“Yes.”
He cupped her cheek with the fingers of his free hand and lowered his mouth
to hers, kissing her again. “I love you so much, Kat.”
“And I love you, Christopher.”
“And you're not so worried anymore?” he asked.
She looked away. “You knew about that? I didn't think you noticed.”
He cupped her chin and drew her back into his gaze. “Do you think there's
anything about you I don't notice?”
“Weren't you upset?” She bit her lip.
“No. I understood. I'm just glad you're accepting it now.”
She smiled. “You know, I think I am.”
CHAPTER 20
T he evening of Katerina's twentieth birthday party began as she sat in
front of the mirror with Katie behind her brushing her hair. The green
sprigged yellow dress she had ordered for the event fit like a glove from the rib
cage up and floated away from the swell of her belly below, disguising the fact
that she was past halfway through her pregnancy.
"Your dress looks lovely, ma'am," Katie commented.
"Thank you, I quite agree," Katerina replied. "Madame Olivier is truly a genius. Still, after this party, I'll have no choice but to enter confinement, and not attend any other public events until I recover from the delivery. It sounds rather
boring, all in all, though Mother's promised to keep me company."
Katie ran a brush through her hair and began twisting it into a heavy bun at
the back of her head. "I'll keep you company too, ma'am, and perhaps I can help with the wee one. I have a lot of brothers and sisters." She began tucking pins into the thick coiffure.
"Thank you," Katerina said softly.
"There you go, ma'am. All done. Have a lovely evening."
Katerina smiled and hoisted herself to her feet, ready to depart from her in-
laws' house. “Are you ready, love?” she called to Christopher, who shaving. “I'd
rather not be late to my own party.”
“Almost,” he replied.
Katerina sighed in resignation.
Two hours later, after dinner, Christopher and Katerina—along with the elder Bennetts, Colin and his mother and stepfather, James Cary and his very new bride Eliza—proceeded to games, beginning with a rousing round of charades.
The Carys won handily, earning them the right to choose the next game.
“Let's play hide and seek,” Eliza proposed. “The birthday girl should be it.”
“Very well,” Katerina agreed, feigning disappointment.
“I think I'll sit this one out,” Julia said, subsiding onto a chase with a cup of
tea. Her husband joined her, as did the Turners.
Katerina covered her eyes and began counting to one hundred. Fabric
swished as her guests hurried out of the room. I'm… having fun, she realized as she worked her way through the sixties. It would have seemed impossible six months ago.
She flashed the elders a quick smile before heading out of the parlor to search for her guests. Perhaps I can find my husband first, in some dark corner
