Chapter Fourteen: The Voice Within
"So what now?" Catherine asked impatiently. She snapped her blue eyes open as though only a moment or two had flitted by. "Aren't you going to ask me any questions?"
"No need for that, mademoiselle. You were very helpful!" Father Gerard was already returning the gold locket to Lady Anne.
"I was? But I wasn't . . . I mean I didn't . . . I mean, what did I do?" Catherine was confused. She hadn't spoken a single word! The gold locket had been swinging back and forth, and she'd been drinking in the sound of the priest's voice and feeling very relaxed.
"There, there, darling. No need to look so astonished!" Lady Anne was smiling as though Catherine had passed some sort of test. "From the moment Father Gerard attempted to make contact, your mind was most cooperative. You answered all our questions while in a state of trance. Many subjects are slow to respond and enter a truly relaxed state. You went under in the wink of an eye!"
"You mean . . . I was talking in my sleep? What did I say?" Catherine looked anxiously into the face of the wise old priest. She trusted him completely, and of course she trusted Lady Anne. But she was deathly afraid she might have said something to hurt Paul Atherton, the boy they were searching for.
"You convinced us that you know nothing of Paul Atherton's whereabouts," Father Gerard answered, in his slow, soothing way. "You were very direct when I asked if you had any romantic feelings for the boy. It is clear that you want to find the missing jewels only because you have a deep attachment to your guardian, Lady Anne."
"Yes, I adore Lady Anne! I always have. She's been like a mother to me." Catherine leaned a bit closer to the old priest, feeling as though he'd given her a glowing report at school. "But you see, she has an attachment to Paul's father. The jewels belong to his church in London! Paul's father will be in big trouble if they don't turn up soon. The missing jewels, I mean." Catherine was about to say more when her guardian announced it was time to leave.
"So what do we do now?" The question only popped out just as Lady Anne was saying goodnight to Catherine in the hallway outside her bedroom in the pretty little seaside hotel in Deauville. On the train ride back from the famous cathedral, Lady Anne had been deep in her prayer book. And Catherine had been distracted by two good-looking boys in the adjoining carriage.
"Now we go to bed," Lady Anne said crisply. "Father Gerard and I think it best if the French police handle matters from here. You and I will file a report with the prefect early tomorrow morning, before we sail back to England."
"You mean we're just going to go home again? We're not even going on to Paris? What if Paul is there? What if the jewels are there? There's got to be a thousand places to sell jewels in Paris!"
"Yes, but the underworld of Paris is no place for a beautiful young English lady who will one day inherit a vast fortune."
"You sound just like Mr. Culpepper." Catherine scowled at the thought of her domineering estate manager. Legally Thomas Culpepper was her guardian, according to the terms of Henry Tudor's will. She was glad she'd escaped him, even if it was just for a day or two. "At least we got to see a little bit of France," she sighed. It had been a long day, and Catherine suddenly found herself covering a great big yawn with her small, gloved hand.
"Ah! We'll be back," Lady Anne chirped, her dark eyes twinkling as she kissed the yawning girl on both cheeks. "Off to bed now, there's a good girl! I want to make an early start. Sweet dreams!"
"Huh!" Catherine couldn't think of a clever comeback. She clumped off to bed rubbing her eyes, feeling as though she'd been ordered about by everyone all day long. Undressing for bed, she realized that the only part of the day she'd enjoyed was meeting Father Gerard.
If only she could only talk to him alone for a few minutes! Catherine collapsed into bed and hugged the pillow, realizing now that she really wanted to see that very nice priest again. She remembered how good it felt, listening to his soothing voice. Watching the gold locket swung to and fro. Feeling so relaxed, and feeling so good. If only she could feel that good again! Catherine fell asleep hearing his voice inside her head, deep and soothing and warm. Father Gerard wanted her to rest now. But soon, very soon, he would call for her.
