Infatuation and Independence

by Jennifer Becton

  But avoiding her mother would only cause her to send Liz to Rosings to track her down. Or worse, her mother would leave Meryton and show up at Kitty’s doorstep herself. Kitty didn’t want either eventuality to befall her, so she put on her brightest smile and took the video call.

  “Good morning, Mother.”

  “So have you found yourself yet?” her mother asked, eying her critically.

  Kitty restrained an eye roll and walked to the coffeemaker. If she was going to make it through this conversation, she’d need a hit of caffeine.

  “It’s only been one night,” Kitty reminded her as she filled the machine with fresh water.

  “Has it only been one night?” her mother repeated in a disbelieving tone. She even fluttered her eyelashes dramatically. “It seems longer. Your being all alone in a rural mountain village is playing havoc on my anxiety. I had to up my medication.”

  Her mother was always claiming to up her anxiety medication. If she actually increased the dosage every time she threatened to do so, she would be catatonic by now.

  “Rosings Park is hardly rural,” Kitty pointed out, putting the Mansfield Perk coffee pod in the machine and willing it to brew faster. “Unless you consider manicured golf courses and boutiques for every shopping need as rural.”

  Ignoring the logic of Kitty’s comment, her mother continued, throwing in a pout for good measure. “A mother worries, you know. Not to mention what your Uncle Edward must think of us now that you’ve rejected his job offer. My nerves can’t handle having him think we’re ungrateful.”

  Her latter statement was the real issue. Her mother wasn’t concerned about Kitty’s well-being so much as her own reputation.

  “I am very put out by all this,” her mother lamented. “You’re giving up a perfectly good job with your Uncle Edward just to gallivant across the countryside.”

  “I’m not gallivanting anywhere, and I didn’t reject anything,” Kitty said, even though her mother already knew these facts perfectly well. “I’m taking the summer off, an idea Uncle Edward supported. In fact, when I spoke with him, he encouraged me not only to take the time off but to see as much of the world as I could.”

  “The world?” her mother wailed. “Oh no, it’s much better that you stay right where you are. Rosings Park is all the world you need. Your sisters are close enough to rescue you when you need it.”

  “Rescue me?” Kitty repeated, incredulous. “When I need it?”

  Laughing as if it were all a good joke, her mother shook her head. Her perfectly coiffed hair didn’t move. “You know how you are, Kitty dear. You’re an accident waiting to happen. But I’m sure you’ll be home before any real trouble can befall you. This is just an independent phase.”

  “Independent phase?” Kitty sputtered, turning her back on the coffeemaker. She didn’t need coffee now that anger had taken hold. “I’m pretty sure that’s called adulthood.”

  “A mother knows her children, dear. And of my five daughters, you’re the only one who has never been able to make up her own mind about anything. Why, you were a natural follower since the day you were born. If it hadn’t been for Lydia, you never would have left the nursery.”

  Temporarily silenced, Kitty contemplated that sad fact. Her mother was right. Though Kitty was a year older, she had spent most of her life following in Lydia’s footsteps. In fact, Kitty never made her own choices. Why would she when everyone else always seemed to know better than her?

  In her high school and early college years, Lydia always knew of the best parties and found ways to get the latest clothes, so Kitty had tagged along to benefit from her sister’s expertise. She followed Lydia’s most ridiculous schemes, even when they got them both in trouble.

  After high school, Kitty stuck close to the safety of home and Lydia, choosing a community college over going away to school. But the following year, Lydia abandoned her to go to the University of Georgia. Without Lydia around, Kitty didn’t know what to do with herself. It was as if she woke up suddenly to find her life was in shambles, and she hadn’t even realized it. She’d fallen behind in her coursework, and her grades had her teetering on the brink of expulsion. It was the beginning of her sophomore year, and she hadn’t even thought about choosing a major.

  Tired of being roped in to Lydia’s antics anyway, Kitty knew she needed to change something about her life, but she didn’t know what to do next. So instead of taking the time to figure out what she wanted, Kitty did the same thing she always had.

  She followed.

  Only this time, instead of getting into trouble with Lydia, she followed the examples of her wiser sisters, Jane and Liz. She stopped attending frat parties and started dating boys who had Liz and Jane’s seal of approval. And she followed the scholastic wisdom of Mary, her most serious sister who was also a student at the local college. As a result of Mary’s influence, Kitty buckled down, got her grades up, and—upon her father’s counsel—chose a practical field of study. Thanks to their positive influences, Kitty went to class year round and graduated with a degree in finance.

  Everything had been going so well. Kitty was no longer getting in trouble. She was even saving money and being responsible. That’s why Kitty thought her life was finally on the right track.

  But then, the Queen Mum had informed Kitty that her uncle, Edward Gardner, had agreed to hire her as an auditor at his consulting firm. Everyone agreed that it was a good idea.

  Everyone except Kitty.

  Kitty’s future was laid out before her, entirely planned by her mother and approved by the rest of her family, but she seemed to have no say in the matter. And that led to the terrifying question that had driven her to the mountains: had Kitty truly been making her own decisions since Lydia left for university, or was she still blindly following others?

  Looking back, someone else always guided her. Her family told her what classes to take, who to date, and what social events to attend. Kitty always followed their recommendations. But was she doing it because it was the right thing to do or because it was the easy thing to do? Was it possible that she was a college graduate who still didn’t know how to think for herself? Had she ended up substituting one decision-maker for another?

  That’s why she came up with the plan to house sit for Mike. She needed time away from her mostly well-meaning family to think for herself.

  Oh, Kitty wasn’t so foolish as to turn down her Uncle Edward’s job offer flat out. Instead, she had hedged her bets by telling him that she was taking the summer off and would start work with him next fall.

  Even though she wasn’t sure yet.

  But her mother was sure enough for everyone. “We all know you’re going to take the job eventually,” she pointed out. “So why don’t you just finish up your weekend there and come back home? It’ll save everyone a lot of time and heartache.”

  “Because that is not my plan,” Kitty insisted. “I’m staying here for the entire summer.”

  “Why?” her mother wailed. “What’s there to do all summer? Surely, there are no men there worthy of a Bennet.”

  The Queen Mum believed that only a man could keep a woman’s attention, but Kitty wasn’t here to find a man.

  Upon that thought, an image of Josh, the blue-eyed man from the roadside, popped into her mind. Her mother would certainly disapprove of him! He cleaned up road debris for a living apparently. And drove a truck.

  Moreover, Kitty had meant what she said. She was here to find herself, even if her mother thought the notion was foolish. This was serious business. No dating allowed.

  And frankly, it was inconvenient of Josh to invade her thoughts after just one meeting. Under no circumstances should she be distracted by the memory of his charming smile.

  Besides, she would never see him again.

  Ignoring the trace of regret that lodged in her throat, Kitty shook Josh’s memory away. She gazed out the window and considered telling her mother of the beauty around her. But her mother didn’t care about nature. She was
interested only in gossip, dinner parties, and eligible bachelors.

  None of which were to be found here in Rosings.

  Casting about for something her flighty mother would understand, Kitty’s eyes landed on a Rosings Park Community Calendar that hung on the fridge. That was the answer! Her mother always approved of attending the right social functions.

  “There are all kinds of events going on here,” Kitty said, snatching the paper from the magnet and perusing it quickly. “There’s something every weekend all summer. I mean, I can’t possibly miss the Independence Day Barbecue and Fireworks.”

  “Barbecue?” her mother choked on the word as if it were anathema. “Dear lord, the thin mountain air must be affecting your brain. Next thing I know, I’ll find out you’re having an illicit affair with a hillbilly.”

  “Mother, I can guarantee that I won’t be having an affair—illicit or otherwise—with a hillbilly.”

  “So can I,” her mother assured her. “I’m on the lookout for a suitable beau even now. Once I find one, I’ll talk you into coming home.”

  Before Kitty could inform the Queen Mum that she had no interest in being set up with a man, her mother disconnected the video chat. With the words “suitable beau” still echoing in Kitty’s ears, a fleeting image of Josh shimmered into her consciousness, and then he was gone.

  Over the next weeks, all four of Kitty’s sisters called her in turn, each one having been harangued by the Queen Mum into checking in on their supposedly inept sister. But thankfully, none of them tried to talk her into returning home. Oh, they all mentioned their mother’s strained nerves and her never-ending quest to find a man to lure her to Meryton where she belonged. But they seemed to understand Kitty’s decision to take time off. All her sisters—even super practical Mary—encouraged her to remain right where she was. Still, Kitty was growing weary of the constant phone calls.

  So when her cell chirped on the first day of her fourth week in the mountains, interrupting her trip to Lady Catherine Falls, Kitty expected it to be her mother with yet another plea to come home.

  Or worse, a blind date all arranged.

  Both options were totally unacceptable.

  Kitty was not going home. Period. And if she dated anyone, it certainly wouldn’t be a man chosen by her mother.

  Once again, Kitty’s brain conjured an image of Josh grinning at her on the roadside. Her disloyal brain had been doing that with alarming frequency over the past weeks. Why couldn’t she get him out of her head?

  They’d had one chance meeting. That was all. Turning him down for a date was the right thing to do.

  It was!

  She shouldn’t be thinking of Josh at all.

  Forcing him from her thoughts for the hundredth time, Kitty glanced longingly at the worn path that would lead to the waterfall. Finally, she pulled her trilling phone from her pocket and was relieved to see that the caller was Georgie Darcy.

  Georgie was Will’s younger sister, not one of her mother’s minions.

  She took the call. “Hey, Georgie, what’s up?”

  “Hi, Kitty, I hate to interrupt your vacation. Are you having fun in Rosings Park? Uncle Mike’s place is gorgeous, isn’t it?”

  Georgie was rambling. And she sounded nervous.

  “Absolutely. And you’re not an unwelcome interruption,” Kitty assured her, feeling the beginnings of concern for the girl. “Is everything okay?”

  “Yes. No. Kind of,” Georgie said. Then, her voice dropped to a whisper. “My credit card bill arrived today….”

  “Ah, that kind of trouble.” Kitty was well-versed in handling credit-card-bill-induced panic. Lydia practically made a career out of overspending, freaking out, and asking Kitty for help. If there was one thing at which Kitty Bennet excelled, it was money management. She might have made every other mistake in the book, but Kitty was good with money. She always had been.

  Thanks to living at home, holding down a part-time job, and maintaining careful spending habits, Kitty graduated from college with no debt and a sizable savings. She owned her car outright and was spending the summer rent-free in the mountains.

  “Will trusted me with these cards, and well, he probably shouldn’t have,” Georgie confessed. “It’s just…. I often go shopping with Caroline Bingley, and she buys everything in sight. I kind of lose my head and end up going overboard. Now, I don’t know what to do.”

  Of all the possible people who might have called her for financial help, Georgie would have been Kitty’s last guess. The young girl seemed wise beyond her years and had always been responsible with her family’s wealth. But she had a bad influence in her friend Caroline.

  Kitty understood about bad influences.

  If Georgie really wanted her help, then she would have to understand it wouldn’t be easy. It was always best to get the bad news out of the way first. “The first thing is to stop using the cards. Now. No malls. No online shopping.”

  “I already told Caroline I couldn’t go to the mall with her anymore,” Georgie said.

  “Good.” Georgie seemed to understand what had to be done. But before Kitty could offer any suggestions beyond that, she needed some cold hard facts. “How many cards do you have?”

  “Um….” Georgie paused as if counting them. In a small voice, she confessed, “Five. But one’s a gas card.”

  “Will gave you five credit cards?” That didn’t sound right. Will probably didn’t have five credit cards in his own name.

  Another pause. “Not exactly. He gave me one card and the gas card. I might have signed up for the other three.”

  That wasn’t a good sign. Kitty asked the next question. “And how much do you owe?”

  This time, the pause was even longer than the first two.

  “Do I have to say?” Georgie asked finally. “Because it’s embarrassing.”

  “I can’t help you if I don’t know that,” Kitty said. Then, she rushed to reassure her. “No matter what it is, there’s a way out.”

  Georgie admitted the embarrassing number, and Kitty choked back her reaction. That was a lot of debt for someone who was just starting college, no matter how much money her brother had. “What are the interest rates on the cards?”

  “Interest rates?” Georgie repeated, her voice almost a squeak.

  “Okay,” Kitty said, drawing out the word. Clearly, Georgie’s spending had gone unchecked for months. There was no telling how much interest was accruing. She doubted that Will had poor interest rates on the cards he was subsidizing, but there was no telling what kind of deals Georgie had signed up for. “You have to tell Will. His name is on some of the accounts too.”

  “I know,” Georgie said, sounding contrite, “but I want to have a plan for paying everything off first. That’s why I called you. You know about this stuff.”

  Considering the problem, Kitty glanced down the path to the waterfall once more. So much for uninterrupted solitude.

  Still, she couldn’t feel truly sorry. Kitty actually enjoyed helping people with their money. She always had, even if Lydia had never seemed to learn from her mistakes.

  Plus, helping Georgie would prove her mother wrong. Kitty wasn’t an accident waiting to happen. She wasn’t directionless either. She was good at helping people like Georgie, and she liked doing it. That had to count for something.

  “We can’t do this over the phone,” Kitty said. “You’re not too far. Why don’t you come over tomorrow afternoon? Bring all your statements, and we’ll see what we can do.”

  With Georgie’s visit scheduled, Kitty headed along the trail that led to Lady Catherine Falls.

  Kitty hadn’t intended to use her summer to offer her financial services to anyone, least of all Georgie Darcy. And she was reluctant to get in the middle of a potential Darcy family squabble. She wouldn’t have agreed if she didn’t believe Georgie’s vow to tell Will what she’d done. Coming to her brother with a plan to make it right seemed like the reasonable, mature thing to do, and Kitty was willing to hel
p as long as the situation remained reasonable and mature.

  While she waited for Georgie to arrive, Kitty fully intended to make use of the hot tub again. She threw on her bathing suit, a red and white polka dot two-piece that Lydia had chosen for her, and headed out to the patio with her towel in hand.

  After setting the towel on a nearby deck chair, Kitty opened one side of the cover and stared down into a half-full hot tub.

  “I just refilled you last night,” Kitty complained to the tub. “Are you leaking? Please don’t be leaking.”

  Now that Kitty thought of it, she’d had to refill the tub two other times in the past weeks, but it hadn’t ever drained this low. The leak was obviously getting worse.

  Kitty flipped the cover over onto itself and examined the inside. She didn’t see any cracks on the interior of the tub, so maybe the water was coming out somewhere else. She rounded the tub and noticed that this section of decking was wet.

  “Oh no, you are leaking,” Kitty accused the hot tub. “So much for Mike’s theory that house sitters prevent deterioration. What am I supposed to do now?”

  Tempted to put the cover back on and forget the whole thing ever happened, Kitty discounted that Lydia-esque idea when her mother’s unwanted voice echoed into her brain. “You know how you are. You’re an accident waiting to happen.”

  Kitty was going to prove her mother wrong. She was not an accident waiting to happen. She was an accident fixer. She was going to get this hot tub repaired today. That way she could use the tub for the rest of the summer and not risk further damage to the tub or the porch.

  At that thought, Kitty jumped back from the spa area. If the tub was leaking onto the wood floor, had it damaged the boards below? Was the whole tub going to crash through the porch and onto the ground, taking her with it?

  The last thing she needed was to fall through the floor and prove her mother right.

  “You stay there,” she told the hot tub, backing slowly into the house. “I’m calling for help.”