Chapter twenty-nine: Suspicion

How could she have been so stupid?

Kate reflected back on every single instance with Emmett as she moved slowly towards the parlor. How could she have been so blind? There was no real affection towards her. How had she managed to throw almost six years of her life away on someone who'd never truly cared anything for her? Her father had suspected that Emmett was wrong for her, but even he'd been blind to Emmett's second nature. Thomas hadn't liked him either.

Good God, what was she going to tell Thomas? She had to tell him. However, something was stopping her from doing that; it was doubt. She'd known Emmett for six years and she knew nothing about him. As Polly pointed out, she knew Thomas for less than a month. How was she to know what kind of a man he was? Could she trust her instincts in regards to him? She had rushed into this thing between him so quickly!

The moment she thought that, she shook her head, forcing those thoughts to clear. Thomas loved her and he let her know what's what, he never hid anything from her. There was always an explosion of white-hot emotions between the two of them that left her wanting more. He was everything she'd ever wanted and more.

As that thought crossed her mind, she heard the voice of the man who possibly could satisfy her every dream, coming out from the library.

"When you are old, and grey, and full of sleep, and nodding by the fire. Take down this book. And slowly read, and dream of the soft look." she stands in the doorway as Thomas reads aloud from a book of sonnets. She suspected that somehow Rosemary had gotten him to do that. "Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep. How many loved your moments of glad grace and loved your beauty with love, false or true. But one man," Thomas looks up at her, the look on his face striking her to her very soul. "loved the pilgrim soul in you and loved the sorrows of your changing face." He swallowed hard and looked back down at the book. "And bending down beside the glowing bars, murmur, a little sadly, how love fled. And paced upon the mountains overhead and hid his face amid a crowd of stars."

"One of my personal favorites by Yeats." Her father states. "You read that very well, Mr. Shelby. If you speak as well as that, you might make it to parliament one day."

Rosemary glances from Thomas to her and then back to him. "Somehow, I don't think he was reading it for our benefit."

Her father's eyes instantly narrow. "Kate, are you alright?"

In that moment, Kate makes a split second decision. She's going to say nothing tonight. She's upset and feels disgusting. She's going to take a bath, calm down, consider this situation tonight and see if it's worth the risk to tell her father and Thomas what happened first thing tomorrow.

"I," her voice sounds raspy and far away, so she clears her throat in an attempt to sound lighter than she feels. "I-I need to go upstairs. I'm not feeling well."

Thomas and her father immediately catch on that something's not right. Thomas is on his feet instantly and calmly approaching her. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine I just…need a bath." He goes to touch her arm, but she waves him away. "Don't. Please."

The moment she did that, he knew it. She saw it in his eyes. He knew something was wrong the moment she pushed him away. She hadn't intended for him to know that fast, but she didn't want him touching her right now. Not when she felt so disgusting with Emmett's touch on her. God, how would he react once he found out?

He pauses. "What happened Kate? Tell me."

"Nothing." She turns aside. She needs to think on this. "I'll see everyone tomorrow. Goodnight!"

"Kate?" His hand on her shoulder unintentionally causes her to jump and spin around. His blue eyes are exceptionally piercing at this moment. He instantly removes his hand. "Alright, I won't touch you, but, please…tell me what happened? Did he hurt you?"

At that moment, the ice cream they'd had earlier at the parlor chooses to make its way from her stomach to her throat. "Sick." Kate turns, hoping to make halfway up the stairs to her bath before spewing the lavender ice cream all over her mother's carpet.

She doesn't.

Thomas braces Kate as she vomits. Something is wrong; he can see it and feel it with every fiber of his being. Rosemary hands him her handkerchief as Kate stops spewing ice cream. Something must have her really upset to be losing food that had been digested five hours ago.

"Here." Kate reaches for the handkerchief and he stills as he sees the diamond ring is back on Kate's finger. He takes her hand, causing her to whip around again. "What's this?"

Kate looks at the ring and then at him. She has no answer for him. However, he sees something in her eyes that he doesn't like. Conflict, fear and despair. He can't understand it. One moment she was perfectly content to be with him and the next, she was jumping at every touch of his. Even when he'd first kissed her in that club, Kate hadn't jumped, even though he was a complete stranger.

Something had happened and she needed her space. "I-I

"It's alright." he assures her as he helps her off the floor. "Rosemary, make sure that Kate makes it to her room alright." he stands up and locks eyes with Mr. Kovach. "A word, please."

He nods as Thomas comes down the stairs. "Let's talk in the library."

He hears Kate gasp behind him and his concern for her boils over. He knows something happened in here. "Something happened."

"I'm completely aware of that. And if Emmett put a hand on my little girl, I will have him gutted like a pig." They push the door open and survey the room. "My desk is a mess." Mr. Kovach instantly confirms. "Something clearly happened in here. She tried to get the gun, but couldn't reach it."

"What do you think happened?" Thomas asks. "Do you think he raped her?"

"No. he couldn't have kept something like that quiet and there's no blood anywhere." He glances at Thomas before asking pointedly. "Or, would there be blood in here?"

Thomas shoots him a look. "There would be blood; things haven't gone that far between us yet."

"While I'm relieved at that fact, it makes what could have happened in here a bigger mystery." Kovach shakes his head. "I don't like what I saw in Kate's eyes. She's never been terrified of anything before. Whatever went down in here, it was enough to scare her into silence."

"And, it was enough to make her start pushing us away." Thomas states. "When I went to touch her, I saw she was terrified."

"If I find out he did something to her, I'll kill him."

"I think you mean, we." Thomas states. "If he hurt her, he will pay for it."

"Are you two honestly suggesting," her mother states from the door. "that Emmett would hurt her?"

"He grabbed her this morning." Thomas points out.

"So, you claim. But you have a clear motive of your own to make sure that this wedding is off." her mother points out. "I saw, what you were doing the moment my husband brought you into this house." she turned to her father. "I've been silent up till now, but I want him out of this house. Tonight."

Her father is silent before stating. "The reason why Mr. Shelby has been here this entire time, is purely my doing." Her face goes pale in an instance. "You see, what Kate didn't tell you when they met at the club, Mr. Shelby kissed her and an attachment formed between the two of them."

"And…you brought him into our house?" Mrs. Kovach is upset. "I never thought you'd betray me or your daughter like that."

"I did it because I wanted someone better for our daughter than Emmett. Tonight, clearly shows that I was right."

"How? A few papers out of place?"

"No. the look on her face and the way Kate went from saying she'd never put his ring back on to wearing it within a short time frame."

"Maybe she changed her mind."

"Kate's in love with him." he points at Thomas. Her mother shakes her head in denial. "I knew it from the moment she purposefully crippled someone to protect him. I've been watching them for weeks." her mother stunned. "I made an arrangement with him, to convince Kate to fall in love with him."

"You…made an arrangement? You paid him?"

"He didn't pay me a farthing." Thomas states. "The one thing neither of us anticipated was me genuinely falling in love with your daughter and I know that she feels the same about me."

"No, she doesn't. Because in spite, of all your planning, conniving and bribing that Kate's got a far more sensible head than either of you give her credit for." Her mother's voice is taut and he can hear she's upset that her own husband betrayed her like that. "If you love me-

"I do, but if you love her, you'll stay out of this and let her make this decision."

"She's got a wonderful opportunity to become the wife of someone who will lift her out of this lifestyle. She can move up in the world and her children won't be associated as common gangsters! They'll be respected!"

"She wants to be my wife." Thomas states quietly. His words have the desired effect on Mrs. Kovach. "She loves me and when I asked her to be my wife, she agreed."

Her father's eyes narrow. "Now, I know something happened in here."

"Nothing…happened in here."

"If Kate agreed to be his wife and changed her mind so suddenly, something happened. In spite of all your planning, Kate always goes where her heart lies."

"Then tonight, she finally started using her head." Her mother says quietly. "She knows her duty and the wedding is clearly back on." she turns to Mr. Kovach. "You'll sleep down here tonight. I don't want to see you."

"Obviously, but after being married for almost thirty years, I don't care how mad you are at me, you're not ordering me to sleep down here. I'll be up later." She turns on her heel and stomps up the stairs. "And I know you're listening Rosemary, so go to bed." There's a loud huff and Rosemary stomps up the stairs behind her mother. Mr. Kovach studies him. "You proposed to her?"

"Not formally. I told her today that she was going to have to marry me soon. She said that she would, as soon as I properly proposed to her."

Her father chuckles. "Ah, that's my daughter. You have my blessing for her hand, by the way."

"Thank you." Thomas surveys the room. "What do you think happened in here?"

"I don't know, but it was drastic enough to make her put the ring back on." He exhales. "We both saw the look on her face. Do you honestly think my daughter wanted to put that ring on?"

"No, I don't. He must have threatened her in some way. But it must have been a big threat in order to get her to reconsider. It must not have been her, because she doesn't worry about herself, she worries about those she loves."

"Clearly." He sighs. "I'm going to make a few calls and get some more info about Emmett. I turned up nothing on him six years ago, but, things change." He reaches for the phone. "You, go talk to her."

"She doesn't want to talk to me right now."

"Somehow, I don't think that's going to be a problem for you. Go on upstairs."

Thomas hesitates before stating. "What I should say is that it's been a hard day for her, it's late, she's upstairs taking a bath and I shouldn't be in her room this late at night."

Her father's silent for a moment. "My daughter is upset…if she needs you right now, then you give her whatever it is that she needs."

Thomas stills for a moment, taking in her father's words. "Are you sure about that?"

"I am trying not to think about you having sex with my daughter, right now." Thomas can't help but chuckle at Kovach's attitude. He likes him. "Will you please just go upstairs and check on her? Whatever happens, happens. The wedding is the day after tomorrow. I've got some calls to take care of and you've got someone to take care of."

Outlawwoman: Well, he is in league with Campbell and unless Kate tells them what's going on, they won't be able to help her.

Shariebery: Lol, I guess we'll see towards the end.

Mina Silver: I know! It came completely out of the blue for her, but luckily Thomas and her father know that something's wrong. As to Kate's mother, let's say they'll be opened partly, but Thomas will get her mother to open her eyes all the way. Sorry about the suspense, it's killing me and I'm sure it's killing all my readers, hence why the chapters keep flying out so fast!

Guest: He could…but then it wouldn't be as much fun!

MeriemDjez: I'll consider that possibility.

Idcam: Good! I was banking on shocking a few people, looks like I managed to do just that.

TheHoodedAssassin: Not in the shoulder, trust me, he's got something far more humiliating planned for him. But on the high note, it shouldn't get any crazier…I think. I can't make any promises though! This story has a mind of it's own at times!

AlienfromNorth: Sorry, but clearly, that's not what Kate's planning on doing…for the moment. Ironically, the story is turning this way because of a review you left me on a previous chapter!

Guest: If she did, I think he'd lose the leg, which, considering it's Campbell, wouldn't be such a bad idea.