Page 35 of The Wise Daughter

After one more shop where Nora purchased a new bonnet and held a similar discussion with the woman there, she walked the length of the street where the people of Ravenglass were entering and exiting shops with varying degrees of bustle.

Several ladies eyed her with curiosity. A few gentlemen eyed her far more than she would have liked, but most of the people either nodded an amicable greeting or offered a good day.

As they had agreed, Aaron was waiting at the end of the street where clusters of curious onlookers pointed and whispered. When he noticed her, he placed a small basket covered with a white cloth at his feet and jumped down from the curricle to help her up.

“Are you eating more sweets without me?” she asked, taking his hand.

But it was soon apparent he wasn’t. As she settled into her seat, the lumpy white cloth in the basket started squirming and mewing.

“Was your shopping successful?” He nestled into the seat beside her.

“Aaron, what is that?” She pointed to the basket, unwilling to be distracted.

“I was hoping to wait until our picnic to give this to you, but I don’t really have a place to hide it.

Now is as good a time as any.” He reached down and lifted the most adorable grey and white kitten from the basket, partially wrapped in the white cloth, and placed it in Nora’s outstretched hands.

“I bought the little fellow from a woman with a whole basketful. There must have been seven or eight of them crying pitifully for a new home.”

“Oh!” Nora lifted the kitten to her cheek where it nuzzled against her skin and into the little space beneath her jaw against her neck. “What a precious creature!”

“You mentioned that ridding the castle of rodents would be romantic. I thought, when he’s older, perhaps he can help with that.”

“He’s for me?” Nora smiled and rubbed the kitten behind the ears. “You dear little thing!”

Aaron leaned close. “I don’t suppose you are referring to me, are you?”

After one more nuzzle, she lowered the kitten to her lap where she could more easily pet him. “Aaron, this really isn’t fair, softening me with a kitten when I was determined to be cross with you.”

“Is that all? I was worried you didn’t like cats.”

“I hope you understand that giving me this adorable little fellow doesn’t change the fact that our problems remain unsettled. I won’t change my mind about our engagement. We must catch the thieves before we wed.”

She waited for him to renew their argument from the previous night, but instead, he flashed her a mischievous grin and shrugged, lightly whipping the reins.

“You can’t blame me for trying.”

Nora found she liked the way he drove the curricle. He was courteous whenever someone needed to cross the road, and he deftly maneuvered tight spaces and corners. She felt safe with him holding the reins.

Once the road carried them beyond the village shops, Aaron pointed out other prominent features. “That way lies ruins of an old Roman bath house, and when you reach the shore, you see a host of fishing boats hauling in their morning catches.”

He eventually brought them to a shady lane with barely enough room for the curricle to pass through, but it allowed Nora to pluck loose leaves for the kitten to play with.

“Where are we going, Aaron?”

He winked at her. “It’s a surprise. It will take us nearly half an hour to arrive, so we have some time to talk.”

The kitten nipped at Nora’s fingers. “What do you wish to discuss?”

He cleared his throat. She could feel him stiffen and shift in the seat though he kept the reins steady. “We could talk about the weather or our favorite foods, or we can talk about our engagement.” He carefully steered the curricle down the narrow lane. “Do you regret our engagement, Nora?”

Her heart swelled with emotion and her mouth went dry. The kitten looked up at her, his head tilted curiously to the side as if waiting to hear her answer.

“Regret isn’t the word. I tried to explain it to you last night. The order of this is all wrong.”

The kitten dug its little claws into her gown until she plucked him up and wrapped him in the cloth again.

“Nora, you said last night that there is still much you do not know about me. I’d like to change that. This is your chance. Ask me anything you like.”

Why was it, Nora wondered, that in the precise moment when she needed to recall all the matters she had been wondering about, she forgot everything?

She asked the first question that came to mind. “Why do you never play the pianoforte?”

He slumped in his seat and ran a hand down his face. “I should have known you would start with a challenging question.”

In truth, she had not expected it to be a challenge.

“I don’t know. I haven’t played in years. My mother taught me. I’m not very skilled at it. She left before I could really master it. Playing the pianoforte always leaves me feeling unsatisfied.”

“So you feel incomplete when you play.”

She could see him stiffen. “That is one way to say it.”

Nora thought about reminding him of how much she missed her own mother, of how awful those first moments were, realizing she would never see her again.

She wanted so much to demonstrate how well she understood, but perhaps because she did understand, Nora didn’t say anything at all.

Instead, she slipped her arm through his and gave his arm a quick hug.

“Do you still consider yourself in mourning for your mother?” He looked over her mud-stained lavender gown that she had insisted on wearing.

She lifted the kitten to her cheek again, its soft feathery fur caressing her skin. “It’s been over a year, but coming out of mourning never feels right.”

“You mourn too much while I don’t mourn enough.”

“The truth is we both mourn,” she said gently. “I don’t think there is any proper way to measure the sorrow we experience in our hearts.” The kitten mewed a pitiful cry. “Aaron, he’s hungry.”

“We’ll stop and eat soon.” His voice was thick with an emotion the words had nothing to do with. “What will you call him?”

She held up the kitten and examined his tiny face. “I don’t know. A handsome little fellow like this looks fit for a palace. What do you think of calling him Prince?”

“Please don’t. I cannot be outranked by a cat.”

“Then you shouldn’t have bought a cat. If you understood their natures at all, you would know that cats assume the highest position in any household.”

“You sound as if you have experience with them.”

“Not really. There were a few that roamed our estate to keep the mice at bay, but I never considered any of them mine. They were consigned to the outdoors, too wild. I mostly learned about cats from observing those of my friend, Mrs. Westlake. She had the most regal ginger cat. That cat would find the highest perch in any room and look down on us as if we were beneath her notice. Then after a time, she would stroll over and let us pet her as if she were doing us a great favor. It always made us laugh. I always wanted a cat of my own, but my father wouldn’t allow it.

He never allowed anything that didn’t make sense to him. ”

He gave her a pointed look. “You’re still angry with your father for bringing you here, aren’t you?”

Nora took a deep breath. “He thought he could barter me off. And he was successful.” She gave a pitiful laugh.

“I still cannot believe I’m here. With you.

That you agreed… that you offered…” Nora covered half her face with her free hand, thinking of the things she had said last night, but he gently took her hand, angling himself to face her more fully.

“Lovely Honora. Even before your father suggested our union, I intended to make every effort to become acquainted with you once you arrived at the castle. I was going to ask to court you.”

She considered this, unsure what to think. “You did? You were? Because of your inheritance?”

“Blast that provision!” His jaw flexed and he shook his head. “I promise, that provision made no difference. If a man is rescued by a kind, beautiful young woman, he is going to take notice.”

Nora was silent for several seconds as she repeated those facts to herself. “Then why did you not tell Chuff to let me in? It took some convincing to get past him, you know.”

“I tried to warn you. I couldn’t risk saying anything that would alert the staff to what I had been doing that night.

I suppose part of me was curious to see whether you would be able to convince him to let you in.

I wanted to see how determined you were.

You showed great strength of character that night. ”

Itchy prickles rose in her chest. “I didn’t realize I was being tested.”

“Nora, please don’t be upset. I’m sorry. I’ve thought about that night so many times since. I was a fool about some things, but I don’t regret meeting you. If it helps, I understand that I am still undergoing your test, am I not?”

She didn’t know how to respond to that. He was right. She was still deciding whether she actually could make a life with him.

“I’ll prove myself worthy, Nora. I promise.”

The kitten chose that moment to give her finger another fierce nip. “Ow! You little scamp!” She placed him in the basket where he rolled onto his back and swatted at the cloth while she sucked on her finger.

“Scamp. I think that is a fitting name for the creature. He’s hurt you.”

“Not really.”

Aaron looked at her as if she had just broken her arm. He pulled on the reins, stopping the curricle and the horses, and secured the reins around their holder. “Here, give me your finger.”

“Aaron, it’s nothing. Really. There’s no need to stop like this.”

“But we’re here. This is where we stop for our picnic. Now, please give me your finger. It may not be as difficult as pulling me from the riverbank, but I also want to help when I see you hurt.”