Chapter 48

When Father had recovered Vincent quickly suggested that he escort Catherine and Jenny back Above since it was almost dinner time. Catherine had been hoping they would be invited to partake of another of William's wonderful meals, but knew when to leave well enough alone.

Vincent felt Catherine's disappointment through the Bond, but also sensed that she understood his haste in removing Jenny from Father's presence.

They arrived at the threshold to Catherine's building and Jenny turned to Vincent. Giving him an enthusiastic hug she said, "It was loads of fun big guy! I can't wait to come back! Now I will wait at the top of the ladder for Cath, I'm sure the two of you want a chance to suck face."

Catherine shook her head at her friend's irrepressible attitude and grinned at the shocked look on Vincent's face.

"Suck face!" he questioned in a daze.

With a giggle Catherine replied, "It was her way of saying she knew you might want to kiss me good-bye."

"Why did she not say that then?"

"It's just Jenny's way. You'll get used to her eccentricities. Now did you want to suck face with me before I go…or not?" she teased with a wide grin.

"I would like to kiss you Catherine," he told her quietly.

"I hoped that you would," she whispered back to him. Stepping into his open arms they shared a tender kiss that was more romantic than heated and when they parted Catherine asked, "Will you come and see me tonight? I can get rid of Jenny right after dinner…"

He smiled at her eagerness to see him again so soon after spending the entire afternoon together. "I will come Above an hour after sunset," he promised.

"Good! I'll see you then!" with a quick peck on his unique nose she turned and headed for the ladder.

Catherine knew that Vincent stayed near the threshold to be sure she had arrived safely even though Jenny's chatter would have drowned out the sounds of him leaving. "Oh my gosh Cath! What an amazing place and guy too! It's really too bad that his brother doesn't look like him. I'm guessing there's not much chance of you getting tired of this one and letting me have a chance with him!"

"JEN!" Cathy protested.

"What? You can't tell me that if I had met him first you wouldn't be thinking the same thing right now! So are you going to tell me how he is in bed?"

"I am not!" Cathy told her friend.

"Now is that because you don't know, or is it that you don't want me to know so I become even more jealous of you and begin to plot your murder so I can comfort the big guy and then when the time is right, move in and capture him for my own!"

Catherine might have protested that her best friend in one statement spoke of killing her and stealing the man that she loved…she might have…but she was laughing too hard to do so.

As Vincent walked back to the central hub of tunnels, he sensed Catherine's laughter and was glad that she was having such a good time with her friend. He had a feeling that his evening would not be as pleasant since he was pretty sure he was going to get an earful of complaints from Father. He also wondered if he would ever learn his parent's real name. The thought had never occurred to him until Jenny had brought it up and he was now fairly sure it would remain in the back of his mind until the matter was resolved.

Father had started his campaign to stop the children from messing around in his study while Vincent had been walking the visitors out. However, he was quickly shot down by Mary who was more than in favor of it being done. "You have needed to organize this study for years Father! This is a perfect plan to accomplish that and teach the children something in the process. If the children in the nursery weren't too young to help, I would have volunteered them as well."

To be continued….