“You are putting words in my mouth,” he said, his hands resting on his hips. “You were cold and argued with him.”
“And what should I have done?” she asked with narrowed eyes. “Fluttered my lashes and feigned ignorance? Or simply lied and claimed a change of heart to impress him? I expressed an opinion politely, and he chose to be offended. Why are you standing here, lecturing me, when it was he who was rude?”
“But you needn’t be argumentative and cold—”
“What is going on here?”
The pair turned to see Mr. Archer striding up, and the tightness in Katherine’s chest eased at the sight.
“My sister is being unreasonable,” said Benjamin, flicking a hand at her. “She seems to listen to you, so perhaps you can talk some sense into her.”
“In my experience, your sister is generally reasonable and sensible if treated with respect,” replied Mr. Archer.
Katherine’s throat tightened, and it felt as though someone had dropped a burning ember in her chest. Doubly so at the certainty in his tone, as though it were an indisputable fact that only a fool would misunderstand. Not even Benjamin’s huff of disbelief could penetrate the glow in her heart as the warmth wove through her.
“I simply wished to introduce her to a fine gentleman, and when he tried to speak to her of poetry, she insulted his preferences and refused to engage in an intelligent debate,” said Benjamin.
Staring at him, Katherine wondered how he got all that out of that conversation—but then, everyone seemed to believe her opinions and words far harder than she intended them to be, so was it any wonder that her brother was quick to adopt the rest of the family’s opinion?
Despite her history in the Leigh family, Katherine had hoped that one of the siblings might come to know her. Or at least form their own opinion rather than allow themselves to be colored by their parents’ poor opinion of her.
Prudence and Rosanna had been too busy with their friendship to be bothered with knowing their younger sisters, and the latter had only attempted it after Prudence had married, leaving Rosanna alone. Katherine wasn’t worth her notice when someone better was around, and when she refused to embrace the role as the second-best friend or to be made over in her sister’s likeness, Rosanna grew offended, just as Mr. Moody had.
Francis was Mama’s lapdog, so there’d been little hope of the two of them ever building the sort of relationship the elder Miss Leighs had. But Benjamin had left for school at a young age and spent most of it away from their parents’ poison; since his return, his treatment was never particularly warm, but their shared friendship with Mr. Archer often threw them together, and Katherine had hoped Benjamin might come to appreciate her.
Apparently not.
Had he only tolerated her presence because Mr. Archer welcomed her friendship? That was a question she couldn’t answer at present, nor did she have the emotional fortitude to attempt it.
“Mr. Moody is a bore, Benjamin. Why in the world would your sister find anything he says interesting?” said Mr. Archer. “I cannot imagine your sister being openly rude to him, though I can well believe he was in return. The fellow cannot stand to be disagreed with, and she is no wilting flower.”
Turning his gaze to Katherine, he added, “Good on you, Miss Leigh. There is nothing wrong with having an opinion and expressing it politely. If he took offense, that is his own doing.”
In this light, a hint of green shone in his eyes, making them more hazel than brown today. Katherine refused to turn away. From deep within her heart, she pleaded with him to realize the truth. Gathering all her strength of will, she sent out a silent prayer that he would see past that silly mask.
His Mystery Lady was standing before him!
“Well, I am glad you are here,” said Benjamin, drawing Mr. Archer’s attention away. “I had almost given up hope that you would be.”
Katherine sighed, her shoulders dropping.
“It was a near thing, as I have been busy all day, but Mother and the girls wanted an escort, and Father is unavailable,” said Mr. Archer.
Benjamin’s brows rose, and with a significant tone, he asked, “He’sunavailable?”
Mr. Archer merely smiled broadly and waved it away, and her brother nodded, his expression relaxing once more, though Katherine’s own tightened, her brow furrowing. Staring at him, she waited for some other reaction, but Benjamin began rambling about the picnic and the various people there.
Did he truly believe Mr. Archer’s deflection? Katherine studied her friend’s expression—one she knew all too well. It was easy enough to believe the grin and jaunty tilt of his hat, the carefree manner in which he laughed. But one needed only to look at his eyes to see how false it was.
That the elder Mr. Archer had left town was no surprise, for the gentleman never remained long in Greater Edgerton; there was too much sport and amusement to be had in other places, after all. However, that did not mean that his son was unbothered.
Katherine had never met the elder Mr. Archer, and she had only a passing acquaintance with the rest of his family, but she’d heard her friend speak of them enough to know Mr. David Archer was far more of the patriarch than his father had ever been. The work to be done that awaited him at home, the duty to his mother, and the concern for his sisters’ futures all rested heavily on Mr. Archer, and Katherine longed to pull him aside and ask him all about it, though this was neither the time nor place to do so.
Schooling her features so as to not give away her thoughts to Benjamin, Katherine watched her friend, though she couldn’t help the slight pinch of her brows. Mr. Archer’s gaze turned to meet hers, and though he attempted to give her a dismissive grin, she didn’t believe it.
There was so little she could do for him at this moment, beyond offer sympathy. Channeling all of those feelings into her gaze, she hoped her eyes would say all that she couldn’t. And Mr. Archer’s own softened. That corner of his lips turned up in something far more genuine. He didn’t pause in his conversation with Benjamin, but Katherine felt his understanding and acceptance. His gratitude.
“There you are, Mr. Archer!”
