All he could do was hope that Catriona would return. Hope and pray that he hadn’t lost her forever.
CHAPTER 22
“Ithink my eyes deceive me.”
“Mine as well. Unless we have crossed over into each other’s dreams.”
“Have I crossed into yours or have you crossed into mine?”
“I do not know. Either way, it would be the only explanation for what I am witnessing right now.”
Catriona ignored Ava and Maisie’s overdramatic mumbling at the sight of her sitting in the breakfast room. She sipped her tea and kept her eyes on her book.
“Come and eat,” Frederic, who was seated next to her, called, “and stop staring at your sister as if she is a curiosity that belongs in a fair.”
“Surely you cannot blame us,” Ava said as she made her way to the table. “It is simply because we did not expect her to be here, that’s all. And so early in the morning too.”
“Which only worries us,” Maisie tacked on. She did not bother to hide her concern. It was written across her pretty face. “This is quite out of character.”
“I missed you all,” Catriona tried to explain with a nonchalant shrug. But she knew she was fooling no one. And it was only a matter of time before they began demanding answers, Frederic included. He hadn’t said much when she arrived early this morning. He’d simply taken one look at her and asked if she was hungry. But she knew she was in for a talk, whether alone or with her sisters present.
For now, Catriona was content to act as if nothing were amiss. As if she had not stayed up all night crying because she’d come to the realization that she was in love with a man who could never love her back. As if she was not constantly consumed with sadness knowing that she would have to resign herself to a life of dissatisfaction. Running off to Heaton Manor had been a temporary reprieve from her pain, but she knew she could not stay here forever. Sooner or later, she would have to return to her duties as wife and duchess. But for now, Catriona hoped to simply pretend.
The sound of playing dogs sounded in the corner. Gemma and Culver pranced around Nina, trying to get her to join in on the fun.
“How did you all enjoy Lady Blimington’s ball last night?” Catriona asked, desperate for conversation. At least that way, she could focus on something other than the concerned glances they were sharing with each other.
“It was quite nice,” Maisie said first, tentatively. “Rather entertaining, in fact.”
“Oh? How so?”
“Lord Wentworth is quite desperate to make Ava jealous, you see.”
“Oh, heavens,” Ava murmured just as Catriona raised her brows in intrigue and asked, “Is that so?”
Maisie poured herself a cup of hot chocolate as she nodded eagerly. “It was quite the scandalous display, Cat. I’m certain it would have been the talk of the ton had anyone caught wind of what was happening.”
“And he should be glad that we decided to help him save face,” Ava chimed in, a little vehement.
“How did you know that he was trying to make you jealous?” Catriona asked.
“Why, he said so, of course,” Maisie answered. She was clearly quite entertained by the turn of events. “He walked right up toAva towards the end of the evening, with the stench of wine on his breath, and told Ava that she was quite cold-hearted.”
“And when I asked why,” Ava followed up, “he told me that he had been talking with Lady Belinda all evening in the hopes of making me jealous, but I had not even looked his way once! He was almost on the verge of tears, Cat.”
“It was quite the sight,” Maisie said with a giggle.
“I could not believe that I had nearly developed feelings for a gentleman such as he.” Ava shook her head in distaste. “Must he resort to trickery to garner my affection?”
“It would appear so,” Catriona answered. For the first time in what felt like ages, she could manage a smile.
Ava shuddered, visibly disgusted. “It only made it worse, I’m afraid. I was as kind as I could be in rejecting him but?—”
“Kind?” Maisie gasped, and Frederic chuckled, showing that he was listening to the conversation rather than reading the newspaper he was holding. “You might as well have ripped his heart right out of his chest with your bare hands!”
“How… descriptive,” Frederic murmured.
Ava put her hand to her temples with a sigh. “I could have been nicer, couldn’t I?”
