Page 74 of The Ones Left Behind
She shook her head against his shoulder.
“I was trying to walk. That was how Henry found me, actually.”
“And he just left you there?”
“No, he offered to help but at that juncture I was not certain he did not mean me harm. I wanted to keep him at a reasonable distance.”
“Ah. Should I gather from this that walking did not go very well?”
“I managed one step.”
Kitty tried to hide her smile. “That is something, at least. But I do think it best to wait until Dr. Beverly considers you to be ready.”
“You are probably correct, my dear, but I wanted to be able to walk you down the aisle at our wedding. I wanted to be whole again for you.”
“Oh, Matthias. You need not be anything other than you are. Even if you had lost your leg, it would only be of concern to me because it distressed you.”
“I would like to think I would be equally as charitable, were our positions reversed, but if you will have me as I am, I would certainly rather not wait.”
“If I will have you...?” she mocked. “I think we have established that you are saddled with me.”
“We are saddled with each other,” he corrected.
CHAPTER20
Sounds of people moving about in the entrance hall signalled that it was almost time for Henry to depart.
“It seems our moment of intimacy is over,” Matthias said begrudgingly.
“At least there will be many more to come,” Kitty reminded him with a quick kiss before she stood up and helped him to his feet.
Hornsby appeared in the doorway and knocked lightly.
“Yes, Hornsby?”
His normally irreverent batman looked uncharacteristically stoic and was turning his hat round and round in his hands.
“Is something amiss?” Matthias was growing worried. “Has Henry changed his mind?”
“No, sir. But if you have no objections, I think I might go with him.”
Matthias could not have been more surprised.
“Now that you will have the missus to look after you,” he explained with a impudent smirk, “I think Master Henry needs me more than you do. And, if I am being honest,” he added with a touch of wistfulness, “the thought of a warm island with soft, balmy breezes sounds more the thing then cold, damp England.”
“Why, Hornsby, you sound positively poetic,” Matthias teased.
“Would you be amenable to it?” he asked sheepishly.
Matthias exchanged a glance with Kitty and she gave him a nod, a pleased smile lighting her expressive face.
“Actually, Hornsby,” he began, “I think it is an excellent idea. I will feel much better about sending Henry there if he has you to look out for him.”
Hornsby looked relieved. “Those were my thoughts exactly, Major. I did not want you to think I was abandoning you.”
“How could I ever think that? You brought me home and nursed me back to health.”
“Well, I had some little help,” he said, shuffling his feet back and forth, clearly uncomfortable with the praise.
