to cause this near mis-step.
"You are most welcome." His voice was softer, more husky now. He smiled at her and watched her go into her room. He turned, and then quickly closed his own door. He stood against it, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The sound of a man clearing his throat made Nicholas's eyes pop open.
"Thomas! Can I never have a moment alone?"
"I do apologize sir, I was just putting your coat into the wardrobe. I was not expecting you to enter through the other door. Is there something I can help you with?"
"No, I am just so very tired. Please see to it that I am not disturbed in the morning."
"Yes, sir." Thomas bowed ever so slightly and left the room.
Nicholas finished his tea, changed into his nightclothes and climbed into bed where he soon fell fast asleep.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Kate nearly dropped the cup and saucer on the floor. Her hands were trembling so much, it was all she could do to hold them steady while she closed the door with her free hand. She was glad that no one, including Margaret was there to witness her behavior. She quickly changed into a nightdress and drank her cooled tea. She hoped that Doctor Granville's sleeping powder would work quickly and effectively.
She felt a pair of arms wrapped tightly around her. She felt herself embracing a man in her arms. It felt good, warm, loving. Then he stepped back and Kate looked up into his face, warmly lit with a smile. His eyes held hers for a moment while he spoke.
"It’s been ages since I saw you last. You seem to have grown from a girl into a woman overnight."
"Oh James, you are never happy unless you tease me!"
Kate sat up and looked around the room. Disoriented from sleep, she briefly forgot where she was. Unlike with her recent nightmares, Kate wished that this dream had continued on. That face… James' face was the same as the one belonging to the dead man in my nightmares. Kate tried to remember more, but the sleeping powder was potent and she was soon adrift once again.
“Miss Kate,” Margaret gently nudged Kate’s arm as she spoke “it is time to get up now.”
“Wha? Who? Oh, Margaret, it’s you.”
“Yes, ma’am. I have orders from Mrs. Thompson to wake you up.”
“What time is it?”
“It’s just past 10:30. I have brought you a light breakfast along with some headache powders and a kitten in need of playtime.”
“I cannot believe how long I have slept! Although I am a little hungry, I have no need for the pain reliever.” Kate scratched Stormy’s head and around his ears. “I’m afraid I won’t be able to play with you today. I have some things I need to take care of.”
“Begging your pardon, but I overheard that your dinner party did not go so well last evening. Is that why you took the sleeping powder?”
“Margaret, you know that I have had trouble sleeping ever since I arrived. That was the main reason I accepted the doctor’s cure. As for dinner, two of the women in attendance were not as accepting of me, as we had hoped they would be.”
Margaret wrinkled her face in a look of disgust. Kate reached out and gently squeezed the maid’s hand.
“Now, now, we must not be like that. As I told Nicholas, given the circumstances, I understand the women’s trepidation concerning me.” Kate noticed how Margaret arched her eyebrows at the informal use of Nicholas’s name.
“Do not put so much thought into it Margaret. Mr.
"You are most welcome." His voice was softer, more husky now. He smiled at her and watched her go into her room. He turned, and then quickly closed his own door. He stood against it, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The sound of a man clearing his throat made Nicholas's eyes pop open.
"Thomas! Can I never have a moment alone?"
"I do apologize sir, I was just putting your coat into the wardrobe. I was not expecting you to enter through the other door. Is there something I can help you with?"
"No, I am just so very tired. Please see to it that I am not disturbed in the morning."
"Yes, sir." Thomas bowed ever so slightly and left the room.
Nicholas finished his tea, changed into his nightclothes and climbed into bed where he soon fell fast asleep.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Kate nearly dropped the cup and saucer on the floor. Her hands were trembling so much, it was all she could do to hold them steady while she closed the door with her free hand. She was glad that no one, including Margaret was there to witness her behavior. She quickly changed into a nightdress and drank her cooled tea. She hoped that Doctor Granville's sleeping powder would work quickly and effectively.
She felt a pair of arms wrapped tightly around her. She felt herself embracing a man in her arms. It felt good, warm, loving. Then he stepped back and Kate looked up into his face, warmly lit with a smile. His eyes held hers for a moment while he spoke.
"It’s been ages since I saw you last. You seem to have grown from a girl into a woman overnight."
"Oh James, you are never happy unless you tease me!"
Kate sat up and looked around the room. Disoriented from sleep, she briefly forgot where she was. Unlike with her recent nightmares, Kate wished that this dream had continued on. That face… James' face was the same as the one belonging to the dead man in my nightmares. Kate tried to remember more, but the sleeping powder was potent and she was soon adrift once again.
“Miss Kate,” Margaret gently nudged Kate’s arm as she spoke “it is time to get up now.”
“Wha? Who? Oh, Margaret, it’s you.”
“Yes, ma’am. I have orders from Mrs. Thompson to wake you up.”
“What time is it?”
“It’s just past 10:30. I have brought you a light breakfast along with some headache powders and a kitten in need of playtime.”
“I cannot believe how long I have slept! Although I am a little hungry, I have no need for the pain reliever.” Kate scratched Stormy’s head and around his ears. “I’m afraid I won’t be able to play with you today. I have some things I need to take care of.”
“Begging your pardon, but I overheard that your dinner party did not go so well last evening. Is that why you took the sleeping powder?”
“Margaret, you know that I have had trouble sleeping ever since I arrived. That was the main reason I accepted the doctor’s cure. As for dinner, two of the women in attendance were not as accepting of me, as we had hoped they would be.”
Margaret wrinkled her face in a look of disgust. Kate reached out and gently squeezed the maid’s hand.
“Now, now, we must not be like that. As I told Nicholas, given the circumstances, I understand the women’s trepidation concerning me.” Kate noticed how Margaret arched her eyebrows at the informal use of Nicholas’s name.
“Do not put so much thought into it Margaret. Mr.
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