by Kari Miller
She sighed and then smiled up at him as he proceeded to take the face cloth and lather her skin.
“I will enjoy returning the favour” She purred out as a vision of Salvador’s muscles rippling beneath her touch clouded her vision.
“Another time, my Sweet. When you are done here you are to rest.
“Rest?” she asked with a bit of annoyance.
“Rest.” He confirmed with finality to his tone.
That wouldn’t do.
“I have been cooped up in a carriage for four days Salvador. I believe I have gotten enough rest!” She protested.
“Sitting in a jarring carriage and lying down on a sturdy mattress are two different things.”
“I’m not tired and truth be told I am eager to see if my journals are still where I left them. I couldn’t possibly rest knowing they are two rooms away!”
Salvador scowled his brows in thought and then sighed.
“I’ll compromise; once your journals are in hand you will promptly return to our chamber and rest in bed.”
“Thank You.” She responded with a smug smile.
Salvador sighed again and then lifted her out of the water and preceded to towel dry her.
Katherine grabbed for her petticoats and Salvador stayed her hands.
She looked up questioningly.
“This shouldn’t take long.” He mumbled as he walked towards her trunks and pulled out a clean nightgown and a robe with slippers.
Katherine rolled her eyes causing him to smirk.
Once he made sure that the hall was empty, he took her by the hand and led her into her room.
“How did you know this was my room?” she said with amusement while her eyes wandered around.
“You forget, I purchased this estate right after your father passed away, I have been here before.”
“Ah…” was all she was able to manage as she wondered why her things looked out of place, but tidy none the less.
“Well?” he prompted her.
Katherine’s gaze rested on the bed. That at least looked the same.
She walked over and took hold of the bed post and started to pull at it.
Strong arms came around her and pulled her away.
“What in blazes do you think you are doing?” he barked out while shooting her warning glares.
“The journals are in a floorboard beneath the bed.” She replied with annoyance as she struggled to free herself.
“I will move the bed Katherine!” He growled at her and then placed her aside.
After the bed was moved, he looked to her for further instruction.
She walked over and tapped her toe on the floorboard in the far corner where one of the bed pegs had rested.
“Clever” he murmured out as he pulled out his dagger and dropped to his knees.
He flipped the piece of wood up and then grinned when the cubby beneath was exposed.
“What do we have here…” he said to himself as he reached in to the hole.
“It’s nothing…can you just hand me whatever it is that you find.” She tried to say with a bored tone, feeling very anxious inside.
He grinned again as he passed her a small porcelain doll.
“We had many interesting tea parties, Greta and I did.” She said with a smile as she brought the doll to her nose and let the scent of it fill her with memories.
“Kat” Salvador’s voice brought her back to the here and now.
He was handing her a single diamond earring.
“My Mother’s” she murmured as she took it.
Next he handed her a handkerchief.
She grinned.
“Who is T.W.?” he asked.
The initials engraved on the handkerchief.
“Thomas Winchester. My first crush.” She replied, blushing.
“Your first crush? And where is this boy now?” he asked with annoyance.
“I suspect he’s still in France, where he moved shortly after giving me this.” She laughed out.
“Good thing for him.” He growled out before turning back to the hole.
She grinned at his jealousy and then grinned even wider when he held the journals in his hands.
“Thank the good Lord!” she cried out in excitement, holding her free hand out for them.
“I don’t think so, time for you to get back into bed.” He said with a grin as he kicked the floorboard back into place.
“But you said…”
“I know what I said.” He interrupted as he pushed the bed back into place effortlessly with his knee. “I will give these to you when you are in bed.” He advised her triumphantly.
Katherine growled and then walked to the door to make sure there was nobody in the hall and then stomped to their chambers.
She could hear Salvador chuckling from behind her and if she didn’t cherish the memories that were in her hands, she would have chucked them at him.
~
Salvador chuckled as she stomped into their chambers. He found her most endearing when she was frustrated with him, and that seemed to be happening more and more as her conditioned advanced.
She stomped right to the bed, threw back the covers, untied and threw her robe onto the chair beside the bed and then jumped in and looked up at him expectantly.
He grinned and then slowly cantered over at his leisure, knowing it would only fuel her fire. His Katherine did not like to wait.
As soon as he was beside her, he leaned over and kissed her forehead and then handed her the journals.
“Thank you” she said tightly and then dismissed him by leaning back on her propped up pillows and opened one of the journals to read.
He sighed and then proceeded to strip down his own clothing and climbed into the lukewarm water. It would have been better if the water was steaming but this will still exactly what he needed.
He glanced over to see her with a peaceful look on her face as she read whatever was contained in the journal. He was curious to know her most inner thoughts but would never pry unless she offered. He was also curious as to the recipes. He had his men put back the room into order so she wouldn’t suspect that it had been sacked, these were the same men who removed all of her father’s furniture and replaced it with the furniture that was now there.
He hadn’t expected that Kat’s old maid would still be on staff and wasn’t sure if he wanted her there or not, he would need to speak with her later.
After he was washed up, he dressed back into clean day clothes and then warned Katherine not to get out of bed until he came for her.
She absently nodded as she read without looking up and finally he gave up with a sigh and left the room.
His first stop was to the kitchen to order Katherine up some lunch and then to the study to sort through all the ledgers since his last visit.
Henry entered the study sometime later with food and wine and then quietly let himself out.
After a few hours of reading ledgers, he felt as though he was going cross eyed. He stood and stretched, letting out a groan as his back cracked.
“Henry, have you seen Peter or Ed?” he asked as he spotted him in the hall.
“Yes My Lord, they have gone into town to “stir up trouble” I believe they had said.” He snuffed out with disapproval.
Salvador grinned; this is why he brought them along. He suspected that once word got out that he was back in residence he would start receiving invitations to balls and dinners.
He was worried at first how Katherine would react to that, but she assured him that nothing would please her more than to assure the ton and all her so-called friends that she was faring well.
He was proud of her for being so brave, but not foolish enough to believe that there wouldn’t be people who would try to stomp on her happiness – happiness he had worked so hard to give her. He was prepared for battle.
He made his way upstairs to check in on his sweet Katherine and then smiled as he spotted her fast asleep with her journals and lost treasures
scattered around her.
She looked like an angel – his angel.
A noise caught his attention from the corner of the room and he swung around with his dagger in hand.
Claire gasped as the tip of the dagger jabbed into her neck. When recognition hit him, he slowly lowered his dagger and then nodded towards the door for her to follow.
He wasn’t entirely sure what it was about this woman he didn’t trust, but he always followed his instincts and this time they were telling him to keep this woman away from his wife.
As soon as they were downstairs and in his study, he closed the door behind them and then proceeded to his desk.
“Sit.” He commanded as though she were a dog.
She complied.
“Were you in residence when Katherine fled from her home?” He started.
At first she blinked with a stunned look on her face and then he noted her nervously gripping her uniform.
“N-No My Lord. I had been dismissed from my duties for two years prior.” She stammered out.
“Then why are you here now?” he continued.
“I was in need of work and I saw the posting for temporary services while you were back in town. I applied and was brought back onto staff, temporarily of course.”
“Were you aware that my Katherine was your old charge?”
She looked at him with growing concern.
“N-No. I was not aware that Katherine had been found.” She admitted quietly.
He still did not trust her.
“There has been a mistake. I will pay you your full expected wages and you will remove yourself from my estate effective immediately.” He informed her in an un-attached tone.
She gasp and looked stunned, but not offended or hurt which only confirmed that he had made the right decision.
“M-May I know why?” She whispered out without being able to meet his gaze.
“I don’t trust you.” He said coolly. “My wife’s comfort comes before all and I will not have her surrounded by ghosts of her past. That will be all.” He curtly dismissed her.
She rose and then nodded her head to him before walking out.
Now, how would Katherine react?
His best course of action would to keep silent until she brought it up.
With that in mind he made his way back up stairs.
Katherine was still asleep and with her looking so peaceful he was loath to wake her up.
Quietly walking over to the bed, he removed the items surrounding her and then took off his boots and crawled in next to her.
Supper was to be served within the hour so he decided to lay next to her for a bit until he had no other choice but to wake her.
~
Ed and Peter still had not returned from town when they had sat for their evening meal. Salvador wasn’t showing signs of concern but Katherine was starting to feel restless. Although they were in a small town, she knew that they could find trouble wherever they ventured to and she was worried that they had indeed found trouble and were possibly in need of assistance. She considered asking Salvador to venture out into the town to see if he could find them, but knew he would tell her what he had been telling her all throughout dinner. “My love, they are big boys and are more than capable of taking care of themselves”.
It didn’t stop her from worrying.
After their meal, Salvador led her to the library and sat her down on a couch that had not been part of her estate.
“It’s strange.” She murmured out loud as she eyed the room with distaste.
“What is strange?” Salvador replied as he snuggled her into his side.
“This room or even this house I suppose.” She replied with sorrow in her voice as unwelcomed memories flooded her mind.
“Are you uncomfortable?”
She thought about telling him that she was uncomfortable the moment the carriage pulled onto the property and that she was ready to go home this very night, but instead opted to face her fears and her past head on.
“I won’t lie and tell you that this place holds fond memories for me, but even though some of the memories are making me uncomfortable, I am not ready to turn tail and run.” She announced with confidence in her voice.
“That’s my girl” He cooed out lovingly as he kissed the top of her head and gave her shoulder a squeeze.
She looked around the room again and her eyes settled on the places where her Fathers most favoured pictures hung at one point in her lifetime. She remembered back to when she had sold them; her Father had become so livid, he struck her and sent her away from the house. She of course returned that night to find him passed out in his leather chair that she later sold. She could smell the whiskey from the doorway and it was at that moment that she hardened her heart towards him. She had been doing everything in her power to assure that they had a roof over their head and food on the table. She had even started to only take half portions of her meal so her Father would have more food to hopefully get him better. He had assured her that there was no more alcohol in the estate and that he was through with that. So while she had been starving herself and selling off their heirlooms, he had been taking the money and drinking behind her back. Part of her wanted to turn around and run, but she knew that he would not be getting better any time soon so made the decision to stay. She did however start making arrangements for a new life once he was finally out of hers.
“Kat, is this too much?” She heard the whispered concern of her husband beside her.
“No, I’m fine. I’m just remembering back to when I had officially lost my love for my Father. Is that wrong? For a Daughter to relinquish her love for her dying Father?” She asked in concern.
Thinking it was one thing but when she said the words out loud, she felt as though she had done a terrible injustice to the man who had raised her and she felt horrible.
“It doesn’t sound wrong; it sounds like an appropriate response based on what we have heard from the ton regarding your Father.” She heard Ed respond from the study door.
Both she and Salvador looked towards him with confusion on their faces.
“I thought we had decided to keep our thoughts to ourselves!” Peter exclaimed as he smacked Ed on the back of his head.
“Ow!” Ed hollered out as Peter side stepped him to join them.
“Mingling with the ton?” Salvador stated calmly as Peter settled himself on the arm of the couch in a lazy drawl.
“Isn’t that what you dragged us here for?” Ed stated annoyingly as he paced the room.
“Indeed. Did you have any success?” Salvador asked hopefully as he smirked at Peter.
“If by success you mean did we meet many uptight women of the ton who couldn’t crack a smile if they were paid to? Then yes, I would say it was a big success.” Ed spat out in disgust.
“Ed, are you alright?” Katherine asked in concern as she eyed his pacing. Ed had always been more serious than the rest of the brothers but his anxiety was not a regular character trait.
Ed paused in his step and then plastered a smile to his handsome features as he changed course and found a seat.
“Of course dear Sister, I’m just tired…and hungry. Nothing to worry over.” He said with a false smile.
As Katherine gave him a frown, Peter and Salvador gave him a warning look.
“Katherine honey, why don’t you see what is keeping that tea?” Salvador prompted her.
“Why? So you can speak freely while I am out of the room?” She stated annoyingly. “I’m pregnant Salvador, not a child!”
“Of course honey, but even still.” He said with a firm tone and an endearing smile.
Without a word, she gave off a heavy sigh and then stomped from the room without a backwards glance.
~
After Peter finished chuckling, he turned to Salvador and got serious.
“The ton has nothing good to say about Kat or her family. The men have endless tales of lost investments and broken promises where the women have endl
ess tales of Katherine’s promiscuity and evil ways.” Peter explained as Salvador leaned forward and rested his hands on his knees.
“That is the result of living in a small town. If people don’t know the full story, they fill in the blanks with their own garbage!” Ed burst out.
Salvador looked to Ed and cocked an eyebrow while studying his friend. Glancing at Peter, he cocked his head towards Ed as to ask what the problem was.
Salvador should be angry at what the ton was saying about his Katherine but it only made him more eager to show these people that they were wrong and exactly what they lost.
“Ed ran into a woman who grabbed his attention, and after she flirted with him, her husband appeared and continued to scold Ed for his evil ways and warned him to stay away from his wife.” Peter chuckled out.
“I was stunned!” Ed defended himself. “She seemed so lovely and innocent; she wasn’t even wearing a ring!”
Salvador and Peter were chuckling as Ed was growing more agitated.
“Do you see why I don’t trust women? All the while her husband was scolding me; I was just looking at her with a stunned look on my face. I couldn’t believe she would be so bold as to approach me and flirt while her husband was inside the shop paying off her account!”
“I agree Ed, her behaviour was scandalous…” Peter said with mock horror “But never the less we were successful in finding out which ball to attend for tomorrow evening.”
“Indeed?” Salvador enquired with interest.
“Indeed?” Katherine piped in from the doorway.
“Indeed.” Peter stated triumphantly.
“And did you obtain an invitation to this ball?” Salvador asked.
“No invite needed, the town is so small they don’t really have the option of discrimination.” Ed piped in from the corner.
“Who’s ball?” Katherine asked cautiously as she took her seat beside Salvador.
“The Van Horne's.” Peter replied. “Do you know them?”
Katherine paused before answering.
“Yes, I know them. I was best friends with their daughter.” Katherine stated flatly.
“We don’t need to attend if you are uncomfortable with this.” Peter stated.
