Benjamin let out a low whistle, shaking his head as he leaned against the trunk. “That crafty old biddy.”
“She knew our parents well.”
“That she did,” he said with a chuckle. “And clearly, she knew you, as well.”
“She was the only one at Whitley Court who enjoyed my company.”
Katherine’s gaze dropped to the ground, her heart growing heavy in her chest. Before Benjamin could say anything to that, she shook the melancholy away and met his gaze once more. He watched her carefully, his brows pinched together.
“She passed a decade ago,” he said.
“Yes.”
“And you are just now deciding to leave?”
She ran her hands down her skirts and straightened the folds of fabric. “I have been waiting for the proper time.”
“And now that things with David—”
“This has nothing to do with him.”
Benjamin gave her a challenging raise of the brows, and Katherine met his gaze without wavering. The debacle with Mr. Archer might have a small part to play in her timing, but it was not he who had inspired it. As they stared at each other, Benjamin straightened.
“You only met him two or three years ago, so it couldn’t be about him,” he murmured, and as he studied her, Katherine shifted in place, forcing herself not to flinch.
“Can I simply say my time here is at an end, and it is best that I leave? What reasons I had for remaining are nonsensical and no longer matter.”
Benjamin’s lips tightened, but he nodded. “I will allow it, though I feel I ought to say I am concerned about this plan of yours. Living alone can be precarious.”
“Yet there are spinsters and widows who manage,” she replied with a wry tone. “I will take precautions, and there is no reason I cannot be as safe as anyone can reasonably expect to be.”
“And it is lonely,” he added.
She lifted a single shoulder in a shrug. “I am well used to that. Even when the house was filled to bursting, it always felt lonely. Besides, solitude is preferable to keeping company with Mama and her friends.”
Turning her gaze to him, she arched her brow. “You needn’t object further, for I have already put my plan into motion. I wrote to my solicitor and enlisted his aid in finding me a home.”
Benjamin’s brows rose, and he straightened. “What news does he have?”
“I am awaiting his response,” she replied whilst picking off a bit of lint from her skirts. Her words were true enough, but as she considered them, Katherine’s heart sank.
Writing to him was the only course of action she’d had, but despite having met the man only once, she was fairly certain he would not approve of her plan or assist her in it. He’d been quite concerned about Katherine’s plans for the money, and he was unlikely to celebrate a lady striking out on her own.
She lowered her gaze to the rug at her feet, and her eyes traced the swirling scrollwork woven into the pattern.
Prudence’s brother-in-law was a solicitor; Katherine didn’t know the man, but he might be of assistance. But then, he’d likely reveal her plans to Prudence. She could only imagine what strong words that lady would have to say about this venture. And then there was a greater chance of Mama or Papa discovering it before she was ready to leave. It wouldn’t alter her course, but they could make her situation very uncomfortable in the interim.
There were a few other solicitors in town that might be willing to meet with her, but perhaps she could simply choose a town from a map and travel there, staying in inns until she located a home to let. That was a risky endeavor, but it was better than languishing at Whitley Court—
“I will act as your man of business,” said Benjamin.
Katherine jerked her attention from her thoughts and the rug’s pattern to look at her brother. “Pardon?”
“I will find you a home to let.”
Perched on the edge of the mattress, she stared at the fellow—and he stared back. Despite the closeness of the past half hour, Katherine couldn’t say she knew her brother well. Their lives intersected quite often, but she couldn’t recall the last time they’d truly had a frank discussion like this, so she couldn’t quite trust her interpretation of his expression.
But to her eyes, Benjamin looked eager.
