I enjoyed writing the scene where Kitty and Lord George run into each other. Literally. Here is their 'cute/meet' Regency style.
She’d turned onto
the road which led to Longbourn, traversing the small slope immediately
following when she heard thunderous hooves pounding from behind. Before she
could move out of the way, a horse and rider nearly ran her down, jumping over
her body at the last minute. Startled, she screamed and tumbled into the ditch.
Arms flailing
helplessly, she rolled once and came to a soggy stop at the bottom of the
shallow gully. With shaking hands she pushed her bonnet back off her face and
took a few precious seconds to gather her wits. Nothing was broken, that she
could tell, and her heart raced along as though she’d run all the way home from
Lucas Lodge. She heard the rustling of grass as the rider of the horse slipped
down the embankment toward her.
“Are you hurt?” he
queried.
She nodded, not
trusting her voice. Tears threatened to overflow onto her cheeks with the
realization of how perilously close she’d come to being injured, or killed.
“Here, take my hand.
I’ll help you up.”
She raised her hand,
but when he went to pull her toward him, she cried out at the sharp pain in her
side.
“You’re injured!”
“I don’t know,” she
managed to breathe out and pressed her palm to her side where the pain still
radiated.
She finally glanced
up at the rider and gasped. Before her stood Lord George Kerr. They’d met
briefly at Lizzie and Darcy’s wedding breakfast at Pemberley, their
conversation lasting only a few short minutes before she’d been called away by
Mama.
“Miss Catherine Bennet!”
He seemed equally surprised. “I’m so sorry for having caused you such undue
pain. Please let me help you up this embankment.”
Her cheeks flamed
with embarrassment. She’d been giddy about the small attention she received
from him last November and for months painted a romantic dream around his dark
good looks and storm colored eyes. Now, the fantasy presented itself in living
color and she was mortified to be covered in mud and weeds, through no fault of
her own.
He slipped and slid
closer and with a perfunctory ‘Sorry’, cradled her in his arms and lifted. She
clenched her jaw tight and tried to not cry out, but couldn’t stop a small
whimper from escaping.
“I’m truly sorry,
Miss Catherine. I wouldn’t blame your father if he called for a public flogging
because of my recklessness.”
“No worries, Lord Kerr,”
she panted out in quick breaths. “Father isn’t bothered by much. Mama wore him
down years ago.”
She thought she
heard him chuckle and dared to glance up at his face, which was achingly close
now that he held her in his arms. She noted a firm chin and full mouth, which
was most definitely curved in a smile at her comment. Before he caught her
staring, she fixed her eyes on the ditch they were in.
“There is a natural
incline over there.” She pointed to the area where the gully gradually met the
road. “If you must carry me, this would make it much easier to gain access. I
don’t wish to be a burden.”
“Miss Catherine, you
are no burden. I swear you are as light as a feather, but I agree, the access
is much easier over there.” He began walking toward the berm and within minutes
set her on her feet, holding her arms for a few seconds longer until he was
sure she wouldn’t collapse.
“I’m fine, Lord Kerr.
I’ll be on my way.” She attempted a small curtsy and winced.
“What kind of
gentleman do you think I am, allowing an injured female to walk home when I
have a perfectly fine horse to carry us?”
“No!” She pulled
away from him and almost fell again in pain. This time, her ankle refused to
hold her weight. With lightning fast reflexes, he caught her before she hit the
ground. “We can’t ride together. What would people say?”
With his arms
wrapped firmly around her, he glanced up and down the road. His eyebrow arched
and he grinned. “What people do you see, Miss Catherine?”
“You never know who
could come along. No, I’ll have to walk.”
She pushed lightly
against his chest and he allowed them to separate, but kept his hands firmly on
her forearms, to steady her balance.
“No.” His tone was
resolute. “I’ll walk, you’ll ride Buttons.”
“Buttons?” She tried
not to laugh out loud as it hurt, but the horse was a handsome steed, worthy of
a name like Zeus, Juno, or Lightning.
“Laugh if you must.
I bought him from a friend whose son named the beast. To change it now would
confuse him greatly.” He placed his hands around her waist and lifted her with
ease onto the saddle. She grimaced from the pressure on her ribs and once again
he apologized. “Let’s get you home and then we can send for a doctor.”
With that he swung
up behind her and she stiffened, arching her body away from his strong, solid
one. He slid an arm around her waist, his other hand loose on the reins.
“Relax, Miss Catherine.
I’ve got you.”
Jaw clenched tight,
she nodded and relaxed her body into his.
“You might want to
hold onto my arm, to give you better balance.”
He was wedged
against her so tight his voice resonated through her body, and his essence, the
sheer maleness of him surrounded her. The sensation was as much frightening as
it was exciting. Face aflame, she did as he bade. All her romanticized day
dreams of Lord George having his arms about her did not come close to the real
thing.
Soon the thrill of
his arms around her subsided. With each rocking step Button’s took, pain spiraled
across her ribs and it required all her concentration to take in shallow
breaths.
“We’re almost there,
Miss Catherine. I can see a house through the break in the trees.”
She lifted her gaze
and almost wept at the sight of Longbourn. Both her mother and father exited
the house to greet them, no doubt having been warned by a servant they were
coming up the drive. She expected a full on assault by her mother and was not
disappointed.
“Whatever happened?”
Mrs. Bennet’s mouth gaped open at the sight of Kitty seated in front of Lord George,
his arms around her in a familiar fashion.
Lord Kerr slid off
the horse and turned toward Kitty. She placed her hands on his broad shoulders
and with great care he lifted her off Buttons. She fully expected him to set
her on her feet, instead, with little effort he swung her up into his arms and
turned to face her parents.
“I apologize for
this breach of decorum, but Miss Catherine has been injured. Do you have
somewhere I may take her?”
“Right this way,
Lord Kerr.” Mr. Bennet said, waving his arm in the direction of the door. He’d
obviously recognized Lord George from Lizzie’s wedding.
“Oh my nerves. My body
is trembling. Hill, I need my smelling salts.” Mrs. Bennet held the back of her
hand to her forehead and swayed on her feet.
Had she been discovered and this was but a game of cat and mouse for the dark stranger, or had he happened upon her and recognizing her decided to follow her movements? Much as she'd love to shadow him today, she wasn't prepared and so, the hunt would begin in earnest tomorrow. Utilizing one of her carefully crafted disguises she'd wait for him to show. As this was where he 'lost' her, she theorized he'd resume the search in the same area, hoping to stumble across her again.
