The little girl stared out the window from her small seat, a bow in her auburn hair. She frowned slightly as she noticed the black carriage pull up to her home. She dreaded her cousin's visits, even at her age of ten years old. Katherine fixated her normally soft brown eyes on the boy that had just climbed out, with his father right behind. Her uncle and father were coming to talk about various important business matters, she knew that. Katherine didn't see why twelve-year-old James needed to come along as well. She sighed, slipping off the chair and walking over to the mirror. She straightened out her light pink dress with black buttons, and adjusted the bow. Her father always told her to seem presentable when company came. Especially if that company was James Plumber. Katherine tilted her head, and then fixed a very plausible smile on her face when a knock sounded on the door. She trotted over, admitting the two inside. The elder Plumber gave her what he thought was a comfortable smile in greeting, but the girl thought it rather looked like a shark's leer. He greeted Mr. Pulitzer as well, and the two adults crossed into the office where they began to discuss tactics. Only James stood next to her now, with his dark, penetrating eyes that could glimpse into all of her soul.
"Hello, Kat." A smile lit up James' face where he stood underneath his stocky red hair and small brown suit. Katherine's father always said he was a miniature version of his father. Katherine did not see the resemblance at all. For one, Mr. Plumber had white hair.
"Hello, James." She gave a slight shudder, and then closed the door with a bit more force than was needed.
"Touchy, today, cousin?" James moved past her into the parlour. Katherine followed, standing awkwardly to one side as James fell into the tall, brand-new plush red chair.
"No, James."
"Then what? You're still not mad about last time, are you?"
Katherine averted her eyes. "No, of course not."
James turned his piercing look onto her, turning away from where his gaze had been roaming over the Pulitzer home. "Kat, that kid got what he deserved."
"He had only been asking for money, James!" Katherine protested, daring to look at her cousin. "You didn't need to hurt him!"
"I was only scaring him a little!"
"James, you cut his arm with a knife!"
"I did not!" James stood up, getting in Katherine's determined, angry face. "He got what he deserved, that's all!"
"James, you can't say that! You attacked him first!"
"Only because he was going to attack me! I gave him a lesson and it worked, didn't it?!"
"Stop it! Stop it, James! You hurt that poor boy and I should have done something about it but I didn't! I hate you, James!"
The children's angry tones had penetrated the office of Mr. Pulitzer, and the two adults strode out to confront the scene of James' and Katherine's glaring, red faces. Katherine shot her cousin one last glare and lowered her eyes to the ground in front of her father, steaming. She knew she had done the right thing. What James had done last time had been horrible, just horrible. She didn't care if her father punished her for yelling right now. Katherine knew she had said the right thing.
Pulitzer and Mr. Plumber exchanged glances. James had also looked away from his cousin, and started to stare out the window, his eyes tracking the progress of a bird that was flitting from branch to branch, finally resting to sit on the windowsill.
His father cleared his throat, and put a hand on his son's shoulder. "James, we are leaving now. Say goodbye to your cousin."
Katherine avoided turning to James until it was absolutely necessary. Her eyes still burned, but not with tears. James stared at her sullenly, sticking out his hand.
"Goodbye, Kat."
"Goodbye, James." Hands were shaken, and James left leaving nothing but a black cloud in his absence.