* * *
Catherine didn’t have to wonder long. She and Meredith were alone outside, waiting for Alyson to finish her business at the milliner’s, when Meredith brought up the subject. ‘Where have you and Finn been sneaking off to? Alyson might not have noticed, but I have. Marcus has. He commented on it last night.’
Well, Marcus and his powers of intuition could go hang. It certainly put her in a difficult position. She’d confess all to Meredith if there was something to confess. But at this point, she hadn’t any idea what to say. Finn and I have fallen in love? No, she couldn’t say that. It wasn’t true. Was it? Did people fall in love in a matter of days? ‘We went to the barn. I wanted to see Druid and Hamish.’
Meredith raised a censorious eye brow. ‘That explains the first disappearance. Were Hamish and Druid at the lake too?’
Catherine felt a moment’s panic. How much had they seen? How many people had noticed them leaving? ‘Finn wanted to show me an early fawn.’
‘And?’ Meredith prompted.
‘That’s all,’ Catherine bluffed—she hoped it was convincing.
‘You looked a bit unnerved a moment ago. Seeing a fawn doesn’t match the reaction.’
Perhaps it wasn’t Marcus’s powers of intuition she needed to fear. Catherine bit her lip. ‘It’s complicated. I can’t really explain it.’ Not even to herself.
Meredith’s eyes flashed in triumph, dark eyes like Finn’s. ‘“It” means there’s something then. I thought so,’ she said with an air of mystery.
Catherine reached out a hand and gripped Meredith’s wrist. ‘Please don’t say anything.’
Meredith smiled softly and covered Catherine’s hand. ‘Of course I won’t, but you’d better stop keeping secrets. My best friend and my brother. Who would have thought?’
Catherine shook her head, her words rushing out as she spied Alyson coming out of the store. ‘It might not be anything, Merry. It was only a couple of kisses. They just sort of happened. They don’t have to mean anything.’ Then she blushed, her cheeks hot in spite of the cold. Had she really said that?
Catherine expected Meredith to tease her. Instead Meredith leaned close and whispered, ‘Don’t disappoint me. You know Finn better than that. Do you really think he does things that have no meaning?’
She did know Finn better than that, Catherine realised. Perhaps that was what had been bothering her about their kisses. He could say they were a spontaneous venture, but she didn’t believe it because it simply wasn’t his nature. They did mean something, but what exactly? Was that the reason he hadn’t come on the expedition at the last minute? She’d thought it was settled last night.
* * *
The thought stayed with her the rest of the day as she picked out little gifts for the family. She had other things packed in her trunk that she’d brought from Paris, but she’d wanted something small to set at their plates for dinner. There were ribbons for Alyson and Meredith, an orange for their father who had a passion for the citrusy fruit and a small, carefully carved chocolate swan for their mother and hers. And that left only Finn. In earlier days, she’d have got him peppermints. But that was before he’d kissed her, before she’d kissed him back and her body had gone all hot and trembly in his arms until all she could think about was him, until all she could want was him.
Besides, what would he think if she gave him peppermints now? Would he think he had bad breath? She’d never known kissing to be this complicated before. Kissing redefined everything. At least Finn’s kisses did. It was probably noteworthy to point out that Channing’s kiss had not altered the speed with which she’d decided on his gift: the usual pistachios.
* * *
It was another hour before she decided on something. By then, the sky was overcast and glowering. Sleighs had come down from the house to carry the merry shoppers home with their packages, but they were gone by the time Catherine arrived at the meeting spot. Only one sleigh remained, a small two-seater with Finn at the ribbons. ‘Where is everyone?’ Catherine looked around, a little nervous. How many people would have noticed this special attention? He’d not come on the excursion, but had driven down specifically for her.
‘They’ve gone on ahead. I told them I’d wait for you. Everyone is in a hurry to dress for the ball.’
He helped her in, his hand strong and firm at her elbow.
‘You said you’d come today,’ she said once her packages were stowed safely at her feet and Finn had arranged the lap robe to his satisfaction.