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"I do not know. Perhaps you were born under a lucky star."

"All of my childhood would disagree with you, but right now I cannot help thinking you may be correct." He smiled and looked down at her fondly. "You look very pretty today, Miss Darcy."

"And you look quite handsome yourself, Mr Briar. I admire your waistcoat, but it is very restrained for you. I find myself almost missing the green one."

"I turned it down this morning. Herriot was most displeased."

"Oh, I should not wish to incur Herriot's wrath. You must promise me you will wear it for dinner."

"I would promise you anything, my love," he said gently.

She reached up onto her toes and brushed her lips lightly against his. He stood still for a moment, enjoying the soft pressure of her mouth against his, before she lowered herself onto her heels and looked up at him with a shy, pleased smile. It was a brief kiss, a chaste joining of lips, but he had been longing to kiss her again for days, and now that she had taken matters into her own hands, he found himself desperate for more.

"Well, Miss Darcy," he said, smiling down at her, "I must say, I like it very much when you are the one doing the kissing."

She blushed and glanced towards Martha, who was some distance behind them, filling her basket with flowers to the side of the path. "I ought not to have done it, Nathaniel. We are out in the open, and Martha might have seen."

"Martha is doing an excellent job of not noticing. And I should be sorry if you were never to do it again. I was starting to think I might have to wait until our wedding day for another opportunity to kiss you."

"Our wedding day!" Kate exclaimed, looking at him in astonishment. "Nathaniel, we have only just begun courting!"

"Indeed we have, sweetheart, but a gentleman may entertain hopes, may he not? Particularly when the lady in question has already informed him that she loves him and would happily follow him around the world."

"Well, yes, but that is not quite the same thing as agreeing to marry you."

"I hope it leads to something more permanent, Cathy, or I shall have made a dreadful fool of myself. But rest assured, I have no intention of rushing you. On my honour as a viscount." He placed a hand dramatically over his heart and gave a solemn bow.

Kate laughed before stepping closer and laying her hand upon his chest, just where his own had been. Nathaniel slipped his arms around her waist and drew her towards him, and when she lifted her face to his, he met her halfway.

He kissed her slowly, enjoying the softness of her mouth and the little sigh she uttered as she melted against him. When he tilted his head to deepen the kiss, she rose onto her toes and slipped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. Good Lord, how he had missed this! He slid one hand up her back while the other spanned her waist, holding her tightly as her fingers crept into the hair at the nape of his neck. When he drew back to catch his breath, she followed him, her fingers tightening in his hair as she pressed her lips against his once more. He smiled against her mouth and pulled her closer, feeling the warmth of her body against his and the eager way she returned his kiss. His Cathy was becoming wonderfully bold.

At last, she lowered her arms and rested her forehead against his chest, laughing breathlessly. Nathaniel pressed a kiss to the top of her head and held her for another heartbeat before slowly releasing her. "I think," she said, looking up at him with a dazed expression, "that I am beginning to understand why Bella and George are always kissing one another when they think that no one is watching."

Nathaniel grinned. "I would be delighted to assist you in a more thorough study of the subject, Miss Darcy."

"Nathaniel Briar!" she exclaimed, laughing as she gave his arm a little slap. "You are a dreadful flirt."

"And you, my darling, are a most promising student."

Chapter Eighteen

Kate felt odd as she was getting ready for dinner. Almost as if she were floating through the process. The past weeks she had spent at Nathaniel's bedside had felt like a strange but lovely dream. They had talked of everything and nothing, and he had become so dear to her that she could not find the words to describe the feelings he caused to flutter and fizz inside her. But it hadn't felt completely real. It was as if they had existed within a perfect bubble within that one room.

Today, walking in the fresh air with him, he had felt solid and real. They had felt solid and real, as if they had started to shape a future that might actually come to pass. She was being courted by a wonderful man, and she could imagine a future that would satisfy her, both intellectually and emotionally. How had she ended up here? How could she be so lucky?

"Arms, miss," said Sarah, a touch of exasperation in her voice.

Several times that evening, she had been obliged to pull Kate from her thoughts to see to her toilette. Kate obediently raised her arms, allowing Sarah to make the final adjustments to her gown.

"There. And very fine, if I do say so myself. The green is very becoming on you."

"I think it may be my new favourite colour," said Kate with a smile.

She turned to look at herself in the glass. The gown was a beautiful shade of deep green, and Sarah had arranged her curls to fall prettily about her face. Kate had little time for fashion or fussing about her appearance, but tonight, as she looked upon her reflection, she felt she looked very well.

"I am sorry, Sarah. I know I have not been attending."

"Not at all, miss. Having your heart touched will do that to a woman."