“Of course you’re a lady,” he said finally. He reached for her hand. “You always were, to me.”
“They haven’t told anyone yet,” she said. “Only the family and the solicitors know. Evan’s made arrangements with Sir Lewis to host a ball at Summerfield next week. It’s supposed to be the Gramercys’ parting gift to Spindle Cove, but they secretly plan to introduce me as their cousin that night. From there, we were meant to go to London.” She reached for his hand. “But I’ll explain to them that we’ve reconciled and plan to marry, as soon as possible.”
He held up a hand for silence and listened. “The rain has slowed. The hour isn’t even that late. We can dress, and I’ll take you down to the rooming house. Then I’ll explain matters to Drewe.”
She paled. “Oh, no. We can’t go to him like this. Not tonight. He has a famous temper. There’s no telling how he’ll react if he knows we’ve—”
“If he’s any sort of man, he’s out searching for you already. They could be pounding at the door any moment.”
“Then I must go.” She scrambled from the bed, wrapping one of the sheets about her torso for modesty.
He rose from the bed as well—making no such modesty attempts. “Katie, I won’t let you walk home alone.”
“You must. Otherwise, it will be obvious what’s happened between us, and Evan would . . .” She pulled her shift over her head. “Samuel, there’s a very real chance he would try to kill you.”
Kill him? Thorne couldn’t help but chuckle at that. His lordship was welcome to try.
“Just let me break the news gently,” she said. Her fingers worked desperately to do up her buttons. “Please.”
He swore, despising himself for causing her such obvious distress. Of course she wanted to break the news gently, because there was no way in hell a family of aristocrats—no matter how eccentric and unconventional—would rejoice to see their legitimate cousin marry a man like him.
Even he couldn’t rejoice at the idea. The two halves of his being were at war—the half that wanted the best for her, against the half that simply wanted her.
He gathered a pair of loose trousers and pulled them on.
“I think I’ll have a little money,” she said, rolling a woolen stocking up her leg and tying it off with a simple garter. “That’s the good news. We can buy ourselves a fair slice of America.”
Smiling, she reached past him to take her frock from the screen. He took the garment from her hands.
“Turn away,” he said. “Arms up.”
He helped her into the frock, taking time with all the buttons and laces. His right hand was still clumsy, so several moments passed.
When he’d finished, he put his hands on her slender waist. “Katie, how can you truly want that life? How can you want me?”
She swiveled to face him. “How could I want anyone else?”
To be sure, she said such sweet things now. But in time, he worried she’d come to resent him. A solitary life on the American frontier would give her far too many quiet hours to ponder all she’d left behind. A comfortable, lavish home and every convenience money could purchase. Her pupils, her friends. The family she’d waited her whole life to find.
“You will miss them.”
She nodded. “I will miss them. And I’ll be happy with you. The two conditions can coexist.”
Not knowing what to say without contradicting her, he instead bent his head and took her mouth in a kiss.
What started out tender quickly became passionate, feverish. He clutched her tight against his body and swept his tongue between her lips. She opened to him readily, no hint of shyness or restraint, and he kissed her as deeply as he could. Probing, searching. Desperately seeking the reassurance that would give his guilt-stricken soul some peace.
Convince me. Make me believe I can make you happy.
Light up for me.
When they broke apart, her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were glassy. But he couldn’t exactly say that she glowed. Damn.
“Samuel, I won’t claim loving you is easy. But it’s scarcely the hardship you’re making it out to be, either.” She stretched to touch his face, rubbing the spot between his eyebrows with a single fingertip. “I want to iron this flat. Stop fretting so.”
“I’m not fretting. Men don’t fret.”
Men acted. If he saw a problem, a real man addressed it. He took bold risks, made life-altering changes.
“I’ll let you go home to the Gramercys tonight,” he said, “on one condition. Don’t tell them anything just yet.”
“But I’ll have to—”
He shushed her by placing two fingertips to her soft pink lips.
“Not a word of this. Not yet.” He caressed her cheek. “I want to ask for you properly. I must speak to Drewe myself, Katie. Man-to-man. You cannot deny me that.”
She swallowed and nodded. “I understand. Will you come down to the village tomorrow?”
He shook his head. “I need to return to London. I need some time to make arrangements first.”
“Will you be long?”
“A few days, that’s all.”