Chapter Three: Autumn Leaves
When she was a little girl, Catherine Howard loved playing in the autumn leaves. She'd pick up handfuls and throw them in the air, or dive into a big pile of them and roll around. Sometimes it was more fun scattering a pile of leaves than raking them together!
But now that she was a grown up lady and a fashion model, Catherine didn't like getting leaves and twigs in her hair. And she had to keep her white blouse, beige pants and brown leather boots clean as well. Anne of Cleves Cosmetics was counting on her to project a sophisticated image, even way out here in the country. So it was better to smile and wave and keep on walking even when she saw loads of local children playing in the leaves.
"It must be fun for those village girls, helping out at the church day care," Catherine exclaimed, throwing off her smart leather jacket and sitting right down at the kitchen table. Mrs. Holliday had tea and sandwiches waiting for her the moment Catherine turned up, tired and hungry after her long walk in the invigorating country air.
"Why not drop in on Reverend Meeps tomorrow?" The kindly old housekeeper suggested, watching with a smile as Catherine gulped her tea and swiftly polished off a plate of tiny sandwiches. "I could make a plum cake and you could bring it over first thing. And why not wear one of your lovely dresses from London?"
"Well, a sexy dress might send the wrong message. We're in the country, and Reverend Meeps . . . he's a minister, isn't he?" Catherine pushed her plate away, brushing crumbs off the table. She really wanted to make a good impression on everyone!
"He's a very nice man," Mrs. Holliday said quietly. She could see that the smart London model felt out of place here in the country. "But all that can wait until tomorrow. Now that you've had a bite to eat, shall we take a tour? Let me show you the rest of the house!"
Catherine was astonished at the sheer size of the country house. Mrs. Holliday took her all around, poking into every bedroom, explaining the history of every family portrait and each carefully polished suit of armor. It was all very grand, but a little gloomy. Even the faces in the portraits looked stern and rather severe, frowning down on Catherine while she yawned and rubbed her eyes, feeling very impressed but a bit overwhelmed by it all.
"Ah, here we are. Here is the last stop on our tour!" Mrs. Holliday pushed open the door to Catherine's bedroom, which was bright and sunny and quite different from the rest of the house. Tons of luxury and the latest conveniences made it all seem very modern.
"It's just like home sweet home!" Catherine giggled and tumbled across the bed. It was like jumping into a pile of autumn leaves. With a warm smile, Mrs. Holliday told her to rest until it was time for dinner. Then she closed the heavy curtains and left the room, carefully shutting the big oak door behind her.
Catherine didn't hear Mrs. Holliday's soft voice telling her to rest. She didn't hear the door closing or the click of the lock. She didn't even hear the footsteps in the hall. She was already fast asleep, dreaming of happy children and piles of autumn leaves.