‘You walked through the rainforest for five miles carrying a full-grown man?’
‘Dragged him part of the way—I didn’t say it was a pretty remove.’ Finn chuckled.
‘But you saved him at your own expense.’ Her eyes shone with admiration. ‘You’re an uncommonly good man, Finn.’
‘I didn’t do it to be a hero, Catherine. I did it because it was right.’ Finn shut the book, a little uncomfortable with the shine in her eyes. Is this what he wanted? Catherine Emerson to fall in love with him? Or he with her? Maybe it was too late to think he had any choice in the matter. In any case, it was too late to be caught in the library with her.
‘Shall I see you to your room?’ They rose together and Finn picked up a lamp to light their way. But when they reached the library door, Finn stopped. He couldn’t leave this room without knowing where he stood with her. If there was no going back, there was only going forwards. Finn set down the lamp. ‘Catherine, wait.’
She turned, finding herself between him and the wall of the door. There was nowhere for her to go. He bracketed her with his hands braced on either side of the door. Her breath caught. He could see the pulse-spot at the base of her neck leap ever so delicately, her sea-green eyes widen in desirous anticipation. She was not opposed to this.
He kissed her, hard and insistent, his mouth slanting over hers with determination. This kiss was different than the one at the river. That kiss had been about surprise and exploration. But this was about claiming, about wanting. And it wasn’t enough. They were both breathless when they pulled away.
Catherine’s eyes held a challenge as they searched his face, his eyes for some explanation. ‘Don’t tell me that was another mistake. Once I might believe but not twice.’
‘That was no mistake.’ And just to be sure, he kissed her again.
Chapter Six
December 23rd, the day of the Yule Ball
‘You are so lucky!’ Jenny Brightly trilled as a group of them tramped through the snow to the village for shopping the next morning. Catherine smiled patiently. Jenny was eighteen and pretty and a bit man crazy but one could hardly fault her for all her exuberance. ‘If Mr Deverill had kissed me under the mistletoe I would have swooned. I just know it!’ The other girls with them agreed.
‘Do you think he means to court you?’ Another girl, Amanda Hardwick, put in.
‘Hardly.’ Catherine dismissed the idea with a wave of her mittened hand. ‘We are old friends and it was just a game.’ The air was crisp and the grey sky overhead promised a cold day.
‘I don’t have any old friends who kiss like that!’ Amanda gave a dramatic sigh. ‘Are you sure he doesn’t mean to court you?’
Catherine laughed away the notion, but she wasn’t sure there wasn’t some truth to it. After yesterday, she wasn’t certain of anything, except she was glad Alyson and Meredith had opted to come down in the sleigh rather than walk. Such conjecture about their brother and their best friend would be upsetting? Awkward? Both? She wasn’t sure what their reaction would be.
The village came into view, looking picturesque, as they started down the slope. Snow clung to the church spire and was piled in thick layers on the roofs of the shops. Catherine changed the topic of conversation to shopping.
* * *
In the village, Meredith and Alyson were waiting to drag her away from the group. ‘Mr Waters has a new shipment of ribbons in just for Christmas!’ Alyson exclaimed excitedly, pulling her into the ‘emporium’, the village’s pride and joy.
The emporium was warm and crowded with shoppers. It was hard not to be sucked into the Christmas spirit. ‘I don’t need any ribbons,’ Catherine protested with a laugh after Alyson’s fifth attempt to get her to purchase a length of dark-green ribbon.
‘Yes, you do. You need to meet people. Young men in particular,’ Alyson replied, selecting another length, this one in a blue. ‘It’s been three days and you haven’t met anyone but Lord Richard.’ Alyson made a pouting moue. ‘You’ll never meet anyone if you spend all your time with Finn, always talking about his plants.’
‘Well, you never know,’ Catherine answered, reaching for a length of emerald green to distract Alyson and hoping her face didn’t give her away. It was bad enough Alyson had noticed she had been spending time with Finn.
‘Oh, that emerald green will look lovely on Christmas day.’ Alyson frowned. ‘But it doesn’t match your gown for the ball. You have to get something to match for tonight too.’ She went back to the length of blue, talking the whole while. Meredith, Catherine noticed, had gone silent and was studying her intently. Did Meredith guess?