Dressed in Black

Chapter 15

As is to be expected, after a long night of nervous weeping and endless snivelling, she woke the next day with a heavy head, and soreness in her eyes. Her breakfast of oatmeal, fruit and bread was spread out on her hearth-side table, and instead of tea, there was coffee, as if whoever had ordered it to be sent up had it in mind that she needed a boost of energy.

She looked about the dimly lit room – the curtains were not yet drawn. She wrapped one of her Indian shawls about her shoulders, slipped her bare feet into her fur slippers, and then shuffled to where the meal was to be had. Thoughtlessness made her clumsy, and until Sarah had reappeared, she could not endeavour to balance out her faculties. A woman is thought to be all nerves and no sense, and just at that moment, she rather fit the narrow-minded image. Her chamber-maid came in holding a box with three holes in the side, and a nosegay fashioned from the blossoms in Miranda's glass-house.

"Young maester has sent these up," she said, observing the box with a degree of scepticism. Presently it rattled. "What on Earth!" she exclaimed, forgetting that the present was meant for her mistress and not for her, and throwing the lid open. Immediately a little white head popped up from within, and produced a sharp squeak.

"Why, it is a little puss!" cried Catherine, reanimated by the creature's innocent mewl. She took the kitten into her arms, cradling it like a human child, and scratched its woolly white belly, making it squirm and purr all at once.

"What shall you call it, miss?" asked Sarah, peeping over her shoulder at the little wiggler.

"It's a little lady, Sarah," she said, caressing the kitten's button face. "So I shall call her Molly, because of her long grey eyes – she's just like her, don't you think?" But of course Sarah hadn't the smallest idea what her mistress was referring to. "Oh you know, the heroine in Wives and Daughters! Ah! Never you mind. Look at the dear little ribbon round her neck!" she gushed, playfully tweaking the pink silk ribbon and making the bell attached to it jingle.

"A note came wi' it," said Sarah, after being fairly distracted by the newly christened Molly.

"Do, let me see it," she said, taking the note from her hand and reading it with an expectant twinkle in her eyes, thinking it to be from Mr. Borne. However, it was from Henry Slater, and began in an informal way, as he did not have the decency to write a common introductory greeting. It did not denote any degree of formality, and she bitterly understood why.

"Have a look at that, Sarah," she said, her face falling as the maid read the note with a severe look of absorption, as if nothing were more important than the contents of that note.

" 'Here are some get-well presents for you – from all of us, but mostly from me. My father says we are engaged as of this morning. I hope to see you privately before dinner in the best drawing-room? H. S.' what can he mean, Missy? Engaged?"

"I'm afraid so," she muttered.

"Miss Cathy, I mus'—" began the illegitimate Miss Slater, but Catherine presently broke in, unfit to discuss so strange a quandary.

"Please, Sarah, you must say nothing more. I can fairly read the disagreement in your eyes, and that is enough. Go now." And so she went.

*

Harry was standing at a window, his face hardened. Until she had not sat down, he did not grace her with a greeting – fortunately she did not expect one, so she was spared the disappointment.