Now
CC entered the mansion yawning; it had been later than she'd realized when she'd finally left the previous evening. She hadn't even mustered the energy to compose herself properly, her hair clipped back haphazardly and her face hastily made up. Glancing around for the butler, CC continued to the office with a shrug.
"Well, Niles," she could hear Maxwell saying as she approached the open door, "this must be exciting for you!"
"Butler's Association finally acknowledging your lack of hard work after all these years?" CC tossed out, thrilled to give the first blow.
Niles rolled his eyes and picked up the tea tray; he appeared eager to exit the office. "Go on and sit down, Miss Babcock. The couch won't indent itself."
CC smirked at him as she set down her briefcase and forgot to ask Maxwell what was so exciting, for her business partner had picked up the phone and was on a call.
The rest of the morning operated relatively smoothly; Nanny Fine only interrupted and distracted Maxwell four times, which CC thought had to be some sort of record low. Were she a more intuitively aware person, she might have thought to ask what the hubbub with the servants was—at one point, Maxwell's driver entered the house and pulled Fran aside—but the goings-on of the lower classes, save one notable exception, never warranted much of a blip on CC's radar.
As it was, CC traversed the living room on her way to the front door, about to head out for the theater, when the doorbell rang. This time, even CC couldn't help but notice that a small crowd had gathered in the foyer.
"What's going on?" CC asked, her attention half on the nanny and half on the hand rummaging through her bag.
"Niles has a visitor!" Fran replied in that annoyingly singsongy way of hers, but there was something in her tone that caused CC to look up at the door. Her stomach seemed to be preparing itself for a flip.
By the time Niles had opened the front door, her stomach had decided to jump off the highest ledge possible, landing somewhere near her feet. In the doorway, her slight figure diminished even more so by the frame, stood Kathryn.
…
Years ago, several months before Fran had arrived, the Sheffields' former maid Kathryn had returned to Manhattan. CC knew very little about her aside from fleeting mentions that she and Niles had once been an item—and considering the strange relationship CC had since formed with Niles, especially after their shared night following Sara's funeral, CC brushed any thoughts aside. A maid, she could handle.
Yet when Kathryn had returned, when Niles had disengaged from many interactions with CC, when CC had seen her willowy figure and fiery red hair, something made her falter. There was a look in Niles's eyes that made CC at once full of rage and anxiety. Then Kathryn began to interact with everyone and CC's fear mounted.
She'd lost several boyfriends to smaller, softer, quieter women. She knew how some men preferred their women, and in CC's mind some became most and with Niles it seemed to be all. Who wants a sharp-tongued fireball when they could have a fluffy bunny? Who would prefer a towering behemoth over a simpering pixie?
Attempts to regain her confidence became fruitless; Niles was either so distracted or happy to have Kathryn back that he forgot his former playmate. True to form, CC's doubts and fears transformed into anger and any interactions she did have with the butler remained hostile.
Sometimes, CC sensed that Maxwell wanted to admonish CC for her rude treatment of his former maid but never did; she assumed he either credited the loss of her friend to still be plaguing her or CC's usual contempt of the help for her behavior. She felt grateful for Maxwell's lack of intrusion—she wouldn't have been able to put her thoughts into words if she'd tried.
The only true interaction she had with Niles came several days after Kathryn's arrival. CC stepped into the kitchen for a snack and when she saw Niles in the far corner of the kitchen, it occurred to her that they were alone: the older children were at school, the littlest one was at daycare, and Maxwell was at the theater.
"Where's your girlfriend?" CC asked, faux-casually, and immediately regretted it. It would have been infinitely better if she'd never mentioned Kathryn—or even ignored Niles completely.
Niles smirked at her. "Jealous, Babcock?"
"Well, you're certainly a big talker now that no one else is around," CC snapped. If her ears weren't ringing with the familiarity of rage, CC might have stopped herself. Hurt was fueling this anger, and this was always the most dangerous kind.
"Meaning?" Niles asked. The irritation in his voice threw gasoline onto the embers inside her.
"Meaning you've elected to ignore me for the past week since you've had your tiny tartlet to keep you company," CC retorted. She internally slapped herself—she was giving this argument away and likely revealing too much.
"Aw, poor little Babcock, feeling neglected," Niles said. "Does someone need a walk? Or perhaps you'd prefer a visit to the dog park?"
"Sure—can I borrow the leash that ginger's kept you on?" CC threw back.
"Just because Kathryn is more delicate than you, Bigfoot, doesn't mean you need to call her names," Niles replied. He grimaced slightly but CC missed it, pretending to laugh as she opened the refrigerator and pretended to glance over its contents.
"Well, if you prefer them small and shapeless, Niles, to each his own," CC said.
"Better than a sack of potatoes," Niles replied, and CC nearly jumped when she felt his breath on her neck; she hadn't realized he'd moved so closely to her.
"Don't talk about yourself like that," CC said.
"We don't have anything large enough to quell your appetite," Niles told her, his arm brushing against her side as he reached around her to shut the fridge door.
CC spun around, looking Niles squarely in the eye, and nearly dragged him into the butler's pantry when she heard, echoing through the empty house, the front door slamming shut.
"Niles, love, where are you?" Kathryn's voice rang out.
CC felt the fire in her, recently glowing red hot, go out as quickly as if someone had doused her in bone-chilling water. "No," CC agreed, pointedly looking down at him, "nothing large enough in here."
With that, she left the kitchen and hid herself in the office.
Somehow, two weeks had passed since that incident and Kathryn still inexplicably remained in New York. CC had purposely avoided further interactions with Niles; her feelings confused her and she felt dirty when she considered that Niles and Kathryn might have rekindled their romance. Either way, Niles's treatment towards her left a great deal to be desired and she felt not a little disgust towards him at the moment as well.
Preparations for Sheffield Productions' backer's party took up most of her time anyhow, and any discussions that she might have needed to have with Niles she merely outsourced to other people. Hiring a caterer for the event served the dual purpose of slapping Niles in the face and preventing her from needing to talk to him. There were times when she suspected that he was looking at her when she walked through the house but she remained steadfast in her avoidance—she might have been a morally questionable individual, but CC Babcock was no one's mistress.
Days of rain preceded the party, which CC soon learned that Kathryn planned to attend. Unable to think of any plausible argument against this, CC handled it like a true Babcock: she ignored it and internalized her frustration. She attempted to look on the bright side—she worked herself up so much that her appetite frequently left her, so she promised to look smashing in her new gown for the party.
The rain thankfully ceased hours before the party, leaving the sidewalks damp and the air muggy. CC stepped out of her car, holding the hem of her gown well above the ground. Whatever happened, this dress would make her happy. Accentuating her curves and fanning out in a gorgeous sweep, the white silk dress with a sheer overlay glittered in the waning sunshine. CC smiled happily and walked carefully into the mansion, sidestepping a large puddle of mud and sludge formed from the endless downpour from the skies.
When CC entered the foyer, she tossed her wrap to Niles and said, "There's a big puddle right near the steps outside. Shouldn't you do something about that?"
"Did you make a mess on the ground again?" Niles replied. CC wondered if he was a little stung by the harshness in her voice.
"Even if I did, it's your job to clean it up, servant," CC said with the perfect balance of acidity and apathy, sidestepping Niles to oversee the setup for the party.
She might have regretted her initial insults and her initiation of the battle but for Niles's behavior once Kathryn arrived. He took her coat and positively fawned over her dress, but he declared all-out war when he remarked on how thin she appeared. Niles glared at CC as he hung up Kathryn's coat; CC merely raised her glass in a faux-salute from across the room. It was on, then.
CC proceeded to make the embarrassing mistake of letting her guard down momentarily; high off the buzz of a check stored in her purse, CC gave a tinkling laugh at something a backer had just said. It wasn't remotely funny, of course. She placed a flirtatious hand on his arm and said, "Oh, Christopher, how do you think of such things?"
"I was just going to ask the same question. Weren't you saying earlier, Miss Babcock, that a feather held more intellectual weight than Mr. Walter's brain?" Niles asked with a glowing smile, proffering a plate of crudité.
CC's face suddenly became snakelike and she glared at Niles so vehemently that he took a minor step back. Luckily, Christopher let out a bellowing laugh and wrapped his arm around CC.
"Oh, CC, you're a spitfire!" he exclaimed. CC smiled sweetly at Christopher, made all the sweeter by Niles's disappointment.
CC had lucked out, but she had no way to assure this. She stood alone moments later, attempting to think of a proper rebuttal. It was clearly necessary for her to go on the offensive. Then, a heavenly light shone down upon a section of the area rug that had become uneven because of the increased foot traffic. She spied Niles walking in its direction, one hand laden with a newly replenished tray, and had mere seconds to achieve her feat. Using the toe of her shoe, she edged the carpet up further and stepped blithely away, meshing herself seamlessly into the conversation with Maxwell and one of their regular backers.
Knowing it would give her away to watch, CC had to settle on listening intently. Seconds later, a thud, a crash, and a shriek rent the air in rapid succession. CC spun around with the rest of her group and quelled the bubble of laughter that formed at the sight of Niles sprawled over the floor, half-covered in appetizer remnants.
"Niles! Compose yourself!" Maxwell said, once the general din of talking had resumed.
"Mr. Sheffield, she did that!" Niles said desperately, standing up and pointing a greasy finger at CC. She assumed her most innocent expression as Maxwell glanced at her fleetingly.
"Don't be ridiculous, Niles, she was standing with me the entire time," Maxwell replied. "Clean this up and then take care of yourself. What a mess."
"Such a mess," CC agreed, shaking her head at Niles. She gave him a slight wink as she turned back to face the group of men, unable to resist taking credit for her prank.
The party continued on with very little incident; CC supposed that Niles felt chagrined. Hindsight would prove her wrong, of course, as it so very often did, but CC relished the momentary victory.
As some of the guests began to leave, CC offered to escort their newly-signed backer to her car. Normally she didn't make such an effort with women—they seldom liked her very much, in truth—but this old broad had raved about CC's dress for so long that CC's insight (only keen in matters of business) told her to pursue this woman.
"Oh, CC, really, you don't have to," the old lady said again; still, she happily accepted CC's proffered arm.
"Nonsense, Ms. Baker!" CC replied. "It's my pleasure." CC walked her to her car and indulged the old woman, who asked for one more twirl. CC spun on the spot, appreciating the streetlight twinkling upon the light fabric.
"Such a gorgeous gown," Ms. Baker sighed, holding a hand over her heart. Niles, who had stepped outside to hold the door open for a group of exiting men, rolled his eyes; CC smirked at him as the woman climbed into her car.
"Thank you so much, Ms. Baker. We'll be in touch soon," CC said in her honeyed voice. She waved at the men as they climbed into a cab and walked towards the steps leading up to the front door.
"Talk about a wolf in sheep's clothing," Niles muttered as CC paused at the bottom of the steps.
"Such cleverness from the help," CC said. "Did the innocent Kathryn teach you that one?"
"Speaking of innocence," Niles said, walking down the few steps to stand next to her, "isn't it a little blasphemous for you to wear white? We should fix that." Niles bumped her with his hip and CC, unsteady from having one foot on the bottom step, stumbled and fell with a splash into the puddle she'd told Niles about earlier.
She yelped and tried to push herself up, leading streaks of mud halfway up to her elbows. "Niles!" CC exclaimed. She finally succeeded in standing up and almost screamed again; her dress was unquestionably ruined. "Niles!" she screeched again.
"Yes?" Niles asked, cupping his hand over his ear.
CC momentarily considered pushing Niles into the puddle but the front door opened again—she couldn't have any backers see her like this. With a warning growl, she hurried off to the alley next to the house, heading to the back door and up the back staircase. Seething with anger, CC stepped out of her shoes—ruined as well—and into Niles's bathroom. She'd unconsciously taken this path; it was more familiar to her than any other in his house.
Scrubbing furiously at her hands, CC tried and failed to think of adequate revenge. How could she explain her sudden absence from the party? Undoubtedly the butler was already inside, telling tales to the remaining guests. Grinding her teeth, CC turned off the faucet and dried her hands. Walking into the guest bedroom across from Niles's room, CC shut the door and slid out of her dress. Luckily, the slip underneath had sustained no damage but she couldn't very well go downstairs in this.
With a sigh, CC looked at herself in the mirror above the dresser and saw a splatter of mud on her shoulder. As she worked to rub it off, the door to the room opened and CC jumped, looking around hurriedly for something with which to cover herself. She stopped when she saw it was Niles.
"If you come any closer, I will murder you," CC told him in a low, terrifying tone. To his credit, Niles looked sheepish.
"Miss Babcock, I am sorry," Niles said.
"Oh, you're sorry? I didn't even think you knew that word," CC snapped.
"I know I went too far," Niles continued.
"But now I have justification for your murder," CC reasoned, stepping towards him. Niles took an automatic step backwards, causing the door behind him to shut.
"I just wanted to see if you were all right," Niles said, holding his hands up in surrender.
"Oh, I'm just peachy. A gown worth more than you've ever made in your entire life is ruined, and you can't even afford to pay for the dry cleaning!" CC yelled.
"You humiliated me too, you know," Niles told her, the contrition in his eyes slowly replaced by righteous anger.
"Yes, well, everyone expects the moronic butler to screw up," CC replied, turning away from Niles and walking back to the mirror. Even in her anger, she knew Niles's eyes were travelling up and down her barely covered body and she felt a small sense of satisfaction at the thought.
"Don't worry about the other backers. They'll probably assume you're screwing one of the others in his car outside," Niles said.
"Excuse me?" CC spun around quickly.
"They all think you do it. I heard them," Niles said. CC's eyes searched his face but she couldn't tell if he was lying.
"You're disgusting," CC seethed.
"Says the creature from the black lagoon," Niles retorted.
"Shouldn't you be off admiring your girlfriend?" CC said. She knew it was a lame retort, but Niles's jibe about the backer's talk had unnerved her and she wanted to end the conversation quickly.
"At least no one spreads unseemly rumors about her," Niles replied pointedly.
CC's hands clenched into fists. "Who would? She's got the figure of an eight-year-old boy."
"Better than an eighty-year-old woman," Niles reasoned, motioning towards her body.
CC grabbed a hairbrush—the only thing she could find—off the dresser and whipped it at him. He dodged just in time; the handle of the brush snapped cleanly off and fell to the floor.
"Are you insane?" Niles exclaimed as he rushed forward. He grasped her arm as she reached for the bottle of perfume near the dresser's edge. He stopped her just in time and pulled her arm away.
"You are the worst sort of jackass!" CC cried, angry tears glistening in the corners of her eyes.
"You started this entire thing!"
"Oh, right, I invited your stupid girlfriend back in town," CC spluttered, making another frenetic attempt for the perfume. Niles stopped her again, grabbing both wrists this time.
"Calm down, you frightful woman!" Niles told her.
"You're a worthless, horrible man—"
"Crazy baboon—"
"Awful, mean, immature—"
"Bloody idiot—"
They both paused at the same time, staring at each other, and seemed to acknowledge, at the same time, what was about to happen. They leaned in to each other simultaneously, their lips meeting for the first time in weeks. Niles pulled her wrists behind her, pinning her against him; she felt him harden in mere seconds.
Niles turned his hips and pushed her back against the dresser. She sat on the edge and wrapped her legs around him, drawing him closer as they kissed each other roughly. As Niles trailed kisses down her neck, CC opened her eyes and realized that this was the room in which Kathryn had stored some of her things: it was Kathryn's hairbrush that she'd broken and her perfume that CC had attempted to hurl across the room. The idea gave her a sick sense of pleasure and the thought of lingering backers and party guests just downstairs heightened the sense of just how naughty they were.
She gasped as Niles used his chin to push aside the thin layer of silk covering her breast; he took her soft skin into his mouth and even gently nipped at her. She arched against him, her arms resisting his hold, and finally he released them; she twined her fingers in his hair and held his head in place, only relenting when he turned his attention to her other breast.
Niles ran his hands up and down the outline of her body, stroking her waist, gripping her hips, and of course, of course, how could she have ever forgotten, he loved her body, he whispered admiring words about it as he surveyed its landscape with his hands and mouth and eyes, he adored her shape and worshipped her curves…
But it had been long, entirely too long, and CC craved to feel him again. Niles, as he was wont to do, appeared content to take his time and tease her, his favorite hobby, but CC felt like a huge clock hung over her, counting down the time until he perhaps realized how unwise this was, and she needed him now, a powerful need that cut through any other inhibitions to which she might have clung. She drew him upright again and brought his lips to hers, meeting his tongue and tracing his lips, until she pulled his ear against her lips and whispered, "Now."
Niles chuckled deeply, such a seductive sound that CC felt it ripple over her. "Be patient, Babcock…"
Ignoring him, CC unfastened his pants with a deft hand and held his length in her hand. She stroked it a few times, gently guiding it toward its ultimate destination, and moved her mouth to his ear once more. "Fuck me," she whispered.
Niles gave a groan of resignation, and CC knew she'd won him over. He moved her hips slightly and slid into her in one stroke, groaning again when he felt her. "God, Babcock…"
Niles thrust in and out of her quickly, roughly, and CC threw her head back in ecstatic agony. In her haze, though, she could still hear the dresser thumping against the wall and even in the thrill that coursed through her at the thought of someone walking in on them, she didn't want that someone to be her (and Niles's) boss.
As was his custom, Niles read her mind and picked her up, still inside her, and CC moaned when she felt him slide even deeper into her. He pressed her against the wall and continued, displaying an attractive amount of strength and dexterity. CC returned to her world of blissful oblivion, experiencing nothing but Niles—the feel, the sound, the scent, the weight of him. He surrounded her and never before had CC felt so agreeable to drowning, to living forever in the circle of her and him. This was it, there were no complications, no others, no doubts—here there was certainty and assurance and sensation and God, the sensation…
Niles came shortly thereafter, his hands still supporting her legs and his head nestled in her collarbone.
He brought CC back to the ground slowly, giving her a moment to regain her footing. Still in her fog, CC wanted to pretend that her legs were weak, wanted to keep his warm hands on her waist, but the fog cleared slowly and CC returned to the land of the living. She pushed her slip back into place, suddenly wishing it covered more of her and that she had other clothes to put on.
"I'll find you something to wear," Niles said, acutely aware of her as always.
"Right…right," CC said, her voice strengthening. "I expect she'll be waiting for you."
"Who?"
A flash of annoyance crossed her face. "Your girlfriend, moron." What had before been the allure of the forbidden existed solely as shame within her—what had she done? Was Niles truly such a cad?
Niles sighed and stepped closer to her, placing his hands again on her waist. "She's not my girlfriend, moron." He kissed her forehead and exited the room.
…
They had never fully established exactly what Kathryn was, then—though CC reasoned that she and Niles had never established what they were, either. Kathryn had left Manhattan shortly after the party and CC contented herself with forgetting about the redhead's existence.
This, of course, proved to be a foolish strategy, as several years later, Kathryn once more stood in the doorway to the Sheffield mansion. Still as thin, still as delicate, still as hateful as ever. Her disgust showed itself, apparently, for Fran stared at her strangely and CC quickly adopted a more neutral expression.
"Who's she?" CC muttered, turning and walking back into the office, even though she'd been fully prepared to leave moments before.
To her dismay, Fran entered the office a few seconds later.
CC pointed to the empty office chair. "Maxwell isn't here, Nanny Fine. Go preen for someone else."
"You mean you don't know Kathryn?" Fran asked, selectively ignoring CC's dismissal.
"What?"
"You asked who she was. Kathryn. You've known Niles a lot longer than me and even I know all about their great love affair," Fran said, eyeing CC carefully as though surveying the depth of the water she approached jumping into.
"Great love affair, please," CC scoffed, picking up a random manila folder and pretending to look through it. She threw it back down on the desk when she discovered it was empty.
"Why do you say that?" Fran asked innocently, hopping onto the arm of the leather loveseat.
"Can't you ever sit in a chair the way you're supposed to?" CC asked irritably. Still, she spun around to lean against the desk. The amount and variety of things that had occurred in this office in the past might have caused a lesser woman to blush, but CC plowed on.
"She shows up every couple of years and Niles pouts when she leaves. I wasn't under the impression that it was much to write to England about," CC explained.
Fran pursed her lips and tapped her chin with one heavily manicured finger. "Hmm. Niles seemed pretty excited about her arrival."
CC looked away from Fran's surveying stare. "Good for him. Gives him something else to scrub."
"Well, everyone needs a little lovin' every once in a while," Fran reasoned. "Speaking of, when's the last time you got any?"
Last night with your best friend, CC thought with a sort of savage pleasure. "I guess it would be Chandler."
"Oh, right, right…how could I forget," Fran said, and CC didn't think for a moment that the nanny had forgotten. Had she and Niles been louder than anticipated last night?
"Right. So several weeks ago, then," CC replied. "This has been the opposite of fun. Do you need anything else?"
"What about Niles?" Fran asked suddenly.
"Probably not since the Stone Age," CC replied smoothly.
Fran laughed, but there was no nasal in it: the nanny searched for more. "No, I meant, have you ever thought about Niles like that?"
"Sure, why not," CC said casually. "Have you?"
"When I first started here," Fran admitted. "You know, I used to think he had a crush on me."
"He never did," CC replied quickly, too quickly, and she mentally shook herself. What was it about that infuriating man that made her lose her cool? If word ever got out that she'd entered into a battle of wits and determination with the nanny and lost…
Fran stared at her carefully, and there was victory in her eyes. "He didn't?"
"You were always friends, right? And apparently he's been hung up on Kathryn for the last half-century of his life," CC explained.
"I guess you're right," Fran replied with a shrug.
"If you'll excuse me, then, I should get to the theater," CC said, grabbing her things again and heading out of the door. As she entered the living room, she stopped almost immediately: Kathryn stood on the step leading into the foyer, Niles right below her, and she bent her head to kiss him. Fran walked into the living room in time to see CC walking quietly but quickly towards the dining room and back door.