The Engagement - Regency Brides 02

by Kimberley Comeaux

  Thomas shook off Nicholas's grasp. "First you warn me against her, and now that she's shown herself to be conniving and untrustworthy, you want me to give· her another chance.

  What do you want me to do, Nicholas?" he asked, feeling the desperation of his situation closing in on him.

  ' You must do whatever you feel God needs you to do,"

  Nicholas answered, his eyes and voice intense. "Push away the hurt and emotions, then do what your heart is urging you to do."

  Thomas did not have to look deep within himself to know what he should do. He loved Katherine with all his heart and soul. Nicholas did not realize how tremendously he wanted to believe her, wanted to be assured she truly loved him.

  But he could not go to her. Perhaps it was pride or some other strong force that kept hardening his heart toward believing her, but it was there.

  "I can't do anything right now, Nick." He finally spoke the only truth he knew at that moment.

  Nicholas sighed and put his arm around his brother for a brief hug. "I will pray you do it soon, then."

  "Please, give my apologies to your wife and North that I cannot entertain them tonight. I fear I need to be alone,"

  Thomas said once they stepped apart.

  Nicholas nodded. "We had all planned to leave in the morning."

  He walked to the door but turned to give his brother a look of concern. "I will come' if you need me. North wanted me to convey the same message to you."

  Thomas nodded and watched him leave. After that, he did not know how long he stood and stared out the window, replaying the day over and over in his mind, reliving each and every horrible minute of it.

  His thoughts were interrupted when Mrs. Sanbome hesitantly entered the room, asking if he'd like to tuck his son into bed as he did every night.

  He almost declined, but suddenly he had an urge to hug his son, to tell him he loved him no matter who did or did not come into their lives.

  The scene that followed the next day was not a pleasant one. Katherine had finally admitted to her father her and Theodora's plan. She also told him she could not go through with it. She explained that her cousin had locked her in the room, but because the room had been unlocked, he had not believed the last part.

  That did not mean he would allow Theodora to get away with what she'd done.

  He summoned Theodora into his meeting with Katherine, and she knew the older woman had some idea of what it was about by the speculative gleam in her eyes as she entered the study.

  Katherine prayed that whatever excuse her cousin gave, it would not be more convincing than the truth she'd already told her father.

  "Theodora," Montbatten began, his tone hard and serious as he looked up at her from his desk chair. "Sit down, please. I have something I need to discuss with you."

  The usually collected woman appeared very nervous as her gaze darted from Katherine back to Montbatten. "Your grace, if it is about the wedding, I tried to bring Katherine with me, but she-"

  "Theodora!" he thundered, causing her to cease her prattle.

  "Do as I have asked and sit down!"

  With pinched lips, the older woman did as he ordered and sat on the edge of the leather chair across from him.

  The Duke of Ravenhurst minced no words. "Because of your dire situation two years ago, I allowed you to come live with us and be my daughter's companion. And though I knew about all the trouble you had caused the late Earl of Kenswick, I had your promise you would behave in a ladylike manner, helping my daughter through her difficult time."

  "Yes, your grace. I fully appreciated your generosity-"

  "You do not appreciate' anything, Theodora Vine. I believe you actually resent the post you have been given here," he inserted forcibly.

  Theodora's face held an innocent expression Katherine knew all too well was faked. "But, your grace, I-"

  "Because of this latest scheme you and my daughter have conspired, I can no longer allow you to stay and influence any more members of this family."

  All manner of pretense left Theodora's face, and a look of pure hatred masked her features. "How easy it is for you to throwaway an unwanted, poor relative. You sit in your many homes and castles and presume to cast judgment on all you deem undesirable." She stood, her fists balled tightly at her sides. "What about your own daughter? She has obviously planted all sorts of lies in your mind against me. Did she also tell you of her own deceit?"

  "Theodora, I told him everything," Katherine answered. "I am taking no fault away from myself in the plan. I only wanted him to know I had decided not to go along with it. I told him the truth."

  Theodora threw back her head and let out a crazed laugh.

  "Your truth, Katherine. That does not mean it is the real truth!"

  "Enough!" Montbatten roared. "I do not know what is going on here, but I only know I will not tolerate this any longer!"

  "I will not allow you to throw me out, sir. I will leave on my own accord. You do not have all power over me, you know!"

  Theodora declared in a triumphant sneer as she spun around and started out of the room.

  "I am afraid I cannot allow you simply to walk out of here when you can easily come back to harm either Katherine or anyone else in the family."

  Katherine turned to her father in surprise and saw Theodora also looked very confused. "What do you mean by that?"

  "I have arranged for you to leave here with my sister and travel with her to France. She is a widow, as you know, and needs help with her eight children. I told her you would be available."

  Theodora was not cowed by his arrangement. "You cannot make me go with her! I will simply refuse! Do not think I am completely without friends or resources. I will go elsewhere."

  Montbatten leaned forward as he narrowed his sharp gaze on his cousin. "You either go with her or I shall tell the authorities to renew the charges against you because you have conspired to bring ruin to a member of the ton. "

  Katherine suspected Theodora knew she had no recourse.

  The older woman marched out of the room but not before she stopped where Katherine was sitting and smiled at her coldly. "Welcome to the world of spinsterhood, where you are at the mercy of self-serving relatives who care nothing for you except what you can do for---"

  "That is quite enough, Theodora!" Montbatten roared.

  "Good-bye, Dora. I hope you'll be happy," Katherine told her quietly. For the first time, she truly felt sorry for the woman and prayed she'd allow God to come into her life and help her.

  But for now, Theodora only sent her a heated look before sweeping through the door.

  When Katherine awoke the next morning, her aunt had left with Theodora.

  After that, the matter was dropped, but it was clear she would bear the result of her actions for a long time.

  And she did. For in the two weeks that followed, Katherine was sure she had never felt so alone in her entire life. Though she'd once again tried to explain what had happened, neither her father nor her mother spent any time with her. At dinner she was largely ignored, except for Lucyʼs attempt at bringing her into the conversations. But even then, all would fall silent, then they'd begin a new subject -- one she could not be part of Katherine knew what their silence was about-though they believed Theodora had kept her from attending the wedding, the whole event would not have happened if the two cousins had not contrived the scheme in the first place.

  Lucy was most surprising at her acceptance that Katherine was truly sorry for her deeds. Even Cameron, before he'd left a week earlier, had told her that while he still despised Nicholas Thornton, he was sorry she had been hurt over the ordeal.

  He was not, she noted, sorry the Thorntons were embarrassed over the situation.

  As she paced back and forth in the foyer of the castle, waiting for a reply to the letter she had sent Thomas, she wondered if this letter, too, would be rejected as all the others had.

  Day after day she'd written him, and every time her letter came back with th
e seal still intact and unread.

  Christina, Thomas's sister-in-law, had even written her a letter, urging her to try to. see Thomas and mend the relationship.

  He's not doing well, she wrote in her scrawling handwriting. He won't even allow Nicholas to come out to see him.

  She went on to tell her own story of how she had to badger Nicholas into opening himself to other people again when he'd returned from the war. Even when he rejected her, she had gone to his house, finding excuses to run into him until he finally gave in to her.

  So, just two days ago, Katherine had tried to do as Christina suggested. She went to his house and told McInnes she would sit on the front step until he came out and talked to her.

  Apparently the picture of her sitting alone deep into the after noon and the beginning of night could not induce him to care enough to speak with her. She finally left, her faithful coachman having waited for her all day to take her home.

  The large brass ring on the outside of the main door to the castle sounded loudly inside the marbled foyer. Katherine ran to the door as Ambrose opened it and took the letter from the boy who had delivered the note.

  She held her breath as Ambrose closed the door and turned to her, handing her own letter back to her. There was pity in the older man's eyes as she slowly took the folded papers bearing her intact seal.

  Though tears stung her eyes, she avowed she would not cry in front of her father's servants anymore. She'd done it so much, he'd sent the doctor over to check her "mental health."

  She wasn't crazy; she was just so desperate to get in contact with Thomas. Somehow, someway, she had to let him know she would not give up on her love for him.

  Deciding she had to get out of the castle for a bit) she ran to get her light shawl from her room and headed out toward town.

  She was surprised to see Lucy by the gate that surrounded their property. She was without her governess or a maid, which meant she had sneaked out without her parents' permission.

  "Where are you going alone?" Katherine asked in her typical big-sister voice she knew irritated her little sister.

  She saw a bit of guilt on Lucy's face as she answered evasively,

  "I just wanted to be by myself for a while. Perhaps pick flowers near the forest."

  Katherine, in a hurry to get away, was in no mood to argue with her sister, so she gave in to her. 'Well, do not stay out too long. Mama will worry if she chances to look for you."

  A satisfied smile curved Lucy's lips as. she skipped off without so much as a thank-you.

  Katherine let go a deep sigh as she began the short walk to the village. She noticed the summer flowers blooming in full color around her, and it went to great lengths to restore her spirit.

  At moments, during the two weeks, she had felt so alone and wondered if even God had abandoned her. But surrounded by His beautiful plants and trees and the warm sun shining on her face, she knew He had never left her. He was in everything around her, reminding her that when she was down, He'd be there to lift her up.

  At last she entered the village, and her reception by the people of the village would probably have been laced with more frostiness had she not been above most of them in station. As it was, they were polite but not talkative, and Katherine could not blame them for their judgment. She had done a very bad thing; even if the end result had not been her fault, she had brought it on herself.

  She had gone into the bookstore, which usually never failed to take her mind off her problems; but today it did not. She wandered around far about ten minutes, then decided to stop by the village inn to get a cup of coffee before she started back on her journey.

  Katherine had walked only a few feet when unexpectedly a man stepped directly in front of her from out of a shop. She stumbled to get her balance, and when she looked up to mumble an apology for not seeing him, she froze: There Thomas stood, staring at her with as much surprise as she was at him.

  "Thomas! I can't believe it is you-"

  Before she could finish her sentence, he turned away from her, giving her the rudest direct cut she'd ever received from anyone.

  Ignoring the pang of hurt that pierced her heart as he walked away, she tossed all protocol to the wind and ran After him, not caring that she was making a spectacle of herself.

  "Thomas! Please talk to me!" she called as softly as she could when she finally reached him and grabbed hold of his arm. He stopped when he felt her and After a tense moment turned and stared coldly into her tear-filled eyes. "Why won't you let me explain? Why won't you at least give me a chance to--?"

  "I know all I need to, Katherine. Frankly, anything you could tell me right now I would be disinclined to believe."

  She gasped, and he became grim, seemingly more determined.

  "I'm sorry, but that is how I feel."

  "But I told you I had changed my mind!" she cried fiercely, hoping he'd see the love pouring from her gaze--from her expression. "I love--"

  "Do not speak of it, Katherine!" he insisted in a stern whisper.

  "It is over and done with. Now please, cease in your attempts to contact me."

  "I won't!" she declared. "I will not give up on us, Thomas.

  Not until you listen!" Her voice had risen to the point that anyone coming onto the street could hear every word.

  He merely shook his head at her, disappointment etched on his handsome face. "Katherine, you need to stop. You are embarrassing yourself and me. Good-bye."

  She watched with disbelief and a wounded heart as he turned from her. It was pride that held her back this time.

  She'd pleaded with everything in her, and he'd rejected it.

  She had nothing else to give. No more words to say.

  He'd given up.

  Perhaps she should, too.

  Suddenly, she became aware that everyone who had been in the village shops was now lined on the dirt street, staring at her as if she were mad.

  Everything, even her dignity, had now been stripped from her. Gathering as much fortitude as she could, Katherine held her head straightforward as she walked down the street, ignoring the glaring eyes and curious faces.

  Once she was out of their sights, she allowed her tears to fall, but she vowed it would be the last time she'd allow herself to cry over Thomas Thornton.

  She had only God now. He loved her. He had forgiven her.

  It was a good start.

  Thomas felt as though his heart were breaking into pieces as he turned from Katherine and walked away.

  He'd been so close to forgetting his pain, forgetting his feelings of betrayal, and simply pulling her into his arms; He loved her so much it had been agony turning her letters away each and every day;

  But his pride had stood in the way. His manly pride that stopped him from forgiving her as he knew he should.

  Deep inside, he knew she wasn't lying to him when she declared her love. But he could not believe no one could have heard her cry out, if Theodora had indeed locked her in the room.

  It had been the one sticking point as he'd deliberated over the circumstances of that day. The Montbattens had more servants than anyone he knew. He could understand Theodora's fooling one of them into going along with her plan, but the entire staff?

  Not likely.

  If only he knew for sure. Could he know?

  He entered his manor and stopped when he saw the uncomfortable expression on McInnes's face.

  "What is it, McInnes?" .

  " 'Tis tha' young lass, my laird. I couldna turn tha' puir thing aweey," his butler said hesitantly, motioning toward the sitting room Katherine had liked so much.

  Thomas looked at the open doorway but could not see inside the room. Was he talking about Katherine? Surely not, he tried to assure himself. There was no way she could have beaten him to the manor.

  "What poor thing-I mean, who are you talking about?" he amended, shaking his head, confused.

  "He's talking about me," a familiar voice spoke, and Thomas glanced back over and found not K
atherine but her sister, Lucy, standing in the doorway. She was not wearing her normal carefree, happy expression; instead she looked upset, with her arms folded and her toe tapping the floor in annoyance.

  "Lucy? What are you doing here?" he asked, walking with her back into the sitting room.

  He showed her to one of the plush seats her sister had picked out for the room and sat across from her. Lucy seemed to take an enormously long time in smoothing her skirts and getting settled in the chair. "I have come on a matter of great importance," she announced formally, her expression more adult than child.

  Thomas didn't want to upset the girl, but he was in no mood to discuss her sister. "If this is about Katherine, Lucy, it is none of your business-"