“A blind man could see it,” Rebecca said with a laugh, and the sound was so mirthful, so happy, that Catherine couldn’t help but join in herself.
“It’s that obvious?” she asked.
“Indeed. I would even wager a guess as to what the problem is.”
“Let’s hear it.”
“Well,” Rebecca began, “the love of your life has been gone for going on a month, now, and has many more to go. Meanwhile you’re betrothed to a man you don’t love, and worry that your nuptials will be forthcoming.”
Catherine smiled and nodded. “Quite right, about it all.”
“Would you care to hear my advice?” Rebecca asked.
“No, but I believe you’ll tell me anyway.”
Rebecca smiled. “Right. Forget about Dominick. He is a nasty boy with nasty thoughts. The Duke is a true gentleman. A man of honor.”
Catherine shook her head slowly. “If only it were that easy,” she said, and then she stood and moved from the table.
With days less than three months left until Dominick returned home, Catherine was given the news she had feared was coming. Her father called her into his study, and when she entered she was surprised to see Duke Rotham sitting across from her father, with a small table between them, on which sat two glasses of sherry.
“My dear,” her father said as he stood. He was a round man, tall and strong but gone soft in the middle. His face was fat and red most of the time, but almost always cheerful. It helped that he was often drunk, and as he kissed his daughter on the cheek she could smell the alcohol on his breath.
“Duke,” Catherine said shortly, with a slight bow. If it offended the Duke, he did not show it, and her father made no mention of it at all, so the conversation began.
Her father wasted no time telling her the news.
“You two shall be married, on April the fifth,” her father said.
“What?” Catherine said, her face full of shock. She turned to the Duke. “I’m not ready! I thought there would be time.”
The Duke smiled softly, and reached out and took his betrothed’s hand. “My dear, I would wait forever if not for your father. He yearns to see a daughter married, and I shouldn’t hold that from him any longer.”
“It will be a grand wedding,” her father said, slapping the Duke informally on the back.
Catherine felt tears well in her eyes, but she was determined not to let them fall. She didn’t want the Duke to see her cry.
****
The Months passed slowly, and each new day brought a new wave of pain. Until, finally, the day came where Catherine woke and was excited. There had been word late that night that Dominick’s regiment had come back in the middle of the night. Diana had been the one to tell Catherine, waking her up in the dead of night. Catherine didn’t think she'd be able to go back to sleep, but she had, just an hour before dawn.
She was dressed quickly and then went out to get the carriage before her father could. Samuel was there already since the sun had been hanging in the sky for just under an hour by then. She climbed into the carriage after relaying her desired destination, and they set off.
Dominick lived on his father’s land, in a small cottage on the corner, near the river. The carriage pulled in front of the house, and Catherine dashed out before it had even fully stopped. She knocked on the wooden front door and waited impatiently for Dominick to answer. He took so long in doing so that she was worried Diana had heard incorrectly, but then the door was opened, just a sliver, and Dom was peeking out.
“Dom!” Catherine shouted, forgetting the fact that Samuel sat waiting on the carriage, and she leaped forward, forcing the door open, and threw her arms around the young man. She pressed her lips to his
“Catherine!” Dom said, trying to pull her off.
“What is it?”
“Samuel.”
“Oh, who cares, he’s not even looking,” She said, glancing over at the old man. In fact, he was busying himself with eating an apple, and looking off into the distance. He was a particularly good servant and knew how to look away when he was really paying attention.
“How did you know I was home?” Dominick asked, and it occurred to Catherine that he was speaking lowly, in a voice barely more than a whisper.
“I had heard… that you arrived last night. Why are you acting strangely?”
“I’m not acting strangely,” Dominick said. For the first time, she noticed that he was dressed hastily.
“You don’t seem excited to see me,” Catherine said.
“I can see you later, I’m just tired,” Dominick said, but then another voice spoke up, from inside Dom’s small cottage. It was a woman.