And Those Who Trespass Against Us (29 page)

"And look at you." Katherine slowly walked toward Catriona. "Your trousers and boots are just right for the occasion." She reached out as if to touch her shirt and then stopped, suddenly conscious of the other people in the room.

Catriona swallowed when Katherine's eyes lingered on the diamond pendant resting in the open V of her shirt.

"How are you ever going to keep that lovely cream silk shirt clean?"

Catriona was quietly flattered by Katherine's obvious pleasure at her attire. "Thank you for your vote of confidence. I must also thank Me Lin for making my trousers. It's not all that easy for a lady to walk into a tailor and ask for a pair of trousers, especially out here." The gathering shared a laugh. "As for your question regarding who looked more than merely friends--I don't think you've met them yet, so never mind. Can I offer you a watered-down whisky perhaps?"

"Miss Pelham, you must know, as a Celt, the only way I drink good scotch is in its purest state, not tainted by water." She grinned at Catriona's surprised look. "Since it's been quite a while since I took a 'wee dram', I'm going to have to refuse. If I didn't, then by the end of the night, between whisky and the wine with dinner, I believe I'd be a right royal mess."

Adele placed her glass down beside her and rose.

"Speaking of which, I think I'll check on the first course. It shouldn't be too long until it's ready to serve. If you'd make yourself comfortable for the moment, I'll let you know when it's ready."

Katherine also headed for the door. "Let me help you. Surely it's too big a job for one." Both women left, closing the door behind them.

Susan waited till their footfalls diminished and then turned to Catriona. "If you think that woman doesn't know what she wants, then you're wrong. Given what I've just witnessed I'd have to say there goes someone who has made up her mind. She just doesn't know how to ask for it."

THE PURE LINES of the dining room were of understated elegance dominated by a simple yet elegant red cedar table and matching hutch. As was the case throughout the house, Catriona's watercolours adorned the walls, their soft vistas visible by the light shed from three silver candelabras.

Dinner was a simple fare with an entrée of rabbit terrine, followed by Beef Wellington, which happened to be one of Katherine's favourite dishes. Accompanying the Wellington was a range of roast vegetables, suitably complemented by a couple of bottles of claret, which were Susan's contribution to the meal.

From her place at the head of the table, Catriona was the ever-attentive host, drawing Katherine into conversation when she fell quiet. In reality, Katherine preferred her silence. It gave her the opportunity to view the social interaction occurring around the room. She'd noted, when they entered, Catriona had walked ahead of Adele and herself to pull back their seats. Susan did the same for Me Lin.

Susan was very caring of Me Lin, and the looks between the two women, of comfort and happiness and an obvious commitment toward one other, surprised Katherine. Why hadn't she noticed their interplay earlier? Yet what they shared confused her. Was that the same as what she and Catriona had shared?

While sipping her claret, Katherine furtively viewed Catriona and Adele. There was closeness between them also. Yet it was slightly different from what she sensed between Susan and Me Lin. She searched her mind for words to compare the two and was at a loss. What wasn't lost on her were the frequent light touches Adele gave Catriona when she was emphasising a point or questioning Catriona whose mind, at times, was elsewhere. Those touches bespoke familiarity and comfort. Katherine missed those same such touches she'd shared with Catriona.

KATHERINE WASN'T THE only silent spectator. Adele scrutinised the looks that passed between Catriona and Katherine. No amount of shadows could hide Catriona's face when she teased Katherine or engaged her in conversation. Sitting beside Katherine made it difficult for Adele to clearly judge without being too obvious what Katherine's reactions were to Catriona's comments. The few times she managed to steal a glance proved enlightening. The way Katherine reacted to Catriona, as if drawing close and then suddenly retreating from their conversation, hinted at some sort of private struggle on Katherine's behalf.

THE DINNER DREW to a close and the party rose to adjourn. Katherine waved away Adele's attempts to gather the dessert plates. "It's only fair I help clear the table. Why don't you go into the parlour and I'll meet you there? I'll put these plates in water. If I don't, they'll be rock hard by morning."

"Like your scones I expect?" Catriona teased and she moved to help Katherine.

Susan took the plate out of the Catriona's hands, handed it to Katherine and made a shooing motion. "You three go into the parlour. I'll help Katherine with these." Susan picked up the jug of cream and the remains of a Mulberry pie. "Make sure there's a port waiting for me when we bring in the tea."

Susan placed the cream on the kitchen counter. "That was a most successful evening, don't you think?"

Preoccupied, Katherine put the crockery in the washbasin. "The evening was lovely, and made even more so by such nice company." Moving over to pour milk into the jug of the tea service she said as casually as possible, "I didn't realise how close you are with Me Lin. Between your busy schedules and her recent trip to Sydney, I think tonight was the first time I've actually seen the two of you relax together in the company of other friends. Catriona told me she came with you when you left the goldfields."

Susan busied herself with pouring a kettle of hot water over the bowls. "Yes, we're good friends, and we run a very successful business. With her seamstress skills and the way my work in the store provides for us, we have a nice income together. All in all it's a very comfortable arrangement." She placed the kettle back on the stove.

Katherine closed the distance between them. "Would you mind if I ask you a question?"

"Of course you can, and if I can answer it, I will," Susan replied as calmly as possible, her eyes never leaving Katherine's face.

Katherine searched Susan's face. "Are you and Me Lin lovers?"

Susan eyebrows raised and her mouth opened. A soft breath escaped Susan's mouth, as she looked toward the door and then back at Katherine. "Are you and Catriona lovers?"

Katherine stepped back as if she'd been slapped.

Susan held up her hands. "I'm sorry, Katherine. My last question was rude, presumptuous and entirely inappropriate." She took a seat. "I trust what I'm about to tell you won't be repeated, except perhaps to Catriona, as it would create great pain to both Me Lin and me. Yes, we are and have been together for some time." She finished and waited, as if bracing herself for a less than favourable reaction to her revelation.

Katherine pulled up a chair beside her. "How did you know? I mean, what happened for you to know you felt this way for each other?" she asked, desperate for simple answers to what was an infinitely complex proposition.

Susan unclasped her hands. "It's not an easy question to answer. You know I've been married and this provides a convenient cloak of respectability for me. Yet I was never happy with the arrangement. Somehow I felt there must be more to what existed between my husband and me.

"Not long after the death of Me Lin's husband, I persuaded my husband to employ her. I knew of her skill as a seamstress. She'd been a great help to many of the women on the goldfields. Her work as a seamstress was what she loved to do, but this wasn't all she did. She also took in laundry. My husband could see the financial return in such a venture. He agreed and, so, she worked under my supervision.

"In the quiet moments of the day we'd often sit and talk. When we were together, I felt a connection I'd never experienced. After my husband died and I decided to leave the goldfields, it seemed only natural that she accompany me. Over the months our friendship grew stronger. There was no great incident--moreso a gradual development and recognition of deeper feelings than those of merely friendship. One night she came to my room and has been there ever since." She lightly touched Katherine's chest with the tip of her finger. "The feeling comes from within, Katherine. No one else can tell you. It's how you feel."

Katherine creased her brows while she digested Susan's words. Looking up, she took Susan's hand and smiled. "Thank you for sharing your story. It's obviously something very personal for the two of you. Rest assured your secret will certainly not be discussed with anyone in town." Katherine looked at Susan's relieved face. "I expect your disclosure will make the, ah, night time arrangement between the two of you more amenable," she teased.

Susan furiously blushed. "You can't imagine how relieved I am you're happy to stay with us. We'd never do anything which would make you feel uncomfortable and cause you to leave."

Katherine softly laughed. "Don't you think I'm running out of places to stay? Besides, if I was to move out of the store, can you imagine what the reaction would be? If you're happy to have me stay, then I'm comfortable where I am. After all," she wistfully asked, "where else would I go?"

Susan placed her hand over Katherine's. "Is there anything you wish to speak with me about?"

Indecision clouded Katherine's features. She opened her mouth to reply and Adele and Catriona's laughter wafted through the house.

Katherine looked at the door and then back to Susan, her mask once again in place. "No, everything's fine. Though I think I've monopolised enough of your time. Why don't you take the tea in and I'll join you once I've put the salt and pepper tray away."

Susan nodded. "All right, but don't take too long or your tea will get cold."

As Susan left the kitchen, Katherine gathered a platter and an ornate lamp, and headed for the dining room. The light from the dining room's silver candelabras had long since been extinguished. Katherine worked silently by the warm glow, first removing the candles from their place and then returning the salt and pepper tray to its place within the hutch.

She finished her task, but instead of returning to the party, she took a seat at the now-vacant table. With her elbows resting on the red cedar, she cupped her head in her hands to consider how she really felt about Catriona. Was it the same feelings Susan had for Me Lin? She vigorously rubbed her face. That's not possible, she thought, after all I'm a nun.

Isn't that excuse wearing thin? A tiny voice inside of her challenged.

Running her hand through her hair she replayed the interaction between Catriona and Adele, realising there was more to their friendship than what she had first presumed. She struggled to comprehend how she felt about this development, and then the door to the dining room opened. Catriona entered and quietly closed the door behind her.

"What are you doing in here all by yourself?" She sat beside Katherine. "Haven't you enjoyed the party?"

With Catriona's arrival, Katherine felt some of her tension dissipate. "I've very much enjoyed myself and the dresses everyone wore. It's been a while since I've seen such lovely evening gowns. They were quite a sight." She looked at Catriona. "And you look resplendent in your blouse and trousers. It's a shame I made the evening dull with my habit," she finished self-consciously. She looked at her hands.

Catriona knelt beside her and tilted Katherine's chin to look into her eyes. "Beauty isn't made by someone's clothes, Katherine. They merely serve to complement it. Don't ever think you're not beautiful because of the habit you wear. It's what's underneath which makes you beautiful and how you feel about yourself." She took a breath and quietly added, "For what it's worth, you're very beautiful to me."

Katherine fell silent. She searched Catriona's face, surprised at what she found there. Reflected through the shadows, Catriona's expression seemed to show that she was undeniably hungry for the fleeting intimacy they'd shared together.

In comparison, Katherine remained indecisive about how she felt. She struggled but failed to conceal her turmoil. Only with a supreme effort was she able to break free from Catriona's hypnotic stare. "Oh my God," Katherine whispered, "please don't."

"I'm sorry. You know I'll never do anything to offend you either by words or by action."

Katherine barely held her emotions in check. "I know. It's just you ask too much."

"I ask for nothing you won't willingly give" she quietly said, stroking Katherine's arm as if to calm her. "If it means all we will ever have is friendship, then I'd settle for that rather than a lifetime without you."

"I need time to find my own way on this. I value what we have as well. Trust me when I say that was one of the main reasons I opted to live in with Susan and Me Lin. I needed the space to search myself over what happened, is happening between us, without being so close to a key object of my considerations. I wanted to be able to do this without the risk of endangering our friendship. I've no intention to stop visiting you unless you wish me to."

Before Catriona could say anything further, a shaft of light split the two. Standing in the doorway was Adele's silhouetted figure.

ADELE FELT LIKE an intruder, for she'd obviously walked in on something. If the proximity of the two wasn't an indication, the look on Catriona's face at her arrival was enough to seal it. Despite her best efforts, Catriona couldn't hide the shadow of guilt which flitted across her face. Keeping her emotions in check, Adele adopted a conversational tone. "I'm glad I found you both. Unfortunately, the wine has given Me Lin a headache, and Susan is keen to get her home."

BOTH WOMEN ROSE and made their way to the door. Katherine silently passed Adele, and out of the side of her eye caught the quizzical look Adele gave Catriona who, in turn, was doing her best to avoid Adele's gaze. Once goodbyes were exchanged Katherine, Susan, and Me Lin climbed into the buggy for their homeward journey. Try as she might, Katherine couldn't help but take one last look back to the house as they made their way down the driveway. Cast in the light of the doorway were Catriona and Adele. Just before the light gave way, Katherine saw Adele's arm possessively clasp Catriona's waist as they went inside.