Stolen Kisses

Stolen Kisses 5

            

"My lady, you're home early. Where are your brothers?"

"I was feeling tired so they brought me home, but after assuring them I'm okay they left in a hurry wanting to go to White's. You know men..." Nadine clucked her tongue in disgust. "I'm tired so I'll head to bed now, please tell my maid I can take care of myself tonight. I'd like to be alone."

"Of course, my lady."

------

"Isaiah, have you seen Nadine?" Nadine's older brother asked as he craned his neck towards the ballroom.

"She was just at the refreshments table." Isaiah answered as he continued to drink his port.

"Well, she's not there anymore!" Ezekiel hissed. "Can you please put your priorities straight? Our little sister comes first before your own pursuits."

Isaiah frowned at his brother's statements. "She was last seen dancing with James."

"James?"

"Yes, James. The guy she cried every night for since he left for the army. That very same James." Isaiah explained as he gulped down the rest of his port.

"But he's avoiding her according to Tom." Ezekiel grabbed a glass of port himself not liking what he's hearing.

Isaiah cocked one of his brows. "You seem to forget. Nadz is as stubborn as a bull and she would possibly do anything to get what she wants."

"Damnation! He better not do what I think he'll do to Nadz." Ezekiel cursed as he looked around the ballroom to spot if he could find a trace of James or his brother.

"I'd rather think it's our sister who would do something foolish to James." Isaiah drawled.

"We're talking about our baby sister here." Ezekiel scowled at his younger brother.

"You know my stand in this matter. You drove the man away and made our baby sister miserable in the process. I didn't really approve of your tactic."

"This is neither the time nor the place to argue about that. We need to find her first before someone else caught wind of this."

Isaiah gave his brother a nod of understanding. "I think I spot Tom over there."

------

It was nearly quarter past two when they were able to leave Cheshire. As soon as their carriage was headed to Scotland, Nadine glanced over James, her soon to be husband. She could not believe that James would finally be hers. Though she worried about her brothers and she could tell that James was worrying too.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

James forced a smile. "Yes, of course. Just a bit tired with all that transpired today."

"It is quite a lot, is it not?" Nadine smiled sweetly at him and his exhaustion seemed to have vanished.

"Indeed. Especially, when dealing with a chit like you." James said playfully.

"I needed to be to make you realize how much of a dolt you've been all these years." Nadine retorted haughtily.

"And I'm thankful for that" James took Nadine's gloved hand and unpeeled it before kissing it.

Nadine closed her eyes reveling at the feel of James's lips on her bare hand. It sends shiver down her spine.

"James..." She absentmindedly murmured but to her disappointment he did not do anything more than that.