Saving Sabine

Chapter 6

After that I could no’ bear to be around ye knowing that ye were thinking of marrying someone else. I thought it must have been all in my imagination. I thought tha’ ye dinna think of me in any other way than your employee.

But tonight, I could no’ stand it anymore. I was lying in bed and I had to see ye. I had to see ye one last time.” He squeezed her hand tightly before letting it go.

“Last time?” Sabine said breathlessly. Her heart was racing. She was sure that Connor could hear it. He did not think it was just friendly banter either. He thought of her romantically, she wasn’t alone.

“I’ll be handing in my notice tomorrow. I can’ be here anymore. I need to forget ye,” he said sadly.

“Forget me?” she gasped. “Why? Why must you leave?”

“Sabine, ye don’ understand how the world works. High don’ mix with low,” he sighed. “I’m goin’ to leave and find another job somewhere. If your mama and da’ knew how I felt about ye then they’d never give me a reference. I need to leave now.”

Tear filled Sabine’s eyes. She knew he was right, but that didn’t mean she liked it. Why couldn’t high mix with low? Why did there even have to be a high and a low? She knew plenty of people with money that didn’t deserve it.

“How do you feel about me?” she whispered. She wanted to hear it just once if he was to leave.

“Sabine,” he said in a pained voice. “Don’ make me say it.”

“I want you to tell me,” she pressed.

His other hand reached up and caressed her cheek bone. “I won’ say it, Sabine. I can’. To admit that to myself then I’ll lose my nerve.”

“Where will you go?” she asked as her voice cracked.

Abandoning the appropriate distance, Connor wrapped his arms around Sabine tightly.

Her head fit right in the nape of his neck. She felt so comfortable in his arms, they enveloped her completely and she smelt the musky scent that she had smelled when he had lent her his shirt.

“I don’ know,” he replied quietly. “Perhaps up to Yorkshire or somewhere.”

“I want you to stay,” she whispered. With her head laying against his chest, she could hear how fast his heart was beating, it almost matched her own. He was as nervous and as scared as she was.

“I can’ be here and be simply ‘friends’ with ye, Sabine, I can’ do it,” he sighed, leaning his head against the top of her head. “Because sooner or later you’re goin’ to get married and I don’ want to watch tha’.”

Sabine pulled her head away from his body and looked up at him. His brown eyes were very glassy, as if he was trying to control his emotions as well. If two people had to separate because of their social status then she would not have it. Standing up on her toes, she did something she had never done before. She pressed her lips against his surprised ones for the shortest of moments. She pulled away and looked to the ground as her cheeks flamed red.

She’d never kissed a man before, she’d only ever seen her parents kiss. She had no idea what she was doing. Perhaps she was terrible and Connor hated it. Someone as handsome as him had probably kissed a thousand women ten times more experienced than she was.

He placed his finger underneath her chin and pulled her face upwards so that he could kiss her again. Pressing his lips to hers, Sabine closed her eyes feeling rather hesitant and nervous. Timidly she reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck as he arms tightened around her waist.