Kate hadn’t noticed. He’d spent as much time observing her as he had Harry and Miss Penrose, and he thought she had no suspicions that her plan was unraveling. For himself, he didn’t care that Miss Penrose could no longer be a candidate. He wanted Kate as his wife. Not only were they compatible, she aroused passion in him.
He wondered how he could have been so blind for so long. Eleven years, and not once, in all that time, had he thought that Kate had any claim to beauty. Now, whenever he looked at her, she became more beautiful. Yes, she had freckles and red hair, but she was very far from being plain. Her coloring was striking, rich and warm. The freckles accented what was a lovely face, full of intelligence and humor and character. They weren’t a disfigurement. On the contrary, they g
