Deeply Devoted by Maggie Brendan Read Free Book Online Page A

Greta cheered him on and followed them into the large foyer.
    He set Catharine down and gave her a quick kiss. “Welcome home, my beautiful bride. Have a look around. If there’s anything you don’t like or would like to change with the furnishings, let me know. This used to be my parents’ home and I just never changed anything.” Peter stood back and observed her with an adoring look that made Catharine smile.
    Catharine stepped into the sitting room furnished with floral chintz-covered chairs and cherrywood tables. A light, fresh, lemon smell lingered in the room, telling her it had been recently dusted. The room was delightfully inviting, and she could see herself at the small lady’s writing desk drinking tea out of her Blue Willow china. She clasped her hands together. “Oh, Peter, it’s very lovely,” she said, running her hand across the smooth desk.
    He beamed. “And here I was worried . . . but just the same, you can add your own personal touch, Catharine. It’s all yours.”
    “ Ja. It’s all very nice.” Anna had followed them and openly admired the cozy room.
    “Can you show us to our room, Peter?” Greta asked with one eyebrow quirked upward as she peered into the sitting room. “Mmm . . . nice.” She looked about with a decisive eye.
    “Yes, come with me and I’ll show you the upstairs.” At the second floor landing, he swung open the first door and swept his arm aside for them to enter the room they’d be sharing. “If you want to freshen up, I’ll bring your things up once I get Catharine’s luggage.”
    Greta touched his arm. “Oh, I can get mine and Anna can get hers. It’s those big trunks that will be heavy.” The two sisters headed back down the stairs, leaving them alone.
    “You can just leave it downstairs for now, Peter. We’ll go through it this week and unpack,” Catharine told him. “But I’d like that smaller brown bag if you don’t mind. It has most of what I need.”
    “Will do, but first let me take you to our bedroom.” He took her hand and walked to the end of the hall.
    Catharine felt a shiver slide down her spine but wasn’t sure if it was excitement or tension. The bedroom had its own fireplace in the corner and a cherrywood tester bed with a canopy of white tatted lace draping its sides. The windows boasted creamy sheers that crisscrossed with a pleasing effect as late afternoon sunlight filtered through. Next to the bed, a crystal vase was chock-full of pink roses. They looked like climbing roses. Had Peter placed them there? She hadn’t seen a maid and Peter hadn’t mentioned one.
    Silly, of course , she chided herself, there wasn’t help or he wouldn’t have bought the items he said we need on the farm. Ladies of leisure have no reason to wear work clothes. This might be quite a challenge for them, especially her younger sister.
    Peter stood at the doorway, watching her response. “Do you like it, Catharine?”
    Catharine dragged her eyes from the thick matelessé covering the bed and felt her face go pink. “I do, Peter.”
    He closed the door, flung his hat on the bedpost, and kissed her hands. “I intend to make you very happy, my beautiful Catharine. It’s my greatest desire that I can be all that you expected of me.”
    His intense gaze caused her heart to thump against her ribs. She was nervous about how she’d feel tonight after the lights were out. She did want him to hold her, that was for certain, but it had been a long time since someone had done so. She tried to cover her apprehension with a soft laugh. “And I you, Peter. I hope I can be the wife that you’ve been searching for all these years.”
    He drew her closer to him until she could feel the outline of his firm legs through her skirt. He slowly untied the satin ribbons of her bonnet, removed it, and tossed it onto the bed, allowing her hair to fall around her face. He lifted a curl, breathing in its scent between his fingers, looked into her eyes with a frank look