A Path Toward Love (33 page)

She leaned against the sun-warmed boulder and noticed his brows were furrowed. “I'm glad you could come, Katherine. I looked for a few moments to speak to you alone last night, but you were always surrounded by a crowd.”

She nodded. “I'm afraid I can't stay long, so we must be quick. What did Marston say? I've been so worried I could hardly sleep last night.”

“He sent me a telegram late yesterday. He says Harriet is on her way to Raquette Lake. She might even be here already.”

Katherine lifted her hand to her chest and felt her heart racing.

He reached out and gently took her other hand. “You must be prepared to meet her—unless you'd like me to go in your place. I'd be glad to take care of all this for you.”

She clasped his hand. “Thank you. I've been thinking about that a lot lately and trying to decide.”

“And?”

She sighed. “I want to meet her in person. I'm curious about what she's like.” Katherine pictured her as a scarlet woman, a femme fatale.

“Are you certain she won't upset you?” he asked, pressing her hand.

“No, I'm not at all sure. But I'm afraid if you went in my place, Papa would miss you. How would explain your absence?”

He shrugged off her concern. “Don't worry about me. I can take care of myself. It's you I'm worried about.”

She smiled, not a bit surprised he placed her welfare above his own. “I just want this meeting with Harriet to be over and done with.” Shuddering, she crossed her arms over the bodice of her wet bathing costume.

He pulled her toward him and wrapped her tightly in his embrace. She warmed in the comfort of his arms and nestled her head against the top of his damp swimming suit. Her mind spun, knowing that if they were caught, there'd be a steep price to pay. But her heart won out.
He cares for me. He truly cares
.

She forced herself to ease away, feeling their parting like a physical tear, and the tears came too fast to curb them. “Forgive me,” she said, wiping them away in embarrassment. “My whole world is crashing down on me at once, and you're the only one who truly understands how I feel.”

“I'm glad you know that.” His eyes didn't leave hers, and he smiled with more fondness than she'd ever seen in anyone's gaze before. He wasn't bothered by her messy, dripping hair half concealed by a ruffled cap, or the soggy frock, or even her bare legs.

Her bare legs
. She fought the desire to turn and hide them. In the moment, she'd completely forgotten that she was without stockings. Her scar, bright red and thick as dress cording, stood out against the white of her legs. But he didn't stare at her disfigurement.

Her tears stopped as suddenly as they had begun and she stared up at him in wonder. “Thank you for not caring,” she murmured.

“What are you talking about? I
do
care, Katherine, very much.” He looked puzzled.

“But not about my scar. You hardly noticed.” She pointed toward it, silently daring him to look. His gaze traveled right to it, but he didn't flinch.

“Katherine, someday you'll tell me about how you got that. But you need to know—you're beautiful to me, every bit of you.”

“Thank you.” Tears blocked her throat again; she blinked them back. Her eyes lingered over his mouth and she yearned to press his lips against her own. She moved closer, but then her better judgment forced her to step away.

“I ought to go back before anyone catches us together.” Glancing toward camp, she glimpsed two tiny figures standing at the edge of the pier. From the height of the two she guessed they were Mama and Mrs. Clarke, though they were too far away to be certain.

Andrew's gaze followed hers. “You'd best go now. I'll wait until you lead them away.”

Katherine nodded. She tucked her hair into her mop cap and waded into the water. She took slow, easy strokes, but she arrived back at camp much too soon. Pasting on a smile, she trudged toward the beach and lifted her chin. But her heart still pounded with the powerful beat of what she'd nearly done.

“Hello, Mama, Mrs. Clarke.” Katherine picked up a towel she'd left lying on a rock, dried her arms from her elbows to her wrists, and then patted her face and blotted her hair. As she dried off, she waited for them to explain why they'd come looking for her when they knew she'd soon join them for breakfast.

When she looked up, Katherine noticed her mother's jutting jaw and cool, appraising expression. Her eyes narrowed when she saw that Katherine had gone out without stockings. “We'd like a few words with you, dear,” Mama said with a sniff.

“I assumed so, given that you could hardly wait for me to even return from my morning constitution.”

Mrs. Clarke stretched up to her full height, towering over Mama. “Katherine, we'd like to encourage you to speak to Randy as soon as possible. You've delayed long enough that keeping company ‘over the summer' only leaves several precious weeks. There really is no room for further delay. He's counting on you.”

His pampered ego would take a dreadful beating, but Katherine felt sure if she rejected him, he'd regain his pride and optimism soon enough. He never seemed to care about anything intensely enough to stay dispirited for long.

When Katherine didn't reply quickly, Mama raised a warning brow. “What do you have to say for yourself, Katherine? You know the consequences of—”

“I spoke to Papa,” she interrupted, “and he told me what would happen to Andrew if I refused. That's unconscionable, Mama.”

Her mother's face flamed. “Be that as it may, you now understand the penalty for rebelling. And you're getting off the subject.”

Katherine turned and walked up the hill, the women following behind her.

“We are only looking out for the happiness of our children,” Mrs. Clarke said in a more conciliatory tone. “I deeply believe that once you allow Randy access to your heart, you'll see what a fine young man he is. He truly cares for you, my dear. And our Andrew . . . well, he will be fine. There is some other girl out there for him.”

Katherine supposed Randy did care for her, in his own way. But she feared his affection lacked real depth. But so did her own. What a terrible situation their parents had forced upon them. Her impulse to challenge Mama grew stronger by the second. But she couldn't endanger Andrew's position at the railroad.

She cleared her throat and looked skyward. “I'll talk to Randy again. But I must speak to Andrew first. He deserves an explanation.”

Mama nodded. “If you must, I suppose it's all right. But be brief. I'll not have camp tongues wagging about you two flirting. It's unseemly.”

“I won't, Mama.” They'd reached her cabin and she turned to face them.

“I'm relieved you've finally come to your senses.” Mama managed a small smile and rubbed Katherine's arm. “I'm sorry you don't realize we're only encouraging you to make the right decision. Getting to know Randy in a more serious way will certainly bring you the most happiness.”

Katherine fought the urge to pull away from her mother. “I do hope and pray you're right, because if you're not, you'll be ruining two lives.” And Andrew's made three.

That evening Katherine followed the crowd to the beach where an enormous bonfire blazed and sent orange and red flames shooting upward into the blackening sky. The fire snapped and crackled and nearly drowned out the quiet wash of dark water gliding over rough sand and stones. She watched Andrew toss another log onto the pyre. He glanced her way as she wove through the tangle of guests gathered in the firelight and smiled at her longingly, just as Mama said. He didn't hide his feelings well, but she'd hardly noticed before.

Maybe she hadn't
wanted
to notice because Andrew's obvious affection complicated an already thorny situation. Because part of it felt deeply familiar.

Randy motioned for her to sit beside him on a Muskoka chair while he strummed his mandolin. Dropping down, she watched Andrew turn to tend the fire and keep busy. He helped the footmen and gentlemen carry several benches and chairs from the lodge and the grounds. They placed them around the bonfire for the ladies to sit in comfort while Randy entertained with his music. The guests took their seats and settled down once he began to sing. Mama and Mrs. Clarke walked around insuring all the campers had chairs.

Mama's friends sang familiar tunes to the accompaniment of Randy's mandolin. His rich tenor voice soothed like flowing honey. He led one song after another, his voice rising above the weak and reedy voices of several of the ladies. Some of the men's voices boomed off-key, though most sounded just plain loud.

Randy was as animated as Katherine had ever seen him. He sang well-known hymns and let the singers choose their favorites. He knew them all. Katherine wondered how he managed to remember at least four verses of every hymn since he seldom attended church. Or at least she thought he didn't. But in the eight years they'd been apart perhaps he'd developed an unexpected liking for church music.

Randy belted out “Rock of Ages” and “Shall We Gather at the River?” Everyone sang with gusto and some with obvious devotion. Later, the moon rose in a black velvet sky studded with twinkling stars. Katherine and Randy harmonized to several hymns they'd practiced earlier. After a while Randy stopped for a short break and drank down a tall glass of ginger beer to quench his thirst. The guests rose to mingle.

“Please excuse me,” Katherine mumbled to Randy. She left before she heard his reply. Scanning the crowd for Andrew, she spotted him at the back of the circle. He grinned as she approached.

“Can we talk?” she asked him. He looked so hopeful she dreaded telling him she'd decided to accept Randy's attentions. But she needed to explain before he heard the news from someone else. He leaned closer. “But what about your parents?”

“They approved a brief conversation,” she said.

Andrew squinted his eyes and nodded, a tiny smile at the corners of his lips. “Of course. I'd be delighted.”

She knew he wouldn't be so pleased when she blurted out the reason for their tête-à-tête. They eased to the back of the group and then lowered onto a log near the border of the woods, well within sight of the bonfire and the crowd.

Katherine stretched out her legs and spread her skirt down over the tops of her black boots. They talked of the unusually balmy weather and a few other trivial topics before she mustered the courage to speak about the courtship.

“I need to talk to you about my future. This is hard for me, Andrew. I don't know where to begin.” She'd never hint at her parents' threat to fire him because he might very well become angry enough to quit on the spot. And where would that get him? If he overstepped, Papa would keep him from obtaining another legal position in New York, and probably anywhere else he applied. The tentacles of Papa's power spread across the country. If Mama nudged him, he wouldn't hesitate to use his influence. At first he might balk, but in the end he'd give in to Mama, just as he always did.

“Begin wherever you like, but please don't be afraid to tell me anything.” Andrew dug the heel of his boot into the carpet of sparse grass and crumbled leaves. “You seem awfully hesitant. Is this some sort of bad news?”

“You might think so.”

“Sometimes it's best to just come right out with what's on your mind.” He cocked his head. “You'll feel better when you do.”

Perhaps, but he certainly wouldn't. Katherine forced an unhappy smile.

When her gaze locked onto his, she felt such a rush of affection she couldn't bear to upset him. Her heart filled with—she couldn't say the word or even whisper it, but she knew what it was all the same.
Love
. The feelings washing through her couldn't possibly be anything less.

She'd never felt this way with Charles, who'd charmed her with his glib tongue and musical laugh. But his actions had never matched the selflessness of his silvery words. He talked a good story, but those words evaporated in the chill of reality. And she didn't have these warm—no,
sizzling
—feelings for Randy either.

Her mouth dropped open as she stared at him, any words leaving her head.