Chapter One: April 10, 1912

Despite listening to Cato brag for weeks about the Titanic's magnificence as if he had built it himself, Katniss had never been able to form a clear mental picture.

It was enormous. It made her feel small and insignificant, much like everything else in her life. She missed the squalid apartment she had shared with Prim, her mother, her aunt Violet, and three cousins with a fierceness she never would have believed possible a few weeks prior. But life would be better now. It was a promise she had made to herself and to Prim. They would float to New York on this giant ship, and disappear into the middle of the country to start a new life.

"Katniss, find us a porter."

Katniss tore her eyes away from the ship to find Lord Snow impatient at her side.

"Grandfather." It was only one word, but Cato made it sound like a threat. He was belligerent by nature, but he was usually very careful about choosing his battles with his grandfather. She didn't understand why he would object to a request for Katniss to perform her duties.

"Allow me," Cato offered. His words were directed toward Snow, but his hand found the small of her back.

Katniss had been a maid at the Snow Estate for a year and a half, and Cato was always finding excuses to touch her. She never understood why he chased her when there were more attractive (and more willing) options. Glimmer, for example, would have reflected his lecherous gaze like a mirror.

The first time he approached Katniss, she had been dusting the furniture in an empty guest bedroom. He had come up behind her, grabbed her around the waist and pulled her against him.

"Hello, beautiful," he said. "I believe it's time for your afternoon break."

Katniss stomped on his foot and he released her.

"There's no need for violence," Cato purred. "You should save your energy for other endeavors."

"I think there has been a misunderstanding about my position in this house, sir." Katniss remained surprisingly calm even as anger and embarrassment threatened to spill out of her in an expletive-laced outburst.

"My dear, there are many positions you can hold in this house." Cato mashed his face against hers, his hand tight around her neck, his tongue forcing its way into her mouth. She bit down until she tasted blood. He pushed her into the wardrobe with a curse and stormed out of the room.

Almost a week passed before Lord Snow had summoned Katniss to his study, and instead of losing her job she had learned her true worth.

Katniss watched Cato disappear into the crowd in search of another porter, leaving her trapped in a strained silence with Lord Snow. Cato's aunt Effie was on the other side of the car, supervising the chauffeur as he unloaded her luggage from the car.

"What a lovely dress," Snow observed.

Katniss smoothed the skirt self-consciously. The dress was lovely, a rich green satin with silk trim that likely cost several months of her wages, but she felt obvious and out of place wearing it, especially in front of Snow. She felt like an impostor.

"A gift from my grandson, I presume?"

He sounded annoyed, which was a surprise. Such an extravagant gift should have pleased him. It had flustered Katniss the night before when Cato had presented it to her with the request that she wear it to the port. She was used to gifts from him: delicious desserts she could share with Prim, glittering combs for her hair, expensive pieces of jewelry she planned to sell in the future. The dress, however, had startled her. It felt different from his previous gifts. It felt less like he was giving her something and more like he was taking something away.

"Yes," Katniss answered.

She wished her mother and sister would arrive. Everything felt terribly overwhelming, and she knew Prim would feel the same way. Prim would need a steady presence, someone to assure her that everything would be alright, that they would be alright once they reached America. Katniss felt selfish wishing fear and anxiety onto her sister, but it was the only way she could overcome it herself.

"Look, I've fetched four hands to help," Cato announced, two porters trailing behind him.

"My grandson, always exceeding expectations." The sarcasm in Snow's voice did not go unnoticed.

Katniss walked away, uninterested in watching the standoff between the two men. She needed to find Prim and her mother. Katniss had stayed at a nearby hotel with Lord Snow, Cato, and Effie the night before, but Prim and her mother were making the long trip from London to Southampton this morning. Katniss worried they would be late. Third class was boarding soon.

Katniss, on the other hand, had first class accommodations as Effie's personal maid. She hated the idea of being separated from Prim, but she was grateful they were at least on the same ship. Snow could have delayed her family's passage to America for weeks or months. He could have refused to bring them at all.

A sleek black car pulled up in front of Katniss. It was the newest model from Snow's production line, a carbon copy of the vehicle already loaded on board the ship. Prim jumped out of the backseat into her sister's arms.

"Oh my," whispered Prim as she gaped at the Titanic over Katniss's shoulder. "It's enormous. How does it stay afloat?"

Already Katniss's anxiety was shrinking into a small, manageable ball that she could shove to the back of her mind.

"I'm not sure," Katniss said. "But Lord Snow says the ship is unsinkable. It has no choice but to float."

"Perhaps your mother and sister should get in line? They must go through a health inspection before boarding," Lord Snow said with a hint of disdain.

Katniss scowled once his back was turned. She loathed the fact that Prim and her mother had to be inspected like cattle. They didn't carry any diseases. Mrs. Everdeen had recovered from her deadly cough a year ago, shortly after moving out of her sister's cramped apartment and into the cottage located in the back of the Snow Estate. They were well fed and healthy. Whenever Katniss felt sick with herself and her actions, she remembered Prim's healthy glow and knew it was worth it.

Katniss pulled her sister into once last hug.

"I brought it with me like you asked," Prim whispered into her ear. "It's in my satchel."

"Thank you." Katniss kissed Prim's cheek and watched her little family walk down the pier.

Prim carried a letter from Johanna Mason, Katniss's first friend in London. Johanna had walked around with a perpetual scowl, snapping at anyone who looked at her the wrong way, but she had watched out for Katniss at the textile factory where they had both worked. Johanna left shortly before the incident that got Katniss fired with the declaration that she was going to America to find a new life—one that didn't involve a cramped dirty factory and a nasty old man bossing her around.

Katniss never saw her again, but months later, Johanna sent a letter to Aunt Violet's apartment. Katniss couldn't read. She never had the opportunity to learn with all the farm work that needed to be done, and her father had not been very encouraging when it came to educating women. Prim had taken lessons from an aging neighbor in the early evening after her chores were done, and she practiced with whatever type of literature she could get her hands on.

Prim read the letter aloud over and over until Katniss had it memorized. She no longer needed the physical copy, but she liked keeping it nearby. It was proof that a better life existed out there for her and her family.

It's beautiful here, Johanna had written. It's not as green as I imagine Ireland to be, but you'll love it. If you can find a way, you should join us. Land is cheap. You can disappear here.

Johanna had included an address, some farm in Montana. Katniss would get them there. She had been saving a little at a time. Once she figured out the best way to travel to Montana and sold her collection of jewelry, she would take Prim and her mother and disappear. It had to be soon, shortly after reaching New York. She knew she was wearing out her usefulness.

Soon, Lord Snow would no longer need her, and she was afraid what would happen once she became worthless.

"Come along, Katniss," Cato said. "It's almost time to board."

A few months ago, shortly after Snow had purchased boarding passes for the Titanic, Glimmer cornered Katniss in the kitchen after they had cleared away breakfast, her blue-eyed gaze sharp and cold.

"Don't you have family here?" Glimmer demanded. "You're leaving them behind to be his mistress?" Glimmer tried to sound disgusted, but Katniss could hear the longing in her voice. Glimmer had parents and two sisters living in London, but she knew Glimmer would leave them behind without a second thought.

Katniss didn't answer, not wanting to set off the unpredictable blonde. Glimmer envied the gifts Katniss received, the less strenuous tasks she was assigned, and now this, the grandest of all opportunities, had fallen right into her lap.

Glimmer glared at the jeweled barrette in Katniss's hair. Katniss hated the decoration and the angry looks it earned from the staff. She only wore it to please Cato. He told her when it sparkled beneath the lights of the chandelier, it looked as if it was winking at him, letting him in on a private joke.

"Are you coming back?"

Katniss wanted to lie and delay Glimmer's wrath for as long as possible, but nothing stayed secret in the mansion for long. The only secret that remained was the deal Katniss had unwillingly made with Snow. Everything else was dragged through the house, servant to servant to master.

"I'm to stay on as a maid at Snow's Estate in New York," Katniss said.

"How lucky for you. And your family?" Glimmer demanded. "Your precious little sister?"

Katniss stared down at the checkered kitchen tile, unable to look at Glimmer's face. "My mother and sister are coming too."

Glimmer ripped the barrette out of Katniss's hair, yanking out several dark strands in the process. Katniss bit her tongue to keep silent and backed into the wall. She would not fight Glimmer, but she also would not give Glimmer the satisfaction of seeing her in pain.

Glimmer dropped the barrette and crushed it beneath her worn boots. "Do you think you're untouchable? You're nothing," she sneered. "When you first arrived, I thought you were simple. Harmless. I had no idea you had it in you, spreading your legs for master and grandson."

"I'm not—"

"They'll destroy you," Glimmer warned.

Katniss still woke in the middle of the night thinking she was back home. Not the cramped, foul-smelling apartment she had shared with Aunt Violet and her cousins, but her real home: the farm in Cork. With her eyes closed, she imagined she was back in that hard, narrow bed, her sister sleeping quietly beside her, her parents in bed a few feet away. They were almost always hungry, dirty, and sore, but it was their home. It was the only kind of happiness Katniss had ever known. She wasn't sure she could rewrite the definition now. She wasn't sure there was another kind.

While she had grown more used to the lavish taste of the elite, her gaze still lingered on possessions in Snow's household she could never hope to own: a painting of a meadow, a plush Persian carpet, a soft mattress. She puzzled over other possessions: a suit of armor, a statue of a naked woman, dozens and dozens of shoes. How could so many people go hungry while others had more money than they knew what to do with? So much money that a suit of armor felt like a worthwhile purchase? It was baffling.

The Titanic was a new lesson in excess. If the Snow Estate felt like a castle, then the Titanic was a royal palace. Katniss wanted to appear aloof, but she couldn't help her wide eyes and parted lips as she followed Cato up the Grand Staircase. Her hand trailed along the smooth dark wood of the bannister. She passed paintings, statues, and chandeliers, each decoration more exquisite than the last.

Cato and Lord Snow were staying in a parlor suite, which included two bedrooms, a private bathroom, and a private section of the promenade deck. It was one of the most expensive rooms available.

"It's about making a statement," Cato had told her. "If you don't have others envying you, what's the point?"

Katniss was relieved to be staying in a separate cabin with Effie. It was less grand, but Katniss didn't care. She would have been perfectly happy in the belly of the ship with her sister.

Cato opened the door to her cabin with a flourish, and Katniss stepped inside.

"Why don't you get some rest?" Cato said. Despite being smaller than Cato's suite, it still contained two bedrooms, a sitting room, and a private bath. "It was a long drive from London last night, and we were up early this morning."

Katniss didn't point out that Cato's definition of early differed greatly from hers. She was used to early, first as a farmer's daughter, then a factory worker, and now a maid. She wanted to explore the ship and confirm that her mother and Prim had settled in, but she did not want to upset Cato so early into the journey. The ship hadn't even left port yet.

"Are you sure? Shouldn't I help Effie unpack?"

"You don't have to help Effie with a thing. You're not our maid anymore."

"Of course I am," Katniss said. "It's my job. That's why I'm here."

Snow's exact words were "Effie's personal maid," although Katniss didn't know the first thing about helping a lady dress or fix her hair. Part of her wanted to remain at the estate in London, be free from Snow for a while, but he would come back eventually. And when he did, he would be without Cato, without a reason to keep her any longer. She couldn't afford three tickets on her own yet, and she wanted to save the jewelry for purchasing land.

"You are our travel companion," Cato said as he walked into Katniss's bedroom. He looked over his shoulder and winked. "A close companion."

"I don't think people would approve of an unchaperoned woman traveling as your companion."

"But you are chaperoned! Effie is here to watch over you. When people ask who you are, tell them you're a second cousin, tell them you're a Snow. They won't need further explanation." He patted the bed, and reluctantly, Katniss sat down.

"Don't worry," Cato said with a wolfish grin. "It's a big bed. This is the only time you'll be sleeping alone."

He left after a long kiss and the request that she braid her for bed that night. Once she heard the outer door shut, she laid down in her feather soft bed that smelled of salty air and the sea and allowed her body to relax. Her muscles ached with the strain of the past several days. She fell asleep as the ship began to move.

"Rise and shine, dear. It's time to dress for dinner!" Effie's cheerful voice pulled Katniss out of a deep, comfortable sleep. She had been dreaming of Ireland.

Katniss sat up and stretched. "Won't I be dining later with the other maids?"

Effie opened Katniss's traveling trunk and dug through the clothes inside. "Cato has asked I help you dress for a dinner with the family in the dining room."

Cato's words from earlier returned to her. Was he really going to force her to carry out this charade? Present herself as Katniss Snow? She doubted Lord Snow would appreciate her borrowing his legacy.

"I can't eat in there," Katniss said. She couldn't imagine herself dining with the elite. Traveling among them would be difficult enough. "Besides, I wanted to visit my sister before dinner."

Effie paused in her search. "I don't believe that's a good idea."

"Why?" When Effie remained silent, Katniss joined her at the trunk. "Why not? They're on the ship, aren't they?" She grabbed Effie's arm. "Aren't they?"

Katniss imagined Prim standing beside their mother on the port, calling her name as the Titanic sailed away. Already there were miles and miles of sea separating her from England.

"Yes, of course. I saw the tickets myself. It's only that Cato doesn't want you visiting." At Katniss's glare, Effie hurried on, "At least not yet. He wants you to acclimate to your surroundings first. Maybe tomorrow?"

Fine. Katniss would play her part for the evening, but tomorrow she would not ask permission. She had to see Prim and make sure everything was all right.

"How's this for dinner?" Effie asked, pulling out a deep blue dress with black lace covering the bodice.

"I couldn't possibly borrow one of your dresses, Miss Effie," Katniss said, stepping back into her subservient role. What was she thinking grabbing Effie's arm and scowling at her? Back home, Effie would have dismissed her with a sharp word, but here she was smiling and draping the dress over Katniss's body.

"Katniss, this is your dress." Effie gestured to the trunk she had been searching through. It was Katniss's trunk, yes, but Katniss had packed it herself two days ago. There had been no such finery then.

"I don't…" Katniss touched the green satin of her sleeve and knew that Cato hadn't just bought one dress. He had purchased a new wardrobe. She felt sick. "Yes, that's perfect for dinner. Thank you, Miss Effie. Shall I help you dress?"

"Oh Katniss, we both know you do not have a clue when it comes to being a lady's maid. I'll help you dress, and once you see how it's done, you can help me."

Katniss nodded, unsure why Effie was so comfortable in Katniss's change in status. She may have been Cato's aunt, but she had to demur to the men in her life no matter what. From her father to her late husband and then back to her father, Effie had always been subject to the demands of men. Katniss wondered if Effie planned on remaining in New York. She would still have to deal with Cato, but he was more manageable than Snow.

"I promise you," Effie said. "You will look marvelous in this dress."

Katniss stared at the menu in front of her, panic creeping up her throat. She couldn't decipher any of the words before her. She glanced over at Cato, but he was deep in conversation with an older man with an ashy gray mustache. Effie was next along with Snow, a few other men, and a woman whose dress sparkled underneath the numerous chandeliers.

Could she point to an option, or would that seem silly or rude? Was it appropriate to ask the waiter for a recommendation, or was it not his place to make a suggestion?

A young man with dark hair and a white uniform approached their table. Katniss's stomach clenched as he stopped beside her. If only he had begun on the other side of the table, she could have copied someone else's order. Briefly she considered interrupting Cato's conversation, but she was still furious with him for barring her from her sister. She also didn't want to risk angering him as he would be insufferable for the rest of the evening. She could imagine his scolding: "You interrupted an important conversation, Katniss. Remember your place."

"Good evening. What can I get for you tonight?" the waiter asked.

Katniss had felt out of place since arriving at the port in that ridiculous green dress, masquerading as one of the elite. She had thought she would be traveling as a maid, and instead Cato had forced a new role upon her without any proper instruction. She had no clue what forks and spoons and knives to use, or how to introduce herself or hold a conversation. She didn't know who she was. All she had was a first name.

This waiter's question was the culmination of an entire day's anxiety. Now she would be found out. She would embarrass Cato who would yell at her later behind a closed door even though this was his fault. Worse, her ignorance would amuse Snow. She couldn't bear giving that man an ounce of pleasure.

"Miss?" the waiter prompted.

She felt eyes on her, although they may have been imagined. She refused to look up from the menu. Sweat dotted the back of her neck as she contemplated what to say.

"Might I suggest the roast duck?"

Katniss looked up to find the vacant seat across from her now contained a boy who looked not much older than her. He was incredibly handsome: a halo of blonde hair, bright blue eyes, a charming smile. But what struck her most was how kind he looked. For the first time all day, someone was looking at her and she didn't feel judged. He looked at her like she was a regular girl.

"That sounds wonderful," Katniss said.

"Make it two," the boy said. The waiter moved down the row.

"Thank you," said Katniss. She wasn't sure why he had come to her rescue. Maybe he was as arrogant as Cato and thought she needed a man to tell her what to order, but she doubted that. He had seen her struggling and without knowing the reason, he had saved her.

The boy held out his hand. "I'm Peeta Mellark."

Katniss smiled, her first real smile of the day. She took his hand. "I'm Kat-"

Suddenly, Cato reached out his arm and spoke over her. "This is Katniss Everdeen. And I'm Cato Snow, her fiancé."

Effie let out a gasp. Cato ignored her and shook Peeta's hand. Katniss stared at Cato, shock spiraling into anger. She was furious with this boy, this ridiculous, smug boy who changed her identity at a whim. Maid to cousin to fiancée, but always a whore underneath. Who would she be when he finally tired of her and cast her aside?

A fallen woman. Unfit for anything but a brothel.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Snow's reaction, which was no reaction at all. He simply glanced over at the unfolding drama and then returned to his conversation.

This couldn't be what Snow had wanted when he called her into his study last year. Cato was testing him, using her as a pawn in whatever twisted game he played with his grandfather. Cato was unaware that she was Snow's pawn too, a quiet double agent, trapped in a game she could never win.

Despite living in the Snow Estate for four months and cleaning it from top to bottom daily, Katniss had never been inside Snow's study. Mrs. Sae forbade any of the maids from entering. Lord Snow kept it locked anyway.

It was a Friday afternoon when Mrs. Sae informed Katniss that Lord Snow wished to see her. Heart pounding in her chest, Katniss approached the study door and gave it a timid knock. Snow's voice ordered her inside.

She pushed her fear and intimidation aside and entered, eyes avoiding Snow's imposing figure behind the huge mahogany desk and taking in the rest of the room. There was no dust, no dirt, no disorder. She wondered if Mrs. Sae was allowed inside, or if Snow cleaned it himself. She had never seen him pick up a dirty dish, but he seemed like the type of person who would complete an important task no matter how degrading rather than risk someone else doing it incorrectly.

Katniss wasn't sure why the study was off limits. She supposed Snow kept important documents in there. Maybe even his rumored pistol. It appeared to be a completely ordinary room, albeit less ostentatious than the rest of the house. It was full of rich shades of dark chestnut, walls lined with impressive looking books, and a white sofa positioned in front of an inviting fire.

Katniss sat in the hard back chair in front of Snow's desk. As she locked eyes with him, the real reason he prohibited anyone from entering dawned on her. It added to the mystery that was Coriolanus Snow. She didn't know what to expect. She was uncertain and nervous just as he intended.

"I hear an incident occurred last week between you and my grandson," Snow said. No pleasantries, no skipping around the issue. Katniss appreciated bluntness, but she was horrified that this was what Snow wanted to address. She would have preferred a subtle sinking into the topic, a hint that this was what he wanted to discuss. She had suspected as much but hoped she was wrong.

Heat crept up the back of her neck and reddened her cheeks.

"I'm not sure what you're referring to, sir." Katniss stared down at her hands, folded primly in her lap. She couldn't get fired. Not again.

"I believe this conversation will be much easier if we agree not to lie to each other, Miss Everdeen."

She looked up at him, shocked at how he was addressing her. He called all of the servants by their first name, even Mrs. Sae who was in charge of the entire household. Now that she thought of it, she had never heard him address her as Katniss. All he had to do was beckon her over and she came. Was he trying to flatter her? Or was he mocking her?

She considered her options. She could blame Cato and risk Snow's wrath. It was unlikely Snow wanted to hear his grandson was propositioning the help. Would he believe her anyway? What if he thought she had tried to seduce Cato? He could dub her untrustworthy, immoral, turn her out onto the streets…

"Nothing happened," she said. "It was a misunderstanding."

"I understand nothing untoward happened, but if my grandson approaches you again, I want you to accept."

She squirmed in her seat, unsure if she had heard him correctly. "I'm sorry?"

"Miss Everdeen, I think you and I could help one another."

"I appreciate the consideration, Lord Snow, but you have helped already by giving me this job."

"My son, Seneca, is in America laying the groundwork for Snow Industries to become international. I believe he and Cato are planning a hostile takeover. I want you to spy on Cato."

"Spy?" What a ridiculous word to fall out of her mouth. What an idea.

"You're quiet, Miss Everdeen. I never hear you approaching or leaving. I never notice you at all. As a maid in this house, you could easily eavesdrop on private conversations or steal his correspondence. As his mistress, however, he will confide in you."

"I don't think—"

"He's quite taken with you. And my grandson loves to show off. If there's a plan to usurp my position, he will drop hints, brag about his intelligence. He'll think you don't understand, that you are too dull and starry eyed to grasp the situation. But you won't be. I believe you're smarter than you let on."

"Why me?" Katniss asked quietly. "Why not Glimmer? She's much prettier and…" Much more willing, Katniss didn't add. She didn't want to force Glimmer into the situation, but she had a feeling Glimmer would jump at the opportunity.

"Glimmer is a bit obvious, don't you think?" Snow gave her an appraising look. "As I said before: you are quiet. Unassuming. A little bird who will parrot back what she learns."

"Lord Snow, you're asking me to—to—allow Cato to—" She couldn't say the word, couldn't fathom it. She was a virgin. She had never even kissed a boy. While she had no intention of marrying and no societal reason to keep her purity intact, she did have her dignity. She didn't want to be a rich man's plaything. She didn't know anything about seduction or lovemaking. And she didn't want to learn.

"Miss Everdeen, may I remind you what a comfortable position you have in my home: a bed to yourself, plenty of food to eat. A monthly wage to share with your family."

"Yes sir, I'm so grateful—"

"I hear your mother's been ill."

Katniss froze. She knew the conversation had taken a turn, knew Snow was circling her now, ready to swoop in as she revealed her weakness. Maybe he was right. Maybe she was smarter than most people gave her credit for, but she couldn't see a way out of this.

"How do you know that?"

"Very little goes on that I do not know about." Snow leaned forward in his chair and offered an awful smile. "A room has opened up in the servants' cottage out back. There's enough room for your mother and your sister. Prim, is it?"

"Yes. It's Prim."

"Perhaps some rest and a visit from a proper doctor will do your mother well."

The deal was tempting. Snow knew exactly what to offer to lure her in, but she couldn't agree. Trade her body for improved living quarters and a visit from a doctor? Her mother would get better on her own. She was a healer, and she knew what needed to be done. Her mother may not be the vibrant, nurturing woman Katniss remembered from childhood, but she wouldn't want this for Katniss. No matter how desperate their situation was becoming.

"Thank you for your kind offer, Lord Snow, but my mother and Prim have a home."

"Are you aware, Miss Everdeen, what would happen if you were dismissed from my home under uncertain circumstances?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Neighbors would talk. Rumors would spread. It would be difficult to find another position."

"I haven't done anything wrong." She tried to steel herself, kept her voice steady and strong, but it trembled on the last word.

"Maybe you could return to the factory. Or perhaps the brothel? They don't discriminate there."

Her throat burned with unshed tears, but she would not cry in front of this man. When she had lost her job at the factory, Aunt Violet had threatened to kick all of them out: Katniss, Prim, her mother. Violet was livid that Katniss would throw away what she deemed a "perfectly good job." Aunt Violet had accused her of being soft and spoiled, thinking herself superior to her cousins. Her complaints only stopped after Katniss had moved into Lord Snow's home as a maid. With a room to sleep in and food to eat, Katniss needed very little of her wages. She sent the majority to her mother to help pay for the basic necessities. Her mother still wasn't working. Prim helped look after Aunt Violet's children and complete the laundry Violet did for the families who had enough money to outsource the task but not enough to hire live-in help.

Most nights Prim's hands were red and raw, but she never complained.

"What if he doesn't ask me again?" Katniss finally said.

"He will."

As Katniss readied herself for bed, her thoughts returned to dinner and to Peeta. He had been correct: the roast duck was delicious. Unfortunately, he didn't get the opportunity to taste his as he excused himself after the first course. His brother had never shown up to dinner, and Peeta had been worried.

Before leaving, Peeta had come around to her side of the table and taken her hand once more.

"It was wonderful to meet you and your fiancé," he had said, eyes never leaving hers. "Have a good evening."

He had held her hand for only the briefest of seconds, but she felt his touch long after. Her whole body had hummed from the pleasure of meeting him, from exchanging a few words, and even now, hours later, she felt an odd kind of excitement. It was an unfamiliar and strange feeling. She wasn't sure she liked it, but she hoped she saw him again all the same.

Her bedroom door burst open. Cato filled her doorway, his mouth a thin, hard line. He was angry even though she had been on her best behavior all day. She had even braided her hair as requested.

She wondered if this had something to do with Peeta. Back in London, she rarely left the house except to run an errand for Mrs. Sae or cross the backyard to visit her family. She was contained. But now Cato had thrust her out into the world not caring how she or anyone else felt about the matter. He had never anticipated that others would appreciate his effort.

"Why did you say you were my fiancé at dinner?" Katniss asked.

"I don't want to talk tonight," Cato said. He wrapped a hand around her braid and pulled her head toward him. Her neck ached from the angle and her lips felt bruised when the kiss ended.

"Take off your nightgown," he said.

Katniss did as she was told and laid down on the bed. Most nights with Cato, she tried to detach herself, float out of her body. Sometimes she made the journey to Ireland, to the farm she was born in, grew up in, lost everything in. Of course, then, she hadn't realized there was more to lose.

But tonight, Cato would demand her attention and her vocal participation. She had to be the girl he wanted. As Cato lowered himself on top of her, she closed her eyes and pictured the boy from dinner with his bright blue eyes and kind smile.

And then she kissed him back.