Page 38 of A Lovely White Christmastide
“Not so many. My father prefers to spend most of his time in Hayworth, which is not a large village.”
His brows rose a fraction. “And of those few men I am the very least pompous?”
She smiled up at him, slowly realizing she still held his hand in hers. “Perhaps not the very least. Maybe in the lower half.”
The grin that bloomed on his face at her teasing remark made butterflies erupt in her chest. Footsteps on the tile below reminded her of how intimate their current position would appear so she dropped his hand.
“You are not retiring already, are you Bingham?” Mr. Kaye said from the bottom of the steps.
They both turned.
“I am afraid I must. My nerve is paining me and I believe some rest will do it good.”
Mr. Kaye hesitated. “Alright then.” His eyes darted to Beth. “Miss Haynes, may I have a word with you before you go?”
Her nose scrunched. What could he have to say to her? Then she remembered the reason she was leaving the party early in the first place.
She nodded, then in a lower tone said, “I hope you are able to rest, Carswell. If your hand continues to pain you, have the cook bring up a hot water bottle to wrap your fingers around. It usually helps.”
“Thank you, I shall. Good evening… Beth.”
A shiver ran down her spine at the way he whispered her name like a caress.
When she reached the bottom of the stairs, Mr. Kaye began speaking without preamble.
“I did not mean to offend Miss Julianna. Is she angry with me?”
Beth clasped her hands in front of her and tipped her head to the side. “I do not believe so. Why would she be upset?”
He began to pace in front of her. “For the kiss. I waited for her, I really did, but then she hesitated and I thought to give her a way out of the forfeit and then Miss Crane made eyes at me, and I should not have, but it was too much.”
She watched him make short lines in front of her. What in the world was the man trying to say?
“Mr. Kaye, please stop.”
His feet immediately stilled. “My apologies.”
“Yes, I have gathered that, but what are you sorry for?”
“For turning my head when I thought Miss Julianna did not wish to kiss me.”
Beth ducked to hide her smile. From what she knew of her sister, Julianna had absolutely wanted to kiss Mr. Kaye. Had probably even rejoiced in the opportunity.
She glanced at his tortured face and for the first time she realized that Mr. Kaye’s feelings for Julianna were sincere. It was evident in the set of his shoulders and the way he wrung his hands. He absolutely did not want to offend Julianna and that could only mean that he held some affection for her. And by the way he’d reached for her after their kiss, Beth was sure he found pleasure in Julianna’s company.
“Mr. Kaye, let me put your mind at ease. I do not believe my sister was at all offended, only surprised. You have the great honor of bestowing her with her first real kiss and that can be quite overwhelming.”
His eyes widened. “I… I…”
“If it will relieve your mind, I will speak to her and inquire if she is well.”
“Would you? And if she is not, please let me know so I may make amends.”
Beth gave his arm a motherly pat. “I will, Mr. Kaye, but I would not trouble yourself too much. By the dreamy look in Julianna’s eyes after your kiss, I would say she enjoyed your attentions.”
Had she said too much, encouraged too much? Julianna’s insistence that they find husbands on this trip now seemed a logical exploit, at least for her. Mr. Kaye was a decent sort ofman, pleasant and thoughtful. To be sure, his income was much smaller than their father’s, and it would be sad to have her so far away, but a picture of their felicity now formed in Beth’s head. It filled her with peace. She could not deny her sister the happiness she’d so desperately wished for herself these last three years.
A lopsided smile formed on Mr. Kaye’s face and his eyes took on a faraway look. “Thank you, Miss Haynes. I shall take your word for it.”
