A Berkshire Christmas by S. White

Author:S. White [White, S.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-09-13T18:00:00+00:00

❄Chapter Twenty-two ❄

Simon's heart felt like it was about to pound out his chest. Clarissa had given him the perfect reason for not marrying her. He didn't feel attracted to her. He did feel like a cad treating Clarissa like he did, but she drove him to it.

“Good Lord. What if Kathleen was awakened by the racket in the hall and opened her door to see Clarissa in her all-together? What would she think?” The worst, of course, and he wouldn't blame her.

Simon panicked. He found an urgent need to find Kathleen.

She is probably sleeping. I don't care. I just need to see her.

He opened his door an inch and peeked out into the hall. All was quiet. Clarissa had evidently returned to her room. Maybe if she left quietly later this morning?

I don't want to think about that woman anymore. Kathleen is the one who should be filling my every thought.

Simon left his room and quietly stepped to the door of the Countess's Suite. He knocked and then waited for an answer.

After knocking again, he tried the door. It was unlocked. Simon knew he shouldn't enter but at this point he didn't care.

He tiptoe through the sitting room to the bedroom and knocked. Still no answer, so he slowly turned the knob. Simon pushed the door open.

A lit candle sat on the bedside table. He glanced at the bed. The covers were pushed back but the bed was empty.

Where was Kathleen? Did she hear the commotion in the hall and fled in fright?

Oh, God. I have to find her.

❄

Simon search all the downstairs public rooms, the Main Salon, the library, his study, although he couldn't understand why she would be in his study and she wasn't. He next tried the music room. Kathleen was nowhere to be found.

He sat down on the bench at the pianoforte and raised the lid. Simon pounded out his frustration on the keys. He could play but was nowhere near as good as his Kathleen.

Another thought occurred to him. Maybe she was hungry and went down to the kitchen for a snack.

Simon jumped up and made for the nearest stairs that would lead him to the kitchen.

He was disappointed when he found the kitchen empty.

Where is my Kathleen? She has to be somewhere. She couldn’t have disappeared.

Simon searched the pantry and found some treat his cook had made for their Christmas Eve celebration. Some celebration that will be if he couldn't find Kathleen. He took a few of the treats with him back to the kitchen along with a pitcher of milk. Simon poured a glass of milk and plopped himself onto a stool.

He munched on the treats and sipped the milk. Simon didn't finish his treat nor his milk but he did wrap the treats in a napkin and stuff them into his pocket.

There was one room Simon hadn't searched—the drawing-room. He took the stairs two at a time making way to the drawing-room.

Simon opened the doors expecting to find Kathleen asleep on a sofa.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.