The Critchfield Locket (5 page)

             
Sleep came quickly for Kate. She dreamed of being in a forest. She was standing near a tree as the breeze blew her hair about her face. She saw something, a person laying a few feet away. She quickened her pace towards the eerily still body. It was a man. He remained lifeless as the wind moved fallen leaves around him. She knelt down to touch his cheek. She felt for a pulse along his wrist but found none. Sorrow filled her as she began to scream.

             
Kate woke up gasping for breath. Terror stricken, she realized she was not alone in her room. Both Nicholas and Margaret were standing near her bed with bewildered looks on their faces.

             
"Ms. Dornacher, are you alright?"

             
"I..." Kate took a moment to clear her head and regain her composure. "I think it was just a bad dream. It, it seemed so real, so clear."

             
"Miss Adams, please get Ms. Dornacher a cup of tea."

             
"Yes, sir." Margaret was reluctant to leave Kate alone in the room with Mr. Bennett. It did not seem proper to do so.

             
"Now Miss Adams!"

             
"Of course sir."

             
Kate sat up in the bed, pulling the covers with her to make sure modesty was maintained. Nicholas pulled the desk chair over to the bedside then sat down.

             
"Can you talk about it? It may help to clarify your confusion if you can tell me what you remember."

             
"There was a man... lying in the forest... he was dead. In my dream, I think I knew him."

"And now?"

              "I cannot place a name with the face yet, but I feel as though I did in fact know him." Kate had been looking far off while trying to recall the dead man's name. Nicholas studied her for a moment. In the candlelight he noticed how her long brown hair spilled over her shoulders. He noticed how her cheeks were flushed and that her eyes were gray-blue. Kate met his gaze dead on, but was unable to read his expression.

             
"Thank you for your attentiveness Mr. Bennett, although it is much appreciated, you should return to your room."

             
"Yes, of course, though I will have some trouble falling asleep once again."

             
"I... I am sorry for that."

             
"Do not apologize. I often have trouble getting to or staying asleep. I usually retire to the library where a good book and warm fire help to calm my mind. Ms. Dornacher, Kate, would you care to join me?"

             
"Yes, thank you. I do not feel as though I could readily return to sleep. Spending some time in the library would be a welcome distraction."

             
Kate pulled a blanket off her bed and wrapped it around her shoulders, while Nicholas instructed both Margaret and Thomas with his plans. When Nicholas and Kate had reached the library through the formal entrance, a fire was crackling, chamomile tea was being poured, and biscuits were plated.

             
"Thank you Thomas, Margaret, that will be all."

             
"Yes sir."

             
"Katherine, please have a seat."

             
She picked the chair closest to the fireplace, situated her blanket and picked up her cup of tea. The warmth of the cup felt good in her hands, and the warmth of the liquid was soothing as it flowed down her throat.

             
Nicholas pulled a book from the shelf before seating himself in the chair closest to Kate. "Would you like for me to help you find a book?"

             
"No thank you. Could you read yours out loud, or is it not appropriate?"

             
"Yes, I could do that. This is
The Earthly Paradise
by
William Morris
."

             
Nicholas read with a clear voice, giving influxes to enliven the narrative. When he found himself finally tiring, he looked over at Kate and noticed that she had fallen asleep. He closed his eyes for what seemed a mere moment. When he opened them again, he realized it had in fact been hours. He sat up and saw that Kate was no longer in the library, but the blanket that she had covered herself with, now covered him. He pulled it tightly around himself, inhaling deeply as he did. The light scent of vanilla caught his attention, giving him a strange sensation he had not felt in a long while. He quickly got up and headed straight to his room.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Kate woke with a start. Stormy was in bed with her, kneading her arm through the covers.  Margaret was busy filling the water basin and arranging fresh flowers.

             
"Did you sleep well Ms. Katherine?"

             
"Yes, after I returned to my room, I was finally able to rest." As she dressed, Kate's thoughts returned to the happenings of the early morning hours. She recalled waking to the sound of a crackling fire and looking over at Nicholas, she found him to be sleeping. He seemed so... peaceful, a way he did not often appear while awake. Still embarrassed by her outburst, she decided not to wake him. Instead, she pulled the blanket from around her shoulders, placed it over him and quietly went to her room by way of the secret passage.

             
"Ma’am?" Kate realized Margaret was asking her a question, bringing her attention back to the present. "I was wondering which dress you wanted to wear this morning."

             
"Hmm, the lavender chiffon with yellow ribbons will do nicely, thank you."

             
"Ms. Katherine?"

             
"Yes, Margaret?"

             
"May I ask you a personal question?"

             
"What is it Margaret?"

             
"What happened last night?"

             
Kate let out a small sigh. "Is that all? I had another bad dream is all, nothing to trouble yourself over."

             
"I know about that, I meant what happened after that... when Master Bennett sent all of us away." Margaret tried to hide her embarrassment, but her curiosity had gotten the better of her. Kate turned and looked Margaret in the eyes. Until that moment, it had not occurred to her how things might have appeared.

             
"Mr. Bennett was a most gracious host. He knew that I would have trouble sleeping so we went to the library and drank tea whilst he read his book aloud, nothing more." Kate's tone had become serious and as she spoke her jaw became rigid. She was in a defensive mode.

             
"I am sorry Ms. Katherine, I did not mean to upset you, I was just curious is all. I should not have asked, 'tis not my place." Margaret hung her head with a frown upon her face.

             
"Oh Margaret, I am sorry too. You have been nice to me." She walked over and squeezed Margaret's hand. "Let us put this behind us."

             
"You and I may be able to, but Mrs. Thompson is fit to be tied. I overheard her giving Mr. Baxter an earful of misery."

             
Kate burst out laughing. She laughed so hard that Margaret could not help but join in. Neither one of them heard the knock on the door that was shortly followed by Mrs. Thompson's entrance. When Kate spotted her, she cleared her throat and nudged Margaret to get her to stop.

             
"Margaret, if you are finished with Ms. Dornacher, Mr. Bennett has asked that you clean the library."

             
"Yes ma'am." Margaret winked at Kate, and then left the two women alone in the room.

             
"Ms. Dornacher, I believe we need to talk." Her stern face reminded Kate of someone, perhaps a schoolteacher, but of course, she could not be sure.

             
"Oh?"

             
Mrs. Thompson walked over, sat on the damask settee and motioned for Kate to join her.

             
"I know that your memories are not all intact so it is understandable if you cannot recall proper etiquette."

             
"I beg your pardon?" Kate did not like the housekeeper's tone.

             
"It is most improper for a young, unmarried woman to visit alone with a man, at such a late hour, wearing only her nightclothes."

Kate
sat for a moment. One thing she did remember was to breathe, to wait a moment and collect her thoughts before responding.

             
"Thank you Mrs. Thompson for the reminder. I will agree that upon reflection, such behavior is questionable. That said, Mr. Bennett and I behaved in a respectable manner towards each other." It was then that Kate noticed just what exactly Mrs. Thompson had folded and draped over her arm.

             
"Well Ms. Dornacher, perhaps next time you will take more care and not leave your blanket behind. One of the male servants could have seen you."

             
Even though the words stung, Kate knew Mrs. Thompson was right.

             
"I know that since your memory has not fully returned, you are bound to have moments of impropriety. It is my duty as a woman to help you be mindful of them."

             
"Yes, of course. I appreciate any advice you have for me."

             
Mrs. Thompson looked Kate in the eyes and could see the honesty in her words. Smiling gently, she patted Kate's hand and left the room.

             
Kate placed Stormy in a basket that Margaret had left for him and carried him to the garden. As beautiful and grand as Critchfield was, Kate felt the garden was the loveliest place of all.
I wonder if I have always loved the outdoors or if this is something new for me.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Sir?"

             
"Yes, Thomas?"

             
"Is anything the matter?"

             
Nicholas looked at his servant in confusion.

             
"It's just that you have combed your hair so many times, I fear it may fall out." Though his words were comical, Thomas' tone was dry, making them all the more jovial to Nicholas.

             
He laughed while patting his old friend on the back. "Ah Thomas, what would I do without you?"

             
Thomas smiled but knew better than to answer a question like that. He opened the bedroom door just as Ms. Rusch was about to knock.

             
"Ah, perfect timing Ms. Rusch. Put the breakfast tray on the table." Mr. Baxter waited until the cook finished setting the service tray down, then followed her out of the door.

             
If Thomas was not such a professional, he would have courted her years ago. Anyone who sees the two of them together can tell they have feelings for each other.

             
After breakfast Nicholas returned to the library, pausing in front of the chair that Kate had slept in hours earlier. He noticed the book he had read out loud from was sitting back in its proper place on the bookshelf. In fact, nothing was amiss with the room, nothing that would signal anything had occurred in the early morning hours.
Not that anything actually happened.
For some reason, the library felt stuffy to him and decided that a stroll through the garden would do nicely. As he made his way onto the garden path, he heard laughter, a laughter that was infectious, for it made him smile. It was Kate's laughter. He cleared his throat so as not to startle her as he approached. When Kate turned to face him, she had the brightest smile he had seen in a long time. The light wind had blown wisps of her hair free, causing them to dance about her face.

"Hello
Nicholas!"

             
Hello Kitten
"Hello Katherine." Nicholas was struggling to keep himself in check.
Kitten?
Where in the world did that come from?

             
"I brought Stormy outside for exercise, but I seem to be the one doing the most running." Nicholas noticed that her cheeks were pink from the exertion, but her eyes were wide and vibrant with life. When her expression changed slightly, he realized he had been silent for too long.

             
"Did you sleep well?"
Of course not you dolt, she woke up screaming.
" I mean the sleep that you were able to get..."

             
"Yes," sensing that he was having trouble conversing, she graciously cut him off. "I am feeling quite refreshed, thank you." She stopped scampering after Stormy for a moment and turned to him with a serious look upon her face. "Nicholas, I wanted to apologize once again." He began to speak, but she put her hand up signaling him to let her finish "I am sorry for any trouble I may have caused you or your staff. I know that my behavior may not always be appropriate, but I am trying."