It cannot have been that long.
“It has been at least a month, Kitty, we were worried sick,” Fiona added as she peered at a nearby suit of armor.
“I had to practically sit on Fi to keep her from storming the castle. But even I was starting to get worried. It is not like you to disappear like that.” Catherine could hear the hurt in Harriet’s voice.
Guilt washed over her. “I should have written to you all sooner. I did not mean to worry you.”
“Why did you not?” Fiona asked as they sat down on the sofa and armchairs as they entered the drawing room.
“It is complicated. There were things I needed to see to, and I had not planned on staying so long.” Catherine poured them each a cup of tea, trying to ignore the fluttering of her heart. “I really did not think it had been so long, though I suppose with one thing and another, I have been rather distracted.”
“Or controlled.” Fiona’s eyes darkened. “If your husband forbade you from writing to us, I will have my brothers sort him out.”
“Fiona!” Harriet exclaimed.
“What? The last we heard, Kitty was coming here to give him a piece of her mind. We hear nothing of her and how she is doing, and then out of the blue, she invites us here?” Fiona shrugged.
“It was circumstance that kept me from writing. Alaric was in an accident, and he has been recovering. The accident affected his memories. Given everything that happened with Oliver, we did not want to risk people finding out the truth. He feared it would make us vulnerable,” Catherine explained.
“Us?Alaric?” Louisa’s eyebrows shot up so high they nearly disappeared into her fringe. “Perhaps we have got the wrong end of the stick entirely, ladies—maybe our little Kitty has been in the throes of newlywed bliss.”
Drat.
“Hardly,” Catherine said with as much disdain as it was possible to muster when her cheeks were so red she was sure they would be visible from the other end of the estate. “It is a long story, and while we are more friendly with one another?—”
“So friendly you are using his Christian name,” Harriet pointed out.
“Yes, as I was saying, we are more friendly with each other, for now at least, but I have no idea if it will last.” Catherine swallowed.He is still missing most of his memories, and there is every chance that when they return, so will the man he once was.“And in any case, even if it does, we have both agreed that once this whole business with Oliver is settled, we will go our separate ways.”
“But surely it must be settled by now; you have hired a governess after all.” Fiona gestured in the direction of the doorway.
“There are some things that still need looking into, and that may take some time.” Catherine shrugged.
“How much time?” Harriet asked.
“I am not sure.” She did not mention that she had told Alaric that she would wait until Frederick returned with news about Oliver’s mother. “No more than a month.”
When they had discussed it, Alaric’s face was partly hidden in shadow. She could not tell if her staying was a relief or a frustration.
And I wish that lack of knowledge did not bother me so much.
“Very well, as long as you are better at staying in touch.” Fiona squeezed Catherine’s hand. “Honestly, it is rather distressing getting news of you from the old bats at Mother’s bridge club.”
“And what are they saying about us?” Catherine felt herself bristle.
“The usual drivel. That you are after his money. Otherwise, how could you bear to have some other woman’s son in your house?” Louisa made a disgusted noise. “Though the story of the Duke and your mother is a rather amusing one.”
“Whatever my mother is saying, I assure you it is untrue.” Catherine’s fingers curled into a fist.
Of course, she would be bad-mouthing me.
“It is not your mother saying it, but her friend, Mrs. Higgins,” Harriet explained.
Fiona chimed in. “Apparently, he threw your mother from the castle and threatened to set the dogs on her.”
“He did not set the dogs on her, but he did ask her to leave. Well, no, he told her to leave after he heard her raise her voice to me. She recalled the anger that had flowed off Alaric and the feel of his hand on her back. “He said that he would not stand for anyone disrespecting me like that.”
A lump formed in Catherine’s throat, and she wanted to tell her friends everything that Alaric had said in her defense, but she could not. Instead, she swallowed. “He was only so firm with her because she refused to leave when I asked her. He did not lay a finger on her, nor raise his voice.”
