Page 90 of Forgive Not Forget
“No, I think you’re right. I am feeling lighter, but I don’t think it will hurt to talk it through with a professional. I feel stupid for not doing it sooner.”
“Doctors make the worst patients, I hear.”
Katherine nudged her shoulder into Anna “Sheila offered her services, so I think I’ll get back in touch with her. She was nice, and she knows my history. It makes sense.”
Anna nodded. “One other thing, actually.”
Katherine rolled her eyes at what was becoming a list of demands. “Yes?”
“Back to Pilates, and I’m going to join you.”
“Oh,” Katherine said cheekily. “You in Lycra…”
“I might need to borrow a pair of yours.”
“I’m sure that can be arranged. I’ll even help you into them.”
A smile spread across Anna’s face, yet one thing remained unresolved. “Do you think we can set a date and plan our wedding?” she asked, hoping she wasn’t pushing Katherine too much.
“To be perfectly honest, Anna, I just want to marry you. I don’t want to plan and wait. I really don’t care about flowers, dresses, or invitations. I don’t have anyone to invite anyway.”
Anna chuckled. “Me neither!”
“Then why were we looking at samples?”
“I thought you would have a huge list.”
Katherine shook her head. “You, Harry, and Becks are all I have in the world.”
“Then we better work on making us a bigger family.”
“All in good time. Let’s get married, get the abbey back into some semblance of a routine first. Shall I ring the registry office and see when the next registrar is available?”
Anna turned to face Katherine with her eyebrows raised. Although it was the best answer Anna could have hoped for, she still couldn’t believe it. “You’re serious?”
“More than I’ve ever been. We can give the barn a trial run.”
A smile radiated from Anna’s face. “Yes, okay, yes,” she replied, pulling her into a hug and then placing her impatient lips against Katherine’s.
CHAPTER35
Katherine stood in the hallway of Abbey House and admired herself in the full-length mirror. She rearranged a few strands of hair from the loosely finished up-do that she’d chosen specifically because she knew it made Anna weak at the knees. Anna had also let on that morning that she would wear hers down, so the hairstyle would also add some contrast between the two of them.
As she smoothed out her ivory, knee-length dress and straightened her matching jacket, her eyes caught the necklace that lay delicately around her neck. Twiddling the diamond pendant between her fingers, she thought back to Christmas when Anna had given it to her. Her heart had skipped when she’d unwrapped it, only to find the box was identical to the one Margaret had given her. Thankfully the contents of Anna’s box were far more to her taste. A flush of coolness swept over her as she remembered Margaret’s betrayal. She shivered and pulled her thoughts away, determined not to muddy her gorgeous necklace with memories of Margaret or her own ignorance of the woman’s actions.
The front door opened, and Rebecca stepped into the hall in an A-line, floor-length dress in dusky pink. She placed two bouquets on the hall table and then hitched up the gown’s V-neck. “Right, I’ve taken the flowers to the barn and left Gloria fussing over them. Carrie was showing the registrars through to her office as I left. You’ve really have worked wonders on that building; it’s quite transformed.”
“Thank you.”
“Where’s Anna?”
“Upstairs. Laura’s giving her a hand. Harry and Mabel are entertaining the children in the sitting room or possibly the other way around. Thanks for picking them up on the way.”
“No problem, his carer said she’d arrange to collect them later on.”
“How is my little gift for Anna?”
“Safely hidden away in her office. Carrie said she’d keep an eye out.”
