***
Mairelon disappeared for the remainder of the day after he and Kim returned from Renee D'Auber's. Nor was he at breakfast the following morning. Kim was swept away by Mairelon's aunt for the majority of the morning, and Mairelon was still missing when she returned.
Kim went to bed that night feeling scared. Had she driven Mairelon away? Did he no longer wish to marry her...
Kim's worries were interrupted by a distant sound like a crash. She climbed out of bed and slipped into the hallway to listen. Hearing nothing, she wondered if she'd just imagined the sound. Too curious to return to the formidable task of trying to stave off her worries long enough to fall asleep, Kim pulled on her dressing gown and headed downstairs.
The light was on in the library, and Kim's heart skipped a beat as she eased the door open and peered through.
Her first view of Mairelon from across the library tore at her heart. He was slouched in one of the chairs by the long table, a decanter in front of him but no glass. His head was thrown back to rest on the chair and his eyes were closed, but worry and unhappiness lined his face. Kim had never seen him look so vulnerable. She swallowed her racing heart and crossed over to him.
"Kim!" Mairelon said in surprise, sitting up a little shakily. "I was sure you'd gone to bed..."
"I thought I heard something..." Kim told him uncertainly.
"Ah, probably me knocking the glass to the floor," he said, gesturing at the mess he'd rather ineffectively tried to clean up.
Kim studied Mairelon carefully and decided he was more than a little on the go. Had she driven him to drinking yet again? "Are you... all right?" she asked timidly.
"Just fine," he said with a hint of sarcasm. He gestured expressively toward the floor. "The rug, on the other hand, has seen better days."
Kim moved past him and crouched on the floor to mop up the spill better than Mairelon had managed to. When she stood, she found herself nearly eye to eye with Mairelon. Her heart fluttered with excitement at the look in Mairelon's eyes.
"Kim..." he whispered, and suddenly his lips were on hers. The kiss was never gentle; from the beginning it was passionate, shocking Kim with its intensity. But it awakened a need in her that she'd never known she had, and she kissed Mairelon back.
When Mairelon broke away, Kim was breathless. She found herself completely in Mairelon's embrace, pressed against the table by his body. Mairelon leaned his forehead on hers and tried to breathe in evenly. Suddenly he backed away and held Kim at arm's length. "God, Kim," he said haltingly, "I'm sorry... I... You should go back to bed..." He turned away from her and leaned against the table with both palms flat on its surface.
Feeling confused and rejected, Kim had no choice but to leave the library.
***
Mairelon disappeared for the remainder of the day after he and Kim returned from Renee D'Auber's. Nor was he at breakfast the following morning. Kim was swept away by Mairelon's aunt for the majority of the morning, and Mairelon was still missing when she returned.
Kim went to bed that night feeling scared. Had she driven Mairelon away? Did he no longer wish to marry her...
Kim's worries were interrupted by a distant sound like a crash. She climbed out of bed and slipped into the hallway to listen. Hearing nothing, she wondered if she'd just imagined the sound. Too curious to return to the formidable task of trying to stave off her worries long enough to fall asleep, Kim pulled on her dressing gown and headed downstairs.
The light was on in the library, and Kim's heart skipped a beat as she eased the door open and peered through.
Her first view of Mairelon from across the library tore at her heart. He was slouched in one of the chairs by the long table, a decanter in front of him but no glass. His head was thrown back to rest on the chair and his eyes were closed, but worry and unhappiness lined his face. Kim had never seen him look so vulnerable. She swallowed her racing heart and crossed over to him.
"Kim!" Mairelon said in surprise, sitting up a little shakily. "I was sure you'd gone to bed..."
"I thought I heard something..." Kim told him uncertainly.
"Ah, probably me knocking the glass to the floor," he said, gesturing at the mess he'd rather ineffectively tried to clean up.
Kim studied Mairelon carefully and decided he was more than a little on the go. Had she driven him to drinking yet again? "Are you... all right?" she asked timidly.
"Just fine," he said with a hint of sarcasm. He gestured expressively toward the floor. "The rug, on the other hand, has seen better days."
Kim moved past him and crouched on the floor to mop up the spill better than Mairelon had managed to. When she stood, she found herself nearly eye to eye with Mairelon. Her heart fluttered with excitement at the look in Mairelon's eyes.
"Kim..." he whispered, and suddenly his lips were on hers. The kiss was never gentle; from the beginning it was passionate, shocking Kim with its intensity. But it awakened a need in her that she'd never known she had, and she kissed Mairelon back.
When Mairelon broke away, Kim was breathless. She found herself completely in Mairelon's embrace, pressed against the table by his body. Mairelon leaned his forehead on hers and tried to breathe in evenly. Suddenly he backed away and held Kim at arm's length. "God, Kim," he said haltingly, "I'm sorry... I... You should go back to bed..." He turned away from her and leaned against the table with both palms flat on its surface.
Feeling confused and rejected, Kim had no choice but to leave the library.
***