Midnight Rain:

Chapter 99: Mary and Kate's Talk:

Before the ball, Kate was packing up her trunks to leave for India for the next morning. She stopped, looking at the tulips that James brought a few days ago. 

"Dearest."

Kate snapped out of her thoughts at the sound of Mary's voice.

"How are you feeling?" She asked as Kate went back to pack her necklaces and other jewelry.

"Oh. Well... Uh, I am feeling well." Kate smiled, looking up as she placed the necklaces in her trunk.

"Oh. I see you are not yet dressed for the ball." Mary said as Kate moved to grab another necklace to put in her trunk.

"Oh, I have much to pack before I depart, and I am still unsure whether I would like to attend tonight." She continued to say frantically as she continued to pack.

"Kate." Lady Mary said, trying to get Kate to focus on her. "I hope your return to India is not because of some eagerness to flee what is difficult. I know the feeling too well, and I can tell you, it is never the wise choice." Mary sighed as she stopped, seeing Kate trying to fight back tears. "Oh... Oh, I hate seeing you like this." Mary sighed, moving to comfort her daughter.

"It is my fault, Mama. Everything that has happened..."

"Edwina forgives you. I forgive you." Mary tried to comfort her.

"But I do not forgive myself. I was supposed to help her. To help our family, and instead--" Kate continued to rant.

"It is not right that you were left to guide Edwina alone. That was my failing." Mary sighed, looking down at the ground.

"You were grieving Appa..." Kate tried to say.

"But so were you. And after you had already lost your mother, too. Kate..."

"You took me in as your own." Kate tried to say to her. "And you never treated me any differently. Everything I... I did; I owed it to you." Kate shook her head as she sniffled.

"You owed me nothing. Oh... You never had to earn your place in this family. I loved you from the day I met you. Oh, love is not something that is ever owed. You came into my life... as a daughter, and I never saw you as anything else. Oh, I-- It grieves me to think you do not believe you deserve all of the love in the world." Mary told Kate, watching her try to breathe and sniffle as she tried not to cry. Mary moved to wipe the tears from Kate's cheeks.

Kate tried to collect herself when she sighed, looking back at Mary. "He was going to ask me to marry him... The earl." Kate finally confessed, and Mary looked surprised.

"What?" 

"And I could not allow it, Mama." Kate sighed, sitting down on the ottoman in front of the bed. "He was going to ask me out of mere obligation, some misguided notion of duty after the two of us..." Kate stopped her ranting as she sighed, feeling ashamed to admit it to Mary.

Mary nodded slowly when she moved to sit next to Kate.

"He does not love me, Mama..." Kate sighed, shaking her head as she began to cry again. "Oh, and I... I could not allow it." She sniffled, hugging Mary.

"Oh... My darling... my darling." Mary hugged her back.

~season 2, episode 8: "The Viscount Who Loved Me"~

~548 words~