Chapter 1 - Now I Am Nineteen
"Mother, I am going to visit Francis. I shall be home for dinner." I called, slipping out of the house. Before going up the path she nodded towards her Grandma's grave, the usually tear sliding down her cheek. She couldn't help it. They had barely started living with her when she died. Years they wasted in their old village when they could have been living with her. Years I wasted with Robin that she could have spent with her Grandma.
"Kat!" A voice called, I looked up in a flurry of blonde curls. Her friend Marianna was hanging out of her window, waving in my direction. She hurried over, enveloping me in a hug.
"Gosh, I haven't seen you for ages!" She exclaimed. I nodded thoughtfully, straightening her dress.
"Here, your hair is coming out of your clip. Let me fix it." Marianna began babbling about the gossip in the village. I was only half listening; my eyes fixed on the window of the manor house I knew belonged to my possible future husband.
"Anna," I interrupted as soon as Marianna had finished. "Do you think he'll like me?"
For a second Anna looked confused, but then she sighed.
"I, of course he'll like you. What isn't to like? You're beautiful and, frankly, good at everything. You can dance, sing, read, write and stitch like a..." She trailed off.
"Stitching goddess?" I asked, a faint smile on my lips.
"Yes, that's good actually. Very poetical." I rolled my eyes.
"Anna, you wouldn't know what poetical was if it jumped of that roof there and landed on your head. Now excuse me, but I must go and meet him."
I pushed Anna aside gently, took a deep breath and pushed open the gate to the manor house.
"Hello?" An old woman opened the door. I could tell at once that she was a maid – her plain clothing was nowhere near the fashion of the manor house.
"My name is Katharine. I am here to visit Lord Edward." I swallowed nervously, twisting the braided belt of her dress around my finger.
"Ah, yes, of course. Come in dear." I stepped inside, letting her close the door behind her. "Aren't you a pretty one then?" She said kindly, looking I up and down She lowered her voice. "Shame about the dress, though."
"Maid, would you be so kind as to answer me something?" I asked, a friendly smile plastered on my face. The maid nodded politely. "What is wrong with my dress?"
I could almost pinpoint the exact moment when her heart sank. Her eyes widened and she paled, taking a step backwards. I was feeling quite good about myself. That had shown the silly old maid how to talk to me. But then somebody coughed gently behind me, and I wasn't so sure.
Very slowly, so I didn't look silly, I turned around. My dress billowed slightly and then fell to cling to my legs. I blinked once and completed the turn.
"Lord Edward," I sank into a curtsey. "My name is Katharine. Your maid was just...complimenting me on my dress, but I am not too sure on it." I smiled gently.
His grey eyes were cold. I had expected him to be friendly and lively, like he always appeared to be at town festivals. But instead he had a hard face, with harder eyes. The corners of his mouth twitched slightly, before he gestured jerkily towards the door. I could see a table, all laid out for two. My heart sank.
"Please, Miss Katharine. Join me for dinner."
And I suddenly knew that it wasn't he who had rejected the other girls. They had rejected him.
"I am sorry, Lord Edward, but this was just a brief visit. I must get home to my Mother. She is ill, you see. She needs looking after. But perhaps some other time I could join you for a meal?"
"Of course, I understand. Send your Mother my love. She used to look after me, before you were born, you know. Up until I was about five, up until she had you. I used to visit you every day after my tutor had left and just look at you. You were the prettiest baby I had ever seen.
"But then your family moved away, to that other village. And I never heard from you or your Mother." He straightened up, composing himself. "But you won't remember that. You were far too young. Like I said, send your Mother my love."
He took a step forwards and raised my hand to his lips. He hesitated slightly before kissing them.
"You're still just as pretty as you were all those years ago." His hard face jerked into a smile. He looked creepy, like he was about to slit my throat, not wish me goodbye. I hurried out of the door and back into my house.
"That was quick, darling." My Mother called. Her voice sounded croaky again. I rushed upstairs to her side, kissing her forehead gently before settling onto the cover I had folded into a small seat for me to sit on.
"Mother, he's horrible. Nothing like the little boy you have told me about. He's got such a hard face, Mother, and his eyes don't smile. Neither does his mouth, really, but even when his lips smile, his eyes are dull. Oh Mother, it's just horrible. Don't make me see him again, Mother." I cried. She smiled.
"But did he like you?" She asked wearily.
"I think so. He seemed keen for me to stay to eat, but I simply couldn't! I said I will go back, but I have no intention of doing so." I said, nodding as if it was simple.
"Katharine Smith, don't you ever say something like that again. To refuse the Lord Edward's invitation is bad enough in the first place, but to make an empty promise. My child, you will go back, at least once, or I shall ask him for your hand in marriage." A sad smile appeared on my Mother's face. "If he doesn't ask for yours first, that is."
I squealed, hitting my Mother lightly on the shoulder.
"Mother, don't say such a thing! I barely saw him for five minutes, and yet I detest the man. It was such a brief meeting, I know I shouldn't judge him. But I can't help it. I will go back and see him, but only once, and then I shall tell him...that I am otherwise engaged."
"Kat, lying is a sin." My Mother warned. I smiled secretly.
"Lying is a sin, but a little white lie once in a while doesn't hurt anybody."