SoundsofLove Read Free Page B

aggressive man. Of course, even this modest rust-colored
gown did not truly hide her assets, which were made appallingly prominent by
the new corset Violet pressed her to wear this morning. Vi had also dropped off
a tin of rouge in Cat’s dressing room after she heard Ahlquist was coming,
saying, “It can’t hurt to flirt a little.”
    The rouge did help. Cathryn felt like an apparition after
five years of near seclusion.
    Ahlquist appeared in the doorway, carrying an enormous
bundle of what appeared to be books. He was impeccably dressed in a deep-brown
worsted wool jacket and long tan trousers suitable for the cold weather.
Without his greatcoat, he looked much less intimidating, and Cathryn was drawn
to him in spite of her reservations. She forgot about Lewin until she heard the
door click shut behind him.
    “Lady Sibley, my apologies for arriving a trifle early. I
have another engagement scheduled for later this morning.”
    Cathryn glanced at the mantel clock and saw it was
eleven-twenty. Fair enough. “That’s quite all right.” She watched him assess
her drawing room, with the high quality but sparse furnishings surrounded by a
jungle of green plants. Something in his approving gaze made her choose to be
contrite. “It was peevish of me not to accept your original time. I apologize.”
She tucked his card into her dress pocket before extending her hand.
    “It is I who must apologize, my lady.” He held her hand
lightly and bowed low over it. His unbound hair fell across her glove and
tickled her exposed wrist. Cathryn withdrew before he had a chance to kiss her
hand, and he continued, “My behavior was reprehensible yesterday. I’m not
certain what came over me to react so…”
    “Boorishly?” Her contrition hadn’t lasted long, but the man
did challenge her senses.
    “Well, I wouldn’t put it quite so strongly, but I will give
you discourteously.”
    Cathryn considered this and knew it must be a great
concession on his part. “Discourteously then…agreed. And I was rather…dominant.”
    “Overbearing?”
    “I did overstep my bounds, I will grant you that.”
    “Agreed.”
    Cathryn led him to the settee in front of the fire. “I hope
we can put that behind us and start anew today.”
    She had intended to sit in the side chair, but he took her
elbow and urged her to join him on the couch. He held up the bundle of books
and said, “I thought we could begin by looking up a few words in Dr. Johnson’s
latest edition.”
    Cathryn’s eyes widened. “You’ve brought a copy with you?”
All thoughts of resisting him flew up the chimney as her curiosity was piqued.
    “Consider it a gift of reconciliation.” He bowed his head as
he untied the string holding the precious goods.
    “I couldn’t possibly accept such an extravagant gift.” The
new editions ran over 100 guineas, the cost of ten day gowns.
    “I had two copies in my library.” He unwrapped the blue
broadcloth and quickly set aside the top book, placing it out of Cathryn’s
sight as he handed her the tome they had been discussing.
    She settled the heavy dictionary on her lap and ran her
hands across the embossed cover. Johnson’s Dictionary, Improved by Todd. A lump formed in her throat and her corset shrunk a size. This was too much,
but she wanted it very badly. It had been years since she’d purchased a book,
relying on her local lending library instead.
    “I see I’ve left you speechless,” he said as he reached
across her to open the book. “I assure you, that was not my intent.” His upper
arm grazed the side of her breast as he lifted the cover and about half the
pages.
    She drew back at the intimate contact, but the weight of the
dictionary grounded her. Before she could complain, his arm was gone. He did
not apologize, and she thought that perhaps she had misconstrued his actions.
But he bent over her as he leafed through the pages to the one titled “MUN”,
and his arm again brushed across the front of her dress.