Free The Engagement - Regency Brides 02 by Kimberley Comeaux Page A

care for me, and I will find a way to prove it to you!” he shot back, knocking Nicholasʼs hand away. “As a matter of fact, Iʼm going to Ravenhurst to propose right now!”

    He stomped to the door, determined to see it through.

    “You are making a mistake, Thorn! Just wait until-“

    Nicholas tried to reason, following him to the door.

    “Go to your wife, Nick. You know-the wife that all society thought you should not marry because she was not of our class!” he countered.

    “You will regret-“ Nicholas began to threaten. Thorn walked out of the room, however, ignoring his brotherʼs roar of anger, and slammed the door of the manor behind him.

    ~

    “I have been searching for you all morning!” Theodora announced in a peeved tone as she stepped carefully down the steep incline to where Katherine sat on the ground with her book. Usually no one thought to seek her out in the grassy ditch that had once been the castleʼs moat long years ago.

    That could only mean her cousin was determined to converse with her.

    Not bothering to hide her sigh, she lowered her book of poetry and waited for Theodora to reach her. “Was there something important you wanted?” she asked, though she knew what the answer was.

    “Of course I have something important I need to discuss with you, and you are quite aware of it!” Theodora snapped.

    She sat opposite Katherine, clearly uncomfortable on the uneven surface. “I want to know why you did not accept Thomasʼs invitation to meet his brother today? Proving to him his brother matters little to you would be all heʼd need to ask for your hand!”

    “How did you know about that? Were you eavesdropping?”

    Theodora stuck up her chin with a defiant air. “No, but Lucy was, then she told me.”

    Katherine closed her eyes and shook her head tiredly. “I cannot face Nicholas. Not yet.”

    “You do not want to face him because then you will remember the reason you need to take revenge.” She shook her finger at the younger woman. “You are beginning to like him, arenʼt you? You are allowing yourself to be taken in by yet another Thornton!”

    Katherine licked her bottom lip as she gathered up courage for what she needed to say. “There may be truth in what you are saying, Dora,” she admitted. “I just know he is too good a person to hurt the way we had planned.” .

    “Not this again!” Theodora threw her arms up in disgust. “I never realized you were such a coward, Kate!”

    “It is not cowardly to want to avoid hurting someone, Dora. Thomas is not his brother. He would never break an engagement and leave me to suffer societyʼs rumors for it! He is more honorable than that!” .

    Katherine could tell Theodora was not at all happy with what she was saying. “What if he knew what his brother had planned all along?” she asked finally, her eyes becoming shrewd as she pinned them on Katherine. “He left for sea right after Nicholas broke your engagement. How do you know Thomas did not encourage his brother in this pursuit because he wanted you for himself”

    Katherine gasped. “You are mad to think such a thing! I will not hear such awful allegations-“

    “Donʼt you think it a coincidence that the first woman he decides to court after his time of mourning is you, when there are many other women he could have pursued.”

    Katherine covered her ears. “I will not listen. He was a married man then!”

    Theodora pushed herself closer to her cousin and pulled her hands away. “I am simply trying to open your mind to the reality of who the Thorntons are! They are brothers, Katherine, cut from the same cloth!”

    Theodoraʼs words did not achieve what she had hoped.

    Katherine knew in her heart Thomas was a good man; she could see it in his eyes, feel it in his words. “Thomas has told me his brother had a difficult time following the war, and that is why-“

    “Do you hear yourself? Now you are defending the man who .made you the scourge of all