Chapter 4
They had just returned to the nursery after Grace's nap when James knocked on the door.
"Excuse me, Miss," he interrupted their game. "Your mother would like to see you and Miss Grace in the drawing room."
"Why," Kate asked suspiciously.
"Mr. and Mrs. Helmsford have come to see Miss Grace, " he informed her.
Kate blanched. "Thank you, James," she said. "We'll be down shortly."
"I'll inform your mother and her guests," he replied politely as he exited the room.
Kate's stomach heaved and she ran quickly to the nursery bathroom. Trembling she watched as her lunch swirled down the toilet. She had never felt comfortable in the presence of Micheal's mother. Mrs. Helmsford was cold and haughty. She looked down upon everyone - except her beloved Micheal.
She and Grace had to get out of here soon. Kate had been dreading the long train ride to Tennessee, but anything was better than having to deal with the Helmsfords. Even finally meeting Evelyn. Kate knew that by inviting the Helmsford for tea her mother was opening the way for introducing her back into society, but only if she had the Helmsfords' approval as their son's grieving widow. Kate wondered, not for the first time, how out of touch with reality her mother was.
Rinsing her mouth and straightening her hair, Kate called out to Grace. "Come on, Sweetheart. It's time to go meet some new people."
"Don wanna," Grace called out from her reading nook.
"Neither do I," Kate informed her. "But we have to." Holding out her hand, Kate waited for Grace to climb out of her cubby hole. She briefly debated changing Grace into a proper dress, but quickly decided against it. Grace didn't like dresses and Kate didn't want anyone to think that she and Grace were going to give in to their social pressures.
Her mother was chattering away about the sudden change in the weather, her voice high and nervous sounding as it always was when she was with someone she considered her social superior. Clearing her throat discreetly, Kate caught her mother's attention.
"Here she is!" her mother declared gaily, her relief evident. "Kate darling, come in, come in. Elizabeth, James, you remember Kate. - Of course you do, she's your daughter-in-law," she babbled. "She married your Micheal. And this," she reached to pat Grace, who avoided the touch, "this little angel is Grace."
Kate glared at her mother, willing her to shut up. "Mr. and Mrs. Helmsford," she nodded politely as she sat down accross from them, pulling Grace into her lap.
"Kate," Mr. Helmsford acknowledge with a nod.
Mrs. Helmsford said nothing as she studied Grace, her eyes flicking distastefully over Kate.
"Hello, Grace," she finally said. "I am your Grandmother." Grace said nothing, her eyes wide as she stared at the forbidding woman in black. "Does she speak?" she demanded of Kate's mother.
"I believe..." Mrs. Williams began hesitantly.
"Of course she speaks," Kate interrupted her mother. "She simply isn't used to strangers."
Looking down her nose at Kate, Elizabeth Helmsford replied haughtily. "I am her grandmother. I am hardly some stranger off the street."
Kate had to keep herself from rolling her eyes. "But she doesn't know you," Kate pointed out reasonably. "You are a stranger to her."
"Nonsense!" Mrs. Helmsford declared loudly, causing Grace to jump. "Grace, you were named after me. My name is Elizabeth, just like you: Grace Elizabeth Helmsford. Your father was my son."
Grace looked up at her mother, "Dandy?" she whispered hesitantly.
Kate started to shake her head no, but Mrs. Helmsford interrupted her. "That's right Grace. Your daddy was my son, and he named you after me."
"Her name is Grace Marie," Kate said calmly. "She was named after my grandmother. And as for her father, she was not referring to Micheal, but to Daniel Walker. The man who has been her father since she was six months old."
Mrs. Helmsford's nostrils flared and her eyes narrowed. "Oh, yes. The pilot," she said as if the word tasted bad in her mouth. "Micheal told us about him. The thankless man who seduced his wife while Micheal was risking his own life to save the man's friends. Who later held a knife to my son's throat and threatened to kill him if he tried to come near you," she told them dramatically.
Kate laughed, shocking both her mother and Mrs. Helmsford, but not Mr. Helmsford.
"You laugh at this," Mrs. Helmsford demanded indignantly. "You mock my son's pain and disappointment at being abandoned by his wife? Do you deny that this happened?" her face flushed with anger.
"No, I don't deny it," Kate replied calmly, controlling her outburst of laughter. "In fact, I was marveling at Micheal's storytelling abilities. There's just enough of the truth to make it believeable." She turned to look at Micheal's father. "But you probably knew that already, didn't you?" she asked quietly. She had come to the conclusion over the past week that her father and Micheal's father had been partners in crime. She could remember many terse conversations Micheal had had with his father before their marriage. Maybe her father wasn't the only one who gained something from the marriage.
Mrs. Helmsford broke apart the staring contest between Kate and her husband. "Micheal had no reason to lie. You just admitted yourself that it was the truth.."
"I said it was enough of the truth," Kate told her. "Do you want the whole truth?" Kate asked Mrs. Helmsford, but her eyes were locked with Micheal's father. At his slight nod, Kate interrupted Mrs. Helmsford angry tirade.
"Micheal was assigned to watch the coast for the Doolittle raiders. He took me and Grace - who was only 4 months old at the time - and left us alone near a small coastal village. We didn't see him for 2 months. During that time I rescued 5 of the Raiders who crashed nearby. Four were sent home, but one of them, Captain Daniel Walker, I nursed back to health. He was shot in the back while saving his friend's life." Mrs. Helmsford 'harrumfed' in disbelief and Kate glared at her. "He nearly bled to death. Then one of his wounds became infected and he started running a high fever. He was unconscious and delerious for 3 weeks. When he held a knife to Micheal's throat he had been mobile for less than a week. Micheal could have knocked him down easily."
"Micheal would...." Mrs. Helmsford began.
"Did you ever stop to think why a wounded pilot would attack a healthy man of Micheal's size?" Kate interrupted conversationally. "Could it be that he was saving my life?"
Mrs. Helmsford puffed up indignantly. "Are you insinuating that Micheal would ever be a threat to you?" she asked angrily.
Kate turned to look at her. "No, I'm not insinuating it. I'm stating a fact. Micheal would have strangled me to death if Danny hadn't stopped him."
Mrs. Helmsford stood up. "This is nonsense," she declared stonily. "That you would besmirch Micheal's memory like this! It's disgusting."
"It's the truth," Kate replied as she slowly stroked Grace's trembling shoulders. Once again she was caught between warring adults. "I know it. And I believe your husband knows it."
Mrs. Helmsford glanced quickly down at her husband who had yet to say anything, her cheeks flushing hotly. "This is all nonsense. It's time to go, Robert," she ordered, tapping her husband none to gently with her umbrella. "We do not have to listen to these vicious lies." She stalked away, her back ramrod straight. At the doorway she turned to face Kate. "Tomorrow is Micheal's birthday and the six month anniversary of his unfortunate death. We came to invite you to the memorial that we plan to have in his honor. To introduce you - and Grace - back into society as my son's widow, but now that I know you for what you are...." she trailed off in disgust, her nose wrinkling with disdain. "I don't want you even remotely associated with Micheal's good name."
"How did he die?" Kate asked, unmoved my her mother-in-law's condemnation of her.
"He was murdered," Mrs. Helmsford sniffed delicately.
"Where?" Kate asked.
"What does it matter where?" Mrs Helmsford demanded hotly. "He was murdered. He will never see his child grow up. Though I am thankful that he doesn't have to bear the betrayal of the wife he chose to share his life with."
Kate turned to Mr. Helmsford. "Where?" she asked again.
He replied, not even flinching when he named a seedy street well known for catering to all kinds of vices. Kate nodded, expecting as much.
"He was lost!" his mother declared, her voice rising in denial. "He would never go there willingly. He was lost. Tell her James!"
Kate looked at her mother-in-law sadly. She didn't like Mrs. Helmsford, but she could begin to understand her unwillingness to believe anything bad about her son. "Oh yes, he was lost, Mrs. Helmsford," Kate agreed with her, sadly. "He was lost a long time ago. But not on that night. He knew exactly what he was doing."
Without a word, Mrs. Helmsford turned and stalked out of the room. Mr. Helmsford stood, but didn't move to leave.
"Grace is a fine child," he told her. "Just like her mother."
"Thank you," Kate nodded.
"Robert!" His wife called shrilly from the foyer.
He glance behind him, then tipped his hat. "I'm sorry," he said softly before he left.
Kate sank back into her chair, all the tension draining from her body. Closing her eyes she offered up a small prayer of thankfulness. Glancing over, she saw the pale face of her mother who was still sitting stiffly in her chair. She hadn't uttered a single word since shortly after Kate had entered the room.
"That went rather well, I think," Kate declared brightly, taking some pity on her poor woman who was only just recovering from the storm that had engulfed her drawing room.
Her mother's mouth opened and closed several times. "Went well?" she questioned hysterically. "How can you think that it went well?!"
"Mother, how can you have expected it to go any other way?" Kate asked as if speaking to a child. She got up and kissed her mother's cheek and then left the room, heading towards the nursery. It was time to make plans. It was time to get to Tennessee like she had promised Danny. She would believe, as Grace did, that Danny would be there soon.
They had just returned to the nursery after Grace's nap when James knocked on the door.
"Excuse me, Miss," he interrupted their game. "Your mother would like to see you and Miss Grace in the drawing room."
"Why," Kate asked suspiciously.
"Mr. and Mrs. Helmsford have come to see Miss Grace, " he informed her.
Kate blanched. "Thank you, James," she said. "We'll be down shortly."
"I'll inform your mother and her guests," he replied politely as he exited the room.
Kate's stomach heaved and she ran quickly to the nursery bathroom. Trembling she watched as her lunch swirled down the toilet. She had never felt comfortable in the presence of Micheal's mother. Mrs. Helmsford was cold and haughty. She looked down upon everyone - except her beloved Micheal.
She and Grace had to get out of here soon. Kate had been dreading the long train ride to Tennessee, but anything was better than having to deal with the Helmsfords. Even finally meeting Evelyn. Kate knew that by inviting the Helmsford for tea her mother was opening the way for introducing her back into society, but only if she had the Helmsfords' approval as their son's grieving widow. Kate wondered, not for the first time, how out of touch with reality her mother was.
Rinsing her mouth and straightening her hair, Kate called out to Grace. "Come on, Sweetheart. It's time to go meet some new people."
"Don wanna," Grace called out from her reading nook.
"Neither do I," Kate informed her. "But we have to." Holding out her hand, Kate waited for Grace to climb out of her cubby hole. She briefly debated changing Grace into a proper dress, but quickly decided against it. Grace didn't like dresses and Kate didn't want anyone to think that she and Grace were going to give in to their social pressures.
Her mother was chattering away about the sudden change in the weather, her voice high and nervous sounding as it always was when she was with someone she considered her social superior. Clearing her throat discreetly, Kate caught her mother's attention.
"Here she is!" her mother declared gaily, her relief evident. "Kate darling, come in, come in. Elizabeth, James, you remember Kate. - Of course you do, she's your daughter-in-law," she babbled. "She married your Micheal. And this," she reached to pat Grace, who avoided the touch, "this little angel is Grace."
Kate glared at her mother, willing her to shut up. "Mr. and Mrs. Helmsford," she nodded politely as she sat down accross from them, pulling Grace into her lap.
"Kate," Mr. Helmsford acknowledge with a nod.
Mrs. Helmsford said nothing as she studied Grace, her eyes flicking distastefully over Kate.
"Hello, Grace," she finally said. "I am your Grandmother." Grace said nothing, her eyes wide as she stared at the forbidding woman in black. "Does she speak?" she demanded of Kate's mother.
"I believe..." Mrs. Williams began hesitantly.
"Of course she speaks," Kate interrupted her mother. "She simply isn't used to strangers."
Looking down her nose at Kate, Elizabeth Helmsford replied haughtily. "I am her grandmother. I am hardly some stranger off the street."
Kate had to keep herself from rolling her eyes. "But she doesn't know you," Kate pointed out reasonably. "You are a stranger to her."
"Nonsense!" Mrs. Helmsford declared loudly, causing Grace to jump. "Grace, you were named after me. My name is Elizabeth, just like you: Grace Elizabeth Helmsford. Your father was my son."
Grace looked up at her mother, "Dandy?" she whispered hesitantly.
Kate started to shake her head no, but Mrs. Helmsford interrupted her. "That's right Grace. Your daddy was my son, and he named you after me."
"Her name is Grace Marie," Kate said calmly. "She was named after my grandmother. And as for her father, she was not referring to Micheal, but to Daniel Walker. The man who has been her father since she was six months old."
Mrs. Helmsford's nostrils flared and her eyes narrowed. "Oh, yes. The pilot," she said as if the word tasted bad in her mouth. "Micheal told us about him. The thankless man who seduced his wife while Micheal was risking his own life to save the man's friends. Who later held a knife to my son's throat and threatened to kill him if he tried to come near you," she told them dramatically.
Kate laughed, shocking both her mother and Mrs. Helmsford, but not Mr. Helmsford.
"You laugh at this," Mrs. Helmsford demanded indignantly. "You mock my son's pain and disappointment at being abandoned by his wife? Do you deny that this happened?" her face flushed with anger.
"No, I don't deny it," Kate replied calmly, controlling her outburst of laughter. "In fact, I was marveling at Micheal's storytelling abilities. There's just enough of the truth to make it believeable." She turned to look at Micheal's father. "But you probably knew that already, didn't you?" she asked quietly. She had come to the conclusion over the past week that her father and Micheal's father had been partners in crime. She could remember many terse conversations Micheal had had with his father before their marriage. Maybe her father wasn't the only one who gained something from the marriage.
Mrs. Helmsford broke apart the staring contest between Kate and her husband. "Micheal had no reason to lie. You just admitted yourself that it was the truth.."
"I said it was enough of the truth," Kate told her. "Do you want the whole truth?" Kate asked Mrs. Helmsford, but her eyes were locked with Micheal's father. At his slight nod, Kate interrupted Mrs. Helmsford angry tirade.
"Micheal was assigned to watch the coast for the Doolittle raiders. He took me and Grace - who was only 4 months old at the time - and left us alone near a small coastal village. We didn't see him for 2 months. During that time I rescued 5 of the Raiders who crashed nearby. Four were sent home, but one of them, Captain Daniel Walker, I nursed back to health. He was shot in the back while saving his friend's life." Mrs. Helmsford 'harrumfed' in disbelief and Kate glared at her. "He nearly bled to death. Then one of his wounds became infected and he started running a high fever. He was unconscious and delerious for 3 weeks. When he held a knife to Micheal's throat he had been mobile for less than a week. Micheal could have knocked him down easily."
"Micheal would...." Mrs. Helmsford began.
"Did you ever stop to think why a wounded pilot would attack a healthy man of Micheal's size?" Kate interrupted conversationally. "Could it be that he was saving my life?"
Mrs. Helmsford puffed up indignantly. "Are you insinuating that Micheal would ever be a threat to you?" she asked angrily.
Kate turned to look at her. "No, I'm not insinuating it. I'm stating a fact. Micheal would have strangled me to death if Danny hadn't stopped him."
Mrs. Helmsford stood up. "This is nonsense," she declared stonily. "That you would besmirch Micheal's memory like this! It's disgusting."
"It's the truth," Kate replied as she slowly stroked Grace's trembling shoulders. Once again she was caught between warring adults. "I know it. And I believe your husband knows it."
Mrs. Helmsford glanced quickly down at her husband who had yet to say anything, her cheeks flushing hotly. "This is all nonsense. It's time to go, Robert," she ordered, tapping her husband none to gently with her umbrella. "We do not have to listen to these vicious lies." She stalked away, her back ramrod straight. At the doorway she turned to face Kate. "Tomorrow is Micheal's birthday and the six month anniversary of his unfortunate death. We came to invite you to the memorial that we plan to have in his honor. To introduce you - and Grace - back into society as my son's widow, but now that I know you for what you are...." she trailed off in disgust, her nose wrinkling with disdain. "I don't want you even remotely associated with Micheal's good name."
"How did he die?" Kate asked, unmoved my her mother-in-law's condemnation of her.
"He was murdered," Mrs. Helmsford sniffed delicately.
"Where?" Kate asked.
"What does it matter where?" Mrs Helmsford demanded hotly. "He was murdered. He will never see his child grow up. Though I am thankful that he doesn't have to bear the betrayal of the wife he chose to share his life with."
Kate turned to Mr. Helmsford. "Where?" she asked again.
He replied, not even flinching when he named a seedy street well known for catering to all kinds of vices. Kate nodded, expecting as much.
"He was lost!" his mother declared, her voice rising in denial. "He would never go there willingly. He was lost. Tell her James!"
Kate looked at her mother-in-law sadly. She didn't like Mrs. Helmsford, but she could begin to understand her unwillingness to believe anything bad about her son. "Oh yes, he was lost, Mrs. Helmsford," Kate agreed with her, sadly. "He was lost a long time ago. But not on that night. He knew exactly what he was doing."
Without a word, Mrs. Helmsford turned and stalked out of the room. Mr. Helmsford stood, but didn't move to leave.
"Grace is a fine child," he told her. "Just like her mother."
"Thank you," Kate nodded.
"Robert!" His wife called shrilly from the foyer.
He glance behind him, then tipped his hat. "I'm sorry," he said softly before he left.
Kate sank back into her chair, all the tension draining from her body. Closing her eyes she offered up a small prayer of thankfulness. Glancing over, she saw the pale face of her mother who was still sitting stiffly in her chair. She hadn't uttered a single word since shortly after Kate had entered the room.
"That went rather well, I think," Kate declared brightly, taking some pity on her poor woman who was only just recovering from the storm that had engulfed her drawing room.
Her mother's mouth opened and closed several times. "Went well?" she questioned hysterically. "How can you think that it went well?!"
"Mother, how can you have expected it to go any other way?" Kate asked as if speaking to a child. She got up and kissed her mother's cheek and then left the room, heading towards the nursery. It was time to make plans. It was time to get to Tennessee like she had promised Danny. She would believe, as Grace did, that Danny would be there soon.