The Engagement - Regency Brides 02 by Kimberley Comeaux Page A
Authors: Kimberley Comeaux
Tags: Book 2 - Regency Brides
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a relationship between you both all along."
"Did you?" he murmured.
"Yes, because I had heard you were a good man and someone who would disregard the gossip that has been spoken of her."
Thomas nodded. "I appreciate your confidence in me."
For a moment, he thought the woman grimaced, but when he blinked, a pleasant expression was clearly shown on her face. Perhaps he had only … imagined it.
"I am on your side, Mr. Thornton, and will do everything I can to calm her fears so she will speak to you." She stood, and Thomas deduced their little tête-à-tête was over.
He stood. "I thank you, Miss Vine. I shall call again tomorrow."
He started to go, but she stopped him. .
"Wait!" He turned, and she motioned toward the window.
"The moat-or the ditch, rather. I saw her in there by the rear bridge when I glanced out of the window a few moments ago."
Thomas blinked with bemusement. "I'm sorry-did you say
'moat'?"
Theodora sighed with an expression of long-suffering.
"Unfortunately, yes. She likes to go and sit at the bottom and … well…
I don't know what she does. Thinks or something."
Thomas smiled at the odd woman. "Excellent. Again you have my thanks."
He didn't wait for a response as he hurried from the castle and walked around until he came to the rear bridge. As Theodora had told him, Katherine was there, lying with her back propped against the incline, strutting off in front of her.
He was halfway down when she saw him. "What are you doing here?" she asked in a panicked voice, scrambling to her feet.
"I'm here to find out why you have been avoiding me."
Thomas came to stand in front of her. "Are you having regrets?" he added quietly.
Katherine began studying the ground as she folded her arms at her waist in a defensive move. "I don't know what you-"
"Look at me, Katherine!" he demanded softly as he took her arms and brought himself closer to her. "First I find that you or someone has published our wedding date without consulting me, and now you are ignoring me. If you did not want to marry me, why did you set the date for the thirteenth of June?"
"I didn't!" she cried, her expression surprisingly defiant.
"My mother did that."
Thomas stared at her for a moment, trying to understand the emotions whirling about in her eyes. "Are you doing this for your mother? Because that is no reason to go into marriage.
I-"
"No. I'm not doing this for my mother." She closed her eyes, and when she opened them, she gazed directly into his.
"I'm just scared, Thomas. I'm scared of-" She stopped, as if she were unable to find the right words.
Thomas thought he knew the answer. "You're scared I'm going to leave you as Nicholas did."
She frowned and started to say something, then stopped.
She chewed at her bottom lip as he waited for her to respond.
"I-yes-yes, you are right. I'm scared of being hurt."
Thomas smiled, relieved. "My darling, don't be scared. You must realize I lov--"
"No! Do not say it! Please!" she cried, breaking his hold on her and putting her hands over her mouth in an appearance of fear.
"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,
"Did you?" he murmured.
"Yes, because I had heard you were a good man and someone who would disregard the gossip that has been spoken of her."
Thomas nodded. "I appreciate your confidence in me."
For a moment, he thought the woman grimaced, but when he blinked, a pleasant expression was clearly shown on her face. Perhaps he had only … imagined it.
"I am on your side, Mr. Thornton, and will do everything I can to calm her fears so she will speak to you." She stood, and Thomas deduced their little tête-à-tête was over.
He stood. "I thank you, Miss Vine. I shall call again tomorrow."
He started to go, but she stopped him. .
"Wait!" He turned, and she motioned toward the window.
"The moat-or the ditch, rather. I saw her in there by the rear bridge when I glanced out of the window a few moments ago."
Thomas blinked with bemusement. "I'm sorry-did you say
'moat'?"
Theodora sighed with an expression of long-suffering.
"Unfortunately, yes. She likes to go and sit at the bottom and … well…
I don't know what she does. Thinks or something."
Thomas smiled at the odd woman. "Excellent. Again you have my thanks."
He didn't wait for a response as he hurried from the castle and walked around until he came to the rear bridge. As Theodora had told him, Katherine was there, lying with her back propped against the incline, strutting off in front of her.
He was halfway down when she saw him. "What are you doing here?" she asked in a panicked voice, scrambling to her feet.
"I'm here to find out why you have been avoiding me."
Thomas came to stand in front of her. "Are you having regrets?" he added quietly.
Katherine began studying the ground as she folded her arms at her waist in a defensive move. "I don't know what you-"
"Look at me, Katherine!" he demanded softly as he took her arms and brought himself closer to her. "First I find that you or someone has published our wedding date without consulting me, and now you are ignoring me. If you did not want to marry me, why did you set the date for the thirteenth of June?"
"I didn't!" she cried, her expression surprisingly defiant.
"My mother did that."
Thomas stared at her for a moment, trying to understand the emotions whirling about in her eyes. "Are you doing this for your mother? Because that is no reason to go into marriage.
I-"
"No. I'm not doing this for my mother." She closed her eyes, and when she opened them, she gazed directly into his.
"I'm just scared, Thomas. I'm scared of-" She stopped, as if she were unable to find the right words.
Thomas thought he knew the answer. "You're scared I'm going to leave you as Nicholas did."
She frowned and started to say something, then stopped.
She chewed at her bottom lip as he waited for her to respond.
"I-yes-yes, you are right. I'm scared of being hurt."
Thomas smiled, relieved. "My darling, don't be scared. You must realize I lov--"
"No! Do not say it! Please!" she cried, breaking his hold on her and putting her hands over her mouth in an appearance of fear.
"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,
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