Gregory, Lisa (12 page)

"He
already has and I must give him my answer this afternoon. Come to get me early,
about two. And when he comes, we must keep Auntie from coming in."

"Oh,
no, miss, I'll let him in myself and keep everyone out, even if I have to bar
the door. Oh, Miss Kate, a wedding! I'm so excited."

"Wait,
hold on a minute. I said I was going to give him my answer; I didn't say it was
going to be yes."

Pegeen's
face fell. "Oh, but miss, I know you love him. Why, think of the way you
moped around when he was gone those three weeks. And he loves you."

"Does
he?"

"Of
course; anybody can tell that by the way he looks at you. Sure now, it's 'yes'
you'll be saying this afternoon."

Katherine
sighed. "I wish I were as sure as you."

When
Pegeen finished with her mistress's hair, she stepped back to admire her
handiwork. "Oh, Miss Kate, you look beautiful."

Her
dress was a pale ice blue, its frosty look softened by a tiny frill of white
lace at collar and cuffs. Her hair was pulled back into a chignon, but was
looser, fuller about the face with two carefully astray tendrils escaping from
the temples. She looked softer than usual, beautifully aloof. Even Katherine had
to admit that the effect was good. She smiled at her reflection, and behind her
Pegeen smiled, too.

The
morning at the office seemed to drag; she couldn't keep her thoughts on her
work. Like a mouse in a cage, her thoughts ran around and around in the same
path. She was relieved when a diversion arrived in the form of two naval
officers. They seemed somewhat surprised to see a girl in the office, but
greeted her politely and went into her father's inner office. After a few
moments, Mr. Devereaux stepped out of his door.

"Teddy,
run down to MacPherson and tell him I'd like to see a prisoner of his crew. A
man named Hampton."

Katherine
looked up in interest. What did the officers want with Hampton? Had he done
something wrong again? Was he to be removed from the yards forever?

Her
father turned toward her. "While he's getting the prisoner, I'm going to
show the major and the lieutenant over the new blockader we're building."

"All
right, Father," Katherine said absently, her mind on the possible reasons
for the Navy's visit. She gave the men a perfunctory smile as they trooped out.

Hampton
was as mystified as she when MacPherson called him from his work to tell him
his presence was requested in the office. Walking toward the brown brick
building, he pumped Teddy for information, but the boy knew no more than that
two Navy officers had arrived and now Mr. Devereaux wanted to see him. He felt
a touch of uneasiness. Surely it wasn't the girl. She had had the perfect
opportunity to report him a couple of months ago when he attacked her, and yet
she had not. Nor did her generosity toward his men betoken vindictiveness. In
fact, he sometimes wondered if she had really had anything to do with his
punishment; it was as likely that it had been solely because he had almost
attacked a guard.

More
likely, his escape plan had somehow been discovered. In his mind he reviewed
his men; was one of them a traitor? He could hardly believe it. Perhaps a guard
had overheard a comment.

His
thoughts suddenly stopped when he crossed the threshold of the office door and
saw Katherine seated at her desk. How lovely she looked—delicate, expensive,
aloof. Desire for her washed over him and his eyes moved over her hungrily. She
colored slightly at his gaze and dropped her eyes to her desk. He drew a shaky
breath, fighting to control himself, and took a seat with an air of
nonchalance. He stretched his legs out in front of him and crossed his arms
behind his head, regarding her with his cool, lazy stare.

Katherine
was glad to have her desk between them. Even across the room she was as aware
of him as if he had been standing beside her. An invisible current seemed to
leap from him to her, tensing her muscles, making her nerves stand on end. She
felt as if she were being drawn toward him against her will, pulled by the very
intensity of his gaze. He didn't speak, but his eyes caressed her, disrobed
her. Thoughtfully he ran his fingers slowly across his lips, and she, watching
him, was reminded of the feel of his smooth, warm lips on hers. Unconsciously,
she moistened her lips with her tongue, and he smiled, his eyes glinting. She
flushed hotly and tried to turn her attention to the work on her desk.

"I'm
afraid you'll have to wait, Mr. Hampton. Father has taken the major and the
lieutenant on a tour of a new ship."

"I
don't mind waiting," he said in his soft drawl. "In fact, I enjoy it.
You've done your hair a new way, haven't you?"

"Yes,
I—I'm surprised you noticed."

"I
notice everything about you, Miss Devereaux." His voice caressed her name,
making it sound more intimate than if he had called her by her Christian name.
Katherine, feeling strangely warm and uncomfortable, avoided meeting his eyes
and instead stared fixedly out the window. She was not the only one to feel
uncomfortable—Teddy could feel tension in the air, though he was mystified as
to why. He shifted uneasily on his feet.

"Why
don't I go get Mr. Devereaux and tell him you're here?" he volunteered,
struck by inspiration. He was out the door almost before Katherine could open
her mouth to tell him to stay, and Katherine was left staring at the closed
door. She froze—what was she to do?

"Have
you any idea how lovely you are?" he asked, and his husky voice sent
prickles down the back of her neck.

She
shook her head a little, afraid to answer, afraid to listen to him, afraid not
to hear what he said. He continued in his quiet, smooth voice, "I want
you. I want to kiss you, to feel your sweet tongue in my mouth. I want to
undress you, to touch you, to fondle you."

Uncontrollably,
she trembled at his voice. She heard him rise and come rapidly toward her, but
she didn't dare look at him. He stopped beside her, gently grasped her arms and
pulled her to her feet. With one hand he tilted up her face, and she was forced
to look at him. Mesmerized, she stared into his gray eyes, now strangely alight
with something she did not recognize or understand.

"Please,"
she whispered, not knowing what she was asking for.

His
head moved down to hers, his lips taking hers, softly, tenderly at first, then
increasingly more greedily. He tore his mouth from hers and began to kiss her
face, her neck, her ears. His tongue probed her ear and she stiffened, strange
darting flashes of warmth assaulting her.

"Oh,
no," she murmured.

"Oh,
yes," he mumbled, nibbling at her earlobe. "Oh, God, yes."

Fiercely
his lips swooped down on hers again and he wrapped his arms around her,
pressing her against him as if he wanted her to melt into him. His tongue
ravaged her mouth until instinctively she responded and her tongue crept timidly
into his mouth. A violent shudder shook his frame and a half laugh-half groan
sounded deep in his throat. He crushed her to him harder and kissed her
hungrily, his tongue teasing hers, first retreating, then thrusting deep,
lightly caressing. She felt dizzy and faint from his kisses and wrapped her
arms around his neck, clinging to him as to a rock in an unsteady world.

His
lips left her, and she gasped at the loss, but he kissed her face, her ears,
nuzzling and nibbling at her neck until he evoked little involuntary whimpers
from her throat. "My little girl, my sweet little girl," he murmured
against her ear. "It's been so long, so long. Please." His breath was
hot and swift. "Please." His fingers fumbled at her hair, jerking out
pins until the heavy mass came tumbling down into his hands. He groaned and
buried his face in her hair. Again he kissed her lips; then his mouth began to
travel down her throat. Limply she let her head fall back, leaning securely
against the steel band of his arm. He unbuttoned the tiny buttons of her dress,
his burning lips following the trail of his hands. Her bodice undone, he
slipped one hand inside her chemise, cupping and caressing her breasts. He
pulled her to him and turned her sideways, supporting her yielding body against
his chest and arm while he pulled her chemise down and explored her breasts,
his fingers teasing her rosy nipples into hardness. "Beautiful," he
whispered and bent his head to kiss her, his mouth retracing where his hands
had roamed, until she smothered a moan against his chest.

"Oh,
Katherine," he said shakily, "I take back what I said about Boston
women. There's fire in you." His hand strayed downward, delving through
layers of dress and petticoats and hoop, until his hand rested against her bare
stomach, and she gasped at his touch. He quieted her gasp with his mouth,
kissing her until she felt that she would swoon. She clung to his shirt, awash
in a haze of desire, assaulted by wild, strange feelings she had never
suspected existed. He lost himself in her, her lips and her succulent body
under his hands setting him aflame.

They
were shaken back into reality by the sound of men's voices coming across the
yard. Her father and the officers! He tore his mouth from hers and stood
staring down into her face, breathing heavily, his face flushed with desire.
She stared back, numb with fright. He drew a deep breath and closed his eyes
for a moment, then slowly released his breath.

"Get
into that office and put yourself back together. I'll hold them off out here,"
he said tersely.

She
whirled and raced into her father's office, closing and locking the door behind
her. Hampton threw himself into a chair and assumed a casual air, holding his
hat in his lap to hide the telltale bulge in his trousers. Katherine leaned
against the door and with trembling fingers pulled up her chemise and buttoned
her multitude of tiny pearl buttons.

The
outside door opened, and she pressed her ear to the door to hear. There was a
great deal of noise of feet entering, then her father's voice saying,
"Where is my daughter?"

Hampton's
lazy drawl answered him, "Locked herself in that office. Doesn't seem to
fancy my company."

Katherine
pressed her hands to her burning cheeks. How could he sound so casual and
offhand after what he had done to her! She knew that guilt was written all over
her face. Clumsily she tried to twist her thick hair back into a knot. But all
of her pins lay scattered on the floor in the next room. Hot, scalding tears
slid down her cheeks. Whatever had possessed her? All those horrid, shameful
things he had done to her; she would never be able to hold her head up again.
And she hadn't fought him, hadn't threatened him with her gun, hadn't even
protested! She had just stood there and let him do what he wanted—had even
responded. She thought of the way she had kissed him and clasped her hand
against her mouth. She had actually enjoyed his kisses and caresses, enjoyed
them in a wild way she had never before enjoyed anything. Good Lord, was she a
wanton? One of those loose women proper ladies whispered about?

In
the room beyond the murmur of voices was broken by Hampton's clear, amused
laugh. "Surely, gentlemen," he said coolly, "you can't really
believe that I will tell you about the waterways around Charleston. Have I ever
given you any reason to think that I am a traitor?"

Katherine
wished she could hurl a heavy object at him. How could he dare to be so calm
and collected when she was all in disarray and trembling? She couldn't marry
Lieutenant Perkins now—he would be so revolted to discover this vulgar tendency
in her. Only—only perhaps that was what married people did; perhaps Perkins
would be pleased with her as the captain had been. Maybe this sinful streak in
her would be satisfied in marriage. If she did not marry, might not her nature
betray her into doing something awful, perhaps become a "fallen"
woman? Perhaps marriage was the only honorable recourse open to her. And yet,
wouldn't that be deceiving poor Lieutenant Perkins?

"Katherine?"
Her father tapped lightly on the door. "You can come out now. The ogre is
gone."

Katherine
gulped. How was she to face her father? Sternly she willed herself to be
calm—he must not suspect. "Oh, Papa, I wasn't hiding from him," she
said, amazed to find that her voice didn't tremble. She opened the door.
"I had such a horrid headache, I had to undo my hair and rest a minute on
the sofa."

"Are
you all right?" Katherine could detect no hint of suspicion, only concern,
in his voice.

She
managed a slight smile. "I think that it is really only nerves, Papa.
Lieutenant Perkins has asked me to marry him."

Her
father followed her red herring. "And what was your answer?"

"I
haven't given it yet. I told him I would tell him this afternoon. And I can't
decide what to say."

"I
approve of Perkins, Katherine. I hope you accept him."

"I
just don't—I don't love him," she said in a small voice.

"Love
is not the only thing in marriage, my dear. Respect, similarity,
companionship—all those are important, too."

She
looked up at him, her eyes shining with tears. "Perhaps I'm not worthy of
him."

"Come
now, Katherine, don't be foolish. You'd make the lieutenant an excellent
wife."