Lady Hollingsworth’s smile slanted. “Exactly.”
“When did she move to London?”
“Two weeks ago. With this choice, she’ll continue to receive a degree of respectability without the additional…what should we say?” Lady Hollingsworth looked up over her teacup. “Grandeur?”
“And power,” Catherine added.
“Indeed, and her reduced circumstances have left her former influences rather impotent.”
Lady Cavanaugh’s last hold on Catherine’s life loosened, the threat unknotting from her shoulders. David sighed. Catherine took his hand.
“You do realize one of your grandmama’s greatest dreams has come to pass?”
Catherine’s grin spread unhinged. “An impotent Lady Cavanaugh? Grandmama becomes more intriguing every day.”
“Catherine.” David chuckled. “Be nice.”
Lady Hollingsworth kept her demeanor unchanged except for the slightest tilt of her smile. “Your Grandmama had long hoped to restore the relationship between the Cavanaughs and the Spencers. That was her and Lord Jeffrey’s wish when they were engaged. It would combine the families’ estates for future generations to expand or recreate as necessary.”
“Well, it would make sense, now more than ever, to combine,” Catherine said. “Especially with the rising costs and care for managing an estate.”
“And the taxes to own such property.” David continued. “Father has already made plans to change the way his tenant farmers work so that the unused land will become productive farming land to increase revenue for the estate.”
“Combining the families could have made such a difference for Ednesbury if Grandmama’s dream had come true.”
Lady Hollingsworth laughed. “But don’t you see? Her dream has come true. You, the eldest granddaughter of Victoria Spencer, the blood heir of her legacy, and David, as the heir to the Cavanaugh estate?”
Catherine looked over at David as his eyes widened. They’d been so couched within their little world of new love and parenthood, the understanding hadn’t made its way into realization.
Lady Hollingsworth stood. “It’s very much like a tapestry isn’t it? On one side there’s loose strings and confused tangles, but when turned over and seen properly, it’s a masterpiece.
David’s hand tightened around her fingers, the fresh taste of grace humbling her yet again.
“You may only have the strings and the tangles sometimes in this life, my dear,” Lady Hollingsworth looked to the cradle, her smile peaceful. “But He has the full picture, and it is something beautiful.”
The last six weeks had been a slow transition for them. David stayed in the guest bedroom for the first month, his nightmares fading with time as Catherine took care of Addie and her own recovery. After a month, he awakened to her wrapping blankets around him, her hair in a black river around her face. Without thinking, he’d taken her hand and drawn her into his arms, holding and kissing her until they’d both fallen asleep. They’d shared a bed ever since, and he’d begun taking careful inventory of all the little nuances of Catherine being his.
Each day provided more open memories, and a few faint ones of their last days together before the war, but each day also deepened the craving for something more– a connection his heart understood but his mind ached to rediscover.
Little things began to tease his hunger. Her morning routine of wrestling her mass of beautiful hair into conformed styles, highlighting her neck in alluring ways. Watching her dress. The way she nudged her body close to him at night, as if she couldn’t move near enough.
That particular thought kept him distracted during his hospital rounds. He wanted her to be his in every way. Not only in her memory, but in his too.
As he approached the cottage from the hospital, he breathed in the new flowers of spring, plucking a few pale blue blossoms from the garden and tucking them behind his back.
Catherine looked up from her desk as he entered. “How did the surgery go?”
“Very well.” He shrugged out of his jacket. “Everyone managed to survive.”
“I deem that an unparalleled success.” Her grin arched, spiking his pulse with purpose.
He hoped to never forget that lovely smile again. “I brought you something.”
“Did you?” She stood from her desk, pages of various sketches and swathes of cloth scattered about, and leaned to place a kiss on his cheek, but he caught her lips with his own, prolonging her closeness with increased intensity.
He’d enjoyed relearning the contours of her mouth, the eager return of her kiss, the like passion. She matched him so well. He drew back and revealed his small gift.
Her eyes lit with humor. “Forget-me-nots?”
“Apropos, no?”
She took the flowers and held them to her nose, laughing. “Have I forgotten something, dear husband?”
His fingers glided down her cheeks, smoothing over her skin to her neck. “Actually, it’s more about things I wish to never forget again.”
“Is it?” Her brow arched to tease him. “Forget your keys again?”
He brushed his thumb across her lips, and her sapphire’s darkened to cobalt. “Actually, I’ve been thinking of much more endearing things than my proclivity for misplacing my keys.”
“You are getting much better at remembering them of late.”
“I have a very good wife.”
She shook her head. “No one would ever believe you.”
He chuckled and swept a palm to her hair, loosening a pin. “I hope I never forget your laughter.” He maneuvered another pin, sending an ebony lock loose. “Or the furious light in your eyes when you have an idea, or the tender and somewhat off-key lullabies you sing to sweet Addie.”
She attempted to push him away with mock offense, but he trapped her against him, pressing a kiss to her neck and loosening another pin or two.
“I hope I never forget how the scent of lavender lingers on your neck, or the way you reach to take my hand at random moments, or the way your eyes sparkle when you glance at me from your looking glass when you pin your hair.”
“You watch me quite intently when I pin my hair.”
“Mm-hmm.” In response, he pushed his hand through the loose mass, spreading it across her shoulders. “I’m attempting to sort it out.”
Her grin perked. “How I arrange my hair?”
“The memory you have that I don’t.” He held her gaze. “A particular memory for which I must beg your expertise and guidance.”
She pressed her body close to his, palms on his chest. “And whatever might that be?”
“Is Addie asleep?”
“Yes,” Catherine answered slowly, studying his face as his hands moved down her back.
Oh, she’d catch on quickly if he knew her. His grin spread. And I do know her. Each day, better and better. He touched his forehead to hers. “Kat, my love, what do you say we test how soundly she sleeps?”
Her brow rose in question and then understanding dawned. She placed her hands on his cheeks and offered him another smile. “And how exactly might I appease your curiosity, my dear David?”
He took her lips in a lingering kiss, a lover’s kiss, one which left them both breathless…and curious. She clutched the front of his shirt, her smile inviting him to continue his expedition.
“How?” He braided his fingers through hers and started for the stairs. “You’re a very clever woman. I have every faith you can sort it out.”
About the Author
Pepper D. Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance peppered with grace and humor. She’s a native of the Blue Ridge Mountains, a mom of five, a speech-language pathologist, and a lover of chocolate. She writes a variety of genres, but enjoys sprinkling her native culture of Appalachia in them all.
She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she works with kids who have special needs, searches for unique hats to wear, and plots new ways to annoy her wonderful friends at her writing bl
og, The Writer’s Alley. She is represented by Julie Gwinn of Seymour Literary Agency. You can learn more about her at www.pepperdbasham.com.
Acknowledgements
My fantastic Street Team, you guys bring such encouragement to this journey!
To the spiciest Brainstorming Team on the planet, Carrie, Mikal, Rachael Wing, Rachael Farnsworth-Merrit, Judy, Marisa, and Charity. Wow, you guys have been such a wonderful blessing to my world. Thank you for bringing your humor and encouragement into my writing madness. We met through book 1…we created a friendship through this book. I’m eternally grateful.
Casey & Robin Miller….YES! I “done” it twice!
Uncle Randall & Aunt Tonda for giving me lessons on driving a Model T.
Dawn Crandall and Susan Anne Mason, thank you so much for your encouragement, friendships, and excellent editing skills.
Author Laura Frantz, who constantly inspires me to write beautiful stories with a heavenly purpose.
Jeane Wynn, you are an endless reserve of support, ideas, and faith in people. Thank you.
Dawn Carrington and the creative crew at Vinspire Publishing – thank you for taking your chances on me.
Kelli Johnson! Thank you so much for letting me borrow your fount of wisdom about brain injury. I couldn’t have made things realistic without you.
Julie Gwinn, I cannot wait to see what 2016 and beyond has in store for us. Wow…what a start! Thank you for believing in me and bringing this dream to life.
To some of the dearest friends I’ve ever had, The AlleyCats. My life is richer, my journey sweeter, and cyberspace much more enjoyable because I share it all with you. I love you guys so much.
My parents for their unending faith in me.
And to the Redeemer of the broken. Thank You that no one is too broken or too fallen that Your love cannot restore them.
Dear Reader,
If you enjoyed reading The Thorn Keeper, I would appreciate it if you would help others enjoy this book, too. Here are some of the ways you can help spread the word:
Lend it. This book is lending enabled so please share it with a friend.
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Review it. Please tell others why you liked this book by reviewing it on your favorite ebook site like Amazon or Barnes and Noble and/or Goodreads.
Everything you do to help others learn about my book is greatly appreciated!
Pepper Basham
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