This only made Katherine all the more angry. “How dare ye speak tae me as though I am some ignorant child? I am old enough tae know my own mind and heart, and tae listen tae the dictates of my conscience. I dinnae believe that loyalty tae family is enough tae justify hideous deeds.”
Her sister’s eyes burned with fury, and she stomped her foot. “In that case, I may as well tell ye that father has said if ye haven’t changed yer mind, ye may remain in yer room for the rest of this day, and the next, and the day after, until ye have come tae yer senses!”
“Very well,” Katherine withdrew into her room and slammed the door. She heard Romilly’s footsteps retreating, and when they had faded entirely, she threw herself back on the bed with tears in her eyes.
Could she be in the wrong, she wondered? She did not wish to entertain the notion that following one’s conscience could be a mistake, but it seemed as though her entire world was intent on making her believe otherwise, and she felt she could only fight against everyone’s constant insistence for so long. How many more years could she truly bear the scorn of her own family?
Katherine tried to remind herself that there were those who appreciated her and her efforts; the villagers and farmers, for example, who had attended her sewing lessons and thanked her profusely. The gratitude in their eyes had nourished her on days when she felt she had nothing else to cling to.
But it always had to end eventually. She always had to return to the castle sooner or later, and when she did, she knew that she would have to endlessly attempt to justify her activities to her family. It exhausted her soul and wore her down.
Her stomach growled loudly, and she wished she could take breakfast. But she knew this was part of her punishment, so she rolled over and cried into her pillow, feeling utterly forlorn.
Hours passed, though she did not bother to count them, for she knew time would remain meaningless as long as she remained confined. As the sun began to descend in the west, however, she heard a knock at her door at last.
Her heart clenched into a tight fist at the thought that it might be her father, come to insult her more. She was certain it would not be her mother, for no doubt the woman was plagued by yet another of her headaches.
When she opened the door, though, she was surprised to find Romilly on the other side with a small plate of food. “I thought ye might be ravenous by now,” she said, keeping her expressionneutral. “So I brought ye this. I managed tae sneak it out of the larder.”
Katherine wished she could stand on principle, for she was still sore of heart from their previous exchange. Her empty belly would not allow it, though, and so she accepted it and allowed Romilly to enter.
“Am I tae assume that our father wishes me tae remain in here for the foreseeable future?” Katherine asked.
“He does, aye,” Romilly confirmed, sitting on the edge of the bed. “However, I believe there might be a way tae convince him otherwise.”
“Oh?” Katherine raised an eyebrow.
“He is sending me out tomorrow on a mission of the utmost importance,” her sister explained. “If ye agree tae come along and assist me, it would prove yer worth tae him at last, and his treatment of ye would improve. I’m sure of it!”
“What sort of mission?”
“One I cannae reveal to ye until I have yer word that ye will join in it,” Romilly replied.
“I cannae agree to any such thing without knowing more,” Katherine exclaimed incredulously. “No sane person would!”
“Ye could simplytrust yer sister,” Romilly urged. “Ye could choose tae believe me when I tell ye that the cause will be righteous; that all will be well, for I shall protect ye. That it is for the good of the clan, and will earn our father’s favor.”
Katherine shook her head. “Nay, to commit to such a thing would be sheer madness. I know ye care for me, Romilly, and that ye are earnest in yer assurances. Even so, ye must understand how poorly our father is using ye for his own ends. Ye are not a blade to be wielded, ye are a woman with a mind and heart of her own!”
“Aye, I am, and I have chosen to give both to our clan and its welfare,” Romilly countered. “I had thought that, with a bitmore time to think it over, ye might make a similar choice. I see now that I was mistaken.” She rose from the bed and headed for the door. “Perhaps, when I return victorious, ye will finally see how stubbornly wrong ye have been. Until then, there is nothing more I can do for ye. Rot in this chamber endlessly, and see if I care!”
And with that, she left again.
Katherine was disheartened, but at least she was no longer starving, and that helped her outlook slightly. She’d been having fights such as these with Romilly for years, and she supposed she could survive this latest one, even if it hurt her.
Over the next weeks, Katherine remained confined, with nothing to occupy her attention apart from staring at the wall. Servants brought food—albeit infrequently, no doubt at her father’s insistence—and Katherine pleaded with them to allow her a few books. The contents of Angus’s library were meager indeed, for he did not much enjoy reading, but anything would have been better than the ennui that was crushing Katherine from all sides. They staunchly refused for fear that they would face punishment if they made the lass’s imprisonment any easier.
So she continued to sit in her own woe and uncertainty, until at last, one of the servants informed her she was allowed to leave the room.
As she did, she felt a bit light-headed due to her sporadic eating schedule and general lack of exercise. Nevertheless, she forced herself to walk a straight line to her father’s study, and knocked upon the door.
“Come in,” he called out gruffly.
When she entered, he afforded her the briefest of scowls, then continued to review the papers upon his desk. “Now that ye’ve been released, Daughter, I should think ye’d find someplace else tae occupy yerself.”
Katherine took a deep breath, steadying her nerves. “I wished tae thank ye for freeing me,” she told him. This was a lie, for it was his spite that had confined her to begin with—rather, she had another, more important reason for visiting him, one she knew she ought to work up to.
He grunted, his bushy eyebrows drawing together. “I dinnae suppose I could have kept ye there indefinitely, no matter how thick-headed ye’ve chosen to act. If ye’re determined to disappoint us and neglect yer duties, so be it.”
