Chapter 85
Later that afternoon the phone on her desk rang. It was Joe telling her they had located two of the three men she had identified and he wanted to know if she was up to a line up. Catherine assured him she was and without hesitation picked out two out of the six men as the ones involved in her attack. Joe told her they would be charged and put in jail until the trial. They were still searching for the third guy. Joe was sure they would find him soon.
Jeff had insisted in going in with her to the viewing room. Since he had found out about her pregnancy he had turned into a protective mother hen. Catherine had told him firmly that she could handle it on her own, but it had done no good. Suddenly she had a shadow everywhere she went. This amused her and she couldn't wait to tell Vincent how Jeff had gone from a lothario to a duenna.
She would have to tell Jenny all about it when she came Below the next afternoon to help with the wedding plans. Jenny had asked Cathy if she could have Joe pick her up for their date at Cathy's apartment. Then, she could stay Below as long as possible instead of making the long trip across town to her own place.
Cathy had agreed and told Jenny to use the key she had given her years ago when she first got the apartment. Whenever one of them had to go out of town, the other would check on things like getting the mail, and watering plants. Catherine planned to stay Below all weekend so she wouldn't be there when Joe arrived to pick Jenny up.
The weekend went very well indeed! Catherine was amazed and extremely touched at how everyone Below had pitched in some way to be a part of her and Vincent's wedding day. The children had been making paper chains to decorate the Great Hall. The musicians had been practicing Catherine's favorite songs that Vincent had discovered for them. Rebecca had made several more of the exceptionally beautiful candles that Vincent had brought the night he proposed, to be placed on the head table at the reception. William consulted with the happy couple over the final approval on the menu for their special day.
Then there were the secret things going on that Catherine didn't know about. Peter had talked to Charles and the two of them had gone together to Vincent with a proposal. They offered to purchase the wedding rings as their gift to the couple. Vincent had been exceptionally touched knowing that Charles was still leery about him, and had gratefully accepted. Mary and her ladies were making a new quilt to go on their marriage bed. Cullen had made a rocking chair so Catherine could rock the new baby. Father had located Vincent's old cradle and with Cullen's help had gotten it ready for the new nursery. The work on the two new rooms that would connect to Vincent's chamber were ahead of schedule, but because of this, Vincent had to temporarily move to a guest chamber for a few nights while the final archway was being cut from one section to another.
He did not want to explain that to Catherine however, so simply showed her to the chamber he was using as hers for the weekend. She expressed her disappointment at not sharing Vincent's room with him. Even though it was a mild deception, Vincent still felt a twinge of guilt when he told her that here they would not be interrupted. While it was extremely likely that they would be if they stayed in his chamber. Catherine easily accepted that explanation and the weekend went off without a hitch.
On Monday morning Catherine was stunned when Joe told her that the two men she had identified on Friday had made bail. He reported how shocked he was too considering how high the bail had been set. Jeff was very upset with the news, and made it clear that Cathy was not going anywhere without him until they came to trial!
To be continued….