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Chapter Six- True Confessions
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Cat pushed her horse as fast as it would go until she got to an open field. She then slowed it to a walk. After a few deep breaths, she heard the pounding of hooves behind her. She waited patiently, her heart pounding with every beat of the horse's hooves on the packed dirt path behind her. She looked ahead, until Seamus' face obstructed her view. "Seamus," she began, "I, I"
"Shhh," he pressed a finger to her lips, and grabbed the reins of her horse, pulling her horse close to his. He replaced his finger with his lips, and gave her a slow, sweet kiss that made her heart just melt. He pulled away, and looked deep into her bright green eyes. "I think I'm in love with you Katie O'Hara," he said simply, yet with so much sincerity that it brought unbidden tears to Cat's eyes.
"Seamus, I don't think I know what love is just yet, but when I find out, I promise you'll be the first to know." She showed Seamus the ring on her necklace. The look on Seamus' face almost made Cat cry again. "No, I haven't accepted his proposal yet, and I doubt that I will."
His face lit up. "So, its between this Nelson lad and me, eh?"
"Yeah, I guess you could say that." Cat smiled warmly.
"Well then, I must woo you with my 'Irish masculinity' then," Seamus teased. "Well, love, I can call you pet names, can't I?"
"If you must." Cat laughed.
"Alright then, darling, we simply must be on our way." Seamus gestured exaggeratedly at the path ahead.
"Race you to those trees," Cat smiled mischievously, and took off.
"Hey no fair!" Seamus pushed to catch up with the girl.
The rest of the morning went on with such playful behavior, for the two had pushed the morning's earlier confessions to the far backs of their minds. Soon, they had reached Cat's tower.
"That's where I spend most of my free time," she said, pointing to the tall structure. "Always have, ever since I was a little girl. It's so nice and quiet up there, and I have it all set up, with books and such, so its like my own personal haven."
"Oh, I'd like to see it sometime," said Seamus, gazing up at the tower.
"I'll show you later, but right now, we have some bloody Englishmen to pay."
They rode up to the stables of the Big House, where John, the stable hand, took Flash and Ebony and put them in stalls. "Welcome home Miss O'Hara, your mother has been worried sick about you."
"Thank you John, now, make sure you take good care of those horses, or I'll have you on the street in no time."
John knew that she was just joking, but said seriously, "You know I will Miss O'Hara."
Cat linked her arm in Seamus', who had been very quiet since they had seen the tower. Her ankle had been bothering her since she got off the horse, so she leaned on him for support. Together, they walked through the backyard to the main house. Cat opened the back door carefully, only to find Scarlett and Colum sitting at the kitchen table, drinking coffee.
"KATIE COLUM O'HARA!" bellowed Colum. Cat winced.
"Colum, calm down. Cat darling, where have you been?"
"You mean you didn't get the message? I thought—oh, wait, never mind. Well, this is Seamus O'Brien. His sister in law Meg O'Brien, used to be Meg O'Hara, you remember the wedding, right? Well, I rode all the way to Barton, a little town a ways from here. They live there. Anyhow, I twisted my ankle, and they let me stay there for the night. Right now, I need at least one hundred pounds to pay the English soldiers that were going to evict the family that was so kind to me. So, mother dear, if you don't mind, I am going to get some of my money from my room." Scarlett just sat there, a little astonished.
"Seamus, make yourself at home," she said. Cat hobbled up to her room, grabbed a hundred pounds out of her little safe she kept in her room. She had been saving for years, and she had about five hundred pounds now. Glancing at the clock, she realized it was one o'clock. Making her way downstairs as quickly as she could, she reached the bottom of the stairs to find Seamus waiting for her. He bowed teasingly.
"Madame, let me escort you to the driveway," he said.
"Why thank you kind sir."
Scarlett watched this whole thing with interest. 'Maybe its not Eli she's after anymore. I'll have to watch this one. He's only a farmer.'
Cat and Seamus walked to the beginning of the O'Hara lands, at the gate, arm in arm. They found the English soldiers waiting for them.
"You're late. Do you have the money?" said Campbell scathingly.
"How dare you question me. I'll just have to talk to my mother. As for your money, here you go," Cat threw the pouch of money in the man's face. Coins spilled all over the ground. "Now get out of here, before I become really angry." She turned on her heel, grabbed Seamus's arm, and walked back towards the house.
Chapter Six- True Confessions
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Cat pushed her horse as fast as it would go until she got to an open field. She then slowed it to a walk. After a few deep breaths, she heard the pounding of hooves behind her. She waited patiently, her heart pounding with every beat of the horse's hooves on the packed dirt path behind her. She looked ahead, until Seamus' face obstructed her view. "Seamus," she began, "I, I"
"Shhh," he pressed a finger to her lips, and grabbed the reins of her horse, pulling her horse close to his. He replaced his finger with his lips, and gave her a slow, sweet kiss that made her heart just melt. He pulled away, and looked deep into her bright green eyes. "I think I'm in love with you Katie O'Hara," he said simply, yet with so much sincerity that it brought unbidden tears to Cat's eyes.
"Seamus, I don't think I know what love is just yet, but when I find out, I promise you'll be the first to know." She showed Seamus the ring on her necklace. The look on Seamus' face almost made Cat cry again. "No, I haven't accepted his proposal yet, and I doubt that I will."
His face lit up. "So, its between this Nelson lad and me, eh?"
"Yeah, I guess you could say that." Cat smiled warmly.
"Well then, I must woo you with my 'Irish masculinity' then," Seamus teased. "Well, love, I can call you pet names, can't I?"
"If you must." Cat laughed.
"Alright then, darling, we simply must be on our way." Seamus gestured exaggeratedly at the path ahead.
"Race you to those trees," Cat smiled mischievously, and took off.
"Hey no fair!" Seamus pushed to catch up with the girl.
The rest of the morning went on with such playful behavior, for the two had pushed the morning's earlier confessions to the far backs of their minds. Soon, they had reached Cat's tower.
"That's where I spend most of my free time," she said, pointing to the tall structure. "Always have, ever since I was a little girl. It's so nice and quiet up there, and I have it all set up, with books and such, so its like my own personal haven."
"Oh, I'd like to see it sometime," said Seamus, gazing up at the tower.
"I'll show you later, but right now, we have some bloody Englishmen to pay."
They rode up to the stables of the Big House, where John, the stable hand, took Flash and Ebony and put them in stalls. "Welcome home Miss O'Hara, your mother has been worried sick about you."
"Thank you John, now, make sure you take good care of those horses, or I'll have you on the street in no time."
John knew that she was just joking, but said seriously, "You know I will Miss O'Hara."
Cat linked her arm in Seamus', who had been very quiet since they had seen the tower. Her ankle had been bothering her since she got off the horse, so she leaned on him for support. Together, they walked through the backyard to the main house. Cat opened the back door carefully, only to find Scarlett and Colum sitting at the kitchen table, drinking coffee.
"KATIE COLUM O'HARA!" bellowed Colum. Cat winced.
"Colum, calm down. Cat darling, where have you been?"
"You mean you didn't get the message? I thought—oh, wait, never mind. Well, this is Seamus O'Brien. His sister in law Meg O'Brien, used to be Meg O'Hara, you remember the wedding, right? Well, I rode all the way to Barton, a little town a ways from here. They live there. Anyhow, I twisted my ankle, and they let me stay there for the night. Right now, I need at least one hundred pounds to pay the English soldiers that were going to evict the family that was so kind to me. So, mother dear, if you don't mind, I am going to get some of my money from my room." Scarlett just sat there, a little astonished.
"Seamus, make yourself at home," she said. Cat hobbled up to her room, grabbed a hundred pounds out of her little safe she kept in her room. She had been saving for years, and she had about five hundred pounds now. Glancing at the clock, she realized it was one o'clock. Making her way downstairs as quickly as she could, she reached the bottom of the stairs to find Seamus waiting for her. He bowed teasingly.
"Madame, let me escort you to the driveway," he said.
"Why thank you kind sir."
Scarlett watched this whole thing with interest. 'Maybe its not Eli she's after anymore. I'll have to watch this one. He's only a farmer.'
Cat and Seamus walked to the beginning of the O'Hara lands, at the gate, arm in arm. They found the English soldiers waiting for them.
"You're late. Do you have the money?" said Campbell scathingly.
"How dare you question me. I'll just have to talk to my mother. As for your money, here you go," Cat threw the pouch of money in the man's face. Coins spilled all over the ground. "Now get out of here, before I become really angry." She turned on her heel, grabbed Seamus's arm, and walked back towards the house.