Page 54 of To Follow her Heart

He laughed but gave her a rueful smile. “Yes, it’s ours, for what that’s worth. It’s been empty since I left, Kitten. It will be in a shocking state and I’ve only got a very little money put away. Not nearly enough to do everything required.”

Kitty stared at him and gave a sad shake of her head. “You’re being a ninny again. I have a generous dowry.”

Luke glowered. “I know, Kitty, but a fellow doesn’t like to live off his wife, you know….”

“Oh, fustian,” she said with impatience. “It’s not like you’re going drinking and carousing with it. You’ll be investing in our home, our future, and anyway, the land is fertile. You can grow flax and sell it to my father.”

Luke gave a low laugh and kissed her nose. “Figured it all out, have you?” he said, putting his arms about her. “Well, I had realised that much, my love, but there will be a deal to do before the fields can be planted, and no income until the crop is sold. It won’t be done overnight, and we have to live somewhere.”

Kitty gazed up at him, into vivid blue eyes she’d dreamt of so often she’d wondered if she’d made up the intensity of their colour. She hadn’t. “Luke Baxter, surely you’re not thinking I’m afraid of a bit of hard work or a few spiders, even rats? We shall get a cat and go to work, and have the place spick and span in no time.”

He stared down at her and she could see his misgivings before he opened his mouth. Dear Luke, always worrying about every little detail. If she hadn’t threatened to go without him, he’d have worried himself out of a good many of their adventures. Not that he didn’t sometimes have reason to worry. She had to admit that much, remembering some scrapes she’d gotten him into.

“You shouldn’t have to work, Kitty. I hate that I can’t provide for you, but I promise it won’t be for long, and I won’t sit about waiting for Trevick and Derby to turn up their toes, either. I shall make the estate viable, I shall look after you, and you shall live like the lady you are.”

Kitty reached up a hand and touched his cheek. “Only if you promise we can still go on adventures. I shouldn’t like to be a lady if I must sit at home behaving myself, drinking tea and embroidering handkerchiefs all day.”

Luke snorted at the idea. “Kitty Connolly, you can’t sew to save your life, so don’t give me that. Of course, we shall still have adventures, and we shall begin with this one, a grand story that we can tell our children and our children’s children, and they can wonder at how shocking the old people were.”

She stared at him, her heart bursting with delight at his words. Her hand slid from his cheek to the back of his neck and it only took the slightest pressure to encourage him to lean towards her. His lips touched hers and she sighed, melting into his embrace.

“This is the best part of being grown up,” she murmured as he pressed soft little kisses over her skin.

He kissed her nose again, her eyelids, along her cheekbones and back to her mouth, his hands cupping her face gently, as if she was of infinite value. She opened her eyes and looked up at him, and Luke made a low sound.

“Don’t look at me like that, love. Not until our wedding night, at any rate.”

“What?” she said, sitting up straighter now. “But tonight—”

“Tonight, I shall hand you into the care of St Clair’s housekeeper and sleep at the other end of the house,” he said, his tone dark. “Well, I shan’t sleep a wink, I know, but still.”

“Oh, but Luke,” Kitty protested. “We’ll be married the next day!”

“Exactly,” he said, somewhat severely. “We’ve waited this long and I’ll have no suggestion of impropriety… no more than can be helped when we’re eloping,” he added.

Kitty scowled. “That’s silly.”

Luke glanced at her mutinous expression and smiled. “You’ve no idea how pleased I am you’re as impatient as I, but it isn’t at all silly. I love you, Kitty, and I want to do this properly. It’s been so long since I allowed myself to think of you, to dream of you, but my dreams were always of you as my wife. You could at least let me have things my own way this once.”

There was no possible way of being cross with him after that, so Kitty relented. It was only one night, after all.

“Very well then,” she said, pretending to still be annoyed with him. “I shall be patient, but… only if you kiss me again.”

She bit back a smile as he tutted at her. “Blackmail. I might have known. Well, I suppose if I must….”

“Wretch!” she exclaimed, but before she could say anymore, he’d gathered her into his arms and there was nothing to consider except his lips, the silky warmth of his tongue, and the feel his powerful arms around her. He was so much bigger than she remembered; there was so much more of him, and she revelled in his size and his strength, pressing closer and demanding more.

“I think we’d best stop,” he said, his voice rough, but Kitty sighed and tugged him back to her.

He didn’t refuse. His hands began to explore, sliding over her until he cupped her breast and squeezed. Kitty arched into his touch and heard a low growl, a masculine sound of pleasure that sent her insides quivering with anticipation.

“Stop,” he said, a little firmer, but then his eyes dropped to her mouth and he kissed her again, frantic this time, his mouth hot and urgent and Kitty felt like she was on fire, like she was melting inside, felt….

A huge jolt, heard an ear-splitting crack and the sound of splintering as the horses gave a dreadful shriek… and suddenly the world turned on its side.

***

Luke groaned and put a hand to the back of his head, wincing as he discovered a lump the size of a hen’s egg.