The Engagement - Regency Brides 02

by Kimberley Comeaux

  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."

  "I know, I know," she muttered irritably. "I wanted to tell you I have-well-you might say I've added another ingredient to the pot."

  Katherine's heart started beating rapidly. "What have you done?" she asked faintly, almost afraid to hear the answer.

  "I've written Cameron," she informed her with an evil grin.

  "And when he gets the letter, I suspect we shall see him before his four weeks are up."

  Katherine shook her head in horror. "Do you have no thought for what might happen to either of them, especially Cameron? If he challenges Thomas to a duel, he might be killed!"

  Theodora dismissed her words with a defiant lift of her pointed chin. "You worry about things that might never happen, Kate. Stop being so dramatic!"

  Kate knew her mother would be furious when she found out, and the sad thing-was that it would probably be blamed on her, not Theodora. There was only one thing to do. She was going to have to find a way to tell Thomas and convince him to try any nonviolent things he could to dissuade Cameron from challenging him.

  Time is on my side, she thought with some relief He would not be able to leave school unless he arranged to take his exams early, and that would only cut one week from his four.

  She'd need that time to think of what to do.

  "Theodora, I beg you--do not take it upon yourself to do anything else!" she implored. "Do not forget we are in this together."

  "You don't forget this is all a charade, Kate," she spat back. "Those adoring eyes you keep sending him better be make-believe!"

  At that point, Ty began to fuss and started trying to climb out of the pram. She grabbed hold of his restlessness as an excuse to get away from her cousin. "Are you wanting to see the horse, little Ty? Let's go see the horsy!" she told him in a singsong voice as she pushed the carriage into the stables and away from Theodora.

  She was relieved to find her cousin had gone when they finally came back out. After they rounded the corner to the front of the manor, however, she saw one of the groomsmen leading a carriage and four horses toward her.

  She started to ask the servant whose carriage it was, but once she saw the crest on the side of the black shiny vehicle, she knew.

  It was the Earl of Kenswick's crest.

  Nicholas Thornton must be inside with Thomas!

  Panic seized her, but peering down at Ty, she knew she must go back in, that she couldn't stay out in the sun much longer.

  "Hey, whose black, shiny coach is that, do you think?" Lucy asked, always the curious one.

  "It is Lord Kenwick's coach."

  She looked down at her sister and watched her eyes register with recognition. "Wasn't he the first man you were supposed to marry?" she asked bluntly.

  Katherine bit her bottom lip as she unconsciously gripped the pram's handle ti
ghtly. "We really must work on your tact, Sister dear," she murmured, her eyes trained on the front door she had to enter.

  Lucy made an unladylike snorting noise. "I think you have larger problems than my manners, Sister dear," she retorted.

  "Please, Lucy. I'm scared to go in. I don't want to face him,"

  she admitted, her voice growing hoarse with tears.

  Then her sister, who was usually a thorn in her flesh, surprised her by reaching over and putting her hand over Katherine's clenched one. "You have Thomas now. Think of how lovely it is you have such a wonderful man you'll marry soon, then perhaps Lord Kenswick will not matter anymore,"

  she said matter-of-factly in a voice beyond her twelve years.

  Katherine smiled down at her sister with amazement. "You really are quite smart, you know that?"

  She took the compliment as if it were her due. "I know."

  She then pointed to the pram. "Do you want me to take the pram, or do you want something to hide behind?"

  "Maybe too smart," she muttered, throwing her sister a frown. "I'll take the pram, thank you." She proceeded determinedly to the door.

  McInnes showed her to the parlor, where they were gathered, and once they noticed her standing in the doorway, all talking came to a stop. Uneasiness filled the room as Nicholas and his wife stood. Thomas stood, too, and came immediately to her side.

  "I didn't know they were coming," he whispered in apology as he put a hand at her back and ushered her farther into the room.

  Katherine forced herself to look at Nicholas, then his wife.

  She was surprised to find the bitterness she thought would arise did not consume her as she'd expected. Perhaps it had been her little sister's words that had done the trick; she did not know. But, as she turned from Nicholas's strained expression to his wife, who was smiling uncertainly at her, she felt strangely calm and-Free.

  "You know Nicholas, of course, but I don't believe you have met his wife, Christina," Thomas said quickly as if he were in a hurry to break the awkward silence.

  Katherine curtsied, and Christina did the same. "It is nice to meet you, Lady Thornton. Thomas speaks very highly of you," Katherine said first.

  The uncertainty left Christina's pretty features as she smiled at her. "Please call me Christina, and I am very honored to make your acquaintance, also!"

  Christina, Katherine could tell immediately, was so different from any of the women she knew from the ton with her open smile and readable face, but she also finally understood why Nicholas had chosen her. Her uniqueness had apparently been what he had needed to shake him from self-destruction.

  Something Katherine had been unable to accomplish once he returned from the war.

  Nicholas, however, did not share his friendly wife's openness of expression or eager acceptance. He even put a hand on Christina's arm when she stepped closer to Katherine to speak to her as if to protect his wife from her!

  Offended by his action, Katherine stayed only a short time more before making her excuses to leave. Thomas stood ready to escort her out when Nicholas stepped forward.

  "I would like to walk Katherine out, if you have no objections,"

  he said to Thomas, but his eyes remained watchful and, to Katherine's dread, mistrustful as he trained them solidly on her.

  The moment Nicholas had passed through the door with Katherine and her sister, he asked Lucy if she would give them a moment so he might talk to Katherine alone.

  Lucy grudgingly agreed, and suddenly they were alone for the first time since the night he'd broken their engagement. "I won't mince words, Katherine. I need to ask you why out of all the men in England have you chosen my brother to become engaged to?"

  She stared at him, aghast at his nerve. "You of all people should know I did not have 'all the men in England' to choose from, thanks to you!" she snapped back.

  "So you are using him because you have no other recourse?"

  he persisted.

  Katherine had to take a few breaths to calm the anger that was boiling inside her at his nerve. "How dare you?" she said slowly and distinctly so he could understand every word. "You have no right to question anything I do. I have been through untold anguish, not because of a broken heart"-she wanted to make that clear--"but because the backlash of your actions has ruined my good name. You should be apologizing to me as you told my father you wanted to do, instead of accusing me of using your brother."

  They stared at one another for what seemed like centuries before she finally saw a shift in his expression. "I apologize, Katherine," he offered, astonishing her. "I did not mean to come down on you so hard. I-" He stopped and seemed to be thinking of the right words to say. Something that was I04

  uncharacteristic of the old Nicholas. "I just don't want to see my brother hurt. He's been through so much, and I suppose I simply want to protect him."

  "I'm not going to hurt Thomas, Nicholas. I love him." As .

  soon as she spoke the words, she realized they were true. She did love Thomas Thornton, and she wanted to marry him.

  Nicholas, never one to miss much, narrowed his eyes at her.

  "You seemed surprised by that admission."

  She blinked in wonder and Iooked up at her former fiancé.

  "I suppose I am," she admitted. "I mean, I knew I was fond of him, but-I truly do love him."

  "You have not told him?" Nicholas was back to sounding protective again. "Whatever were you marrying him for if you did not love him?" he demanded.

  Katherine was not intimidated. She folded her arms about her waist and stared him squarely in his blue eyes. "We didn't love each other when you proposed to me," she reminded him.

  Nicholas had the good graces to look away in discomfiture, but then he brought his eagle gaze back to her. "I still do not have a good feeling about this match-I won't deny it." He sighed. "But I will say no more about it."

  She let out a breath. "Thank you."

  "Unless you give me cause, of course," he added, making her want to slap him.

  "Kate!" Lucy called to her as she came running to where they were standing on the steps. "Theodora wanted me to let you know the carriage is ready."

  "Nicholas, I must bid you good day, but before I go, you need to know, although I hated you for what you did at the time, I can now say thank you. If you had not stopped our getting married, then I would not have met the right man for me."

  "Nor I the right woman," he said in agreement. He surprised her by taking her hand and bowing over it. "I wish you happiness, Katherine. And if it is found with my brother, then I cannot begrudge it."

  She gave him a tired smile. "Be well, Nicholas," she said quickly as she bobbed a curtsy, then turned to leave.

  Excitement churned in her chest as she walked briskly to the carriage. She was in love! For the first time in her life, she loved a man who truly loved her back.

  She had so much to think about--so much to contemplate and plan for. But one thing was certain. Under no circumstances could she tell Theodora about her change of heart.

  On her wedding day, she'd just have to be surprised when she walked down the aisle and took her place by Thomas.

  Where she belonged.

  ~

  "Ye look tae be a bit out o' sorts, my laird," McInnes observed from his post by the doorway, watching Thomas pace back and forth in the foyer.

  "He's more than out of sorts, Mr. McInnes," Christina spoke up as she came down the stairs. "He's in love."

  “Aye," The big, middle-aged man nodded sagely as if that answered all his questions. "And tae a verra fine lassie, if ye don' mind me saying."

  Thomas heard both of their comments, but his mind was on what was going on outside the manor. "What do you think they are talking about?" He stopped to run a hand through his thick brown hair, causing it to stand on end.

  "Thomas, would you please relax? He is only trying to bring some sort of conclusion to what transpired between them a few years ago," Christina explained reasonably. "Nicholas
has felt great guilt over what he did, and I know he only wants to apologize. "

  Thomas shook his head. "I don't know, Christina. He does not want this engagement between Katherine and me. I do not want him to say anything that will cause her to have second thoughts."

  Christina walked up to him and laid her hand on his arm.

  "Thomas, surely her feelings are not so fragile. She has chosen to marry you, so she must love you. Nothing Nicholas could say will change that."

  Thomas's worry only increased as he listened to her.

  Katherine had not told him she loved him. He did not have that particular reassurance.

  All three of them heard the handle of the door being pushed, and McInnes was quick to grab hold of his end and open the door, causing Nicholas nearly to stumble. After he'd regained his balance, he shot a sharp glare at the Scot. "Does he always hide by the door to scare any who might want to open the door themselves?" he growled, directing his question to Thomas.