The Devil's Good Intentions (64 page)

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 endless 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.

“
No, you and Ed need to attend but I can stay behind with Katherine.”

“
I’ll be fine; you don’t need to coddle me.” Katherine said in a small voice that was shaky.

“
Honey, I don’t want to place you in a stressful environment. It’s not good for you or the baby.” Salvador replied gently.

“
Really Salvador, I’ll be fine!” Katherine continued more firmly. “I can’t keep running from my past. My Father made mistakes and I shouldn’t be the one paying for them.” She concluded.

“
We’ll see.” Salvador responded, giving her a warning look.

That evening they all retired rather earlier than usual. Peter decided to go back out whereas Ed retired for the night along with Katherine and Salvador.

As Katherine laid her head back onto the pillow, she thought back to the time that she would visit the Van Horne's. They were the family that she would have done anything to be part of. When her father failed on one of their investments, they cut all contact with the Rochester’s and forbid their daughter to associate with Katherine.

She understood why they had made that decision, but what hurt was how easy it was for Jessica to comply. She had heard from another friend that Jessica never really liked her and that she thought that Katherine was purposely going out of her way to steal all the attention from the men at social functions, when in reality Jessica would see Katherine show interest towards a man and she would promptly put herself in between them and then fight for the mans attention. Because Katherine was not one to openly flirt with males like her friends would, Jessica was always the winner.

Now she dreaded seeing her again, or even dreaded facing the ton again.

“
Are you alright?” She heard Salvador gently whisper to her.

“
Yes, I’m just remembering back to when I was friends with Jessica Van Horne. I thought we would be best friends forever.” She stated sadly. “What happened?”

“
Her Father forbade her to associate with me when my Father lost one of his investments and she was all too eager to comply.”

“
How do you know she was eager?”

“
She didn’t even question him and then continued to spread rumours about me behind my back.”

“
Hmm, and you’re certain you want to attend tomorrow?”

“
Yes, I just feel as though I need to.”

She didn’t know why, but she felt that this is what she needed to do to move on with her past. She knew that it wouldn’t be easy but she also knew that she couldn’t keep hiding.

“
I will respect that. But Katherine, if I see that you are getting upset I will not hesitate to throw you over my shoulder and haul you out.”

“
I believe you.” She said on a sigh to which he chuckled.

He looked at her adoringly as she fidgeted with her hair. She kept waiting for him to lose interest in her and slowly start to fade away into the background, but as the time went by he grew fonder of her. She had feared that once her stomach started to grow he would grow disgusted with her body and seek comfort elsewhere, but every night he assured her that she was still beautiful and desirable to him whether through his words or his light caresses, or even through his intense love making.

Her heart warmed towards him even more each day as he regarded the baby in such an endearing manner. He would speak to the baby through her stomach and tell tales of what the babe’s life would be like. At night he would snuggle into her and fall asleep while gently caressing the babe with his thumb. She was scared to hope that he would be the father to her child that she had always wanted for herself, but then would remember that he was already the husband that she had always wanted…give or take his over protectiveness and dictatorship.