Page 11 of The Ones Left Behind
“Kitty?”
She stepped warily through the door. Had he seen her staring at him? Her cheeks burned with embarrassment.
“I must be dreaming again, or else had too much brandy,” he said to himself.
“You are not dreaming,” she answered quietly turning back to him.
He held out his hand and she walked into the room to stand at his bedside.
“How did you know I was here? Or did you somehow know I wanted to find you?”
“Why?” she asked.
His light green eyes were the same as they always been, though now with slight wrinkles around the edges seasoned by life and war. He looked away towards the window. “Because I needed to.”
What did that mean? She did not speak her thoughts, but waited.
“I have never felt easy about what happened and then you refused my help after Peter’s death.”
She could not deny it.
“Will you let me help you now?”
“You asked why I was here. I came to ask for a position. Mrs. Harlow is ready to retire.” There, she had said it and waited for his response. What must it be like to hold someone’s fate in your hands?
CHAPTER4
Matthias could not have been more relieved that Kitty had come. For a moment, he was able to simply be glad and forget about his injuries, Peter’s death and what had led to Kitty becoming married and then a young widow. Reality, however, quickly came crashing down. “I cannot allow you to be my servant, Kitty.”
“Being your housekeeper would be a vast improvement over the last two years, I assure you.”
He turned to look at her then, and suddenly he saw more than perhaps he wanted to. Those fathomless amber eyes did not hide the hurt and abandonment she felt. “Peter did not provide for you.” It was a statement, not a question.
“He did not expect to die,” she countered.
“And Sir Nigel?”
“He gave me twenty pounds to leave and pretend we were not acquainted.”
Matthias cursed and did not bother to apologize. He knew she had heard much worse as an army wife. “What would you do if you had the funds?”
“That is a moot question,” she said quietly.
“I swore to Peter that I would look after you. All the brethren did. Why did you not say anything to me?” It hurt more than he would like to admit.
“I am here now, my lord.”
“My lord? Is that what we have come to? We were brought up as brother and sister.” He knew the words to be untrue as he spoke them.
“Not quite brother and sister,” she said sharply.
No, not quite brother and sister in the end. His father had thought she had had ambitions to be a future countess and had thrown her out.
He wanted to pace the room and run his hands through his hair. He had never been a good invalid and he desperately wanted to be out of this bed. “What would you have me do, Kitty?” he finally asked.
“Must I grovel? You need a housekeeper and I know this house better than anyone else. Over the past few weeks I have been learning from Mrs. Harlow, even though she thinks it is beneath me.”
“It is!” he shouted.
