“Oh! And here you are next door to Alex and Neil… perhaps I should not have done that, and left you alone on this floor with the boys.”
“No, no, I have never had a moment’s concern about either of them,” Katherine said. “They have never looked at me that way.”
“What about James?” she said sharply.
Katherine shook her head. James had certainly shown admiration on occasion, but not that unpleasant leering look that had so unsettled her.
“Ah. Good. You have had a most unpleasant experience, but you have survived it very well.” She chuckled suddenly. “Daisy hitting him with the bolster — that I should like to have seen! And you would not tamely submit… even got yourself home. You are a sensible girl, and I can only hope my own girls would be so stalwart in a crisis. It is a pity that they know the whole story, for there will be no keeping it secret now, but we can simply say that Mr Ryker’s entering your room was a mistake, and you were too shocked to stay. And you had Daisy with you to protect your reputation. We must be sure to mention that — and the bolster! She defended you admirably, and Mr Cathcart will be sure to see that she has a little reward for her loyalty. Now then, dear, I shall have Mrs Travis put up a tray for you, and then you can go to bed for the rest of the day, for I doubt you got much sleep last night.” She kissed her, and murmured, “Welcome home, my dear.”
Katherine slept much of the day away, and the sky was already darkening when she finally descended the stairs and sought her usual refuge, the pianoforte. Her aunt came in, smiling, but sat quietly until she had finished her first short piece.
“Ah, how lovely to have you back at the instrument, where you belong,” Aunt Cathcart said, kissing Katherine. “Are you feeling better now? You looked so pale when you arrived.”
“Thank you, I am much better.”
Just then, the sound of horses arriving at some speed, followed by her cousins’ voices calling loudly for grooms, echoed through the house, followed almost at once by the same voices in the hall, and many booted feet stamping about. Aunt Cathcart winced at the noise.
The door opened, and James, Alex and Neil jostled their way into the room, grinning widely.
“Boys, please!” Aunt Cathcart said sharply. “No mud on my rugs, if you please, and do not come barrelling in here like ruffians on market day! Katherine deserves peace and quiet after her ordeal.”
“But we have something to cheer her up,” James said, waving a package at her from the doorway.
“She will want it straight away,” Alex said, and Neil nodded.
Smiling a little, for they were so pleased with themselves, Katherine crossed the room to take the package. It was not very well wrapped, so as soon as she tugged at the strings, they unravelled, scattering papers all over the floor.
“My music!” she cried, bending to gather it all up. “You went to Helmsley to ask for it! How kind you are.”
“We demanded it,” Alex cried.
“We have had some fun. Are you pleased, Cousin Kate?”
“I am, very pleased. But James, what happened to your face? That is a nasty bruise.”
“Oh, I walked into a door,” he said airily, but the other two laughed so much that Katherine was struck by a hideous thought.
“Did you… seehim?You did not call him out, did you?”
They all laughed. “Nothing like that,” James said, “but we wanted him to know that he cannot get away with such behaviour. He is a dreadful coward, did you know that? He hid behind his aunt, and Alex and Neil had to drag him out so that I could get a clean shot at him, for I did not want to draw Mrs Ryker’s cork by mistake. And then he just fell down at the first little tap, so they had to pick him up again before he put his fists up to defend himself. I let him get one pop at me before I hit him properly, but it was too easy. No challenge at all. Nasty little man.”
“Really, boys!” Aunt Cathcart said. “Brawling in the street like the veriest urchins!”
“We were not in the street,” Alex said. “He would not come outside, so we had to have a go at him in the drawing room.”
“Not much got broken,” Neil said cheerfully.
“Except his nose!” Alex cried, and the twins fell about laughing.
“Great heavens, whatever were you thinking!” Aunt Cathcart said distressfully. “We shall never live it down. Whatever will people say?”
She was trembling from head to foot, but Katherine laid a hand gently on her arm. “People will say that I am fortunate to have such chivalrous cousins to defend my honour. Thank you, James, all of you, and thank you for my music, too. You have made me very happy.”
***
KentheardofKatherine’sreturn in the same way he had heard of her departure — by a letter from Emily.
‘Kent, Katherine is back! We are to call upon her tomorrow. Be here at noon if you wish to join us. Emily.’
