutifully obeyed and laid back down. She turned her back to the women, pulled the sheets up over her ears and let the medicinal tea do its job. Mercifully, it had been a potent dose forcing her to quickly fall asleep.
A light flickered in the darkness as Kate slowly opened her eyes. She looked about the room, her eyes traveling from the candle burning on the nightstand to Margaret sleeping in a chair. She quietly rose out of bed and slipped out of the room through the secret passageway to the library. When she stepped out of the bookcase entrance, she had to stifle a surprised squeal as she bumped into Nicholas.
“Oh, pardon me...”
“No, no, it was my fault. You could not have known that I would be entering this way.”
Nicholas could see the strain upon her face. He resisted the urge to touch her and instead, offered her a seat near the fireplace. His staff had informed him about her earlier breakdown so he decided to give her time to open up to him.
Kate finally turned and looked him in the eyes. “Thank you for all that you have done.”
“It’s been no trouble really…”
Kate held up her hand. “Please let me finish.” He nodded in response. “You, your staff, and even some of your friends have gone out of their way to show me kindness, and I will always be grateful for it.” She paused to give herself a moment before continuing. “I remember what happened now. My brother James had been away from home for several months while he sorted out our father’s business. Our father had passed suddenly, and since it was so unexpected, he did not have his estate in order.”
She took a sip of tea from the cup that Nicholas handed her. “Thank you. Anyway, James had to go east to Springport and in doing so, he left behind Sarah, the love of his life. He had been home with me in Cedarwood for a few days before we received an invitation. It seems that Sarah’s parents could not let her wait indefinitely for James to return and had coaxed her into accepting another man’s marriage proposal.”
Kate rose from her chair and placed her cup on the tea service tray. “James was both outraged and brokenhearted at the news. The invitation had arrived late – perhaps Sarah was hesitant about sending it to us. Either way, James was insistent that he should leave at once and asked me to accompany him.”
She sat back down in her chair, knowing the story would only get harder to tell. “We were behind schedule when we stopped in Loganville. It was as you said – the weather had been bad and we needed a fresh set of horses. The smart thing would have been to spend the night in Loganville, but James did not want to waste a moment. Once the horses were secured, we quickly boarded the carriage and were once again on our way.”
Kate stared at the floor. She willed her tears to stop but still one slid down her cheek. She wiped at it absent mindedly before continuing. “Usually we had a coachman, but James needed to feel that he was in control, so he took it upon himse
lf to drive the carriage. He was out of practice, the road was slick from the rain. He rounded a corner too quickly and before I knew what was happening, the carriage bounced hard, hit something, and then landed on its side.”
The tears were now streaming freely down her face, but she forged on. “I managed to get the door open by standing on the edge of the seat. I climbed out and saw the carriage was just inches from a tree. I called out to James but heard no response. Then I saw him. He was lying in such a way that I knew, I knew it in my heart, but I didn’t want to believe it. I lied to myself and thought that if I could just get a doctor to him, he would be fine in no time. I began to run. In my state, I had no sense of direction and ran the opposite way of Loganville. I ran until I could run no more and collapsed on the ground.”
Nicholas was kneeling before her now, his eyes reflected the sorrow in hers. “It was then that my maid found you?”
Kate shook her head affirmatively. “Though I do not know how long I was there.”
He stood up and pulled her to him. “I am so sorry for your loss.”
She briefly returned his embrace before pulling away. Her features turned very stoic when she looked at him. “Again, I thank you for everything, but now, I must return home. There are arrangements to be made, and estate business to deal with.”
Nicholas felt cold where her warm body had been. He took a moment to collect himself before responding. “I understand. In the morning, I shall have Mr. Thompson ready the carriage and have Mrs. Thompson assist you with your things.”
They stood staring at each other a few moments before Kate returned to her room. She crawled back into the bed without ever waking Margaret.
She felt a light touch on her arm and woke to find Margaret standing over her. “Good morning, Ms. Katherine. Are you feeling better today?”
“A little I suppose.”
“I am sad to see you go Miss. It has been a pleasure knowing ya. And don’t go worrying about Stormy – I’ll see to it that he’s cared for.”
The Critchfield Locket Page 6