These Summer Days
Chapter Four: The first of a twisted history
"Have you heard of Caitlin Gilmore?" Tristan asked Rory. They had been up in the attic for a couple of hours already without discovering anything of intrigue.
"Who?"
"Caitlin, Katie for short, Gilmore," he repeated.
"Nope, never heard of her,"
"Well according to this she's your great, great aunt,"
"I'll have to ask her (Emily)," Rory mused.
"Let's go downstairs now…you know Daphne makes the best coffee in the world," Tristan suggested.
"I take it you've never been to Luke's then," Rory replied smiling at Tristan as they continued to banter all the way downstairs.
"Did you find anything?" Emily asked the two teenagers eagerly.
"Who's Katie Gilmore?" Rory asked curiously. Emily's face turned as pale as a ghost's.
"Grandma, you okay?" Rory asked surprised at her grandmother's reaction.
"Don't ever talk about her again,"
"But Grandma--," Rory was cut off by her grandmother again.
"Get out!" she said coldly.
"Grandma," Rory protested.
"I said get out," she responded glaring at her granddaughter.
"We're going!" Rory said loudly grabbing Tristan's arm and walking out of her Grandmother's home. Lorelai was going to have a party with this story, for sure.
"What the hell," Rory muttered as Tristan started his engine.
"What's wrong with your grandmother?" Tristan asked curiously.
"I have no idea but whoever this Katie Gilmore chick is we're going to find out…let's go to the library!"
"As you wish malady," he said grinning as they drove to the Hartford Public Library.
"So what exactly are we looking for?" Tristan whispered to Rory after they had claimed a table in the reference section of the library. "Anything to do with Gilmore,"
"Okay," and so they resumed looking at books until twenty minutes or so later, Rory found something.
"Tristan, look!" she said excitedly.
"What is it?"
"Read!" Rory said impatiently.
"Nineteen-year-old Caitlin (known as Katie) Gilmore was found dead on Tuesday evening. May have committed suicide. No evidence of any other cause was found. Memorial service at one on Thursday will be held for friends and family," Tristan read and then looked up at Rory.
"Wow," Tristan commented and Rory nodded in response.
"I wonder why she did it," Rory whispered.
"I think it's time we find that out," Tristan said confidently.
"But who would know?"
"How about we try my Grandmother? She might know,"
"Okay," Rory agreed putting away the last of her books that remained on the table.
"Let's go," and so they did to Tristan's grandmother's.
"Grandmother!" Tristan called out as they entered the house.
"Tristan, dear," she greeted with a smile getting up from her chair and hugging Tristan knowing how the tension was running high in the DuGrey home since Emma's return home.
"And who is this young lady?" Cecile asked Tristan knowingly.
"I'm Rory Gilmore," she introduced herself.
"Richard and Emily's granddaughter?" Cecile questioned remembering all the stories Emily had shared of her favorite and only granddaughter.
"That's me," Rory replied smiling at the older woman. "So, what are the two of you doing here visiting little old me?"
"Can't a grandson meet with his favorite grandmother?"
"Tristan," she warned and he laughed.
"Well, Rory and I have to research the two of the three most influential families in Hartford,"
"DuGrey and Gilmore?" Cecile asked. The two nodded and she smiled. "Who put you two up to this?" she asks curious.
"Paris," the two mumbled, cursing their friend. "Figures," came Cecile's reply, she had known Paris since she was a little girl.
"Mrs. DuGrey, do you think you could tell us of a Katie Gilmore?" Rory asked curiously.
She knows she's treading on dangerous territory the last time the name had fumbled from her mouth she had been kicked out by her own grandmother, but no less she continues to stumble down this path, stupid she knows but maybe Tristan's grandmother was different. "I don't mean to sound nosy or anything but my grandmother kicked me out because I asked," she said nervously stealing a glance at Tristan.
"Emily kicked you out?" disbelief crossed her face for a moment, who could kick such a sweet, innocent girl out especially her own relative, but then the realization of all the rumors that still circulated on this story remained in the country club. "Yes, she did and well, this Katie Gilmore was part of my family…" she trailed off trying not to sound to selfish.
"No need to worry, darling," Cecile says softly. "I'll tell the two of you this story," her eyes leveled with Tristan's and he urged her on wanting to hear this mystery of a girl.
"It began at the start of summer. Caitlin 'Katie' Gilmore was a girl different from most. She'd rather be outside staring into space and writing instead of playing the piano or getting dressed up for the evening's events cotillions, debutante balls and more. One afternoon Katie was walking through the woods when she bumped into someone, it was Mark DuGrey the eldest child of the DuGrey family. Only problem was at the time both families: Gilmore and DuGrey were rivals. Neither mentioned the meeting to their parents for fear of punishment for associating with the enemy family. But as time wore on they found themselves gravitating towards the old wooden bridge, it's been demolished over time. It use to be located in the center of Hartford before it became town square,"
Cecile paused for a moment glancing at the two teenagers before her. They reminded her of both Mark and Katie in the old pictures (separate of course). Tristan urged her to continue and so Cecile did.
* * *
"Have you told your parents?" Mark asked Katie one summer's afternoon. "No, have you?"
"No," he replied. "Good," she answered with a smile. "Have you had your first kiss?" he asked suddenly changing the subject quickly.
"No," she said shyly with another smile. "Neither have I," he admitted shyly.
"Well, that's about to change," Katie quipped.
"What?" he asked nervously. "Aren't you going to kiss me?"
"Do you want me to?"
"What do you think?" she responded grinning even wider. And so, he kissed her. After their first kiss they shared many more. One afternoon it was so hot that even the women didn't have to wear corsets. When she arrived at the bridge Mark was swimming. "Come on in!" he called out happily. "I…I can't," she choked out, embarrassed.
"You can't swim?" he asked surprised. "No," came her defeated answer. "I'll teach you, please?" he pleaded and she reluctantly agreed. She unbuttoned her dress and slipped out of it to reveal her under dress. Mark took her hand as she hopped into the water.
"Don't let go," she said seriously. "I won't. I never will, Katie Gilmore,"
"You sure?"
"I'm sure," Mark replied. "I'm falling in love with you Mark," she whispered after they had gotten out of the water and were drying off. "I love you too, Katie," he answered her, grinning.
"You know if anyone finds out about a Gilmore and a DuGrey falling in love they'll kill us,"
"I know," he said with a sad smile.
"But no one will ever find out, right?"
"Right," he confirmed leaning in and kissing her softly.
*~*~*~*~*~*~
As the weeks went on both families noticed the change in their eldest children. Katie, no longer protested about going to the evening balls for chance of seeing Mark. No one noticed the special smiles or looks of secrecy from both children, nor did they notice the secret kisses on street corners or their long afternoon absences from home.
On the last day of summer Mark told her that, his parents were planning for him to get married in the upcoming months of fall. They were even holding a ball for the occasion. He showed her the guest list to find the Gilmore family wasn't invited. "You can't marry any of those girls!" she protested.
"Katie, I don't have a choice. If I could I would marry you but I can't…I'm so sorry," she began crying. "You know my parents wouldn't allow it,"
"What if I went to the ball?"
"They'd discover our secret,"
"Fine, I won't go," she replied pouting…she was so in love with Mark DuGrey that she couldn't bear the thought of him marrying anyone else except her.
The next week was to be their last meeting. This time, however Katie had made a big deal about leaving for that afternoon so her mother sent Bruce—her sixteen-year-old brother after her.
"Mark?" she said softly as she sat down on the bridge. "Katie, I don't want to say good-bye," he said quietly.
"Then don't," she said softly leaning in to kiss him. "Imagine me falling in love with a Gilmore of all people," he said sadly. "If I weren't a Gilmore would you marry me?"
"You know I would, Katie, but you know I am a DuGrey and you are a Gilmore," As soon as Bruce had made the discovery that this boy was indeed a DuGrey…he headed home to tell his mother of his sister's behavior.
"I know but remember me?" she pleaded.
"I always will," they shared a last bittersweet kiss. "I love you Katie Gilmore," he whispered.
"And I love you Mark DuGrey," she replied seriously to him as they parted their separate ways unhappily.
As Katie walked home all the color in her life seemed to disappear. When she arrived home she was confronted with Bruce smirking to himself. "What did you do Bruce Gilmore?" she demanded.
"Nothing," came his loud response but then whispered. "Mrs. Mark DuGrey," Bruce saw the anger, bitterness and hurt that swirled in her brilliant blue eyes. "You told mother didn't you?" she said softly pained at the dilemma. "Caitlin Laura Gilmore!" called out her mother. "I can never, ever forgive you," she sneered as she walked into the house. "Yes, mother?" she replied sweetly walking into the Gilmore kitchen.
"I can't believe you, Caitlin! Falling in love with a DuGrey?"
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I never meant to fall in love it just happened," she said softly staring at her feet. "Well this young lady is inexcusable. Your father and I are sending you to Mrs. Proctor's Academy for Girls,"
"I won't go!" she defended.
"Oh yes you will. You don't have a choice in this matter, Caitlin. Next week I am bringing you there," Katie stormed out of the house to the drugstore in town. She bought a very strong poison, a pen and some stationary. She went to the bridge to write the letter for Mark, it would be the hardest thing she would ever have to write.
Dear Mark,
I have to do this. I know you will never truly understand but I have to do what I have to do. There is no way I am going to Mrs. Proctor's Academy for Girls. Don't forget me, I'll always love you no matter what—remember that. Someday I hope you can find a place in your heart to forgive me.
Marry my best friend Eliza. I know she may not be the prettiest girl around but she's one of the best people I knew, next to you, of course. Please tell her I love her and thank her for all our years of friendship together. I love you Mark with all of my heart. Take care and I'll miss you. I'll be waiting for you…
Love,
Katie G.
Quickly running through the woods to the DuGrey estate she slipped the letter into the mail slot addressed to Mark DuGrey. She went back to the bridge where she took a sip of poison and within moments, she was gone.
* * *
"Some say she committed suicide because she was pregnant. Others believe it was because of a broken heart. And there is another tale of Mark, himself killing her. Only the DuGrey family knows the truth and now—a Gilmore as well," Cecile said quietly finishing the unknown story.
"That's horrible," Rory said softly.
"What happened to Mark?" Tristan asked curiously.
"He married Eliza and lived to the age of ninety-nine, in love with Katie the entire time. The saddest part of all is Eliza was so in love with him, she had had a crush on him ever since Katie and her were children but he didn't even notice. He was to busy living in the past of his eighteenth summer,"
"Thanks Grandmother," Tristan said softly.
"Yes, thank you Cecile," Rory said getting up and following Tristan. "Come back soon, the both of you," she said smiling at the two of them. They exited both quiet lost in their own thoughts. What if Katie hadn't done that? What if she had really married Mark? Neither of them would be there with each other, which was the scariest thing of all. If only they knew it was only the beginning of the Gilmore-DuGrey twisted history…together.
* * *
End of Chapter Four…Chapter Five to come!!