Catherine’s cheeks flushed, and she took a step away from him, drawing her hands to her side. Alaric blinked, his green eyes regaining their usual brightness.
“Apologies, Catherine. It was a poor joke.” He grimaced. “Forget I said anything.”
“But you were not wrong.” Catherine looked down at her fingers, her thoughts muddled. “It is not fair, and honestly, that rule seems to be the one we both break without thinking. To me, that suggests it might not be working.”
“And what would that mean?”
“I like to think that there is a mutual respect between us, that despite my protestations, we have become friends. With so much uncertainty in our lives, it seems to me that we could both use a friend.” Catherine swallowed, unsure why her heart had sped up.
Alaric’s face was an unreadable mask. Catherine watched as he stroked his chin thoughtfully. Her eyes went to the muscles of his arm before she caught herself.
“I am not saying that this is a license to touch one another without restraint. Just... well, I think the occasional brush or show of companionship is not a bad thing. And it is probably good for Oliver to see too; he always seems reluctant to be physical, and I wonder if it is something he picks up from the way you and I are with each other. Of course, it is just a guess, and well, perhaps it was a silly suggestion I– ”
“Is this what you want?” Alaric’s eyes pulled Catherine’s to them, driving all of her words from her mouth. “For us to be friends?”
“It is.” Catherine nodded, wishing her heart was not racing quite so badly. “If you agree, of course.”
“I do.” Alaric’s voice was somber. “Though I am unsure what this will look like in practice.”
“As am I.” Catherine shrugged. “But we have figured out plenty together already; I see no reason we cannot work our way through this.”
“We do make quite the team.” Alaric’s lips quirked into a small smile. “And I suspect you will not hesitate to let me know if I have overstepped.”
“You would be correct.” Catherine smiled back at him.
“Then it is settled. We will move forward as friends.” Alaric inclined his head toward her. “And as you say, it will be good for Oliver.”
“It will.” Catherine nodded, feeling an odd sense of cold mingle with a lightness that spread across her chest.
Catherine thought she saw Alaric’s hand twitch, but he did not move toward her. Instead, he bowed and said, “I will take my leave of you, Catherine.”
“Of course.” Catherine inclined her head toward him, her heart racing once more. “I should get ready for dinner, anyway. I just wanted to let you know about Mrs. Langley.”
As Catherine walked away from Alaric toward her rooms, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up as if someone was watching her. But when she looked back, Alaric was walking away, his hands clasped behind his back.
She thought she saw the hair sway on his head, as if he had recently turned it, but she knew that was not true.
It is probably just a trick of the light.
CHAPTER 18
“You are being ridiculous.” Catherine stood in front of Alaric, one hand on her hip and another pointing to a vile-smelling concoction on the table.
Alaric folded his hands over his chest and arched an eyebrow at her. It had been three days since she had told him that she had hired a governess. Three days since she had lifted her no-touching rule and suggested that they be friends.
Friends.His heart thrilled beneath his fingers as Catherine’s voice echoed around his head, and his stomach dropped. He frowned at Catherine.
“I am not. It is disgusting.” Alaric nodded toward the concoction and wrinkled his nose. “And I do not need it. I am perfectly fine with... achoo.”
Damn it.Three more sneezes followed his first, and Alaric scowled. Catherine’s face was a mix of amusement and exasperation.
“You have been sneezing like that for two days, and do not think I did not hear you coughing earlier.” Catherine shook her head.
“It is nothing. I assure you, I am fit as a fiddle.” Alaric felt another sneeze coming on and just managed to suppress it.
“For now. If you do not tend to it, it will get worse.” Catherine met his gaze, her blue eyes soft. “You need to look after yourself, Alaric. It is lucky you are not sicker. I told you and Oliver not to go swimming when it was so cold!”
His heart tumbled in his chest, and he smiled at her, his voice light and teasing. “Careful, Catherine, you almost sounded like a wife.”
