Page 62 of The Wise Daughter
“We’ll stop and eat soon.” His voice was thick with an emotion the words had nothing to do with. “What will you call him?”
She held up the kitten and examined his tiny face. “I don’t know. A handsome little fellow like this looks fit for a palace. What do you think of calling him Prince?”
“Please don’t. I cannot be outranked by a cat.”
“Then you shouldn’t have bought a cat. If you understood their natures at all, you would know that cats assume the highest position in any household.”
“You sound as if you have experience with them.”
“Not really. There were a few that roamed our estate to keep the mice at bay, but I never considered any of them mine. They were consigned to the outdoors, too wild. I mostly learned about cats from observing those of my friend, Mrs. Westlake. She had the most regal ginger cat. That cat would find the highest perch in any room and look down on us as if we were beneath her notice. Then after a time, she would stroll over and let us pet her as if she were doing us a great favor. It always made us laugh. I always wanted a cat of my own, but my father wouldn’t allow it. He never allowed anything that didn’t make sense to him.”
He gave her a pointed look. “You’re still angry with your father for bringing you here, aren’t you?”
Nora took a deep breath. “He thought he could barter me off. And he was successful.” She gave a pitiful laugh. “I still cannot believe I’m here. With you. That you agreed… that you offered…” Nora covered half her face with her free hand, thinking of the things she had said last night, but he gently took her hand, angling himself to face her more fully.
“Lovely Honora. Even before your father suggested our union, I intended to make every effort to become acquainted with you once you arrived at the castle. I was going to ask to court you.”
She considered this, unsure what to think. “You did? You were? Because of your inheritance?”
“Blast that provision!” His jaw flexed and he shook his head. “I promise, that provision made no difference. If a man is rescued by a kind, beautiful young woman, he is going to take notice.”
Nora was silent for several seconds as she repeated those facts to herself. “Then why did you not tell Chuff to let me in? It took some convincing to get past him, you know.”
“I tried to warn you. I couldn’t risk saying anything that would alert the staff to what I had been doing that night. I suppose part of me was curious to see whether you would be able to convince him to let you in. I wanted to see how determined you were. You showed great strength of character that night.”
Itchy prickles rose in her chest. “I didn’t realize I was being tested.”
“Nora, please don’t be upset. I’m sorry. I’ve thought about that night so many times since. I was a fool about some things, but I don’t regret meeting you. If it helps, I understand that I am still undergoing your test, am I not?”
She didn’t know how to respond to that. He was right. She was still deciding whether she actually could make a life with him.
“I’ll prove myself worthy, Nora. I promise.”
The kitten chose that moment to give her finger another fierce nip. “Ow! You little scamp!” She placed him in the basket where he rolled onto his back and swatted at the cloth while she sucked on her finger.
“Scamp. I think that is a fitting name for the creature. He’s hurt you.”
“Not really.”
Aaron looked at her as if she had just broken her arm. He pulled on the reins, stopping the curricle and the horses, and secured the reins around their holder. “Here, give me your finger.”
“Aaron, it’s nothing. Really. There’s no need to stop like this.”
“But we’re here. This is where we stop for our picnic. Now, please give me your finger. It may not be as difficult as pulling me from the riverbank, but I also want to help when I see you hurt.”
When she placed her hand in his, something inside her shifted. He took her finger where a drop of blood was forming on the tip and deftly wrapped it in his handkerchief, then cradled her hand in his when he finished. For several moments, she stared at her hand in his, comfortable and warm. She now wished she had worn the signet ring that morning.
It was such a small thing for Aaron to do, wrapping her finger, and though it still throbbed with her heartbeat, she felt as renewed as if she had just awoken from a peaceful night’s sleep. This was the first time, she realized, since her mother was alive and well that someone else was taking care of her. True, Aaron had already let her in his home and tended to her physical comforts, but until this moment, she hadn’t felt the secure peace of his efforts. Now, she couldn’t look at him without seeing it.
When Nora finally looked beyond, past the trees where the land opened into a wide expanse of glistening shoreline, she sucked in a breath.
“Oh my. Aaron, it’s beautiful here.”
“I’m glad you think so. This is my favorite place to view the sea. I used to build sandcastles here with my father.” His voice momentarily caught. “I’ve been wanting to share this with you since the moment you agreed to our engagement.”
The way he looked at her, his confidence and hope mixing with a breathtaking admiration, made her blush all the way to her toes.Those green eyes, that wavy auburn hair that reminded her of toastedcinnamon, and that warm citrus scent made her insides feel like summer even as the breezes blew colder. She wanted to fill her lungs with it.
What a moment to feel… She didn’t know what she felt, exactly. She didn’t have a name for the complexities of Aaron and the sea and his care and her building hopes. All she knew was that he was pulling her in.
