Acorns in Autumn
A/N: A vignette from the 'A Love that will Last' universe. Here I am with some Matthew/Catherine fluff! I'd always envisioned Kit as a daddy's girl, taking after Matthew in quite a few ways. I'd been wanting to write their father-daughter bonding for a while, and suddenly I just had a flash of inspiration for this scenario today. Set in September 1927.
Enjoy … :):)
Pale evening sunshine glinted through the trees, twinkling in the golden autumn air. It burnished Catherine's chestnut locks as she bounced happily along the dirt-path at Matthew's side, one small hand safely cradled in her father's much bigger one; the other tightly clutching her pink-faced doll.
"Kit – careful, darling …" Matthew called softly, as she nearly tripped over a large stone. He watched her adoringly as she hummed to herself, distractedly kicking at the vibrant leaves at her feet. Her painstakingly polished shoes were getting rather badly scuffed and muddy, but … he couldn't bring himself to tell her off for it, not now.
How fast time passed, he thought slightly sadly. One moment she had been only a baby, so tiny and fragile in his arms, and now … she was growing up so quickly. Nearly four – well, she would be in a few months, anyway. His little girl. He wanted to keep her safe as long as he could – his darling girl, who was so pure and sweet and utterly innocent – how he loved her!
"Oh!" She bent down – something on the ground had caught her fancy – and it shook him out of his reverie. Matthew knelt down, too.
"Acorn!" Kit announced triumphantly – and it was indeed an unusually large one, nearly covering the whole of her little palm. "Pretty …"
"That's a lovely one," Matthew grinned, kissing her forehead. "Do you know where it came from, my darling?"
"Hm …" Her brow was creased in a frown, and she scratched her nose as she thought hard. "No," she admitted finally.
"It came from that oak tree, look – just over there, do you see? And – if you plant this, there will be another oak tree just like it," he whispered, closing her tiny fingers over the acorn and raising her hand to his lips.
"Can I … can I take it home? For Mama?" she asked, the idea just having struck her. It was rather a treasure, after all …
"Of course you can, darling – what a good idea! I'm sure Mama will adore it," Matthew murmured, kissing her nose and straightening up again. "Shall I carry Dolly for you, do you think? Then you needn't worry about losing either of them."
The doll was obligingly surrendered to him. Matthew rather thought she'd want to walk on, but she stood pondering the enormous oak tree he had pointed out to her. He waited, softly stroking her hair, shimmering copper in the fading light.
"Papa?"
"Yes, my love?"
"Will I … ever be as big as that oak tree?"
Her large brown eyes (so like her mother's) and rosebud lips were lit with childish innocence and childish curiosity, and for a moment he didn't quite know how to answer. It hadn't occurred to him to laugh, not for a moment. He knelt down again, her face level with his, lovingly brushing strands of hair away from her dear face.
"You'll be so much bigger and taller than you are now, my little darling," Matthew whispered, his arm wrapped around her narrow shoulders and drawing her close to him, "You will, one day … and – perhaps not quite as tall as the oak tree, but … you'll grow into a wonderful, wonderful woman." He paused. "Just like your Mama."
Kit nodded solemnly. She didn't quite understand – not properly – but then Matthew swept her up in his arms, high up into the air; and her giddy squeal and shrill giggles were ringing in his ears as he whirled her around.
She planted a very wet kiss upon his cheek, her tiny body still quivering as her father's arms bounced her gently. Matthew walked forwards a little, with her arms still around his neck … until they came upon it – a secluded little bench, not unlike the one under the cedar tree. He settled down upon it, lowering his daughter tenderly into his lap.
"I've got a surprise for you," he whispered to her, kissing her hair, his blue eyes shining with adoration.
"Really, Papa?"
"Of course …"
He reached into his pocket, and drew out a sweet, covered in crinkly wrapping paper, delighting in his little girl's delighted shriek. Chocolate cream truffles – he knew how his daughter absolutely revelled in them, much like he did. He'd asked Mrs Patmore if she could spare two tiny ones for Lady Catherine. It delighted him that Kit had inherited his proclivity for sweets, especially cake – a fact that Mary regularly teased him for.
"Thank you, Papa," Kit mumbled into her thumb a few minutes later, every sticky remnant having been thoroughly licked away.
"It's my pleasure, Kit," he said, pressing his lips to the top of her head. "Now – we'd better get back home, it's getting pretty late … and Mama will start to worry …"
Mary was curled upon the deep red settee in the library with a novel on her lap, watching the sun sink lower, staining the pale blue sky pink and gold. Tom had engaged both George and Sybbie upstairs in a lively game of snakes and ladders, and she had just put little William to sleep in the nursery, curled contentedly beneath warm blankets after quite a busy day. She was rather wondering where her husband and daughter had got to …
As if on cue, the library door creaked open and they strode in, both looking a little dusty. A gentle, adoring smile graced her features at the sight of them, and she rose to greet them both with a kiss on the cheek.
"Heavens," she murmured, taking in their dishevelled appearance, "my dears, you have been quite a while!"
"Kit's got something for you, my darling …"
"Oh?" Mary said, running a gentle hand through her daughter's tresses, "and what might that be, Kit?"
"Here you are, Mama!" the little girl said, holding out a slightly sticky hand, the acorn upon her little pink palm. "For you," Kit added, as if to make herself clear.
"Oh – darling, thank you!" Mary laughed, her dark eyes sparkling, delighted beyond measure with the tiny present. She lifted Kit up on to the settee, holding her close, "It's absolutely lovely."
Next time, Kit thought, as she watched her Papa settle himself on the settee at her side, and felt him wrap his arms around both Mama and herself, she could get a conker for George – he was rather fond of them – or perhaps a maple leaf for Baby Will (who had only just begun to say her name properly) – or …
Yes, she thought, there were quite a lot of lovely things she'd like to do … for her wonderful family.
A/N: Thanks so much for reading! I do apologise if the interactions between them didn't quite make sense or feel very natural, because I just sort of let this fic run away with me … Well, anyway – reviews are, as always very, very gratefully appreciated :)