Because of the vast space available, the singing lessons were held in the very parlor Ichabod had auditioned for the job in. Katrina was therefore privy to the cacophony of various women from the village trying to sing everything from country songs to opera.
She went down to visit Ichabod after the lesson and not much to her surprise found him with his head in his hands rubbing his temples.
"A trying lesson?" She asked setting a steaming cup of tea on the piano next to where he still sat on the bench.
"Excruciating..." He replied picking up the cup and taking a long swallow of tea. "Chamomile?"
"Call it womanly intuition but I had a feeling you might have a headache."
He nodded. "Ear to ear pain. Thank you. You are an angel."
Katrina smiled and sat down next to him on the bench, deciding not to mention that she usually was not such an "angel" as he called her. In fact she could not deny that she was really quite cruel to most the men in her acquaintance but she could not imagine acting that way to Ichabod. Fate seemed to have been unkind enough. Fancy such a learned, debonair gentleman wearing threadbare, second-hand clothing and accepting the low-paid work of village schoolteacher. Yet he was so cheerful and for the most part uncomplaining about his life though it was plain he wished for a better one. Katrina was so absorbed in thoughts about this still mysterious young man that she did not realize that her face had been drifting closer to his and he had responded in kind.
This wasn't right. Katrina knew she made men weak with her kisses but her knees had never trembled so. She had never wrapped her fingers around the backs of one of their necks to keep their lips against hers and yet that is exactly what she did now when Ichabod kissed her. First he had just ever so slightly brushed her mouth with his before trapping and gently sucking her lower lip. Apparently responding to the fingers on his neck, he again kissed her full on the lips and much more firmly than before. Katrina heard herself moan softly as she parted her lips and slipped her tongue past Ichabod's who startled slightly at the new sensation or perhaps the boldness of the gesture but then relaxed, moaned a little himself and responded in kind softly tasting the inside of Katrina's mouth. She could not help but contrast this with Brom's slobbering attempts.
At last they had to part for breath. Katrina blushed at the desire in Ichabod's eyes and knew that hers reflected the same feeling back at him.
"Katrina..." He stammered, "Shall we attend the upcoming Halloween celebrations together?"
"On two conditions."
"Name them."
"First tell me how on earth you learned to kiss like that."
"One can learn almost anything from books my dear if you know the ones to choose."
"Not the most satisfactory answer... but then the second condition is paramount."
"And that is..."
"Do it again."