Night and Day (Stevens Book 11)

Chapter 4

Katherine pulled back the heavy curtains in her mother's room to let in the morning light.

"Good morning, Mom," she greeted with a smile, doing her best to hide her despair at the sight of her mother's pale thinness. All her zing was gone.

"Good morning, sweetie," she greeted in a weary voice.

Katherine had been home for three agonizing months. Her mother, Dora, had been able to do more three months ago than she could now. She had still dined and sat with them in the evening then, but now she was too weak to get out of bed.

"What would you like for your breakfast this morning?" Katherine asked, moving to adjust the pillows behind her.

"Nothing, thank you. Just some tea." Dora started coughing uncontrollably, and Katherine, unable to help, stood by with a handkerchief in case she needed it.

The hardest part was not being able to help. Katherine could fetch and carry and keep her mother company, but she couldn't help her. Dora was never going to get better, and it broke Katherine's heart.

"Are the girls around today?" Dora asked as she always did.

The girls were Katherine's younger sisters. There were three of them, and they avoided the sick room as much as possible, so Katherine had taken to telling Dora that they were away most of the time.

"I'm not sure. I haven't seen them today, but I'm sure they are because Dad's guests start to arrive today." Katherine's father, George Randolph, was determined to carry on as if nothing was amiss in his life, and he didn't have a dying wife.

"That's nice. The girls will enjoy all the company. I hope you get to spend some time with everyone." Dora started coughing once more. "Who knows," she gasped, "maybe someone will recognize you."

Katherine gave a small smile. Very few people recognized her outside of certain New York social circles. She had never used the name Randolph for work. She used her mother's maiden name Rhodes, and the small, coastal South Carolina community where they lived, didn't have much use for high fashion. Katherine's sisters hadn't a clue about her career because they didn't have much interest in Katherine since she was ten years older than the oldest.

"I doubt it, Mom. Besides, I'm going to hang here with you. I thought we could binge-watch Lost again. We haven't seen it since it came out years ago."

"Katie, you need to spend time with other people, too," her mother admonished.

"I've spent the last ten years going to parties. I can miss a few now." Besides, it was her father's attempt to find husbands for his youngest daughters. George had no hope for Katherine in that department.

The thought made her immediately think of Alistair, and she grew sad, which must have been reflected in her expression.

"You're sad again. Are you thinking of him?" Dora asked, watching her daughter closely.

"Yes," Katherine agreed as she moved toward the door. "I'll get your tea."

In a moment of weakness, when her mother had been fading, Katherine had told her about the man she loved. She hadn't mentioned specifics or a name, only that she had fallen madly in love. She had wanted her to know him, even if it was in a vague way.

Dora's room was off the kitchen and overlooked the garden.  Katherine's room was next to it, and a bathroom connected the two rooms, making caring for her mother easier.

"Good morning, Miss Katie. How is your mother this morning?" Abigail Just, the housekeeper, asked.

"About the same, Ms. Just. She only wants tea this morning." Katherine started the kettle for the water.