Kit & Jules
Chapter twenty-seven
Once again, Juliet found herself laced into this monstrosity of a dress, her hair fancifully styled and gems glittering around her neck. It felt wrong. It looked wrong.
Not like herself.
As though she was pretending to be another.
As though the woman she was, simply was not good enough.
Was that true? Would she only ever have a suitor if she pretended to be someone she was not?
What about Christopher? Would he like her like this?
As much as Juliet wanted to ignore tonight’s ball, her sisters would not be swayed.
They seemed incapable of hearing her objections—as feeble as they were—themselves too eager to see her as happily matched as they were, insisting on dolling her up until Juliet no longer recognized herself.
She wanted to protest with more vehemence, to argue against their plans, but she could not.
Not without revealing too much.
Most of all, she needed to speak to Christopher.
Yet the day had passed, and she had not caught more than a few glimpses of him.
The entire house was abuzz with preparations.
She, herself, had spent all day assisting her mother, then found herself drawn into one conversation after another about who could possibly be a suitable match for her and how she was to procure his attentions.
Juliet’s head spun by the time evening fell and her sisters drew her upstairs to dress.
If only she could feign a headache; however, Juliet was fairly certain that her sisters would never fall for that.
Still, their insistence felt odd. Why now?
Why the sudden desire to see her matched?
Was it simply because they themselves were now married?
Juliet could not recall her sisters making such an effort ever before.
Certainly, they had commented upon their grandmother’s insistence on keeping Juliet by her side.
They had wondered and speculated, but they had never shown such efforts to interfere.
A knock sounded on her door, and Juliet flinched, afraid that her sisters had returned, determined to add yet another shiny trinket to her appearance.
“Jules?” came a whispered voice through the door, and Juliet recognized it instantly, her heart speeding up as she hastened toward the door.
A moment later, Christopher pushed into the room, casting another careful look over his shoulder before he closed it again.
“I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t be here, but I had to—” His voice broke off as his eyes fell on her, first widening in something resembling surprise before they narrowed once more, squinting at her as though she were an odd specimen and he the scientist completely caught off guard by what he saw.
“What are you wearing?” Christopher asked as his gaze swept over her from head to toe.
“A dress,” Juliet replied simply, momentarily confused by his reaction. Was he—like herself—merely confused by this unusual choice in wardrobe that her sisters pressured on her? Was that his only objection?
Never in her life had Juliet desired to be beautiful. Never had something so superficial mattered to her. Yet, here in this moment, she wanted Christopher to look at her and…think her beautiful.
Christopher cocked an eyebrow at her as he searched her eyes. “It was not your choice, was it?”
Juliet smiled, delighted that he knew her so well, could see upon her face how she felt. “It was not. Yet how would you know?”
Christopher shrugged; yet his teeth ground together for a brief moment. “I might have overheard your sisters…urging you to contemplate taking a husband.” His gaze drilled into hers. “They seem very invested in this new project of theirs.”
Juliet could not help but notice that Christopher had not asked her a question. Yet the look in his eyes told her all she needed to know. “Are you jealous?” she whispered boldly, surprising even herself.
A sharp breath rushed from Christopher’s lips as he stepped forward, his hands seizing her waist. “You’re m—” He broke off, swallowed hard and then began again, his brown eyes almost black in their intensity.
“I want you to be mine.” His hands tightened upon her waist, and Juliet drew in a shaky breath as her knees threatened to turn to water.
“As I have always been yours.” He held her gaze, perhaps to let his words sink in or to receive a reply.
Juliet, however, could not muster a single word. Her hands reached out and grasped his arms as her world began to spin. Her heart was pounding against her ribs, and her breath came fast. She would not faint again, would she? Never had she known herself to have such a weak constitution.
“Are you all right?” Christopher asked, urgency and concern in his voice as he grasped her chin and looked deep into her eyes. “You look as though you might faint again.”
Juliet chuckled. “It only happens around you.”
A slow smile came to Christopher’s face, and his arm around her middle urged her closer against him. “Is that a reproach?” he asked with a chuckle. “Do you want me to stay away?”
“Never,” Juliet whispered, surprised to find her arms snake around his neck. “I want you to stay close.”
“How close?” Christopher murmured as he lowered his head down to hers, his breath fanning against her lips. “Like this? Or…closer?”
“Closer,” Juliet replied without a moment of hesitation. How she had remained nothing but friends with Christopher for years was beyond her now. All of a sudden, close was not nearly close enough.
His hand slipped to the back of her head, his fingers brushing against her skin as he pressed closer still.
“Look at me,” Christopher whispered, his dark gaze filled with such longing that it brought tears to Juliet’s eyes.
“I love you, and I want you to be my wife. I know there is more to be said, and I’m not expecting an answer right now.
I will ask you again and I will do it right.
I promise.” He cast her a quick smile, knowing that any moment now they might be interrupted. “I simply…needed you to know.”
Juliet felt her head begin to spin again, wondering if it could possibly be a sign of happiness. Odd that she had never felt it before, at least not like this.
Christopher glanced at the door. “I know your sisters are planning something, and I…” He swallowed, and his gaze darted to her lips. Then he suddenly dipped his head and kissed her.
Juliet’s fingers curled into his coat sleeves, not caring if they also dug into flesh underneath.
She needed to hold on to something as her knees threatened to buckle.
She did not need to worry though, for Christopher held her safely cradled in his arms as he kissed her with the same longing she had felt in his kiss before.
Again, his words echoed through her head, no longer fleeting sounds without meaning. Now, she managed to grasp hold of them, look at them and examine them until their significance washed over her with a clarity Juliet had never known.
Christopher loved her. He loved her as she loved him, and he wished to marry her. Of course, he was right. A lot more needed to be said, but what mattered most no longer remained unspoken.
“I love you as well,” Juliet replied on a gasp as she looked up into Christopher’s beloved face. “I’ve loved you all my life. First as a friend, and now…” Tears rose in her eyes, and she quickly blinked them away.
“Are you saying you will marry me?” Christopher asked with a smile, gently brushing a tear from her cheek.
Unable to speak, Juliet nodded. Then she reached up and pulled him down into another kiss. Words failed her, yet there were other ways to make him understand that he had always held her heart and always would.