Two years earlier
Catherine sat in the gardens of her home thinking about her fathers up coming birthday party. Everyone who was anyone would be there. And Catherine would be subjected to playing the violin for the guest. How could her parents put her though so much practice and playing? Or why they made her play the piano, the violin, and the Harp she'll never know. When she was little her father would teach her songs they sang on the ships. Her father was the old Captain of the H.R.S Surprise. (Before Captain Jack Aubrey got orders to command it.) But as Catherine aged her father taught her less and less about ships and how to work them. He would let her mother teach her about dresses, embroidery and needle work. Now Catherine was 17 and knew everything a woman should know and everything about ships.
"Catherine Mae Sampson get in here now!" Her handmaid Sam was upset that she had missed her after noon lesson. "You need to wash up and get ready for tonight's party!"
Catherine rolled over on to her stomach and twisted a flower, she had picked, around in her hand.
"Catherine don't think I can't see you! Get up your going to be late!"
"I'm coming Sam don't die on me." Catherine got up and brushed the grass and dirt from her dress, before running into the house.
Catherine was met by two other maids as well as Sam. They drew a bath for her. Sam tied up her hair and left to let her clean and relax. After about half an hour Catherine was pulled and tugged into a corset. Next she was stitched up into her new light green evening gown. Both Sam and Catherine's mother's handmaid did her hair. They braided it, curled it, and added some small with flowers to ascent the white frill of the dress.
Catherine sat by the window at the top of the stairs watching guest's trickle in. But one caught her eye. A young officer, he looked like a lieutenant. Suddenly Catherine seemed to be looking forward to the long evening a head of her. After that she tried to read but her mind would not let her.
"Catherine are you ready?" Catherine looked up from the book.
"Yes Mary," Mary was one of the maids that Catherine would confide in many times. Mary was the same age as Catherine, give or take a few months. "Thank you Mary."
Catherine descended the stairs. By the time she reached the bottom step everyone was looking at her in awe.
"Miss Sampson." Catherine turned to see Captain Jack Aubrey and Dr. Stephen Maturin.
"Mr. Aubrey, Mr. Maturin. How are you?"
"Fine." Stephen said before drinking the rest of his wine in one swift gulp.
"As well as can be, and you Miss Sampson?" Jack asked.
"Fine, for now." Catherine smiled at both of them.
"Miss Sampson allow me to introduce you to 1st Lt. Thomas Pullings." Catherine was a little taken back to see it was the man she saw earlier.
"Pullings this is Catherine Sampson, daughter of Captain Sampson, Miss Sampson this is 1st Lt. Thomas Pullings."
"How do you do?" Catherine asked as he took her hand and kissed it.
"Well and you?"
"As well as can be expected." Both let out small laughs.
"Well my work is done here, I'll leave you two alone."
Catherine shot Jack a shocking look. He and Stephen smiled and walked away.
"How do you know Captain Aubrey?"
"Through my father." Catherine took a glass of wine from one of the waiters so do Thomas.
"Are you close with you father?"
"I was at one time, then we grew apart. I really don't know him that much anymore." Thomas just nodded his head.
"It happens to the best of us."
"Has it happened to you?"
"No it hasn't, I was never really close to my parents."
"I see." Catherine looked past him to see Sgt. Samuel Braint. He was waving at her trying to make his way over to her. "God no, not tonight."
"What? What is it?" Thomas looked at her with worry written all over his face.
"I need to leave."
"Where will you go?"
"Your welcome to come I just need to get away from this party."
Catherine took Thomas's hand and ran out to the gardens, Sgt. Braint right behind them. Catherine led Thomas into the maze of bushes. He kept laughing. He couldn't believe that this was happening. They were running from a soldier like rebels. Catherine placed a hand over his mouth.
"Shhh." They sat on the grass and listened.
"Catherine? Catherine where are you?" They watched him pass by and disappear.
"What was that?"
"He's in love with me and if it weren't for my mother I would have already been married to him."
"You don't like him I take it." Thomas helped Catherine to her feet.
"Thank you."
They spent the whole night out in the gardens. Time seemed to stop and before they knew it the party had ended and everyone was leaving.
"Might I be so fortune to ask for a good night kiss?"
"You may." Thomas leaned in and gently brushed his lips against hers.
"Thank you." He looked her in the eyes. "I'll see you tomorrow at the Governors house I should think."
"Yes."
Catherine didn't see Thomas at the Governors. But instead was given a letter from him. He had to leave that afternoon. He said that he would write her. And that he did for a year. Thomas's letters were most of the time three to five pages long. He told what he was doing and some dreams he had of her. Catherine always wrote back.
Catherine sat in the gardens of her home thinking about her fathers up coming birthday party. Everyone who was anyone would be there. And Catherine would be subjected to playing the violin for the guest. How could her parents put her though so much practice and playing? Or why they made her play the piano, the violin, and the Harp she'll never know. When she was little her father would teach her songs they sang on the ships. Her father was the old Captain of the H.R.S Surprise. (Before Captain Jack Aubrey got orders to command it.) But as Catherine aged her father taught her less and less about ships and how to work them. He would let her mother teach her about dresses, embroidery and needle work. Now Catherine was 17 and knew everything a woman should know and everything about ships.
"Catherine Mae Sampson get in here now!" Her handmaid Sam was upset that she had missed her after noon lesson. "You need to wash up and get ready for tonight's party!"
Catherine rolled over on to her stomach and twisted a flower, she had picked, around in her hand.
"Catherine don't think I can't see you! Get up your going to be late!"
"I'm coming Sam don't die on me." Catherine got up and brushed the grass and dirt from her dress, before running into the house.
Catherine was met by two other maids as well as Sam. They drew a bath for her. Sam tied up her hair and left to let her clean and relax. After about half an hour Catherine was pulled and tugged into a corset. Next she was stitched up into her new light green evening gown. Both Sam and Catherine's mother's handmaid did her hair. They braided it, curled it, and added some small with flowers to ascent the white frill of the dress.
Catherine sat by the window at the top of the stairs watching guest's trickle in. But one caught her eye. A young officer, he looked like a lieutenant. Suddenly Catherine seemed to be looking forward to the long evening a head of her. After that she tried to read but her mind would not let her.
"Catherine are you ready?" Catherine looked up from the book.
"Yes Mary," Mary was one of the maids that Catherine would confide in many times. Mary was the same age as Catherine, give or take a few months. "Thank you Mary."
Catherine descended the stairs. By the time she reached the bottom step everyone was looking at her in awe.
"Miss Sampson." Catherine turned to see Captain Jack Aubrey and Dr. Stephen Maturin.
"Mr. Aubrey, Mr. Maturin. How are you?"
"Fine." Stephen said before drinking the rest of his wine in one swift gulp.
"As well as can be, and you Miss Sampson?" Jack asked.
"Fine, for now." Catherine smiled at both of them.
"Miss Sampson allow me to introduce you to 1st Lt. Thomas Pullings." Catherine was a little taken back to see it was the man she saw earlier.
"Pullings this is Catherine Sampson, daughter of Captain Sampson, Miss Sampson this is 1st Lt. Thomas Pullings."
"How do you do?" Catherine asked as he took her hand and kissed it.
"Well and you?"
"As well as can be expected." Both let out small laughs.
"Well my work is done here, I'll leave you two alone."
Catherine shot Jack a shocking look. He and Stephen smiled and walked away.
"How do you know Captain Aubrey?"
"Through my father." Catherine took a glass of wine from one of the waiters so do Thomas.
"Are you close with you father?"
"I was at one time, then we grew apart. I really don't know him that much anymore." Thomas just nodded his head.
"It happens to the best of us."
"Has it happened to you?"
"No it hasn't, I was never really close to my parents."
"I see." Catherine looked past him to see Sgt. Samuel Braint. He was waving at her trying to make his way over to her. "God no, not tonight."
"What? What is it?" Thomas looked at her with worry written all over his face.
"I need to leave."
"Where will you go?"
"Your welcome to come I just need to get away from this party."
Catherine took Thomas's hand and ran out to the gardens, Sgt. Braint right behind them. Catherine led Thomas into the maze of bushes. He kept laughing. He couldn't believe that this was happening. They were running from a soldier like rebels. Catherine placed a hand over his mouth.
"Shhh." They sat on the grass and listened.
"Catherine? Catherine where are you?" They watched him pass by and disappear.
"What was that?"
"He's in love with me and if it weren't for my mother I would have already been married to him."
"You don't like him I take it." Thomas helped Catherine to her feet.
"Thank you."
They spent the whole night out in the gardens. Time seemed to stop and before they knew it the party had ended and everyone was leaving.
"Might I be so fortune to ask for a good night kiss?"
"You may." Thomas leaned in and gently brushed his lips against hers.
"Thank you." He looked her in the eyes. "I'll see you tomorrow at the Governors house I should think."
"Yes."
Catherine didn't see Thomas at the Governors. But instead was given a letter from him. He had to leave that afternoon. He said that he would write her. And that he did for a year. Thomas's letters were most of the time three to five pages long. He told what he was doing and some dreams he had of her. Catherine always wrote back.