"There is nothing now save for this room and this woman and this story." ― Erin Morgenstern, The Starless Sea

William and Kathalina stayed in Hannah's room till Oliver arrived. They had to keep the doctor waiting as Hannah wouldn't allow anyone near her babies. The doctor couldn't do his checkup with William and Kathalina in a man's attire in the mother's chamber unless her spouse was present.

William didn't have the heart to leave the new parents till more of his family members were present to properly take care of them. He was on edge around everyone. Midwife's word still circling in his head and he would not tolerate anyone speaking ill of his family.

Seeing him in such a condition Kathalina wasn't certain if she can go back home or how long before she can. She sent a note to her estate. She had to write a believable excuse for her fiance to not raise another suspicion.

She was offered lunch and left alone in the parlour for most of the time. She was getting bored sitting alone unsure where William had disappeared. Soon, she was shown to a small private library stating William had asked her to wait in there.

Kathalina spent the rest of the day looking through the studies. She soon realized it was his personal study and excitement ran through her. It felt intimate and thrilling to be at the place which was personal to him. She felt closer to him somehow, butterflies in her stomach, a bright smile stretching across her face.

She was giddy, excitement bubbling through her. She tried to memorize the list of all the books which had been worn out by reading over and over again by him. She was surprised to find the ever-so-neat and tidy William Kentshire had a whole wall where all his written journals and parchment were stuffed haphazardly. She smiled to herself, lightly touching the edges of the parchments sticking out.

In the corner, a parchment was sticking out more than others. Curiosity got the best of her and she tried to see what was written on it and it came out in her hand as soon as she touched it. She tried to put it back in carefully as it was before scared someone will catch her snooping around.

The words on the parchment caught her eyes and she looked it up in the light all colour draining from her face. It was the first page of the same parchment she had read in his office, the inheritance bill of the noblewomen. Now, she understood why Lord Adam didn't find anything in his office.

The flashback of the last night sent a shiver through her and it was too late when she noticed the shadow that was cast on the parchment. She turned around hastily to find him leaning close to her, a mere hairbreadth space between them. Her breathing was heavy, her heart thumping loudly in her chest.

He moved in slowly, she backed away only to be stopped by his study table. She instinctively closed her eyes when his lips leaned towards her.

"Don't tell me you are snooping through my study too?" He said.

She opened her eyes, to find herself standing on tiptoes, the parchment snatched from her hand while he was attempting to look through it. He tricked her by making her think he was going to kiss her, no, she was the one expecting him to kiss her.

"You asked me to wait here and it was lying around, if I was not supposed to look at it, you should have kept it safe," She snapped.

"Pardon me for the mess, my lady," He said smirking, "But why are you so annoyed?"

"I am not annoyed," She said annoyed.

He stuffed back the parchment in the same place she found it and walked towards her. She clutched her trousers tightly refraining from flinching with his close proximity. She faced away from him pouting. She will not let him trick her anymore.

"Were you disappointed I didn't kiss you?" He whispered slowly near her ears, sending jolts of electricity to her.

She laughed awkwardly.

"Who even wants to be kissed by you?" She said her voice wavering.

He moved her face back to her to look into her eyes.

"Weren't you the one demanding me to kiss you?" He asked mischievously.

"I would have lost my mind to demand such a thing, but now I am all sane, my lord," She said bravely looking in his eyes, back to her confident self.

"Are you now?" He whispered again.

She put her hands on his chest slowly pushing him away sensing the danger that his whispered words and enchanting onyx eyes presented.

"Yes, my lord," She mumbled.

William held her hands lightly moving them to the back of his neck slowly making her gulp. He slid his hands around her waist closing the gap between them. He smiled and Kathalina realized he tricked her again but before she could protest his lips were on hers making her forget everything.

They don't know how long they have been in each other's embrace, tracing their lips on one another's skin. By now Kathalina was sitting on the desk, his legs tightly wrapped by hers. Even though they refuse to let each other go, they were reluctant to proceed any further than this in a study where anyone could come in anytime.

And true to their fears, a footman soon knocked on the door to notify William his parents have returned. He asked for a guest room to be readied for Kathalina and dinner to be delivered to her at once much to her disappointment.

"Sorry, my lady," William said fixing both of their clothes, "My mother has very sharp eyes. She will take one look at you and know you are not a man. Now, unless you want to explain the entire truth it will be better if you stay away from her eyes for nothing escapes her."

"I was thinking of going back home," She said softly.

"No," He protested, "Not tonight."

He calmed himself down, and held her hand, trying to show his pleading face which only made him look formidable. Kathalina chuckled at his antics.

"Please wait for me," His face might have failed but his words conveyed all the emotions.

Kathalina raised her toes and kissed him on his cheeks.

"Don't keep me waiting for long, my lord," She said, stuttering away from him. The footman was waiting outside to take her to the guest chamber.

She waited for a long time in her chamber, still in her waistcoat and the trousers and fell asleep. It was in the middle of the night when she woke up and found him staring at her lovingly, caressing her hair.

"What do you want me to do?" He asked, noticing she had woken up, "You can ask anything from me and I will do it."

"Is that a promise, my lord?" She asked.

"No," He said, "Promises can be broken. But this is more than a promise, I will make true whatever you wish for."

"Then I do have something to ask of you?" She said, snuggling closer to him.

Silence with just the sound of their breathing and the crackling of the fire.

"I am ready, my lady," William said after a couple of moments, "Ask it."

If Kathalina would have asked him to tear his chest and present his heart, he would have done it and she knew it. She could ask him to marry her and he would have agreed to it in a heartbeat. There was so much she wanted to ask of him yet so little she could.

"That stuffed parchment in your study," She said, "Place it in our constitution."

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