Henry leaned back in his chair and took another deep breath. “You have such a kind heart.”
“Thank you. At this moment, I’m not exactly certain which parent I get that from, since neither of you have shown much kindness to each other over the years.”
He smiled again. “You are correct. I haven’t been an attentive father, which is why I brought you here. I want to make up for my mistakes.”
“Is it because you’re dying?” Perhaps she shouldn’t have added that, but sometimes words just slipped through her mouth, and she couldn’t stop them.
“Yes. Can you blame an old man for wanting to meet his only daughter before meeting his maker?”
She folded her arms and cocked her head. “Am I your only daughter? I heard you had remarried not long after divorcing Mother. Did you not have more children?”
Sadness filled his expression, bringing more wrinkles to his face. “The woman I married could not give me more children. She has a son from her first marriage, but he is not my blood. I didn’t want to leave everything I have to someone that is not my blood relation.”
“Are you saying,” she asked hesitantly, “that you are leaving meeverything?”
He tapped his finger on his chin. “Do you want me to?”
A laugh bubbled up in her throat from the hilarity of his question. She walked to the window but didn’t pull back the curtains. Instead, she turned and leaned her back against the wall, staring at the floor. Without wanting it to happen, ideas popped into her head about how different her life would be to have lots of money. “What would I possibly do with a plantation? I don’t even know how to run it.”
“True, but what about your Mr. Knightly? He would know how to run this place.”
She snapped her head up and looked at him with wide eyes. Her heartbeat knocked quickly against her chest. “What about Mr. Knightly? What do you know about him?”
“I hired him to be your guide for a reason. He is a good man. I wanted him to fall in love with my daughter, and with him as your guide, I’m sure I had accomplished that.”
“What makes you so certain he has fallen in love with me?”
“His men have talked to me, already.”
Embarrassment warmed her cheeks. “That doesn’t mean anything.”
“Yes, it does.” A grin stretched across Henry’s mouth. “I trust Knightly to know how to run my plantation. He is the perfect man for the job.”
“I don’t understand.” She moved away from the wall and slowly walked to Henry. “You want to give the plantation to Felix? I thought you just said you wanted everything to go to blood kin.”
He chuckled weakly. “Yes, but if Mr. Knightly married my daughter...”
Another laugh sprang from her chest, this one coming out in a loud bark. “Don’t be ridiculous. Why would he marry a woman like me? Did you know he is a duke?”
“A duke you say?” He tapped his finger on his chin again. “Very interesting.”
She flipped her hand in the air. “Regardless, we are from two different worlds. Why would a man like Felix want to marry a lowly woman like me?”
“Tell me, Katrina. Do you love him?”
She held her breath.With all my heart.“Yes.”
“Do you think he loves you?”
She couldn’t stop the tears from blurring her vision again. He’d already told her that he loved her, although he didn’t know she’d heard. “Yes.”
“Then obviously, he doesn’t care about the way you were brought up. He loves you for yourself.”
She wanted to cry with happiness but held strong instead. Did Felix really love her for herself? She’d never met a man who could. She took a deep breath and slowly released it. “He is returning to England to take his title and live as a duke.”
“Then stop him.”
“It doesn’t work that way.” She rolled her eyes. “Henry, you are living in a dream world if you think Felix is going to choose me over his title and lands.”
