Chapter 6
Kate woke with a smile on her face. Last night had been wonderful. It was a good thing that Grace was such a hard sleeper, because they hadn't been that quiet. They had made love twice last night and once again before Danny had left for work. Kate wished that she could stay in bed and enjoy the sensations running through her mind and body, but Grace would be up soon and the day would begin as always.
The day was warm and humid, but nothing was bothering Kate. Danny loved her and they had spent the night together. She was floating on cloud 9. As a child she had always felt her parent's disapproval. She wasn't ladylike enough, or pretty enough, or she was too brash and outspoken. Basically, she wasn't as good as her sister, Julianna. Then there was Micheal. She thought that since he wanted to marry her then he must love her and she would finally have someone who approved of her no matter what, but that definitly hadn't been the case. But now she had Danny. He loved her and protected her. It didn't matter that they were stuck in this camp or that technically she was married. As long as Danny was with her, she didn't care. Life was good finally.
"Well, aren't you happy today, Kate," a snide voice spoke over her shoulder as she was getting water from the well. "All smiles. Isn't that refreshing"
"Hello, Victoria," Kate replied politely, the smile fading from her face. If anyone could ruin her mood it was this young woman. She was only a few years younger than Kate, but she reminded her of Julianna. Perfect, but poisionous. She had a clique of friends who tittered and gossiped together. Lord help anyone who became their enemy because gossip - whether true or false - spread like wildfire in the camp.
"I guess you and Danny made up after your fight last night," she said, instantly drawing the attention of everyone around the well. "It looked quite intense."
Kate straighted and looked at Victoria. "What makes you think we were fighting?"
Victoria shrugged innocently. "Well, it did look like you were crying." She laughed gaily. "You should know that there is no real privacy here - especially when you decide to have your little tete-a-tete right in front of your cabin. But then, I suppose you don't want to frighten Grace. No child likes to see her parent's fight. Especially at such a tender age. It's quite distressing, I'm sure."
Narrowing her eyes, Kate gave Victoria a long look. "Why, Victoria," she replied, "Thank you for being so concerned about our daughter and our marriage. But don't worry. Danny and I are just fine. All couples have disagreements now and again. I'm sure you'll learn that someday - when you have you're finally married." Kate smiled falsely. "But don't you worry about us. Half the fun is making up."
A couple of the older women listening in snickered at Kate's casual put down. Victoria was a well known stalker of the unattached men in the camp. She toyed with them almost like Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With the Wind. She liked to collect them. And it seems that Danny was her Ashley. It used to really bother Kate, but now she had all the confidence in the world. Danny was her's.
Kate smiled at the indignant blush that was flushing over Victoria's cheeks as she turned to go. "You all have a nice day," she said to everyone.
"Kate," Victoria called after her, her voice sickly sweet. "I was wondering if you could give me a little advice."
Turning around with a sigh, Kate put down her pail of water. "Sure," she replied, knowing that she had to put Victoria in her place now, or she was only going to get more out of control.
"Well," Victoria simpered, trying to look innocent, "the girls and I were wondering how you do it."
"Do what?"
"Well, how you can be married to a man like Danny and not have a dozen babies by now," she smiled softly at the gasps caused by her bold question. "I mean, Julie and Frank only dated for a few months before they had to get married. And you and Danny have been married for how long? I mean, if I were married to Danny...I mean, a man like Danny, I'd have at least two or three babies by now," she trailed off and shrugged, a smug smile on her face. The women around them looked on with horrified fascination. This was not a conversation that should be taking place, but they couldn't walk away.
"I don't think that's any of your business, Victoria," Kate said calmly.
Victoria shrugged. "I was just wondering...."
"Wondering what," Danny asked, causing all the women at the well to jump in surprise.
This time Victoria blushed for real. Kate smiled up at Danny as he came over and put his arm around her shoulders, giving her a kiss on the top of the head.
"Oh, nothing much," Kate replied breezily. "Victoria was just wondering why we don't have more children. It appears that she is interested in birth control."
More snickers from the crowd as Victoria began to look uncomfortable.
"Really?" Danny asked politely, though inwardly he was shocked. Looking down at Kate he could see the gleam in her eye. She was enjoying putting Victoria on the spot.
"It's good to know she's finally settled on one guy," Kate told Danny, though she kept her eyes on Victoria. "I won't try to guess who. I wouldn't want to embarrass you, Victoria, there are so many to possible candidates." She smiled. "So, Danny, what would you say is the secret to our success?"
Danny looked down at his 'wife' with a bewildered expression. Why was he getting dragged into this? There was no way that this was a proper conversation to be having. "Well," he began. "I guess I love my wife enough not to want to risk her life. There will be plenty of time for more babies later. At least a half dozen." He smiled down at Kate. "Until we're out of here, we'll just have to continue to be...clever." Turning away from a Victoria, who was bright red with embarrassment, Danny looked down at Kate. "I have the rest of the day off and Grace is going to have dinner with the McKinley's. Feel like going for a walk?" He winked again. There was nowhere to walk in the camp and everyone knew it.
Kate smiled. "Sounds wonderful." Without a backward glance they walked away from the well and the silent crowd.
"What was that all about?" Danny asked once they were far enough away to not be overheard.
"I don't like her."
Danny gave a little laugh. "I noticed."
"She has a crush on you," Kate told him.
"Yeah, I noticed that too," Danny replied.
"She's pretty."
Danny shrugged. "I guess. In a pushy, vapid sort of way."
Kate started up the stairs of their cabin. "You don't like her," she asked him.
Danny stopped her, turning her around to face him, her eyes level with his. "She's not my type," he winked.
Kate smiled brightly as Danny leaned in to kiss her. "I love you, Danny."
"I love you, too." Opening the door, Danny ushered her inside. "But enough talking. Grace will only be gone for an hour or two."
Kate laughed. "Talking? Who's talking?"
Kate woke with a smile on her face. Last night had been wonderful. It was a good thing that Grace was such a hard sleeper, because they hadn't been that quiet. They had made love twice last night and once again before Danny had left for work. Kate wished that she could stay in bed and enjoy the sensations running through her mind and body, but Grace would be up soon and the day would begin as always.
The day was warm and humid, but nothing was bothering Kate. Danny loved her and they had spent the night together. She was floating on cloud 9. As a child she had always felt her parent's disapproval. She wasn't ladylike enough, or pretty enough, or she was too brash and outspoken. Basically, she wasn't as good as her sister, Julianna. Then there was Micheal. She thought that since he wanted to marry her then he must love her and she would finally have someone who approved of her no matter what, but that definitly hadn't been the case. But now she had Danny. He loved her and protected her. It didn't matter that they were stuck in this camp or that technically she was married. As long as Danny was with her, she didn't care. Life was good finally.
"Well, aren't you happy today, Kate," a snide voice spoke over her shoulder as she was getting water from the well. "All smiles. Isn't that refreshing"
"Hello, Victoria," Kate replied politely, the smile fading from her face. If anyone could ruin her mood it was this young woman. She was only a few years younger than Kate, but she reminded her of Julianna. Perfect, but poisionous. She had a clique of friends who tittered and gossiped together. Lord help anyone who became their enemy because gossip - whether true or false - spread like wildfire in the camp.
"I guess you and Danny made up after your fight last night," she said, instantly drawing the attention of everyone around the well. "It looked quite intense."
Kate straighted and looked at Victoria. "What makes you think we were fighting?"
Victoria shrugged innocently. "Well, it did look like you were crying." She laughed gaily. "You should know that there is no real privacy here - especially when you decide to have your little tete-a-tete right in front of your cabin. But then, I suppose you don't want to frighten Grace. No child likes to see her parent's fight. Especially at such a tender age. It's quite distressing, I'm sure."
Narrowing her eyes, Kate gave Victoria a long look. "Why, Victoria," she replied, "Thank you for being so concerned about our daughter and our marriage. But don't worry. Danny and I are just fine. All couples have disagreements now and again. I'm sure you'll learn that someday - when you have you're finally married." Kate smiled falsely. "But don't you worry about us. Half the fun is making up."
A couple of the older women listening in snickered at Kate's casual put down. Victoria was a well known stalker of the unattached men in the camp. She toyed with them almost like Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With the Wind. She liked to collect them. And it seems that Danny was her Ashley. It used to really bother Kate, but now she had all the confidence in the world. Danny was her's.
Kate smiled at the indignant blush that was flushing over Victoria's cheeks as she turned to go. "You all have a nice day," she said to everyone.
"Kate," Victoria called after her, her voice sickly sweet. "I was wondering if you could give me a little advice."
Turning around with a sigh, Kate put down her pail of water. "Sure," she replied, knowing that she had to put Victoria in her place now, or she was only going to get more out of control.
"Well," Victoria simpered, trying to look innocent, "the girls and I were wondering how you do it."
"Do what?"
"Well, how you can be married to a man like Danny and not have a dozen babies by now," she smiled softly at the gasps caused by her bold question. "I mean, Julie and Frank only dated for a few months before they had to get married. And you and Danny have been married for how long? I mean, if I were married to Danny...I mean, a man like Danny, I'd have at least two or three babies by now," she trailed off and shrugged, a smug smile on her face. The women around them looked on with horrified fascination. This was not a conversation that should be taking place, but they couldn't walk away.
"I don't think that's any of your business, Victoria," Kate said calmly.
Victoria shrugged. "I was just wondering...."
"Wondering what," Danny asked, causing all the women at the well to jump in surprise.
This time Victoria blushed for real. Kate smiled up at Danny as he came over and put his arm around her shoulders, giving her a kiss on the top of the head.
"Oh, nothing much," Kate replied breezily. "Victoria was just wondering why we don't have more children. It appears that she is interested in birth control."
More snickers from the crowd as Victoria began to look uncomfortable.
"Really?" Danny asked politely, though inwardly he was shocked. Looking down at Kate he could see the gleam in her eye. She was enjoying putting Victoria on the spot.
"It's good to know she's finally settled on one guy," Kate told Danny, though she kept her eyes on Victoria. "I won't try to guess who. I wouldn't want to embarrass you, Victoria, there are so many to possible candidates." She smiled. "So, Danny, what would you say is the secret to our success?"
Danny looked down at his 'wife' with a bewildered expression. Why was he getting dragged into this? There was no way that this was a proper conversation to be having. "Well," he began. "I guess I love my wife enough not to want to risk her life. There will be plenty of time for more babies later. At least a half dozen." He smiled down at Kate. "Until we're out of here, we'll just have to continue to be...clever." Turning away from a Victoria, who was bright red with embarrassment, Danny looked down at Kate. "I have the rest of the day off and Grace is going to have dinner with the McKinley's. Feel like going for a walk?" He winked again. There was nowhere to walk in the camp and everyone knew it.
Kate smiled. "Sounds wonderful." Without a backward glance they walked away from the well and the silent crowd.
"What was that all about?" Danny asked once they were far enough away to not be overheard.
"I don't like her."
Danny gave a little laugh. "I noticed."
"She has a crush on you," Kate told him.
"Yeah, I noticed that too," Danny replied.
"She's pretty."
Danny shrugged. "I guess. In a pushy, vapid sort of way."
Kate started up the stairs of their cabin. "You don't like her," she asked him.
Danny stopped her, turning her around to face him, her eyes level with his. "She's not my type," he winked.
Kate smiled brightly as Danny leaned in to kiss her. "I love you, Danny."
"I love you, too." Opening the door, Danny ushered her inside. "But enough talking. Grace will only be gone for an hour or two."
Kate laughed. "Talking? Who's talking?"