Webs

2

The last of the party guests left a little before midnight. Catherine had friends who liked to brew coffee and chat until they were too tired to continue. Catherine would serve them as many cups as she could to keep the conversation going, but eventually, she had to shut her door to company.

She looked at the dining room, the space used, empty; a pit began to sink in her heart. Her home was vacant and the loneliness was beginning to crawl back into its place. She went to the parlor while the housemaids began to clear the rooms and clean the floors. She sat in the parlor with a cup of coffee in one of the chairs by the window.

A sigh escaped her lips as her eyes rolled from the outdoor view, focusing on one of the sofas, a small shine catching the light on the surface. She got up and saw it was a jeweled bracelet, beads of pink and blue. It belonged to Delilah Constable. She remembered because she saw Delilah showing it off earlier. She had gotten a new set of jewelry she was displaying, making them obvious with her hand motions when she spoke.

Catherine picked up the bracelet and studied the gems closely. The shapes were too precise, the pink and blue sapphires a perfect color. She was not sure where Delilah got fake gems, but the woman was more desperate than she thought.

She remembered the part of a conversation she overheard between Delilah and a group that admired her undeniable beauty. She had stunning features—gold hair, high cheekbones, milky skin—which shot many women with an arrow of jealousy, Catherine included.

"—and he's growing into a vile boy," Catherine had heard from Delilah as she sat with a few guests willing to listen to her. She was talking about her stepson. "Last week he took the rotten meat from the garbage and stuffed it in my pillowcase! This boy is supposed to be growing into a man and all he does is mess with people to make their lives harder. Fifteen and he still has no manners. I've talked to his father about it..."

"Where is Lord Constable this evening?" asked one of the other guests.

"Oh, he is working late. Such a busy man and that is my point! My husband is caring and kind but he has no time for the people who love him. He is hardly around and will sometimes leave me for days with Esmond and things are difficult without him. He does not understand that I don't see that boy as my son and he does not see me as his mother.

"But he is doing excellent with work," Delilah continued with a sudden perk of energy. "Just last week he bought me this." She stretched out her wrist to show the fake beads. The guests looked with ignorant admiration as she also showed them her pearl necklace and ruby earrings.

The more Catherine thought about it—the illumination on Delilah's face as she admired her possessions—she saw honesty. The judgmental perception faded to pity as she saw how innocent some people could be. She wondered what was driving Ronald Constable to lie to his wife.

While Catherine pondered these thoughts she did not notice the sound of feet coming down the steps.

"Catherine?"

She turned around to see her husband standing at the entrance to the parlor. His feet were bare and his shirt was unbuttoned at the top.

"I wanted to let you know I will be going out of the city tomorrow," Rennold said. "I received a message from an old colleague of mine I knew at Durham. He moved back to an estate not far from the city. I was going to tell you about it earlier..."

"Will you dine there?" Catherine asked.

"Oh, no, should not be that long. I will be back by dusk."

Catherine nodded her head and turned back to gaze out the window while Rennold stepped quietly away.