The Engagement - Regency Brides 02 (16 page)

"That is marvelous!" North spoke up
with a grin. "Congratulations to you both!"

"You're having a baby?" the older woman asked faintly, clutching her hand at her chest. "This means he will be heir to your title."

Thomas shook his head, as he surmised what this meant to his society-driven aunt.

"Yes, if it is a boy," Nicholas answered, his voice and demeanor now calmed, thanks to his wife.

"Then we have so much to plan for!" She clapped her bejeweled hands together. 'We must have the right nanny and then governess and, Nicholas, you know you must send him to Eton because--"

"We will deal with that as it comes, Aunt," Nicholas interrupted, then looked at Thomas. "What I am concerned about right now is Thomas. You never did tell us why you seem so upset this morning."

Thomas sighed, pushing his food about on his plate with his fork. "It's just a feeling I have --I don't know. I suppose I'm a little out of sorts since I have not been able to talk to Katherine in two days. I really would like to warn her about her cousin."

"Thomas, you shall have all the rest of your life to talk to her," Christina reminded him gently. "In a few hours you shall be her husband, and it will be within your power to make Sure Theodora stays well away from her."

"You are right, Christina," Thomas said, feeling a little better.

"I guess I do not want anything to happen to stop us from getting married."

Nicholas stood and put his hand on his brother's shoulder.

"Thom, trust in the love you have for one another. I may not have been completely behind this relationship in the beginning, but I do know she spoke the truth when she told me she loved you. Believe in that, little brother."

Thomas held those words close to him -as he, with. the help of his valet, dressed in
his
new black suit, with its gray vest and snow white cravat tied expertly at his neck. Christina pinned a pink rose on his lapel, then they, along with Mrs.

Sanborne and his son, left in his brother's grand carriage and traveled to the abbey where the service was to be held.

~

Katherine stood in front of her mother as they stared at their images inside the oval mirror in Katherine's bedroom. She was in awe at how the stunning satin gown with its empire waist and wide pleated skirt transformed her into the bride she'd always dreamed she would be. The circlet of pink roses around her head, with the lace veil that streamed behind her, completed the look.

"You are so beautiful, dear." Her mother sniffed and put her arm around her shoulders and gave her a loving squeeze. The other hand was dabbing madly at her moist eyes. "I shan't get through the ceremony without staining my own gown with tears-I just know it!" she declared with typical dramatic flair.

It took great concentration for Katherine not to roll her eyes in exasperation. "Mama, I am sure your dress will hold up fine," she assured her dryly. ' And, besides, the pink color complements your features quite a lot. I daresay there will be many comments made about how young it makes you appear."

Her mother immediately stopped crying and nudged Katherine aside a bit so she could see her own image fully.

"Do you think so, dear?" she asked breathlessly, tugging at the neckline, then smoothing the skirt. "Yes, I do believe you are correct, Katherine! It is a very good color for me."

Katherine hid her smile behind the bouquet of flowers she'd taken from her nightstand. "You must remember to tell your dressmaker of this so she might search for more fabric of the same hue," Katherine added, feeling a bit guilty she was teasing her mother, though the woman was oblivious.

Lady Montbatten breathed in quickly in a small gasp, and her eyes grew wide. "I shall do that first thing Monday morning!"

"Here you are!" Lucy cried as she came bounding into the room with her usual burst of energy. She, too, was dressed in pink with her thick blond curls tied back with a large matching ribbon. When she saw Katherine, her eyes stared at the veil and ran down the length of the gown to her sister's satin slippers. "You look so beautiful!" she whispered in admiration.

"Oh! Why, thank you, dear!" her mother answered, making the sisters glance at each other with surprised humor. "I was just going down to write a note to my dressmaker about it."

She started out of the room but paused to look at Lucy with a critical eye. "Do something with her hair ribbon, Katherine.

It appears a bit disheveled!"

"Do you think she is really that capricious, Kate?" Lucy asked with a grin when their mother was out of earshot.

Katherine shook her head with a chuckle. "I don't know. I once thought she may only act that way because it allows her to get away with things a lady normally wouldn't, but now I'm not so certain. She would have to be the world's greatest actress to carry off such a charade over our whole lifetime."

Lucy walked over to her, and Katherine began straightening her ribbon. "Have you seen Theodora this morning?" she asked her little sister. If anyone knew, it would be Lucy.

But the younger girl shook her head. "I haven't seen her since last night, but I did notice Cameron is here."

Katherine was astonished at that news. "I thought he said he wouldn't come."

"You know Cameron," Lucy said with a grown-up tone to her voice. "He pouts, but he loves you too much to snub you on your own wedding day."

Katherine smiled. "I'd hoped he couldn't stay away." She bent and gave her sister a kiss on the cheek. "There you are.

Now go down and make sure Theodora is not about causing trouble, will you? I'll be down in a moment."

"I hope she'll be so upset because you are not going along with her plan that she has decided to go away somewhere and not attend the wedding!" Lucy stated fervently.

"Now, Lucy, behave yourself!" she called After her sister, but because she ran out of the room so fast, Katherine was doubtful she even heard.

Katherine's maid came in and applied the last touches to her blond curls. Ten minutes later she was fully dressed, so she made her way downstairs to let her family know she was ready to leave for the church.

But when she stepped into the library where her parents were supposed to be waiting, she suddenly froze.

No one was there but …Theodora.

An uneasy feeling settled over Katherine as she stepped farther into the library, nervously searching about the room.

"Where is everyone?" she asked, keeping her voice as steady as possible.

Theodora's lips curved into the most frightening smile Katherine had ever seen. A chill ran down her spine as she tried to assure herself it was only her imagination Theodora seemed so daunting.

"They have gone to the abbey," she answered coolly. "I told them I would ensure you arrived safely and on time." She let out a small laugh. "But of course you won't."

Katherine felt panic building in her chest, and she took a deep breath to try to calm down. She thought about the servants and decided, if she had to, she would scream for their help. "Dora, I told you I had changed my mind, and I meant it," she said firmly, her eyes trying to gauge the distance between herself and the door.

As if reading her thoughts, Theodora began to circle her, putting herself between the door and Katherine. ' Ah, but that is not what we planned, Kate. You know that." Theodora stepped closer to the door. "The Thorntons must pay, and this is the only way to do it," she stated as if it were the most rational explanation in the world. "You see, I was once involved with Nicholas's father."

Katherine stood staring at her cousin with unbelief. "What?

I never heard about--"

"Of course you never heard about it!" she snapped. "I was staying in Malbury when we met, so very few people knew.

He led me to believe I was special to him, then he threw me over for no reason!"

Katherine raced to try to reason with her. "I understand how he must have hurt you, Dora, but this is not going to change your circumstance. This will not make either one of us happy!"

Theodora sneered at her as she clutched the handle of the door. "It will make me happy to see those high and mighty Thornton men suffer as I have suffered! It will make me happy!" she repeated, almost as if she were trying to convince herself of that fact.

Her cousin appeared to be quite mad, completely beyond reasoning. But Katherine was desperate to try. "Please, Dora.

When Thomas and I are married, I will help you make another match! We'll arrange parties, get you a new wardrobe--"

"Stop it! Just stop it!" Theodora cried, jerkily shaking her finger at Katherine. "It is too late for that! This is the only way!"

Katherine stood there for a second, stunned when Theodora slipped out of the room, slamming the door behind her. When she heard the key jiggling in the lock, Katherine snapped out of her stupor and ran to the door. She pounded on it with all her might. "Theodora! Let me out! Ambrose! Let me out of here!"

she yelled, hoping the butler could hear her, knowing Theodora would not listen.

"There is no one to hear you, Kate!" Her muffled voice came through the thick wood of the door. "So scream your little heart out. It will do no good!"

Katherine continued to scream and bang on the door until she had no strength left. With tears streaming down her face, she finally shuffled over to a chair and fell into it, covering her face with her hands. Heavy sobs shook her thin frame as she contemplated what Thomas would think once she did not show up for their wedding.

~

Thomas scanned the congregation for the twentieth time in ten minutes, then checked his watch again.
Where was she?

Nervous sweat beaded on his forehead.

He wasn't the only one who was wondering about his absent bride. He heard scattered whispers throughout the building and heads turning to check the entrance to the abbey.

Where was Katherine?

Finally he walked over to the duke and duchess of Montbatten.

"Your grace," he addressed Katherine's mother. "Are you sure Katherine had a way to the abbey?"

Lady Montbatten seemed a little nervous herself. "Yes, Thomas. Theodora assured me she would see Katherine arrived safely and on time."

Thomas directed his gaze to the back of the abbey to the person he'd noticed the last time he'd looked for Katherine.

"Your grace, Theodora is" --he paused, overwhelmed by the same foreboding he'd felt that morning--"Theodora is here."

"What?" Lady Montbatten cried as she turned in her pew and looked toward the back of the church. "Something is not right here!" She jumped from her seat and hastened to where Theodora was.

Thomas followed her, praying his instincts were wrong but knowing they were right.

Katherine had apparently jilted him.

"Theodora!" Lady Montbatten whispered in a hiss. "Where is Katherine?"

Theodora shifted her eyes from Lady Montbatten to Thomas, her face full of innocence. "She sent me on to the church. She told me she would soon follow."

Thomas didn't understand what was going on, but he knew Katherine would not be coming to the abbey, and he knew in his very soul Theodora Vine was part of the cause.

Katherine's mother sighed. "Well, she must have gotten held up for some reason! I'll send Raven to get her and bring her back here," she insisted. "Wait a few more minutes, Thomas. I'm sure we'll have her here as soon as possible."

Thomas didn't say a word. He merely walked back up to the altar, told the crowd the wedding would be delayed a few moments until the bride arrived, then stood beside the vicar and prayed he was wrong and she'd come.

Katherine cried so much she finally fell into a restless sleep.

She'd done all she could think of, yell, bang on the windows and door …

…Pray…

Nothing seemed to work. She had felt so helpless, so despairing. How would Thomas ever understand any of this?

How could he forgive her part in it from the beginning?

"Katherine!" a loud voice bellowed over her, causing her nearly to fall out of the chair. "What are you doing here?"

her father demanded, once she had looked up at him with bleary eyes. .

She pushed her tangled veil out of her face and tried to get her bearings. "How did you get in?"

Her father blew out a breath of frustration. "How do you suppose I got in, young lady? I opened the door!"

Katherine shook her head, knowing she must not hear him right. "But it was locked!"

For the first time in her life, her father directed a frown of pure disappointment upon her. "It was not locked."

"But-"

"Do not insult me by lying, Katherine. I've been looking for you for over forty minutes around the property, thinking you might have been kidnapped or crashed in your carriage. But when I realized the carriage had never left the stables, I came inside to search for you." He shook his head. "I never thought you'd do something like this, Katherine. I am ashamed of you."

I42

Tears were once again spilling from her eyes. "Papa, you don't understand. Theodora-"

"Yes, she informed me you sent her ahead to the abbey.

She's also been looking about the house for you!" He stared at her as if he didn't know her at all. "Did you do it for revenge?

Did you plan this whole thing to bring shame upon the Thornton family?"

Katherine grabbed her father's arm, her eyes pleading with him to listen to her. "No! Papa, you must hear me--"

"Instead," he continued as if he didn't hear her, "you have brought more shame upon this family."

With that, he shook off her hand and walked to the door.

"Papa! I didn't do this deliberately! Papa!" she yelled, but he never turned back as he left the room.

Katherine rubbed her eyes, trying to clear them. Walking out into the hallway, she turned in the direction her father had taken. Abruptly she stopped, realizing that speaking to her father was not her top priority. Instead, she ran in the opposite direction to the front door.

Perhaps if she spoke to Thomas, she could explain. Make him understand what had happened.

She did not know what compelled her to stop by the abbey first, but she asked her coachman to do that very thing.