Page 36 of The Wise Daughter

When she placed her hand in his, something inside her shifted.

He took her finger where a drop of blood was forming on the tip and deftly wrapped it in his handkerchief, then cradled her hand in his when he finished.

For several moments, she stared at her hand in his, comfortable and warm.

She now wished she had worn the signet ring that morning.

It was such a small thing for Aaron to do, wrapping her finger, and though it still throbbed with her heartbeat, she felt as renewed as if she had just awoken from a peaceful night’s sleep.

This was the first time, she realized, since her mother was alive and well that someone else was taking care of her.

True, Aaron had already let her in his home and tended to her physical comforts, but until this moment, she hadn’t felt the secure peace of his efforts.

Now, she couldn’t look at him without seeing it.

When Nora finally looked beyond, past the trees where the land opened into a wide expanse of glistening shoreline, she sucked in a breath.

“Oh my. Aaron, it’s beautiful here.”

“I’m glad you think so. This is my favorite place to view the sea. I used to build sandcastles here with my father.” His voice momentarily caught. “I’ve been wanting to share this with you since the moment you agreed to our engagement.”

The way he looked at her, his confidence and hope mixing with a breathtaking admiration, made her blush all the way to her toes.

Those green eyes, that wavy auburn hair that reminded her of toasted cinnamon, and that warm citrus scent made her insides feel like summer even as the breezes blew colder. She wanted to fill her lungs with it.

What a moment to feel… She didn’t know what she felt, exactly. She didn’t have a name for the complexities of Aaron and the sea and his care and her building hopes. All she knew was that he was pulling her in.

She studied his face as if staring deeply might help her articulate feelings or discover secrets he had yet to tell her. What did he know that she didn’t?

Above his temple, a tiny hint of bruised skin belied the vulnerability behind the strength he always tried to display.

It was reminder enough of why she wanted to catch those wretched thieves.

Aaron was still healing. Without thinking, she reached up and brushed back a small piece of his hair that the wind had blown over the bruise.

“Does that still hurt?” She gently ran her thumb over the spot, her hand lingering on his face.

Almost imperceptibly, he gave a single shake of his head. “It looks worse than it is.”

When she lowered her hand, he caught it up again, pressed a kiss to it, and lifted it to the place at his neck where his shoulder began. Slowly, tenderly, he lifted her other hand to the other perfect curve of his neck. She sucked in a breath as his arms wrapped around her waist.

Her hold on reason was loosening.

“Last night, after the fire, I wanted to tell you how I feel about you, but I could hardly think that night.” His voice, rich and low, calmed her, giving her something to focus on besides her rioting heart.

“I want you to know that from the first moment I heard your voice, claiming I was as heavy as a horse, I was captivated.”

She laughed. Then he laughed. His arms pulled slightly, urging her close.

“The spell you cast on me then hasn’t lessened over these past several days, nor do I expect it too. I’ve tried to be honest about my feelings, cautious even as I believe you have been with yours, but…” He trailed off, looking at her as if waiting or wondering.

Too soon, she screamed to herself. Too wonderful to be true. Too many secrets.

Yet, sometimes life was wonderful. Sometimes secrets held delightful gifts. Sometimes –was it possible?– wishes came true.

“Lovely Honora.”

“I like that more than darling,” she whispered.

“Lovely, clever, kind Honora.”

His voice reverberated through her thoughts down to her coursing blood and settled into her chest while her head grew lighter.

One deep, adoring look, and she knew he could see the rawness of her feelings.

Swift as a heartbeat, she found his lips and curled her fingers through his thick hair.

He released a sound somewhere between surprise and surrender as he kissed her back.

His arms drew her closer, and every muscle relaxed into his touch.

His lips found their way to her cheek where he whispered, “I thought I was going to kiss you first.”

“Pity you didn’t work up the courage faster.”

His chest shook with quiet laugher. “Does this mean you have a competitive side to your nature?”

She spoke softly against his cheek. “Is that really so surprising? So we’re perfectly clear, we are still going to catch those thieves before we wed.”

“Absolutely.”

Sitting in the curricle with Aaron, his arms still around her waist and the kitten playing with the cloth in the basket, she no longer questioned whether they would wed. They would. Her mind was made up.

He found her lips this time, but she had to finish her thoughts aloud.

“I’m quite serious, Aaron. I won’t have so much as their shadows marring our wedding day.”

“Agreed.” He kissed her temple.

“I am in earnest Aaron.”

“Agreed,” was his instant reply as he kissed her cheek, then found her lips again.

“Agreed?” She laughed against the kiss, the vibrations of breath and voice tickling until his lips once again silenced hers, but no sooner had he done so than a new voice interrupted their moment.

“Well, well.” A tall, broad-shouldered gentleman stood in their secluded haven like a thorn among flowers.

“Out for a walk, and look who I find?” His eyes roved over Nora.

“No wonder you’ve been ignoring me, Ravenglass.

Can’t say I blame you, now that I’ve seen this fair specimen, but you’ll regret it nonetheless. ”

Every inch of Nora wound up. Aaron whispered a curse, then relinquished his hold on her, giving her hand one last squeeze before leaping down from the curricle to meet the approaching newcomer.

While his clothes suggested wealth, his manner suggested the commanding crudeness of someone used to being obeyed.

Despite his protruding belly, he looked strong and capable.

His thick grey hair grew down the sides of his cheeks, tapering into a grizzled chin that looked impossible to cleanly shave with such a deep crevice.

His mouth was fixed in a sneering frown while his narrowed eyes and tilted nose communicated nothing but menace.

“No more avoiding me, Ravenglass. You and I have a debt to settle.”