Chapter Three: Mystery Girl

Catherine didn't like waking up early. But she was up bright and early for her lessons with Thomas Culpepper. She'd been staying at the castle for over a week now and was making progress with the account books.

"Good morning," the carefree young heiress called out, sailing into the head steward's tiny office without even bothering to knock.

"So grateful for all you've done, Tom," a husky, choky female voice was saying. "It's meant everything to me . . . and the baby."

"Hel-lo," Pretty Catherine said, raising one of her well-plucked brows. She couldn't help staring at the shapely female visitor.

"Grown-up people knock before they enter a room." Thomas Culpepper gave slim, pretty Catherine a chilly look, as though he was lord and this was his castle. And she was just an intruder!

"Well, I'm very sorry," Catherine huffed, feeling hot all over.

"Catherine, this is Bessie Blount. Bessie was a chambermaid here before your uncle passed away."

"It's an honor to meet you, my lady." Bessie Blount had a ripe figure and a body to die for. But the golden-haired beauty seemed very shy. She could hardly even meet Catherine's curious gaze.

"Are you looking for work?" Catherine asked innocently. "Why did you leave your old position? Was my uncle not a fair employer?"

"Bessie needs to get back to her cottage," Mr. Culpepper said, as if the mystery girl needed protection from Catherine's questions. "And you need to get back to your studies."

"A pleasure meeting you, my dear," Catherine said, very politely.

"Yes, my lady." Poor Bessie looked utterly mortified. Why?

It was a long morning. Catherine had a good head for figures, but today she couldn't seem to keep her mind on the account books. She kept thinking about beautiful Bessie Blount instead. Her sums came out all wrong, and she grew very cross when the great Mr. Culpepper scolded her as though she were a child.

"The midday meal is ready in the parlor, sir," Mrs. Huddleston announced, in her soft voice, interrupting the morning lessons.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Catherine stretched and yawned, rubbing a crick in her neck while Mr. Culpepper quietly closed the books. "I'm absolutely famished, aren't you?"

"I'll be eating dinner in the village, Mrs. Huddleston. Please give Miss Catherine a complete tour of the castle. That should keep her out of mischief for a few hours, at least until I return for tea."

"Humph!" Catherine had her own plans for the afternoon. She could hardly wait to get Mrs. Huddleston alone and pump her for all the latest local gossip. Especially about Bessie Blount!

"So you see, Miss Catherine, it was never certain who the baby belonged to. But poor Bessie was turned out of here in disgrace. Mr. Culpepper and the master, your uncle, had a fierce argument about it. And the next morning Henry Tudor was dead."

"Oh, my." Catherine's mouth was open as she drank in the story. She was sitting in front of a roaring fire in Mrs. Huddleston's cozy kitchen. "So was it my uncle who got Bessie pregnant? Or was it Mr. Culpepper? He's always so cold and it's hard to imagine . . . but maybe Bessie deserved to be sent away in disgrace. Maybe she was carrying on with Culpepper and my uncle found out!"

Mrs. Huddleston shook her head. "It's not for me to say, my lady."

"Humph!" Catherine couldn't get anything more out of the housekeeper, no matter how hard she tried. The two of them took a tour of the castle after lunch, and the sweet, motherly housekeeper was eager to show off all the treasures Henry Tudor had collected in his long life. There were dozens of secrets to discover, rooms all full of paintings, tapestries, and suits of armor. Catherine was eager to explore at first, and she was dazzled by all the jewels and finery. But she didn't like the portrait gallery, which was full of stern Tudor ancestors gazing down on her with gloomy faces. The gloomiest face of all belonged to her uncle!

"He looks very sour, doesn't he?" Mrs. Huddleston chuckled. Catherine had lost interest in the tour, and was leaning against the wall, her back resting against a rich, embroidered tapestry.

"I think he looks cruel . . . just as cruel as Mr. Culpepper!" Catherine felt as though all the faces in the portrait gallery were frowning at her. And she felt tired of all the gloomy pictures. She yawned and leaned back, nearly knocking over a suit of armor.

"Ah, well. Perhaps you'll grow to like young Master Thomas, once you get to know him a little better." Mrs. Huddleston put her plump arm around Catherine's skinny shoulders, showing her motherly side. "Now let's catch a wink of sleep before dinner."

"Oh, all right." Catherine was feeling a tiny bit sleepy. It was all the excitement of discovering all the splendid jewels and furs, and realizing that she was now the proud owner of a real castle. Back in her room, Mrs. Huddleston helped her into a frilly bed gown and told her to rest until "the master" came home for dinner.

"He's not my master! He's only in charge till I turn twenty-one. I want to know more about Thomas . . . and about Bessie Blount!"

"Of course, dear," Mrs. Huddleston said. "And when Master Thomas is ready, I'm sure he'll tell you all about his past."

"Humph!" Catherine couldn't take out her anger on the housekeeper. Mrs. Huddleston had quickly gotten to be her favorite person at the castle. So she climbed into bed and settled down under the warm velvet coverlets just like a good little girl.

But when she fell asleep, she saw herself in Bessie Blount's place, making love to one man after another and making them all do whatever she desired. Catherine smiled in her sleep, imagining how quickly the cold Mr. Culpepper would change his tune.