The Engagement - Regency Brides 02 (9 page)

Katherine took a moment to regain her wits after his gentle kiss. If kissing her hand made her heart beat so fast, what would a true kiss do to her?

“Uh…yes, I think I do know,” she answered after a moment.

“What are you doing?” she asked when he sank down to one knee, still holding her hand.

He smiled sweetly at her. “I am kneeling before you, my dear Katherine, offering you my heart and my name if you will have them.”

Katherine could not help the tears that filled her eyes. She wanted nothing more than to accept his proposal and admit she loved him in return. But with Doraʼs threat playing in her mind, she was tom about what she should do. “I — I, uh ... ,”

she stammered.

When an answer was not forthcoming, the smile left his face and was replaced by an air of trepidation. “Katherine?”

He stood up slowly. “Have I misread your feelings for me?”

“No!” she found herself crying out. “I mean-“

“I know what you mean,” he interrupted her with a jubilant grin. “It must be that I have proceeded so suddenly-“

“Yes!” She grabbed on to his excuse. “We have known one another for such a short time! Perhaps we should get to know one another better.”

Thomas laughed at that statement and brought her hand to his mouth once again. “You are anxious!” he surmised. “Donʼt be, my lady. We will have a wonderful life together, and I promise youʼll never have to endure being snubbed at a party or have your name bandied about in degrading terms. Not as long as I am there to protect and defend you. “

After that touching speech, Katherine knew no woman alive would respond differently than she. “Iʼll marry you.”

He became still, her hand still safely enfolded in his own.

“You will?”

She took a breath, tried not to think about what would happen in the future, and nodded. And perhaps she wanted to do a little pretending, too.

“Katherine,” he murmured, his eyes full of emotion as he drew her to him. Her eyes grew large as she realized he intended to kiss her.

“Kath-!” Her sister barged through the door and froze when she saw them in a semi-embrace. “Aha! Iʼve caught you again, and this time I do not think he was aiming for your hand!” she charged loudly, her eyes full of curiosity.

“Lucinda! What are you doing in there?” her motherʼs voice echoed from the hallway, then she, too, was standing there staring at theʼ couple.

Thomas had already stepped away from her but was still holding her hand.

Her father appeared; both parents looked back and forth to try to gauge the coupleʼs demeanor. “Might we deduce that by your holding hands there is to be a wedding in the near future?” Katherineʼs mother asked carefully.

“Indeed, there is!” Thomas answered with elation.

“Capital!” her father exclaimed, stepping forward to shake hands with him and give Katherine a kiss on the cheek.

Her motherʼs reaction was, of course, more dramatic. “Ooh!”

she cried. Large tears formed in her eyes. Waving her handkerchief about, Lady Montbatten hurried over to Thomas, put her hands on either side of his face, and whispered emotionally with a properly shaking voice, “Welcome to the family, Thomas. And please call me Mama!”

Thomas had a bemused expression on his face as she kissed each cheek, then clutched her handkerchief to her mouth as if to hold off a sob. She then moved on to Katherine to give her a hug.

Of course, no one but she heard her mother whisper,

“Excellent, dear. You have saved us all!”

~

Thomas stayed at Ravenhurst Castle for a little while longer as the family talked excitedly of their engagement. Even Theodora had seemed excited about it and kept giving Katherine a strange smile, almost as if she were communicating her approval of the event.

Something about Katherineʼs older cousin bothered him greatly, but he could not put a finger on why. He seemed to remember knowing her several years ago, but he could not remember in what circumstance. He thought it might have been in the village of Malbury where he grew up, but he couldnʼt be certain. Obviously, it had not been a memorable meeting, and she
was
several years older than his twenty-seven.

Once he reached his home, Thomas took a few minutes to think about what to say to his brother. He had rushed to the castle in haste and out of anger, but he could not be sorry he had asked Katherine to marry him. His argument with his brother only hastened him to do what he desired to do in the first place.

He was to marry Katherine Montbatten, the woman he truly loved with all his heart.

If his brother could not accept it, then that would be something left for Nicholas to deal with. His brother had found true love and happiness; now Thomas had, also.

But surely his brother would come to accept his choice. They were both Christian men, and they knew God put people in their lives according to His will and not the dictates of men.

“Are you going to stand out here all day, or have you gathered enough courage yet to face me?” Nicholas spoke from behind Thomas, startling him.

“Itʼs not courage I am gathering, Brother,” he countered.

“Iʼm trying to remember my defensive training from the war in case you decide to try a hit at me.”

Nicholas chuckled while shaking his head. “I suppose youʼve gone and done the deed, havenʼt you?” he said, getting to the point of the matter.

Thomas lifted his chin. “I have.” The two men stared at one another. “Will this drive a wedge between us, Nick?”

Nicholas glanced away for a moment, and when he looked back, Thomas saw the emotion he was fighting hard to hide.

“I suffered for a year thinking my only brother had been taken from me. Do you honestly believe I would allow anyone-even an ex-fiancée—to drive a wedge between us?”

Thomas was blinking back tears of his own as he and Nicholas embraced. Then with a hearty slap on the back, Nicholas declared, “Come! We must go and tell Tyler he will soon gain not only a new mother but a new cousin as well!”

Thomasʼs eyes widened. “Then it is true? I am to be an uncle?”

Nicholas nodded proudly. “Yes, and this time I will not hire a nanny who repeats the same word with every sentence! I was almost driven mad when Mrs. Sanborne was living at Kenswick!”

Thomas laughed and led his brother into the manor. “I think she is quite endearing.”

Nicholas snorted. “Why does that not surprise me?”

~

“What are you doing back down in the moat?” Theodora called from above. Katherine squinted up from her seat on the ground where she had been trying to sort out her feelings in peace.

“I am trying to think, if you do not mind,” Katherine returned waspishly, not caring whether or not it angered Theodora.

“But I do mind!” Katherine turned in time to observe Theodora stumbling down the incline again-invading her sanctuary. “We must discuss where to go next with our plan.”

Katherine drew her knees up and buried her head in her folded arms. “I do not want to discuss it. Not now!”

“Yes, now!” her cousinʼs shrill voice demanded. “Cameron has returned from town, and it is the perfect opportunity!”

Katherineʼs head snapped up. “What does Cameron have to do with this?”

Theodora smiled as she peered down at her. “He is the second part of our plan, dear Cousin. Cameron will not be happy about your engagement since he truly hates all ·the Thorntons for what they did to you.”

“What
he
did, Dora. Nicholas. Heʼs the only one who hurt me,” she corrected. .

“That is neither here nor there, Kate. What matters is that Cameron is bound to stir up trouble. Heʼs already issued two challenges to the earl. He was humiliated by his not accepting, so I would wager he will turn his anger toward Thornton.”

Katherine stared at her cousin with horror. ʻʼAre you hoping Cameron will shoot Thomas in a duel?”

Theodora laughed. “Of course I am not saying that.” She shrugged. “But if one does occur ... “ She let her sentence drift off to be left to Katherineʼs imagination.

Katherine jumped up with her hands on her hips. “And what if it is Cameron who is shot or even killed?”

“Perhaps theyʼll choose swords! You know how good Cameron is with those!”

Katherine began to walk away from Theodora, back up the steep hill. “Your words are evil ones, Cousin, and I will listen no longer.”

Theodora was clambering to keep up, but sheʼd gone only a few steps before she tripped and rolled a short way back down the incline. “Arenʼt you going to help me?” she screeched when Katherine glanced back but kept on walking.

Katherine did not answer her, so upset was she over Theodoraʼs callous attitude. In
fact, she didnʼt even see Cameron until she collided into him.

“Oh! I did not know you were there!” Katherine gasped as she grabbed onto his strong arms.

Cameron smiled fondly at his sister as he helped her gain her balance. “I am afraid I was preoccupied myself, wondering what all the screaming coming from the moat was about.”

Katherine sighed, feeling a little guilty. “Theodora fell partway down the ditch, and I was so angry at her that I did not stop to help her.”

“I do not know why you put up with her at all, Kate. Iʼve never met anyone quite so unpleasant as she!”

Katherine stared up at her brother, who was two years older than she and whom she had always admired. He was a big man, muscular from working with his horses and fencing, and so very handsome with his curly golden hair and light green eyes. From her earliest memories, she saw Cameron as her protector, someone who was kind and gentle with her but would fight to the death if anyone or anything tried to harm her.

That was why she was so terrified to tell him about the engagement. She had no idea of what his reaction would be.

“Theodora has no one else, Cameron-you know that. I fail to notice her undesirable qualities, I suppose,” she said in response to his comment.

“You are a far better person than
I,
Kate,” he said with a grin as he tucked her hand into his arm and began escorting her to the castle. “Now tell me—what is all the excitement about around here? The servants are running about like mad whispering, and neither Papa nor Mama has time to answer when I ask. They all refer me to you. So what is going on?”

“I have become engaged, Cameron,” she said quickly.

“That is wonder-“

“Stop!” she interrupted with a cry, halting their walk. “First let me tell you who the man is.”

“Kate, do not be so anxious. I know I am protective of you, but I promise I will accept anyone who has broken with the attitudes of the
ton
and has chosen to pursue you,” he tried to assure her.

“Remember you promised, Cameron, for the man is Thomas Thornton.”

It was as if a thundercloud came and sat upon her brotherʼs head. “Surely you cannot be that stupid!” he roared, shaking her hand from his arm and glaring at her as if she were poison.

“The Thorntons are our enemies! What can you be thinking?”

Kate tried to reach out to her brother, but he backed away from her. “Please, Cameron, Thomas is not like his brother.

He—“

“Kate, has it become this desperate?” he asked in a calmer voice, ·as he appeared to be trying to fight his anger. “Do you believe Thornton is the only man who will ask for your hand?”

Kateʼs eyes filled· with tears at seeing her brotherʼs disappointment.

“It is not like that, Cameron.”

“Then how is it?” Cameron charged but turned away, as if trying to collect his thoughts. “If I had known this earlier, then I would deal with it, but now I cannot. I have to finish out the semester.” He pointed his finger at her sternly. “But I will see to this matter, Kate. Do not get married before I return!”

If her brother only knew about the plan. Katherine contemplated telling him, but because she was beginning to like Thomas, she did not. Perhaps she was holding out for a miracle.

“And how long will you be gone?” she asked faintly.

“Four weeks before the summer break.”

Katherine and Cameron separated when they entered the castle, for he had to instruct the servants on his luggage.

What she didnʼt expect, after he had gone from her sight, was her mother rushing toward her. “Is Cameron in his room?”

Katherine blinked with puzzlement. “Yes, but-“

“Lucy has told me about your conversation!” her mother said in a loud stage whisper.

Katherine gaped in amazement. “That little scamp! Was she eavesdropping on me?”

Her mother waved her handkerchief back and forth, giving Katherine a dismissive glance. “That is inconsequential at the moment, dear! Whatʼs important is that we must set the date of the wedding posthaste!”

“What do you mean?” Katherine asked, fearful of the determined gleam in her motherʼs eyes.

“I mean that we must set the wedding date for the thirteenth of June. It will give us four weeks to plan it!”

Katherine shook her head, feeling herself being sucked deeper and deeper into trouble. “It is too soon, Mama. You must let us have time to know one another!”

“Get to know him after youʼre married. It is what I did and what my mother before me did. It is simply the way of things, dear,” her mother instructed her with a shrug. “And, besides, we have to do this before Cameron arrives and tries to challenge him to a duel.”

“Where did North pop off to?” Christina asked the next morning when they were all sitting down for breakfast. She was quite stunning in her light green morning dress that complemented her red hair and bright eyes. Though Thomas could tell she had polished up a bit from when he first met her again at their wedding, after knowing her in his younger days, she still had the ability to say and do the oddest, most unladylike things.

Just the day before, heʼd found her in his stables inside Sultanʼs stall, examining his front leg. She hid gotten completely dirty from head to foot and was busy smearing a smelly mixture on his leg. Sheʼd explained later it was a medicine to help heal strained muscles-that his horse had been

“standing oddly” were her words.

Despite her unladylike behavior, she was still one of the most unusual and charming women Thomas had ever known.