“Those ladies last night were idiots.”
Catriona’s heart skipped a beat. She avoided his, turning her head to face the window instead. “You don’t have to make me feel better, Joseph.”
“I only wish to make sure that you are not still thinking about it. That is the reason you wanted this session, is it not?”
She said nothing which was enough of an answer for him.
“Don’t waste time or energy thinking about them a moment longer,” he urged. “You will become the Duchess of Irvin tomorrow. They are not worth it.”
“I know.” She knew. She understood. But putting it into practice, ridding her mind of her insecure thoughts, was easier said than done.
But one thing she did know is that she was heading down a slippery slope with Joseph. She was warming to him far too quickly, far too deeply. If she wasn’t careful, the opinion of the ton wouldn’t be the only thing weighing on her.
“Thank you for taking the time to see me, Joseph,” she said as she stood. “Please, take care on your way home.”
She turned away but not before she saw the flash of surprise on his face. She took two steps before he was on his feet, seizing her wrist and twirling her to face him. He searched her face, eyebrows knitted together.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing.” She tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t allow it.
“You’re a bad liar.” Joseph pulled her closer, studying her eyes as if it would allow him to see right into her soul. Catrionawas almost afraid that he would. “You’re acting oddly all of a sudden.”
“I am not acting oddly. Our training session has come to an end, so there is no other reason for you to be here.” With more force this time, Catriona pried her wrist from his grip. She turned away before he could truly see the lie in her eyes. “I’m sure you know your way out by now.”
At first, nothing but silence met her words. She pretended it didn’t bother her as she made her way back to the chair by the window and picked up her embroidery. The quiet stretched on for so long that she wondered if he truly did not intend on leaving.
But then he did. Loudly and suddenly, he left the room without another word. Catriona turned her back to the window to keep from watching his departure, but it didn’t stop her from listening. She listened to the crunch of stones under his feet as he marched to his carriage then the neighing horses as they pulled the carriage out of the driveway.
She didn’t allow herself to breathe until he was well and truly gone. Guilt began to creep in, but Catriona tried her best to ignore it. This was what was best after all. After last night, after that brief moment when she’d longed to feel his lips against hers, Catriona couldn’t afford to get any closer.
CHAPTER 11
“Why haven’t they arrived yet?”
Henry peeked over the newspaper to look at Joseph with his brows raised high. “Quite impatient, are ye?”
Joseph ignored him, draining the rest of his glass of whiskey. He didn’t usually make it a habit of drinking so early in the day but he’d spent all night burying himself in work to distract himself from Catriona’s odd behavior yesterday, so he was feeling tired and cranky. And now that they were late, he was feeling pissed as well.
“She’s meant to arrive last, not never,” he grumbled from his spot next to the hearth. It gave him a good view of the driveway, never ending torture.
“I think that is meant tae be the groom,” Henry commented. He raised the newspaper back to eye level. “Or perhaps that is the family of the groom? Whichever one it is, we have naethin’ taeworry about. Though I supposed I’m nae family, but I’m sure ye understand what I mean.”
“I understand that you’re aiming to drive me mad.”
Henry chuckled. He folded the newspaper and set it aside, finally giving Joseph his full attention. “I’m curious tae meet the lass that has gotten ye so out of sorts. I daenae think I’ve ever seen ye like this. Not even during yer first weddin’.”
“We don’t need to talk about that,” Joseph clipped. “And we certainly don’t need to mention it when Catriona and her family are here.” He surged to his feet and marched over to the sideboard to pour himself another glass. It would be his last, he promised himself, since the last thing he wanted was to be in his cups during his wedding as quick as it might be.
“She’s the jealous sort, is she?”
“Hardly,” Joseph snorted. The thought stuck with him. A jealous Catriona was not something he’d ever imagined. Was she the type? Did it matter?
He knew the answer to that, but his curiosity was enough for him to forget about the reason he was going through with this wedding in the first place. The reason came bounding into the room a second later.
“Daddy!” Dorothea flew herself across the room and into his arms within seconds. “When will Miss Wallace get here? Isn’t she late?”
“Like father, like daughter,” Henry chuckled.
