“Steady, Mercutio,” I whispered, steeling myself against the rising emotions. “Steady.”
Mercutio snuggled closer, his eyes closed, and placed his little paw on my arm.
Udolphohad lost its appeal. But I read on so at least Emily could haveherhappy ending.
Mercutio’s right ear perked up. Then his right eye peeked open.
Then the left. His head slowly lifted.
“Please don’t let it be a rat. I cannot bear it.” I listlessly flipped to the final page and read.
The last words felt final. Like I’d closed a chapter in my life by finishing this book. Valancourt had lost all appeal. I doubted any fictional man could possibly live up to the real one still etched on my heart.
A gentle tap sounded on wood. I groaned, rolling over with the blanket around my body.Please don’t be Amelia. As much as I loved my sister-in-law, as grateful as I was for her recent coddling and affection, some sorrows needed to be endured alone.
Mercutio stood and stretched.
Tap, tap.
If it weren’t for the baby, I’d ignore her. I sighed and pushed myself up. “I am here,” I called.
I turned round to the barn door, and there he was.
Lucas, haloed in light like some sort of god come down to earth. His smile lit up his whole face, and I was frozen. Dreaming.
“Georgiana.” He stepped inside and closed the door. “You look well.”
Well?I touched my hair and immediately felt straw. My face flushed with crimson heat. “What are you doing here?” rushed out in a frenzied voice.
Mercutio stalked toward him with predatory strides, sizing him up.
Lucas followed my gaze and immediately grinned. “Mercutio?” He bent down, and Mercutio’s shoulders aligned to pounce.
I jumped up. “No, Mercutio—!”
Lucas reached inside his jacket and pulled out a handful of something. My fierce protector took a few hesitant steps closer and sniffed it. Whatever it was, he literally ate out of Lucas’s hand.
I stood there completely bewitched. This perfect, polished man was in my hay barn, feeding my filthy, beloved cat.Why?
“Forgive me,” Lucas said. “I’d hoped to meet him. This is Cleo’s favorite treat.”
When he wasn’t looking, I swiped at my cheeks, tugging straw from my untidy hair. Heavens, I had bathed only last evening, but look at me!
When Mercutio finished, he gave Lucas a kingly look,blinked around his domain, then stalked off as though his work was finished for the day.
On the contrary, cats could most certainlynotread a person because I was completely out of my mind, something wasvery wrong, and Mercutio did not care one whit!
Lucas stood and swiped his hands on his trousers. His expensive, flawlessly tailored trousers that now had Mercutio’s drool all over them. I flushed even harder.
Lucas looked around, unbothered. “So, this is your barn?”
Bury me! “Yes,” I said through a painful lump in my throat. “Forgive me, I wasn’t expecting visitors.”
As though I might have cleaned it in the interim.
Lucas grinned, seeming all too pleased to linger. “Have you finishedUdolpho?” He motioned to the corner of the book poking out from where I clutched the blanket around me.
Oh, why had he come! We had both said what we’d needed to say. We’d ended things between us irrevocably, and with good reason. This was the most painful conversation I had ever experienced in my life.
