see if she was all right.”
Kirk pushed past him and yanked on the door handle. Emerging onto the stoop, he glanced down the steps. His pulse thundered at the sight of Miss Brewster sprawled at the foot of the steps in a heap of satin and petticoats.
****
Sara raised her head. Her arm and neck hurt. Gazing at the borrowed gown, she gasped. What had she done? When she raced down the stairs, her heel had caught in the hem, tearing it. Her cheeks heated and her eyes stung.
A man stood on the stoop, adding to her humiliation. She raised her gaze to find Kirk staring down at her, his mouth agape.
He hopped down and knelt beside her. “Are you all right?” He lightly ran his hands over her body.
“I’m so sorry,” she rasped. “I’ve ruined Mary’s gown.”
“The devil take the gown,” he said. “I need to know you’re not hurt.”
“Well...” She sat up and rubbed her shoulder. “I think I may have hurt my arm.”
He gingerly touched her shoulder, and ran his hand down her arm. “It doesn’t appear you’ve any broken bones.” He slid his arms beneath her and hefted her up. “Let’s get you back inside.”
Sara wished she could bury her shame in the snow. “I can walk.”
“Not until I’m sure you’re not hurt.” Ted and Mary stepped aside, allowing him to pass, then followed.
He strode down the hall, as she held tightly to him, hiding her face against his coat. Humiliation flushed her cheeks and turned her stomach. How could she face anyone after this?
She was gently deposited on the settee where she’d been when he’d proposed. She hid her face in her hands.
“I’m going to check your legs to be sure there’s no swelling or bruising.”
She nodded, unable to look at him. His hands roved over her feet, ankles and calves, then up her thighs. She bit her tongue to stifle a gasp. His hands on her felt delicious.
Dropping her hands from her face, she focused on his earnest expression as he completed the examination. “Everything appears all right. Do you have any pain in your legs or pelvis?”
“No.” She gazed into his eyes, then flushed again.
He traced his fingers delicately along her shoulder. “This will need looking after. I’m sure it pains you.”
She nodded.
He rotated the shoulder and she winced. Sensing movement in the doorway, she looked up to see Mary and Ted watching.
Kirk glanced toward them. “We’ll need to get her home.”
“Of course,” Ted said. “I’ll retrieve everyone’s wraps.”
“I’ll find Mother,” Mary volunteered.
After they’d left, he stroked her cheek. “I must apologize. I presumed too much when I asked you to marry me.”
She shook her head. “Oh, no. It’s all my fault. I’ve loved you for so long, but I was afraid.”
“Afraid of marriage? Of me?”
She sighed. “I’m just a simple country girl and you’re an important Washington physician. How can you have someone like me for your wife? I wouldn’t know how to act. I’d just embarrass you and your family.”
His earnest expression relaxed and he chuckled. “Sara... Sara, I didn’t propose because I think you’d make a perfect society wife, I asked because I love you. I haven’t felt this way about a woman for the longest time.”
Her breath caught. “But what about entertaining—society things I haven’t a clue about.”
“I don’t care one whit about those things. I want a wife who’ll love me and bear and raise my children.”
“Children?” Her skin tingled at the idea of having his children. “We’ll live in Washington?”
“No, once the war ends, I plan to move back to Philadelphia. My mother will come too and she’ll be a great help to you. I think she’s as taken with you as I.”
She swallowed hard, her mind racing. Was it possible her dreams of the past months of being with Kirk would finally come true?
“Before the others come back,” he said, “I must ask again. Will you marry me?”
Raising her good arm to cup his nape, she
Kirk pushed past him and yanked on the door handle. Emerging onto the stoop, he glanced down the steps. His pulse thundered at the sight of Miss Brewster sprawled at the foot of the steps in a heap of satin and petticoats.
****
Sara raised her head. Her arm and neck hurt. Gazing at the borrowed gown, she gasped. What had she done? When she raced down the stairs, her heel had caught in the hem, tearing it. Her cheeks heated and her eyes stung.
A man stood on the stoop, adding to her humiliation. She raised her gaze to find Kirk staring down at her, his mouth agape.
He hopped down and knelt beside her. “Are you all right?” He lightly ran his hands over her body.
“I’m so sorry,” she rasped. “I’ve ruined Mary’s gown.”
“The devil take the gown,” he said. “I need to know you’re not hurt.”
“Well...” She sat up and rubbed her shoulder. “I think I may have hurt my arm.”
He gingerly touched her shoulder, and ran his hand down her arm. “It doesn’t appear you’ve any broken bones.” He slid his arms beneath her and hefted her up. “Let’s get you back inside.”
Sara wished she could bury her shame in the snow. “I can walk.”
“Not until I’m sure you’re not hurt.” Ted and Mary stepped aside, allowing him to pass, then followed.
He strode down the hall, as she held tightly to him, hiding her face against his coat. Humiliation flushed her cheeks and turned her stomach. How could she face anyone after this?
She was gently deposited on the settee where she’d been when he’d proposed. She hid her face in her hands.
“I’m going to check your legs to be sure there’s no swelling or bruising.”
She nodded, unable to look at him. His hands roved over her feet, ankles and calves, then up her thighs. She bit her tongue to stifle a gasp. His hands on her felt delicious.
Dropping her hands from her face, she focused on his earnest expression as he completed the examination. “Everything appears all right. Do you have any pain in your legs or pelvis?”
“No.” She gazed into his eyes, then flushed again.
He traced his fingers delicately along her shoulder. “This will need looking after. I’m sure it pains you.”
She nodded.
He rotated the shoulder and she winced. Sensing movement in the doorway, she looked up to see Mary and Ted watching.
Kirk glanced toward them. “We’ll need to get her home.”
“Of course,” Ted said. “I’ll retrieve everyone’s wraps.”
“I’ll find Mother,” Mary volunteered.
After they’d left, he stroked her cheek. “I must apologize. I presumed too much when I asked you to marry me.”
She shook her head. “Oh, no. It’s all my fault. I’ve loved you for so long, but I was afraid.”
“Afraid of marriage? Of me?”
She sighed. “I’m just a simple country girl and you’re an important Washington physician. How can you have someone like me for your wife? I wouldn’t know how to act. I’d just embarrass you and your family.”
His earnest expression relaxed and he chuckled. “Sara... Sara, I didn’t propose because I think you’d make a perfect society wife, I asked because I love you. I haven’t felt this way about a woman for the longest time.”
Her breath caught. “But what about entertaining—society things I haven’t a clue about.”
“I don’t care one whit about those things. I want a wife who’ll love me and bear and raise my children.”
“Children?” Her skin tingled at the idea of having his children. “We’ll live in Washington?”
“No, once the war ends, I plan to move back to Philadelphia. My mother will come too and she’ll be a great help to you. I think she’s as taken with you as I.”
She swallowed hard, her mind racing. Was it possible her dreams of the past months of being with Kirk would finally come true?
“Before the others come back,” he said, “I must ask again. Will you marry me?”
Raising her good arm to cup his nape, she