Chapter 11 #2
Catriona sighed and turned away from the window in the foyer, making her way up the staircase.
She paused briefly to scratch Nina behind her ears, grateful that she at least had her by her side.
She didn’t know where Joseph had disappeared to after the wedding.
Once they’d signed the papers, he’d barely excused himself and disappeared.
Mr. Henry Macdonald had enough good manners to apologize for them both before taking off after him.
She supposed she should have been glad for his departure, however.
It had given her more alone time with her family.
Catriona hadn’t realized just how much she was going to miss them, just how much she dreaded the thought of leaving Heaton Manor, until the moment was finally upon them.
Her belongings had been taken up to her new bedchamber, and when they left, she would be alone to fend for herself in this massive house. As mistress of the house, no less.
The trepidation wouldn’t go away. If anything, it grew worse now that she was officially the Duchess of Irvin.
The head housekeeper had asked her if she wished to meet the staff, and even though she knew she should, Catriona told her that she’d do it tomorrow. For the rest of today, she wanted to pretend that nothing much had changed. Tomorrow, she would put on the full mantle of duchess.
Her bedchamber was in the same wing as Joseph’s, the housekeeper had informed her. Catriona lingered outside her door, studying the doors along the hallway, wondering which one was his. Was he inside right now?
She shook her head, trying to rid her mind of every thought of him.
But as soon as she was in her bedchamber, the memory of the kiss they’d shared came rushing back.
Catriona touched her lips, her heart racing as heat washed her.
The way he’d held her, had pulled her towards him…
Catriona thought she would have passed out if he hadn’t had his arm banded around her.
But his kiss… oh, his kiss would have brought her right back to the world of the conscious.
She never imagined that it would be so… perfect.
She couldn’t describe it any other way. Even when Maisie had teased her about sharing a kiss with the Duke during the ceremony, making up descriptions on how it could possibly go, nothing could have prepared her for the softness of his lips and the gentle force he applied as they moved against hers.
She didn’t know what to do, and he didn’t seem to care.
He led, guided her, brought her to a point of no return…
She wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about it. That kiss had been branded into her very soul.
A soft knock on the door pulled her from her reverie. Catriona turned slowly, heart ramming incessantly against her chest at the thought of who might be standing on the other side.
The knock came again, softer this time. Catriona frowned. That couldn’t possibly be Joseph.
And it wasn’t. When she opened the door, she found a little girl standing on the other side.
“Dorothea!” Catriona exclaimed, lowering to meet Dorothea at eye level. The little girl took a step back, watching Catriona with impassive eyes.
“Welcome to Irvin Manor,” Dorothea greeted.
Catriona smiled. She’d almost forgotten how deadpan she was for a girl so young, as if she had been trained from the day she’d learned to speak how to put her manners first.
“Thank you, Dorothea,” she responded warmly. “I’m happy that you came to see me. It saves me the trouble of having to look for you myself. I feared I would have gotten lost if I did.”
“Why would you want to look for me?”
“Because I wished to speak with you of course. I thought it would be nice if we could sit down for a little chat.”
Dorothea blinked once. “We have nothing to talk about.”
Her bluntness took Catriona by surprise. “Don’t we? We could talk about your day or perhaps the fact that I am now married to your father. Or, if you wish, we could talk about what you like to do for fun.”
At that moment, Nina decided to poke her head in the doorway, distracting Dorothea from whatever response she was about to give. Her eyes lit up with excitement, and she lifted a tentative hand before she lowered it to her side.
“It’s all right,” Catriona assured her. “She likes to be pet, and I think she remembers you from your dip in the river.”
Uncertainty still lingered in Dorothea’s eyes, but she raised her hand once more, gently touching Nina on her snout. Nina began to pant happily then she lumbered closer and licked Dorothea’s hand.
The giggle Dorothea let out was music to Catriona’s ears. Gone was the stoic little girl, and in her place was one full of light and happiness. “She’s so friendly,” Dorothea gushed. “I wish I had a dog that would follow me around like Nina does with you.”
“Why don’t we ask your father if you could have one then?” Catriona suggested, even though she had a feeling she already knew the answer.
Dorothea shook her head. “Daddy would never allow it.”
Catriona held back her scowl at that. She could imagine that there were many things Joseph wouldn’t allow.
Catriona stood, reaching out a hand to Dorothea. “Let’s not linger out here. Would you like to come inside? I could have tea brought to my room.”
Dorothea hesitated once more, but Nina shoved her snout into the girl’s side, as if urging her to go into the room, and she was convinced. She took Catriona’s hand and allowed her to lead her inside. Catriona dutifully rang the bellpull, then joined Dorothea on the sofa at the base of the bed.
“Would you like me to talk to him then?” Catriona continued. “Your father, I mean. Perhaps I could convince him to get you a puppy.”
Dorothea solemnly shook her head. She continued rubbing Nina’s head, Nina happily accepting the affection. “I don’t think Daddy will listen to you.”
“Why not? I can be rather convincing when given the chance.”
Dorothea spared her a look so incredulous that Catriona was almost offended. “Not my daddy. He’s different.”
“Well, I cannot deny that. I don’t think I have ever met anyone like him.”
“What does that mean?”
“Only that I think I may have met my match in your father; that’s all. Though that does not mean that I am deterred.”
From the way Dorothea studied her, Catriona wondered if she could see right through her. “Do you like my daddy?”
“W-what—” Catriona broke off, stunned. She was saved by the knock on the door, marking the arrival of a maid. Catriona was all too happy to give the maid her full attention, asking her to provide tea, before she turned back to Dorothea. The little girl watched her closely.
Catriona cleared her throat, hoping that Dorothea was not astute enough to notice the blush creeping up her neck. “I think your daddy is a good man,” she said at last.
“I think he is a good man too. But do you like him?”
“I…” She didn’t know what she felt for Joseph.
It wasn’t such a difficult question, and yet Catriona couldn’t help the wave of panic that came over her when she delved into the depth of what she felt for him.
Because there should be no depth. Her feelings for Joseph should have been as shallow as a puddle.
“I think he likes you,” Dorothea went on, turning her attention back to Nina. “He talks about you a lot.”
“Does he?”
Dorothea nodded. “To Mr. Macdonald. I heard them mention you twice.”
“Were you eavesdropping on their conversation, Dorothea?” Catriona asked. “That is not proper for a young woman to do.” Though she supposed she couldn’t be mad that Dorothea had overheard that tidbit of information.
“I know. But I was bored. It is dreadfully dull when you have no one to talk to or play with.” Dorothea was using both hands to scratch behind Nina’s ears now, and Nina was loving every second of it. “He never talked about Mama.”
Catriona frowned slightly. The young girl’s words were to the point, no inflection of emotion found within them. Catriona didn’t know anything about the previous duchess and hadn’t thought it appropriate to ask. But now, curiosity lanced her with such force that she nearly spoke without thinking.
Instead, she said, “Well, I’m happy to know that I am quite welcomed in this household. And you should be happy to know that you will have someone to spend time with and play with from now on.”
Dorothea looked at her warily. “Truly?”
“Truly,” Catriona promised. She ignored the voice in the back of her head that wondered if she would be able to keep that promise, seeing that she was still not completely clear on how busy she would be in her new role as duchess.
Would it give her any time to act in her role as stepmother as well?
Especially a stepmother to a girl who was craving attention like Dorothea was.
Dorothea looked away, contemplative, then she got off the sofa. “I’m going to leave now.”
“Will you be back?”
The hope in Catriona’s voice made Dorothea frown at her. “I don’t know…”
“Well, if you don’t come back, I’ll simply have to search the house until I find you myself,” Catriona told her with a smile, hoping that she would return the smile as well.
She didn’t, but she said, “All right,” before she turned and left the room, walking right by the maid who had just arrived with the tea service. Catriona stared after her, amazed at how similarly she left a room to her father.