AN: Thanks again for the reviews! Demedicigirl, it's like you've read my mind (or my story ahead of the rest of it being published, lol!)! That's exactly how I was thinking it would go, and how I've written it, as you'll read in the coming chapters. Heartbreaking, but that's Cathry, sadly. I have GOOD Cathry stories planned for after this one, if that helps! :)

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Chapter 17

The summer waned into a heatwave, which was rather unfortunate for Catherine in her condition. Henry was very much more attentive to her needs, and seemed to be paying far less attention to Diane, which seemed to please Catherine. For his part, Richard tried to casually divert Henry's attention away from Catherine in the mornings and keep him occupied as much as possible in the evenings. Catherine's best time seemed to be the afternoons, although with the heatwave, everyone in the castle was wilting at that time of day, and not just Catherine.

When he was particularly busy, or spending time with Diane, Henry seemed to have a guilty conscience, and this worked wonderfully in Richard's favour, for Henry would ask him quite often if he would check on Catherine, or keep her company for an hour or two.

On this particular day in late August, the smothering afternoon heat rested suffocatingly over the castle like a heavy blanket. Richard had a few hours to spend with Catherine, and although she was heading into a grim time of day for her pregnancy symptoms towards the early evening, they decided to take a stroll in the castle gardens for some air. Most of the castle's occupants seemed to be at the water's edge for the afternoon, or else napping off the heat in their chambers, and the gardens were quite deserted. Richard was glad of this for Catherine's sake, particularly at that moment when he was crouching by her side holding her pretty hair off her face as she was sick onto the rose beds.

When she had finished, she sat back in the grass and began to cry. Richard sat down beside her, feeling helpless, his heart aching for his beloved.

"How long will this last?!" she lamented. "I can't stand the endless sickness and tiredness! It would be unbearable even if it was a joyful affair and I was being sick for the benefit of the French throne!"

Sobbing with frustration, she wrenched a handful of grass from the lawn and threw the tender blades angrily to the side. Taking a deep shaky breath, she turned tear-filled eyes up to Richard.

"I'm sorry, Richard, that wasn't fair of me." She sniffled and wiped at her face.

Richard understood completely. "It's alright," he reassured her, putting his arm around her slender shoulders, "It isn't fair to you either. I hate that it's so hard for you. If I could do the sickness for you, I would."

Catherine leaned her head against his shoulder heavily, accepting the comfort he was offering her.

"I know you would. You have always been so selfless." She turned her face up to smile at him, her eyes full of affection.

Helping her to her feet, Richard took her arm gently as they began to walk again. "Should we head for the lakeside? It might be cooler there."

"Ugh, no. Too many people." She grimaced.

"The bench just ahead then? Shall I kneel at your side and fan you with branches?!"

She gave a slight chuckle and nodded – how he had missed the sound of her laughter these past weeks! They walked to the bench and sat together in silence for a little while. Finally, Catherine spoke.

"Henry is being very attentive to me." She glanced sideways at Richard apprehensively.

"I noticed." Richard made his smile as warm and glad as he was able to, for her.

"Is it true that he's spending less time with Diane than he used to?"

"Yes, it seems that way." He looked at her unnaturally casual expression, reading between the lines with ease. "Catherine, it's alright to talk to me about your feelings for Henry. I know you love him, and a reconciliation is something you long for." He sighed. "It is rather an awkward situation, I realise, given our relationship… I'm sorry it's difficult for you."

Catherine put her hand on his arm, tracing the stitches on his loose linen sleeves with her fingertips, her eyes following the patterns. "I don't like to," she admitted. "I think it must hurt you, no matter what you say, and I can't bear hurting you." She curled her hand around his forearm, looking down thoughtfully. "I do so want Henry to love me again. I can't help it – it seems so foolish of me! He has treated me so unkindly, and you have loved me to the very best of your ability, even though I still love another. And still I desire his love. What kind of person does that make me?"

"It makes you a loving wife, Catherine, nothing less. I feel terrible that your natural feelings are being confused because of my declaration of love for you. All of this has come about because of it. I should never have revealed it to you." He looked away from her sadly.

"Richard." She turned his face back to hers with a gentle hand. "If you hadn't told me, imagine the miseries I would have suffered this past year! To be unloved is a heartache that I wouldn't wish on anyone. You have spared me that, or minimised it, at least. When Henry left me heartbroken, you were the salve to heal my wound. You have given me love, and I will never regret that." She sighed. "I'm just sorry it has to be so complicated."

Richard nodded his agreement. "And more so now that you are pregnant with my child." He looked at Catherine. "Henry still doesn't suspect anything?"

"No." Catherine brushed her hair off her neck, fanning herself gently with her other hand. "The physician asked about my monthly bleeding, as I knew he would, but I told him that I was still having it as normal. I reminded him rather sternly that my husband had been away, and told him that it was improper of him to consider such a suggestion." She giggled at the memory. "You should have seen his face, Richard! As though he wished the floor would swallow him up!"

"I wish I'd been there!" Richard enjoyed her amusement, "I love it when you're stern! You look so irresistibly delectable…"

Catherine pursed her lips and shot him a look through narrowed eyes – disapproval with an unmistakable hint of delight.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/

With the long-awaited break in the weather, came the equally long-awaited improvement for Catherine. Cool, fresh air came in from the coast, and the leaves turned and began to fall. Richard was relieved to see Catherine's colour back in her cheeks, and the return of her appetite. She was happy, and that made him happy. Of course, she remained worried about the pregnancy, and about Henry discovering the truth, but she was thrilled to feel better. He could tell that Henry's attention was part of the reason for Catherine's happier state, too.

One pleasant autumn afternoon, playing chess at a wooden table near the lake, Richard had an opportunity to talk to her about it.

"Henry sent Diane off to Paris this morning!" Catherine's voice was triumphant as she took Richard's bishop. "Good riddance. I hope he never summons her back!"

Richard glanced at her and, saying nothing, moved to intercept her knight. Catherine considered her next move, but became distracted by Richard for a moment.

"That's good news, isn't it? I know you dislike her almost as much as I do."

"Most definitely." He studied the pieces left on the board. She sat back in her chair.

"What." It was more of a comment than a question.

"Mmmm?"

"What is it?" Catherine sounded impatient.

"It's… your move?"

She sighed. "Richard, I know that look. Talk to me. What can possibly be bad about Diane leaving? Or is it something else?"

Forgetting about the game for the moment, Richard spoke his concerns to Catherine.

"It's -" he paused to choose the right word, "wonderful, that you are drawing Henry's interest again. I can see that it's making you happy, and that makes me happy – truly. I just – I wonder, have you thought about what you will do to hide the rest of your pregnancy from him?"

She looked down at her hands, picking at her cuticles in her lap. "I have," she ventured, "but I suppose I am procrastinating."

"How so?"

"I have missed Henry so much. I've missed feeling loved by him, and his attention being focused on me. I have missed being desired by him. Now those things are changing, and it – it makes me feel like I used to feel at the beginning of our marriage, when we were so happy together." She let out a long exhale, her shoulders slumping forward. "I don't want it to change." Her voice was small and sad.

"Oh Catherine…" Richard reached across the chess board to take her hand.

"I will have to push him away, won't I?" She wouldn't meet his gaze. "I will have to make him wish he had not shown interest, so that he puts me aside again." Catherine took her hand back, and stood abruptly, knocking her fist against the back of her chair in frustration as she walked around it. "I don't want to! I can hardly bear to! But if I don't, he will find out. I can't allow him to sleep with me once my pregnancy begins to show."

"Won't he become suspicious if you refuse him? Or angry?"

"He might – I suppose he will be confused and angry, and I can hardly blame him for that." She rubbed at her forehead, looking out at the lake. After a silence, she added softly. "He came to me last night, and we slept together."

Richard felt like she had hit him in the stomach, hearing this news, but he knew he had no right to have Catherine for himself, and if Henry was what she wanted…

"Oh?"

She nodded, keeping her gaze out over the lake. "It was… almost as though nothing had changed, as though the recent years just disappeared away. Everything was wonderful. He asked to come again tomorrow."

"So soon?!"

"Yes, well," her eyes flicked over to Richard, and meeting his gaze, looked sharply away again. "He – we both – it was enjoyable," she confessed uncomfortably, "and it has been so long for me – even for Henry. He told me that he hasn't been close to Diane for some weeks now, and regretted not sending her away sooner."

Richard squirmed uncomfortably in his seat.

"But I shall have to put a stop to all this happiness soon enough." Richard hated how resigned and empty her voice sounded at this.

"What can I do?" he offered.

"I don't think there is anything you can do," she said softly, and then turned to smile at him. "But thank you. I am sure I will be glad of your friendship as much as I always am, when Henry is lost to me once more."

"You will always have it." Reaching out for her, he closed his hand over her small fingers again, and gave them a reassuring squeeze.