Read Online In the Wake of the Wind by Katherine Kingsley - Free Book Online
Authors: Katherine Kingsley
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all.”
He covered his chest with one hand and looked down in concentration. “Sorry,” he said, looking back at her after a moment. “Not a single beat to be felt.”
She laughed, and he was pleased to see the smile back on her face. “You are impossible,” she said.
“Another prerequisite for a rogue,” he replied, matching her smile.
She stood then, surprisingly tall and so slender that he knew he could span her waist with his hands. And wanted to. But he managed to keep his hands to himself as he rose to face her. The top of her head came to his shoulder, and he looked down at her. “Are you going now?” he asked, infinitely sorry at the prospect.
“Yes, I must leave,” she said. “I truly am sorry for your predicament, and even sorrier that you hold such a pessimistic attitude. But as foolish as it sounds, I wish you all happiness despite it.” She held out her hand, her palm sideways as if she were a man.
He took it gently and turned it over, feeling the fragility of her bones, yet the strength in her grip as her fingers clasped his. “Thank you,” he said quietly. “It’s a hopeless wish at best, but appreciated.”
And then, in one of the more misguided moments of his life, he pulled her to him and kissed her exactly as he’d wanted to from the moment he’d first looked into her eyes.
She didn’t pull away at first, probably from sheer surprise, and he had the satisfaction of feeling her parted lips soft and sweet under his, her breath mingling with his own, her mouth warm and receptive before she came to her senses and wrenched herself out of his grip.
“You really are a rogue,” she said furiously, rubbing her hand over her mouth as if she could wipe away his touch. “I’m beginning to think you deserve everything coming to you.” Her entire body trembled with indignation.
“I’m sorry,” he said, not really meaning it. That kiss, as brief as it had been, was the sweetest he’d ever experienced. “I didn’t mean to do that.”
“Oh yes, you did,” she said, her eyes sparking with anger. “It didn’t happen just by accident, did it? And if you ever try such a thing again, I—I’ll have my husband call you out, and you’ll be very sorry.” She picked up her shoes and stockings and marched off, her head held high, her back straight.
Aiden watched her disappear into the forest, her stride long and graceful, putting him in mind of an enraged nymph. An inexplicable longing burned in his chest. He felt as if life itself had just walked out of his grasp.
3
“S erafina, what is the matter with you?” Elspeth asked crossly when Serafina failed to answer her the second time in as many minutes. “You look as if you’ve seen a ghost, you’re so pale. Nothing happened out there in the forest, did it?” she asked, her eyes suddenly narrowing. She shook out Serafina’s Sunday dress and stood on tiptoe to reach Serafina’s head.
Serafina was saved an immediate answer as the dress fell around her. “I suppose I’m just anxious about arriving,” she said, emerging from the folds.
“And here you were telling me that you couldn’t get to Townsend fast enough. You’re too high-strung for your own good, dearie. I’d better give you a tonic to settle you down or Aubrey’s going to think he’s marrying a rattle.”
“I don’t need a tonic,” Serafina said, adjusting her dress, her fingers shaking. “I just need a little time to prepare myself.”
“Oh, three hours on your own wasn’t enough for you?” Elspeth handed Serafina her good slippers. “Well, I hope at least you managed a little sleep. All right, Tinkerby, you may come out now.”
Tinkerby came away from the other side of the carriage. “Very nice,” he said, looking at Serafina approvingly. “But I think mayhaps you should pinch your cheeks. Nerves are making you pale.”
“There, didn’t I tell you?” Elspeth crowed. “Nerves. Just so, Tinkerby. Sometimes you can be uncommonly clever.” She
He covered his chest with one hand and looked down in concentration. “Sorry,” he said, looking back at her after a moment. “Not a single beat to be felt.”
She laughed, and he was pleased to see the smile back on her face. “You are impossible,” she said.
“Another prerequisite for a rogue,” he replied, matching her smile.
She stood then, surprisingly tall and so slender that he knew he could span her waist with his hands. And wanted to. But he managed to keep his hands to himself as he rose to face her. The top of her head came to his shoulder, and he looked down at her. “Are you going now?” he asked, infinitely sorry at the prospect.
“Yes, I must leave,” she said. “I truly am sorry for your predicament, and even sorrier that you hold such a pessimistic attitude. But as foolish as it sounds, I wish you all happiness despite it.” She held out her hand, her palm sideways as if she were a man.
He took it gently and turned it over, feeling the fragility of her bones, yet the strength in her grip as her fingers clasped his. “Thank you,” he said quietly. “It’s a hopeless wish at best, but appreciated.”
And then, in one of the more misguided moments of his life, he pulled her to him and kissed her exactly as he’d wanted to from the moment he’d first looked into her eyes.
She didn’t pull away at first, probably from sheer surprise, and he had the satisfaction of feeling her parted lips soft and sweet under his, her breath mingling with his own, her mouth warm and receptive before she came to her senses and wrenched herself out of his grip.
“You really are a rogue,” she said furiously, rubbing her hand over her mouth as if she could wipe away his touch. “I’m beginning to think you deserve everything coming to you.” Her entire body trembled with indignation.
“I’m sorry,” he said, not really meaning it. That kiss, as brief as it had been, was the sweetest he’d ever experienced. “I didn’t mean to do that.”
“Oh yes, you did,” she said, her eyes sparking with anger. “It didn’t happen just by accident, did it? And if you ever try such a thing again, I—I’ll have my husband call you out, and you’ll be very sorry.” She picked up her shoes and stockings and marched off, her head held high, her back straight.
Aiden watched her disappear into the forest, her stride long and graceful, putting him in mind of an enraged nymph. An inexplicable longing burned in his chest. He felt as if life itself had just walked out of his grasp.
3
“S erafina, what is the matter with you?” Elspeth asked crossly when Serafina failed to answer her the second time in as many minutes. “You look as if you’ve seen a ghost, you’re so pale. Nothing happened out there in the forest, did it?” she asked, her eyes suddenly narrowing. She shook out Serafina’s Sunday dress and stood on tiptoe to reach Serafina’s head.
Serafina was saved an immediate answer as the dress fell around her. “I suppose I’m just anxious about arriving,” she said, emerging from the folds.
“And here you were telling me that you couldn’t get to Townsend fast enough. You’re too high-strung for your own good, dearie. I’d better give you a tonic to settle you down or Aubrey’s going to think he’s marrying a rattle.”
“I don’t need a tonic,” Serafina said, adjusting her dress, her fingers shaking. “I just need a little time to prepare myself.”
“Oh, three hours on your own wasn’t enough for you?” Elspeth handed Serafina her good slippers. “Well, I hope at least you managed a little sleep. All right, Tinkerby, you may come out now.”
Tinkerby came away from the other side of the carriage. “Very nice,” he said, looking at Serafina approvingly. “But I think mayhaps you should pinch your cheeks. Nerves are making you pale.”
“There, didn’t I tell you?” Elspeth crowed. “Nerves. Just so, Tinkerby. Sometimes you can be uncommonly clever.” She
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