Katherine tried to fight the little starburst of pain that expanded in her chest at the thought. Of course that was exactly what she wanted. She didn’t want that cad pursuing her across terraces and ballrooms, trying to pretend he was truly interested when all he wanted was to win some wager about bedding her. She didn’t want to interact with him at all.
And yet the idea that he would forget her now as easily as he had forgotten her all those years ago was…not pleasant.
“Katherine?” Isabel said, touching her hand.
She blinked and came back to the moment with a shake of her head. “I’m sorry, just pondering my options.”
“We’d love to have you,” Isabel repeated. “Even if this situation with Robert weren’t part of the equation, we would still love to see you. Please?”
Katherine drew a long breath. She lifted the elevation of her voice to tell the room at large, “I would be honored to join your party. Aunt Bethany, will you also accept?”
“I already have,” Bethany said with a laugh. “I’ve heard the Duke of Abernathe has a beautiful estate with a property worthy of my morning walks. And getting out of the city would do us both good.”
“Excellent,” Adelaide said, clapping her hands together. “That will please Emma greatly. I will tell her tonight when I join them before our departure.”
Katherine smiled. “You and the Duke of Northfield are going down to Abernathe with Emma and her husband?”
Adelaide shook her head. “Northfield had to take care of a bit of business on one of his far-flung estates and left two days ago to do so. He will meet me in Abernathe, so James and Emma offered to let Madeline and me ride with them and Bibi.”
Katherine nodded. “You and Madeline will miss him, I suppose.”
A flicker of sadness passed over Adelaide’s face, but she smiled nonetheless. “Although she’s young, I know Madeline does seek him out. She is her papa’s daughter through and through. As for me, Ialwaysmiss him. Even if he is only gone an hour. Dratted man has bewitched me entirely. Luckily, he claims I have done the same to him.”
“And he’s already written her three times since he left,” Meg teased.
The women all laughed as Adelaide blushed, but there was something hollow Katherine felt at the exchange. She had been married for two years and Gregory had left her at his estate plenty of times to take care of business. She did not think she had three letters from him in that entire time. As for missing him…during her mourning period she had certainly been sorry he was dead. But miss him? No.
And watching Adelaide, seeing how her entire face lit up when she spoke of her husband, Katherine felt jealousy rise up in her. A feeling she tamped down with all her might as the subject switched to all the activities they would participate in during their time in the country.
But the hollow feeling didn’t fade, even as the topic of much-beloved husbands did. And she tried very hard not to think of how it would feel to experience that weight in her chest for the rest of her life.
Chapter Six
Robert drew in a long, cleansing breath of fresh air as he galloped through the gate of James and Emma’s country estate in Abernathe. After the past few weeks in London, where he had felt stifled and out of sorts, the days of riding in the brisk autumn air had done him good. He felt a new man, untroubled by thoughts of the future. No longer obsessed with how he would bed Katherine.
Not that he was certain he still wouldn’t try. But some time away would give him perspective. He maneuvered up the long drive and grinned as the huge manor house came into view. James had made quite the life for himself here. At first, that hadn’t been certain. Abernathe had been so unsure of how to be a duke, it had caused a great many problems for him in the past.
But now that was all over. James was happy and settled with Emma at his side, Bibi in his arms and a new child to come in the spring. Robert was happy for him. Happy, that was all. Nothing else. Nothing sharp and empty that taunted him at night.
No. Just happy.
He rounded the last bend and saw that a carriage was already sitting on the circular drive. Emma and James stood at the top of the stone stair to greet their guests. The carriage must have just arrived, for servants were just getting down from the top of the rig and rushing from elsewhere to help the occupants.
Robert pulled his horse up behind the vehicle and swung down, stretching his back as he watched for the other guests to come down. He couldn’t see the crest on the rig from this angle, so he wasn’t certain which duke and duchess would greet him to walk up to their hosts together.
A lady’s hand extended from the vehicle and he craned his neck as she stepped down. Suddenly the world shifted, stopped spinning, for as she turned her face toward the house, her identity became clear.
It was Katherine.
Robert took a step toward her with a gasp. She had not yet noticed him as she moved aside to allow her aunt to join her on the drive. The two ladies conferred for a moment. Katherine said something to her driver, then glanced around and her eyes caught him.
They widened, a look of pure shock flowing over her features. Her aunt was talking and Katherine waved at her to go, so the older woman began to make her way up the stairs to their hosts. Meanwhile, Katherine just continued to stare, blinking as if she could make him disappear if she just focused hard enough.
He moved toward her, almost against his own will, for he had no idea what he would say to her, what he would do now that she was standing there, looking fetching in that lovely burnt orange dress that warmed her skin and brought out hidden highlights in her dark hair.
He reached her and she dipped her chin, muttering, “Son of a bitch.”
He stopped up short and grinned despite the fact that she wanted him anywhere but near her. God, but she was a spitfire. She never backed down, even though it was clear he made her nervous. He liked that. In some odd way, he liked having to work for even her barest regard.
